Categories
Streamline Processes

7 Ways to Streamline Processes

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Many of today’s careers require people to work intelligently. This means that employees must work together more, generate more and be more successful even as they are expected to work faster and smarter. Regardless of your industry, the amount of productivity that your employees can generate and their ability to work well depends on how much control they have over what they do during their work hours. These days, it’s common for business processes to be inefficient and even broken. If you see this in your company, it’s time for a change. Here are seven ways to streamline business processes.

1. Review Your Company’s Current Work Process

To streamline processes, review what’s happening now. You may need to check with every department to understand how the business has been operating to see where tasks may be getting bogged down or delayed. Discuss the company’s current workflow with your employees to see what advice they might have to make things run more smoothly. Analyze each step and take detailed notes. These steps will help you make changes to streamline how your company conducts business.

According to research, businesses don’t need to hold as many work meetings as they do. Statistics show that too many meetings result in a waste of an estimated 37 billion dollars in the United States.

Review the number of meetings that you’re scheduling to see if you’re wasting time holding them. You might be able to share information just as well through email or share more information during each meeting.

2. Break Down the Company’s Work Processes into Smaller Tasks

Once you have an outline of each work process, break each one down into smaller tasks. Try to make each step as simple as possible. A common thing that happens in many businesses is that project managers become consumed by a project’s dependencies and decision levels because of a complicated work process. Keep it simple. Break the process down into smaller steps and work toward what needs to be done.

In business, common areas of waste include overprocessing, defects, and waiting. If you can work to eliminate these wastes on your team, you’ll be more likely to increase profits and improve the happiness level of your workers. They’ll appreciate working under a system that operates efficiently. Employees often become frustrated when they have to go through steps that waste time.

As companies grow, structural changes start to happen. These changes may fluctuate from slight shifts in who is managing what department to job switches because of personal preferences. Since changes happen gradually over a long period, it’s easy to miss inefficiencies.

Future Mapping
Future Mapping reverses existing ideas on goal achievement. It is a remarkable technology for problem-solving, creativity, and innovation.

3. Look into Automation

To streamline processes, make sure that you’re using a quality work management software solutions program. In many businesses, the method used to send projects or tasks out to employees is often riddled with communication problems and data errors.

Be sure to install a program that will help your company and its staff communicate quickly and effectively. Today’s work management solutions software makes multifaceted business processes easier to manage.

4. Search for Unnecessary Tasks

Review the job tasks assigned to your team to identify ones that may be unnecessary. This will free people up to do other jobs. It can also help you improve business processes and allow your staff to manage their work time better.

Take a look at how other companies or industries operate. It’s easy to think that your business is unique and that methods used by other industries wouldn’t help you, but you might need to broaden your mindset.

Henry Ford decided to use an assembly line to construct his automobiles after visiting a slaughterhouse that used them to process meat. Vehicles and cows have many differences, but the technique for bringing the final product to the market works effectively in both industries.

5. Determine Pain Points

To streamline your business processes, ask your customers or clients about their pain points. Survey as many people as you can. This will help you narrow down your company’s pain points so you can start addressing them. For instance, if your customers are unhappy with the wait time for customer service, you may need to hire more people or determine ways for your current representatives to help people more quickly. This means that you might need to give your team more control over how they help your clients.

Prioritize key areas. Use the information to focus your attention on operations that will give you the best method for improving business processes.

6. Provide Detailed Explanations

After deciding what changes are needed to streamline your business processes, teach your team how to use them, do this prior to implementation. Make sure that every member of your team understands how the new process operates and how it will help them work more efficiently.

The benefits of streamlining businesses processes include better employee morale, improved team coordination, and increased employee adoption. It’s also likely that there will be fewer errors, missed project deadlines, and redundant tasks.

7. Be Open to Modifications

Once you start improving business processes for more effective operations, be open to modifications. You’ll need to take some time to see how and if the changes are streamlining operations in the way that you need or want. Be patient because changes always take time. Assess how well each new process is working and make modifications if needed. Tweak each process until you have everything working better.

Streamline Business Processes

When you make changes that make things run more efficiently, you’ll save time and money. Be patient and give the changes time to work. Contact us at the Productivity Intelligence Institute to see how we can help.

Categories
Reduce Stress

12 Ways To Reduce Stress

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12 Science-Backed Ways to Reduce Stress

Chronic stress is a health issue that cannot be ignored. Anxiety and stress raise health costs and lower productivity. At one point, people wore their overwork and late nights at the office as badges of honor. Today, managers are learning that workplaces with stressed-out employees will see more sick days and a decrease in the quality of work. Reducing stress is simply good business.

What is the stress response?

The stress response has kept humanity alive for thousands of years. When early human beings were facing dangerous animals, their bodies developed a response to prepare for action. In the fight or flight scenario, the brain responds at the first sign of a threat. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to release a mix of hormones including adrenaline and cortisol.

As a result, several physiological events happen at once. Both the heart rate and breathing rate increase. Energy stored in fat enters the bloodstream as glucose. The volume of blood flowing to the arms and legs increases, and the flow to the digestive system decreases. The body is ready to take swift action.

This response is well-designed to handle an immediate threat. Once the danger has passed, everything should return to normal. Unfortunately, modern humans trigger the stress response repeatedly throughout the day. They deal with deadlines, unpaid bills and traffic jams as threats to their health and safety. 

Long-term stress is a dangerous health threat. While stress does not kill you, it promotes several conditions that will. Chronic stress has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Physical Activities to Reduce Stress

There is a growing body of knowledge about how to reduce stress in your daily life. Physical activity plays a major role in mitigating the effects of this chronic condition.

1. Active Exercise

In the stress response, the body prepares to take action. In the wake of a stressful event, physical exercise is one of the best remedies. A brisk walk will help you burn through the extra energy released by your body. As you walk, you will notice a transition from a stressed state to a calmer state.

2. Mindful Motion Exercises

Exercises like yoga and tai chi require you to focus on the individual parts of your body. Participating in these practices will help you grow in awareness of the way your body feels. You will begin to notice the signs of stress and learn how to relax the parts of your body carrying tension.

3. Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

If you are already dealing with health issues, stress and worry will make them worse. A healthy lifestyle will help you prepare for inevitable stressful situations. Getting the nutrients and hydration you need along with adequate sleep will energize you to face the days with challenging to-do lists.

Intentional Relaxation Practices

Learning to relax and recover from stress involves an intentional shift in the circuitry of the brain. The goal is to deactivate the stress response and activate the reward and motivational cycles. At a physiological level, this change means the release of dopamine and endorphins, hormones linked to happiness and contentment.

4. Deep Breathing Exercises

When the stress response activates, there is very little that you can control. While you may not be able to slow your heart rate, you can intentionally slow your breathing rate. Taking deep breaths that fill your chest tends to slow everything down. Practicing deep breathing exercises when you are not under stress will train you to respond calmly when things become tense.

5. Meditation and Mindfulness

Mindfulness practices teach you to watch the thoughts in your mind as a third-person observer. A meditation session can help slow racing or repetitive thought patterns to avoid triggering the stress response.

6. Visualization

Anxious feelings and worry can trigger the stress response as if there were a physical threat. Visualizing a calm place can reduce stress by replacing anxious thoughts with pleasant, peaceful memories.

Social Activities to Reduce Stress
People under stress tend to isolate themselves. By trying to handle the issue alone, they miss out on an important resource. Social interaction and support can prevent some of the mental side effects of stress like depression.

7. Talking about Stressors

If something is stressing you out at work, it is probably having a similar effect on others. Talking through the issue makes it seem more manageable. If several people have the same problem, a group conversation is an opportunity to seek a solution.

8. Making Time to Play

As children, playing is how we learn to make sense of the world. Adults still need opportunities to be creative, experimental and silly. Playing is more than blowing off steam. It creates connections and deepens trust.

Developing a Sense of Control at Work

People who are anxious and stressed often feel that their world is out of control. Finding small ways to establish control can go a long way in reducing stress levels.

9. An Organized Workspace

Entrepreneurs have different styles of organization. However you organize your work area, everything you need should be within reach, and unnecessary items should be out of sight. Organizing your workspace for tomorrow’s projects at the end of the day sets you up for a successful morning.

10. Single-Minded Focus

Multitasking is a myth. People do not work on several projects at the same time. Instead, they switch their attention between projects and lose focus in the process. Establishing designated times to work on a project with complete focus is a better strategy.

11. Reframe Challenges

People with an entrepreneurial mindset know that failure is part of the learning process. Developing a culture that sees failure as an opportunity will bring a greater sense of well-being to your employees. Stressful situations become challenges to overcome rather than fear.

12. Establish Clear Work and Home Boundaries

Smartphone technology makes it possible to receive work emails any time of the day or night. Cloud-based storage means employees can work on documents from any location. A healthy workplace makes a distinction between work hours and home hours. Many people find that leaving work in the workplace makes them more productive during their official office hours.

A Partner in Leadership

Every business leader needs to look at the atmosphere they are creating in the workplace. At the Productivity Intelligence Institute, my focus is helping entrepreneurs create healthy, productive businesses. If you are looking for creative ways to reduce stress, I would be happy to talk with you. 

Categories
Managing Virtual Teams

5 Fun Virtual Team Building Activities

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The recent pandemic has changed many people’s work life. One big change is that a number of employees are now working remotely. While this comes with benefits like decreased overhead since the company won’t have to purchase office supplies or pay as much for utilities, remote work makes team building tough. Activities like trust falls and coal walks aren’t going to happen over Zoom. This means that you’ll have to use your creativity to conduct virtual team building activities.  

What You Need to Know About Virtual Team Building

Virtual team building is the process of establishing connections between employees who are working remotely. Team connections are important because they inspire harmony within a team while encouraging better communication and more productivity. 

How can you promote team building remotely? To effectively build a team virtually, it’s important for the members of your team to know that they are seen and heard. Do this with team building activities. Here are five suggestions for virtual team building activities. 

1. Ask Icebreaker Questions

You can ask icebreaker questions on Zoom or video conferencing, and even if your team knows each other really well, there are always new things to learn about people. Ask your team members questions like: 

• What was the last series that you streamed on Netflix? 
• What is the scariest movie you’ve ever watched? 
• How many places have you lived?
• What kind of music did you listen to in high school? 

2. Allow Some Time to Socialize

Consider hosting a virtual lunch. Encourage your team to keep the conversation light and away from work projects. Exchange recipes, suggest great television shows and talk about workout routines. 

When you promote team building activities, you’ll be developing a team that is engaged and ready to work toward specific goals. You will also be creating a strong team structure. Team building helps your teams form a shared mindset. This element inspires a mutual identity and understanding. 

3. Host a Virtual Bingo Game

Team building ideas include setting up a conference call with your team to host a virtual Bingo game. Most people know how to play, and since Bingo has been around forever, the game will likely make them feel a bit nostalgic. Search for work-based Bingo templates online for ideas. Then, create your own.  

Include game spaces with statements like: 

• Has more than one pet 
• Got up before 7am this morning 
• Can speak more than one language 
• Enjoys eating kale 

If your team is large, create breakout Zoom rooms to make the game more fun and intimate. Offer prizes to the winners. 
Team building exercises inspire teams to set better goals. They also enhance problem-solving skills and help determine each person’s roll on the team. 

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4. Have a Scavenger Hunt

Encourage laughs and exercise by having an at-home scavenger hunt. For this type of game, ask team members to scour their homes for certain items. Whoever appears back on camera with the item is the winner of the round. 

Select a number of items that you want your team to find, and if your budget allows, offer a gift card to the team member who is able to locate the most items. Your virtual scavenger hunt can consist of list items like: 

• Self-help books 
• A VHS tape 
• Company swag 
• A Beanie 
• An item that lights up 
• Funny socks 

Team building ideas like a virtual scavenger hunt can overcome some of the issues that you may be facing by managing a remote team. Often, remote team members feel socially isolated. They may also experience more insecurity about their job performance. 

Other ways to help your team connect remotely is to host meetings online frequently. Make sure that everyone has a chance to participate in what you’re discussing. Use Zoom or video conferencing as much as possible. Encourage your team members to keep their cameras on. This can help everyone feel as though they are in the same room. 

5. Play Something in Common

This is a great team building game if you have employees who live in different parts of the country or world. Create breakout rooms to form small groups. Then, ask them to find three things that they have in common. For example, a group might discover that they all played the piano when they were kids or that they all hate cauliflower. 

Plan Team Build Events

The pandemic has had an impact on people’s wellbeing. According to one workplace study that took place during the fall of 2020, an estimated 85% of those who were surveyed admitted to feeling less happy. While laughter doesn’t fix everything negative that people feel, research shows that laughing reduces depression and anxiety. Your teams are sure to benefit from laughing more together. 

Instead of planning one or two short team building exercises, consider having team build events. This can be a continuous game that takes place over a full month or one entire day. If you decide to plan a day-long event, then consider theming it. For instance, plan games and activities that help your team learn more about one another or choose things to do that require team members to pair up. 

It’s important for team managers to foster a good remote team culture. Do this by putting aside more time to have fun and laugh. Shoot for the rule of 1/6. This means that for every hour that your team spends in a team meeting or completing a work project, plan 10 minutes, or 1/6th, of the hour for team building. 

Better Connections Equal Better Teams

Use these five suggestions to bring your team together. Virtual team building is possible with a little inspiration and creativity. If you need extra support and guidance, contact us at the Productivity Intelligence Institute. 

Categories
Make More Money

How to Make Extra Money

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In today’s gig economy, there are several ways to increase your income with a side hustle. Depending on your education and skills, you might even be able to earn a good amount of money quickly. Here’s how to make extra money on the side.

Put Your Creative Talents to Work

How to make extra money? Look at your talents. Everyone has a creative talent. If you’re not using yours, you need to connect with someone who could use your creativity. Consider signing up with a freelance site. Many online job sites allow those who specialize in creative endeavors, such as graphic design, editing, writing, and voice-over work, to share them with people who need them

Be a Virtual Assistant

If organizing is something that you do well, then you would probably be an excellent virtual assistant. This is a work-from-home job, so you can save time and money by not having to commute. Many business owners need someone who can complete a variety of tasks. Plus, you might appreciate the diversity in your workdays.

Become a Lyft or an Uber Driver

One of the most common ways to increase your income is to start driving for Lyft or Uber. These days, the sharing economy is more significant than ever, and these ride-sharing companies have been at the forefront of creating it. The great thing about driving for Lyft or Uber is that you can set your hours and work as much or as little as you want or need.

Become an Online Tutor

Regardless of your location, you can tutor over Skype or on another platform. This is perfect for people who prefer to work from home. You can teach English to people in other countries or share your great math or science skills with anyone who needs help in these subjects.

Natural Brilliance: How is it that some people easily overcome challenges while you might struggle?

Ask for a Job Advancement or a Raise

Don’t wait for your boss to decide to increase your salary. They will likely wait as long as possible to pay you more. If you don’t ask, you may never see a rise in your paycheck. If it’s been a while since your last merit increase, make a list of your work achievements. Also, research what other people in your field are making. Then, ask for a specific raise. Request an amount on the high end of what people in your job usually make to give yourself some room to negotiate.

The worst-case scenario is that they’ll say no. If they refuse you, ask what you need to do to earn more. Be open to a promotion. You’ll need to take on more responsibilities and tasks, but it will likely be worth it to get an income boost.

Work Overtime

If you are paid hourly, then see if you can work overtime to earn extra money. Companies pay workers time-and-a-half for overtime hours worked. If you can work overtime over a holiday, then you may qualify for double-time-and-a-half. This will help you earn money even faster.

If overtime isn’t available for your current job, ask your employer if they offer another way to earn a bit more. Ask about overload pay. Some companies pay their employees for extra work completed outside of their regular full-time job. You may not be able to earn as much as overtime would pay, but it could give you that financial boost you need.

Plan a Yard Sale

One of the best ways is to plan a yard sale. You’ll get rid of the things you no longer need or use and have a little more cash to put in the bank. Yard sales are perfect if your kids have outgrown a lot of their clothes, shoes, and toys or if you’ve just accumulated more stuff than your house can hold. Be sure to advertise in the local newspaper or by placing a few signs around your neighborhood.

Figure Out Your Relationship to Money

To save and earn money more effectively, learn how your brain manages money. Do this by tracking your spending. Write down as many details about your money decisions as you can. For instance, track how you were feeling before and after spending, who you were with when you spent money, and when you spent money. After a week or two, you can start to see your spending patterns.

Why It’s a Good Idea to Get a Side Gig

Getting a side gig can help you with income security. When COVID-19 arrived in the United States, many people found themselves without an income. A side gig can prevent that from happening to you. Having more than one work egg in your basket can keep money coming into your checking account.

Start looking online. The internet has changed the way that many people work these days. An estimated 55 million people, more than 35% of the country’s labor force, are freelance workers or contracted individuals. Those who freelance or are contractors often choose this type of work for its flexibility. Not only do they like that they can work whatever hours they choose, but they can also decide not to work for people they don’t get along with.

How to Make Extra Money

Look to your talents and tap into them to increase your annual income. Hustling a bit more for some extra cash is helpful too. If you need guidance on achieving more without the pressure, contact us at the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute.

We dug deep into Jack Canfield’s $1 billion mind to find the secret to his Effortless Success

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Thought Leadership

What Is Thought Leadership?

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Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, was criticized for the platform’s growth of hate speech and misinformation. As part of the company’s self-examination, they changed their mission statement to “give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” At the same time, the company expanded the abilities of its Groups feature to encourage positive community discussions. This thought leadership example shows the power of letting a new idea or mission shape the efforts of a business.

The need for a different kind of leadership is emerging. There has been a transition from profit and productivity-centered businesses to a mission-centered model. Entrepreneurs are looking for leaders who can help them define and share the purpose of their organizations as a way to inspire both employees and clients.

A Simple Thought Leadership Definition

Businesses crave people with leadership skills. In the past, leadership has focused primarily on productivity. A business leader was someone who could help a team accomplish its assigned tasks. While these skills are still essential, thought leadership is more about leading people to insights into the “why” of a business or industry.

A basic thought leadership definition is someone who brings innovative ideas to a business sector. Through both study and experience, this person is an expert in their field. At their best, thought leaders do not simply give answers or share information, but they help people make new connections that lead to innovations. Thought leadership may begin at the local business level, but a thought leadership example such as Tony Robbins or Christy Wright demonstrates how this role can garner international attention.

A Neuroscientific Approach to Thought Leadership

As businesses pursue a mission-oriented focus, they need leaders who can change the culture of an organization. Cultivating meaningful change is a difficult task because human brains are wired to prefer the routine and expected. A cultural shift at the workplace means helping people navigate through the discomfort of change.

Helping to Navigate the Pain of Change

The human brain likes to operate on autopilot. Many of the tasks you perform each day happen without much conscious thought. How often do you think intentionally about brushing your teeth or taking a shower? How many times have you taken the same route to work without noticing what happens along the way? Doing things by habit establishes neurological pathways that conserve your mental energy.

This system is excellent when you are working with healthy, productive habits. Yet, negative habits also establish neurological connections. If you have ever tried to break an unhealthy habit, you know how challenging it can be. Disrupting mental patterns creates physical discomfort and stress.

When faced with an unexpected challenge, the primitive part of your brain treats it as an unknown threat. It releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. As a result, your heart beats faster, and your blood pressure rises. Your body is preparing for a classic fight or flight response.

This pattern also applies to changes in the workplace. Even when a workflow process is inefficient, employees may feel threatened if it is not their standard routine. Thought leaders in the workplace do not command the change. They help employees discover the benefits of a new system on their own. This personal enlightenment significantly reduces the stress of the transition.

Reinforcing Connections

It takes time and repetition to establish new neurological pathways. A common leadership mistake is assuming that a single exposure to a new idea is enough. Many business leaders have had the experience of attending a conference and feeling inspired by what they learn. However, by the time they get back to the office, they have forgotten what was so attractive. Instead, they return to the familiar way of doing things.

Adopting new ideas required actionable steps as well as a clear presentation. If an office is making a significant cultural shift, thought leaders must find ways to reinforce the philosophy. Employees will need reminders of how a new product, feature, or system aligns with a new mission. They will also require periodic reminders to keep from slipping back into old habits.

Developing a Successful Thought Leadership Strategy

Recognition as a thought leader happens over time. People need to see that your ideas work and can create meaningful change. The first step in your thought leadership strategy will be emerging as a leader in your local organization.

Future Mapping
Future Mapping reverses existing ideas on goal achievement. It is a remarkable technology for problem-solving, creativity, and innovation.

Becoming a Thought Leader at Your Business

Thought leadership begins with knowledge. Whatever your primary field, you want to be an expert who knows the latest ideas. Developing your knowledge base means reading and studying leaders in your industry. You want to be the person whom your company consults when they need information about current trends.

However, authentic thought leadership is more than the ability to pass on relevant facts or trends. Part of a thought leader’s skillset is interpreting and sharing information that leads to effective change. The leader presents information in a way that allows listeners to make personal connections. Eliciting an “Aha!” moment from an audience is much more effective at shaping neural pathways.

Increasing Your Impact as a Thought Leader

When you successfully fulfill this role at your business, you might consider broadening your audience. Every industry needs thought leaders who will guide businesses through times of change. The ability to synthesize and present a vision can change the direction of your entrepreneurial career. Talented thought leaders are in demand as conference speakers, authors, and consultants.

Creating Thought Leadership Content

The transition from a local entrepreneur to an industry thought leader requires effort. People tend to put greater trust in names they recognize. However, when you consistently produce quality thought leadership content, it will not be long until you have a following.

Establish Your Mission

Before you set out to become a thought leader, it is helpful to think about your reason for this pursuit. The best leaders combine passion, knowledge, and purpose.

Commit to the Process

Even if you are a talented writer, a single article will not recognize your need to move forward. The pace of change in business moves too rapidly for any text to have a long shelf life. You must commit to expanding your knowledge and producing frequent content.

Start Writing

Most thought leaders begin by writing. Do not let worries about stylistic perfection slow you down. Start writing about a subject that inspires your passion, and let other people see it. You will not begin with a large audience, so it is crucial to get feedback from your local colleagues. As you produce more content, it increases the possibility of someone sharing the information beyond your immediate circle.

The Power of Speech

Public speaking is another important aspect of this pursuit. As your reputation increases, people will want to hear from you at conferences and other events. Holding seminars at your current place of business can give you helpful experience in speaking with a crowd and handling Q&A sessions.

Blogs and Social Media

Changing the way that people think involves reinforcement and repetition. Online forums like blogs and social media allow you to present your message more frequently and differently. In a blog, you can share your important message and stories about successful applications of your way of thinking.

The Consulting Leader

When a business struggles to stay relevant, it may seek advice from a thought leader. Consultation is an opportunity to put your ideas to practical use. The successful application of your advice will lead to more occasions to grow as a thought leader.

Developing Your Thought Leadership Skills

What is thought leadership? It is a way of thinking that helps people understand the “why” of their businesses. If you are fascinated by thought leadership in the way that I am, you can reach out to the Productivity Intelligence Institute. I would be pleased to help you on your thought leadership journey.

Workplace Jazz

Categories
Brain Hacks

What is the difference between the subconscious and the unconscious?

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Subconscious and unconscious are similar terms that are often used interchangeably. In fact, you can compare the two words to suppression and repression.  

Your subconscious, or unconscious, is what keeps you alive. It is a body system that never rests. The subconscious, or unconscious, is what keeps your heart beating, your blood moving throughout your body and your digestive system functioning. The subconscious manages all of your body’s vital processes and important functions. 

What is the Unconscious Mind? 

The unconscious mind is the part of your thinking process that inhibits highly unpleasant memories. It basically hides them from your conscious thought. According to one author, the unconscious part of the mind hides “socially unacceptable ideas, wishes and desires, traumatic memories and painful emotions that have been repressed.” 

How can you control your subconscious to become more successful in your personal and professional life? Here are five tips. 

1. Notice and Block Negative Self-Talk 

Kids usually learn things by repeating what they’re told out loud. This is something that people continue doing. They just start saying it to themselves in their heads instead. Most adults have an endless inner monologue. Research shows that an estimated 95% of the thinking and cognition that people use to make decisions happen at the unconscious level. 

Your inner monologue can say good things or negative things. If you’re struggling to complete a job or learn a new skill, your inner monologue may be a stream of negative thoughts. First, notice when you’re thinking something negative about yourself and stop it. Then, think something positive. Over time, it will become automatic, but you will need to practice this technique. 

Along with not letting your own negative self-talk depress you, don’t let other people’s negative thoughts affect you either. Don’t permit another person to block your productivity. It is time to stop caring what others think about you or what you want to do. 

2. Begin Each Day with a Daily Affirmation

People often make good intuitive decisions when they’re not functioning at their highest level. This means that in some cases, conscious thought seems to get in the way of good decisions. Letting the unconscious mind weigh in on decisions might help you make better ones. 

Begin every day by telling yourself out loud that you have what it takes to be successful today. The more you do this, the more your subconscious mind will believe you. You’re planting a seed in your unconscious. 

Choose something simple like “Each day, I’m becoming better.” Another option is the Metta Prayer, which is “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be at peace.” 

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3. End Each Day with an Intention 

Thomas Edison said, “Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.” One thing that many successful people do is intentionally direct their subconscious during times of rest. 

Before you go to bed, take about 10 minutes to meditate on what you want to accomplish tomorrow and in general. If you’re not sure where to start, ask yourself a few questions that relate to your goals. Write them down and be as specific as possible. Once you fall asleep, your subconscious will begin figuring out what to do. 

According to research, the creative part of your brain is at its best when you first wake up. During sleep, your subconscious strolls around your mind figuring things out. Creativity is the process of forming connections between different areas of your brain. Often, your brain is best able to be creative after quality sleep. 

Keep a journal on your nightstand, and when you wake up, take 10 minutes to write down as many of your thoughts as you can. This type of thought drop can help you connect to a higher level of clarity, creativity and learning. 

4. Give Yourself Time to Relax 

People often have their greatest thoughts at unusual times when they’re not even trying to have an amazing idea. These ideas might come when you’re taking a shower or driving home from work. When you have a great idea during an unexpected activity, use your phone to take a few notes. 

Once you start working at managing your subconscious thoughts, your brain will begin coming up with more creative solutions. Researchers have discovered that people form better decisions when they use both unconscious and conscious thought. 

5. Realize that Many Decisions are Unconscious Ones 

You might think that your purchasing decisions are conscious choices, but most of these decisions come from the subconscious mind. Buying urges are usually driven by emotion. This is the case in other things as well. 

Humans have a number of unconscious biases, ones that they are unaware of. People usually have an affinity bias, which means that they subconsciously like some people more than others based on similar backgrounds or character traits. 

Cultural bias is another unconscious element that people experience. In this case, humans stereotype one another according to where they’re from without considering their talents or how they actually perform. 

Confirmation bias can also impact your decisions at the unconscious, or subconscious, level. When confirmation bias happens, it allows you to go along with something even if you have misgivings just because everyone else approves.  

Biases cause problems in the workplace. Unconscious bias can cloud your judgment and cause you to make choices that could negatively impact your career or your personal life. Take the time to discover your unconscious biases and get rid of them. Doing so will help you create a workplace that’s more productive. 

Get Where You Want to Go 

Becoming acquainted with the workings of your inner mind can help you get where you want to go in both your personal and professional life. If you need help with direction, contact us at the Productivity Intelligence Institute. We can help. 

Categories
Entrepreneurship

Do you have an Entrepreneurship Spirit?

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The entrepreneurial spirit is a top characteristic of desirable team members. Those who have it push themselves to achieve more and do things faster. What is the entrepreneurial spirit? It is having a development-oriented mindset. When you have this type of spirit, you know that your skills can be improved and perfected. People who have a development mindset keep their attention on learning. This means that they don’t focus on whether they can do something. Instead, they focus on growing and improving. 

Do you have the entrepreneurship spirit? Here are six characteristics of people who usually do. 

1. They’ve Discovered a True Passion 

Consider the last time you talked to someone who was passionate about something. Regardless of whether you were interested in what they were telling you, it’s likely that they were speaking with conviction and genuine enthusiasm. This alone can captivate others. 

When someone is passionate about something, they learn everything they can about the subject and gain an in-depth understanding of it. 

Hiring people who are passionate will give your company the best chance of success. The reason for this is that they are always looking for a better way to do things. This comes with the benefit of efficiency, which will help your company see higher profits. 

The brain is a complex organ, one with 100 billion neurons that are capable of continuous learning. When you learn more information and apply it to something practical, you’ll increase your intelligence, ability to adapt and resourcefulness.  

2. They are Mainly Optimistic 

People who are natural entrepreneurs are generally optimistic. They don’t waste time thinking up reasons why they can’t do something. Instead, they come up with ways that make it possible. When starting something new, the chances of being successful are usually against you. This is when an optimistic attitude is most needed. 

If you’re hiring people with the entrepreneurial mindset, keep an eye out for job seekers who become excited when you mention tough challenges and major goals. These are the employees who will search for new and better ways to do things. 

To encourage your current staff toward the entrepreneurial mindset, make sure that your team goals are clear and reachable. Also, stay current on your field’s best practices. Review what others in your industry are doing. Then, release conventional thinking and focus on creativity. It’s okay to let things become messy and chaotic for a bit. 

3. They Have a Fear of Failing Financially 

People who have entrepreneurial thinking fear financial failure. They’ll pinch pennies and create new ways to recycle to keep their businesses in operation. This characteristic can help your company trim its overhead, increasing profits. 

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4. They are Willing to Take Risks 

Not only are people with the entrepreneurial mindset optimistic, but they are also willing to take risks. This doesn’t mean that they take action without considering the potential consequences. Instead, they take planned steps while knowing that they are not guaranteed success. 

People with this mindset also know how to work on their own and are generally resolute about making decisions. In the past, the term “entrepreneur” typically referred to someone who started a company or developed a new business. Today, according to Forbes, most professionals consider an entrepreneur to be a person “who sees opportunities and pursues them.” The financial journal also posted that 58% of millennials think of themselves as entrepreneurs. 

5. They Follow Through 

People with entrepreneurial thinking follow through on their ideas. They take their ideas out for a test drive to get in-person feedback and determine whether their plans work as intended. When it comes to team members, you’ll want to look for those who execute their ideas regardless of the situation. 

6. They Make Things Fun 

Those who are natural entrepreneurs make things fun. When an environment is safe and fun, it automatically engages the brain. This helps your staff relax. It also relieves stress. Put people in charge who tend to make work fun and productive. Doing so is likely to create a work environment that people enjoy. A happy staff is a more ingenious one. 

How Can You Develop the Entrepreneurial Spirit?

Six steps can help you foster the entrepreneurial spirit for yourself and your team. The first step is to consider life and opportunities from the viewpoint of a coworker, client, friend or even your child. This will allow you to experience life from a new perspective. Entrepreneurs generally try to see things from the perspective of a customer. For instance, they’ll consider how a customer would use a product or a service. 

The next step is to go for it. Ignore the desire to do everything properly. Instead, take a leap and let yourself try. When you encourage your staff to try, they’ll be more creative and likely more productive. 

Step three is to collaborate. Encourage your people to share their ideas and welcome the suggestions of others. 

The fourth step to developing an entrepreneurial spirit is to grow in the face of uncertainty. When you are unsure of things or situations, take it as an opportunity to learn and be patient. 

Step five is sharing your victories. In business, success is rarely solo. Be sure to give credit where it is due. 

The last step is to allow yourself and your team the time to dream. Go ahead and imagine what the future holds. 

Propel Your Company to Greatness 

What is the entrepreneurial spirit? The entrepreneurial spirit is what inspires people to take risks. It helps them believe that anything is possible and pushes them to achieve new and wonderful things. It will propel your company to great things. To learn more about how to encourage the entrepreneurship spirit, contact us at the Productivity Intelligence Institute today

Culture Is The Bass

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Increase Productivity

10 Ways to Increase Productivity at Work

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Productivity and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. For a new business to succeed, employees must be prepared to get things done. However, your most productive workers may not be the ones who cross the most items from their to-do lists. Real productivity is not just finishing tasks but also involves the ability to prioritize the most important tasks. In this article, I will give you ten actionable tips to increase your personal and workplace productivity.

How to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

Every entrepreneur wants a productive workplace. This effort begins at your desk. Your employees will look to you to model the best productivity practices.

Tip 1 – Prepare for Success

A productive day tomorrow often begins at the end of work today. With some preparation, you can give yourself cognitive clues that will put you in the right mindset. The last few minutes of the day are the right time to set up the next day’s action list. You will want to clarify which tasks have top priority.

The end of the day is also the right time to clear your workspace. You can put away anything that does not have a direct impact on tomorrow’s projects. If you have a written to-do list, place it so that it is the first thing you see in the morning.

Tip 2 – Stop Multitasking

Doing many things at once may feel productive, but it is often just a waste of time. Several neuroscience studies have shown that paying attention to more than one device at once lowers cognitive ability and can even reduce the amount of gray matter in the brain. Giving one task your full attention will improve the quality of your work and increase your work rate.

Tip 3 – Self-Care for Productivity

Healthy people are more productive. They have the energy and focus to work through the day without extra stress. The habits that promote workplace productivity are the same as those that promote a healthy lifestyle. A nutritious diet, adequate hydration and daily exercise will fuel an industrious day. Sleep is another critical factor. You want to come to the workplace well-rested and ready for the work ahead.

Tip 4 – Establish a Productive Schedule

Some people are the most focused at the beginning of the day. For others, the period after lunch is a fruitful time. Whatever your personal schedule, be sure to schedule space to get things done during your high-productivity window. If you want to increase productivity at work, get to know your employees’ preferences. Avoid scheduling meetings during the times when your employees do their best work.

Tip 5 – Focus on Priorities

Before a task makes it on your to-do list, consider why it is there. Successful entrepreneurs are those who put their energy into the tasks that bring them closer to their goals. Establishing clear priorities will let you distinguish between tasks that must get done, tasks that would be nice to do and tasks that are part of someone else’s agenda.

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Tip 6 – Find Your Motivation

The motivation for getting things done varies from person to person and can depend on individual brain chemistry. Some people find that stimulating the brain’s dopamine reward system will help them focus. They will plan a treat for accomplishing a difficult task.

Others find it more effective to harness the body’s stress response. They will create personal deadlines that put extra pressure on their productivity. 

Combining the two approaches may enhance the effectiveness of a neuroscientific strategy. Basing the reward on your ability to meet the deadline increases the stress of the deadline and the positive effects of the reward.

Tip 7 – Take Active Breaks

Staying in one position for hours at a time promotes boredom rather than effectiveness. When you take a five-minute break between work periods, step away from your workspace for some physical activity. It is even better if you can get outside for a walk. This practice will recharge both your body and mind.

Tip 8 – Hide Your Phone

Smartphones and other screens are a modern distraction. It is difficult to focus when you are looking at every notification. If it is feasible, build a period for returning phone calls and answering emails into your daily schedule. Then, keep your phone out of sight until the appointed time.

Tip 9 – Handle Simple Tasks Quickly

As you build your daily to-do list, you will find that some tasks only require a minute or two to complete. It might be a response to a client email or looking up an old file. If it takes less than two minutes, handle it immediately and get it out of the way.

Tip 10 – Delegate

For entrepreneurs with growing businesses, the move from being a solo artist to part of a team can be difficult. However, you brought your team member on board because they have skills and abilities that you lack. If you want to know how to increase productivity in the workplace, get to know your team. Assigning them tasks that match their skills will promote a positive and productive workplace culture.

Bonus Tip 11 – Work with a Partner

Entrepreneurship is a challenge, and you do not need to handle it alone. At the Productivity Intelligence Institute, I work with entrepreneurs and other business leaders hoping to improve their skills. If you are looking for a unique perspective on increasing your personal or workplace productivity, feel free to reach out. I would be glad to work with you.

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Creating High-Performing Teams

The Secrets of Great High-Performing Teams

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The last thing that you want your company to be known for is fostering a toxic work environment. When it comes to employment, there are places where people want to work and places where they don’t. While salary potential and the option for career growth are major factors that impact employee satisfaction, another critical element is team dynamics. If a company creates the right culture and develops collaborative teams, then growth opportunities will be available for workers. Here’s how to ensure that your company builds and supports high performing teams

Hire Good People

 

Hire people who are onboard with your company’s mission and leaders. Select employees who have the skills and knowledge that will make your company and other workers better. You can compare high performing work teams to successful sports teams. For instance, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2020 because they recruited the right players and used their abilities properly. In sports, teams send out scouts to find the best players. You may not be able to use scouts, but you can embrace the same idea. 

Hire people who fit and give your team balance. You must ensure diversity as well as keep your teams the right size. A team must have enough members to manage the workload without having too many for the work that you have available.  

Pay Attention to Team Dynamics

 

Leading teams establish clear goals and form organizational priorities. They handle their workloads and deadlines according to their goals and priorities. They trust and respect one another while celebrating their accomplishments and providing credit where it is due. 

Focus on communication. Work with your members to make sure that they know how to communicate with each other effectively. A multicultural team may need to work through their differences. Allow space for this. Also, set aside time to create goals and action plans that match your company’s overall mission. 

When you form high performing teams, your company is more likely to operate with greater efficiency and enjoy bigger profits.  

Resolve Issues and Promote Harmony

 

Conflicts are a common issue within teams. People are unique, and their ideas and methods are bound to clash from time to time. Company leaders must quickly figure out the source of any issues within a team to react properly and resolve the problem. 

Keep in mind that there are two kinds of conflicts that arise when people work together, which are substantive and emotional. If the problem is substantive, then it will likely involve a difference of opinion or a dispute with the overall work process. Emotional issues are personal. You can keep your company’s multicultural team working together by handling problems as soon as they appear and establishing peace. 

Amy Edmondson, a Harvard professor, was the first person to recognize the idea of psychological safety. You can use this concept to build thriving teams. Psychological safety is something more than just a team environment free of bullying and harassment. It is an atmosphere where team members are inspired and encouraged to perform their best work. According to Edmondson, psychological safety is “a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” 

Encourage Learning 

Sponsor team training to keep your employees’ skills current and to encourage personal growth. Make sure that each member of your team has the skills and tools to participate equally at work. Teams that perform at an elevated level value feedback and want to improve when they make mistakes. Search for growth opportunities by encouraging a culture that includes feedback. High-performing teams also invest in continuous employee development. This type of learning creates growth and encourages teams to continue pushing for higher achievements. 

It’s important for leaders to be aware that a lot of team learning happens informally between different team members. People effectively learn this way. Establish a culture that welcomes mentorship and rewards team members who work to build up their fellow team members.  

Company Pride 

An important element of leading teams is that people on the team perform well for the company and themselves. They experience personal happiness when their company succeeds, and they feel proud to work there. Once people have work pride, the company is more likely to excel. 

Make the Group Feel Like a Group 

If a worker remains at a job where he or she is always blamed for a team’s poor work performance, it will cause the person to experience a high level of dissatisfaction. This can thwart productivity. It’s important to establish a sense of collective responsibility within all of your teams. 

To develop and maintain collaborative teams, you must address team members as a group instead of singling people out. Regardless of whether a team has performed well by reaching every goal or failed to accomplish even one, be sure to keep members together as a team. If you address someone individually, you’ll only cause low morale. 

You should still hold one-on-one meetings with each member of your team to talk about their individual performance. 

Embrace Innovative Ideas 

Leaders must develop ways to let members of their team think for themselves and apply inventive solutions to problems. When workers know that they are safe to try new things and learn different methods, you’ll benefit from them coming up with better ways to complete their tasks. Your workers know the ins and outs of their jobs. Creative employees may figure out ways to make your company operate with greater efficiency. You may be able to use their methods and adapt other teams to work better and faster too. 

High-Performing Teams are Priceless

Take steps to create high performing teams by hiring good people, encouraging continuous learning and resolving team issues. To learn more, contact us at Productivity Intelligence Institute

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Actionable Insights

Turning Data into Actionable Insights

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Big data is both a gift and a challenge. Today, businesses have access to mountains of information ripe for interpretation. Without a strategy for data analysis, organizations will spend time and money on a fruitless search for meaning. According to a recent survey of 1200 companies by DNV, only 23% had developed plans for interpreting and applying insights from data.

Missing out on data-centered decision-making will place a business behind the competition. However, amassing the most data does not guarantee success. The goal is to turn relevant data into actionable insights.

From Raw Data to Information

Any kind of measurement can become raw data. The number of widgets your company sold last Tuesday is one piece of data. The number of chairs in your office is another. A spreadsheet full of data points will not lead to actionable insights on its own. Before data can be useful, it must be delivered as information.

Information is processed data. It may take the form of written reports, bar graphs, and other visual representations. Moving toward information also means putting aside data that is not pertinent.

From Information to Insight

Information is easier to interpret than raw numbers, but it has not yet reached the level of insight. The report must be placed in the broader context of the business. Your team may have sold 600 widgets last Tuesday. Is that an unusual number for a Tuesday? Does that number represent a single order by a widget enthusiast or 600 separate orders? Information linked to contextual concerns yields an insight.

What are actionable insights?

Not every insight will be an actionable insight. Sometimes, insights pulled from data will simply confirm that a strategy is on the right track. You had a flash sale on widgets last Tuesday, and the increased sales numbers show that it worked.

Processes like data segmentation might yield actionable insight. Most of last Tuesday’s sales went to people in their 20s. There is an untapped widget market, and your marketing team will now adapt the next campaign accordingly.

Steps to Develop Actionable Insights

Turning raw data into full-fledged data insights is an intentional process. Businesses must work so that data becomes a tool they can use rather than a time-consuming burden.

Start with a Question

You want data collection to help your team make informed decisions. To that end, it best to start with a question or decision that the data will inform. Knowing that you are focused on the sales of a single product will limit the amount of data you need to analyze. Seeking to learn information about your average client will have you poring over a different set of data points. Keeping things specific will help you focus your efforts and lead to meaningful insights.

Look for Trends

An unexpected number may be interesting, but it is less helpful for decision-making than a series of data points. You do not want to base your company’s future on a number that may have come from an unusual day. Trends of growth, decline, or other changes over time need your attention. For the health of your business, it is better to respond to a long-term trend than to react to a single data point.

Examine the Context

If data is the What, context establishes the Why. Once a trend shows up on your radar, it is time to examine the factors causing it. In most cases, your business strategy will not respond to the data but the forces that fuel the trend. Changes in sales data might reflect changes in consumer culture, a potential new client base, or the growth of a competitor. When you know the reason for the trend, you can address it systematically.

Share the Information

Psychologists will point to common issues that come up in data analysis. Analysis performed in a vacuum is subject to confirmation bias. Analysts look at the data only to find that it confirms what they already believe. Limiting your analysis to one or two leaders may also subject the process to cultural, age, or gender bias. A diverse group of people analyzing the data can prevent these effects.

The Data-Centered Organization

New data analytics and reporting tools make data interpretation accessible to all your employees. A business shaped by responding to data trends will make its decisions ahead of competitors. A few practical steps will help you make the transition.

Eliminate Data Silos

Older business models tended to limit data access. Integrated software makes it possible for everyone to see the same data reports, making it easier for the whole organization to work with meaningful information.

Keep It Relevant

Work with your teams to see what data is relevant to their area of expertise. Later on, they may ask for data from other groups to seek out connections. In the beginning, you do not want to overwhelm people with data they will not use.

Share Insights

Encourage people to share their data insights with others. This practice will help people see that you take data seriously and welcome their input. Every team should approach this process by asking, “What are actionable insights?”

Helping You Move from Data to Action

At the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute, my goal is to help entrepreneurs and other business leaders move toward their goals. If you need help transforming raw data into informed decisions, I would be happy to work with you. Contact me today for more information.