Author: PPM Academy

Quick & Easy Actionable Insights Secrets For Productivity Managers

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date August 16, 2021

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In today’s business world, data-driven operations help productivity managers realize sustainable growth. With enough data, you can determine how your company is doing and use the info to plan for the future. The combination is referred to as actionable insights. Here are seven quick and easy actionable insights for productivity managers.

1. Install Data Management Technology

Make sure that your team’s data is easy to access by installing data management technology. For instance, a program like advanced business analytics will allow you to consolidate information from all of your sources into one simple platform that you can view and act on immediately if needed.

2. Focus on Workplace Culture

Keep workplace culture in mind. This can impact how your team performs, which can also affect your company’s profit margins. When people work in an environment that’s happy and supportive, they want to be there. Focus on your culture to ensure that it’s positive and strong. According to an Oxford University study, happy employees are an estimated 13% more productive than workers who are unhappy.

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3. Encourage Completing Tasks in Sets

The book “The 4 Hour Work Week” states that there are ways to be more efficient at every task. Quick and easy actionable insights include completing tasks in batches instead of separating them into small chunks. To implement this as a project manager, consider how you handle data entry. Often, managers spread it out and send reports all week long. Instead, allocate a set time to complete it all at once.

For instance, plan coworker meetings so that they are back-to-back. Answer all of your voicemails at a specific time each day or week. Take advantage of automation to send weekly messages. You can also download social media software to manage these types of posts.

The thought behind this technique is that it takes most people time to develop a rhythm with each work task. If you stop and start different tasks, then you’re wasting time returning to your rhythm or coming back to where you left things.

Insight for living includes letting people set their hours according to their chronotype, which is a person’s natural body clock. Every human has a unique chronotype that has high energy points and low ones. About 10% of people are larks. This means that they have the most energy in the morning. An estimated 20% of people are owls. These folks work best at night. Everyone else is somewhere in between. Try to let people work when their energy levels are at their highest.

4. Complete Your Most Important Jobs First

Author Steven Covey covers this in-depth in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In the book, he advises the reader to put “first things first.” When you follow this recommendation, you’ll be prioritizing your daily tasks—work at being disciplined enough to do jobs when you don’t want to. Focus on managing yourself instead of your time. For this tip, consider the Pareto Principle, which states, “80% of your results come from 20% of your time.”

Stop thinking of every decision as equally important. Jeff Bezos famously refers to decisions as type one or type 2. Type one decisions are big, scary, and high stakes, while type two decisions are ones that you can undo if needed. Most decisions are type two, so you should be able to make them fast. When you consider fewer decisions as type one, the less time you’ll spend communicating with others.

5. Be Efficient with Staff Meetings

Most people have participated in business meetings that they felt were a waste of time. Quick and easy business insights for project managers include holding useful meetings. Make sure that you’re creating an agenda and a goal for each session. If you’re not able to follow through with this step for a particular meeting, then cancel it.

Be respectful of each person’s time. If you schedule the meeting for an hour, make sure that you end it on time. You can end it early if you finish up before the hour is up, but don’t go over the hour. Prevent issues from developing and keep your team’s productivity levels high with clear planning steps that ensure you follow through with each meeting’s goal.

6. Consider Working Remotely

Office environments can encourage collective energy and give you access to more resources. They can also diminish your team’s productivity. Team members might interrupt coworkers who are in the middle of a project because they believe that they are experiencing an urgent matter while most of these issues are not urgent and can be dealt with later.

The Harvard Business Review conducted a study that determined when people worked from home; they were more productive. Remote staff members are also less likely to leave the company. This insight reveals that people are more content at home. If shifting to remote work is impossible, consider implementing a hybrid work environment in which some of the time is spent at the office, and some are spent working from home.

7. Focus on Engagement by Building Trust

One of today’s top management challenges is how to inspire and challenge workforces. When employees have a powerful connection to their job and coworkers, they feel like they are contributing in a positive way. This results in consistently positive outcomes for the company and its staff.

A critical key to building this type of culture is trust. Foster trust by:

• Recognizing worker excellence
• Assigning challenging jobs that are possible to achieve
• Giving people freedom over how they work
• Sharing information

Business Insights for Project Managers

Embrace these seven business insights to help your teams and company operate more effectively. If you need more guidance, contact us at the Productivity Intelligence Institute.

Creating High-Performing Teams

The Expert’s Guide to Create High Performing Teams for Project Managers

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date August 10, 2021

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What is a high-performing team? A high-performing team is a group of people who are goal-focused, individuals with specialized knowledge and corresponding skills who work together. They also revolutionize processes and develop exceptional results consistently. Project managers can follow these seven steps to create high-performing teams.

1. Choose Your People Wisely

To put together a high-performing team, choose who you hire wisely. Take advantage of professional recruitment software, HR managers, and recruiters to pinpoint the best candidates for your team. You might want to develop a technical skills evaluation test to weed out potential employees who have the skills and knowledge that you need for your team.

Characteristics of high-performing teams include focusing on their size. It’s important to establish teams that are not too big or too small. A report published by the McKinsey Global Institute states that teams containing less than six people are not able to function well because there is less diversity. Teams that have more than ten people operate less effectively, so try to keep your team size somewhere in the middle.

According to research, teams are the best source for developing new knowledge and concepts. Staff members work better on teams, and they support a better range of competent individuals. Teams inspire commitment, control uncertainty, and handle new situations.

2. Develop Effective Plans of Action

High-performing teams use effective plans of action. This includes proper planning and deployment. Effective planning is the foundation of teams that perform at a high level. If your company has ineffective rules, then they are likely to create organizational problems or cause trouble with team members assessing information. Ineffective work rules can also prevent employees from taking useful risks and embracing creativity.

3. Foster Mutual Respect Among Your Teams

Members of high-performing teams are familiar with and recognize one another’s skills and working techniques. This dynamic establishes a powerful connection between team members. It also works to create opportunities for building relations and increasing team productivity. Your teams will tackle challenging projects together, and this will bring about the best results, ones that are derived from shared standards and an overall sense of dependability.

Make sure that you’re setting goals that are designed to help your team function better and develop efficient work habits together. Set attainable goals that are specific. That way, your team will know what they need to accomplish, increasing their chances of being successful.

4. Make Sure that Your Team Engages in Open Communication

Create high-performing teams by making sure that your team engages in open communication. Make sure that you’re stating each project’s vision and objectives frequently and clearly.

Teams that perform at an elevated level operate in an environment with open channels of communication between themselves and their leaders. These teams welcome and use constructive feedback. Be open to receiving feedback about how you’re running a project.

Research shows that teams who work together to accomplish a common objective typically work five times better than other employees.

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5. Maintain a Team Dynamic in Every Situation

When you’re speaking to your team, be sure to address the group as a team. Don’t place blame on individual members. If a staff member remains in a work environment where he or she frequently receives the blame for team failures, then this will create employment dissatisfaction, which can impede productivity. It’s important to establish an environment with shared responsibility.

If a deadline or a goal is missed, then discuss the situation with your team members as a collective instead of individual members. Maintain the collective mindset for your team, whether they’ve outperformed your expectations or fallen short.

Foster a work atmosphere that is psychologically safe for your employees. This includes holding sessions specifically for feedback, offering advanced training, and helping people develop their problem-solving skills. A psychologically safe atmosphere encourages people to get rid of their work personality and just be themselves, complete with human interactions and authenticity.

6. Empower Your Team

When work teams are empowered, they take on an enhanced sense of ownership. This makes it easier and more likely for them to develop new skills. It also increases their personal interest in what they’re working on, encouraging them to make decisions about how to proceed. Aim to create balance in your teams so that there are boundaries, but people also feel like they have the power to make decisions.

Consider structuring your team around organizational culture. This type of culture helps you attain certain goals by inspiring your team members to embody desired behaviors, work ethics, and a collective attitude.

While it’s tough to give organizational culture an exact description, it includes elements like:

• Employee incentives
• Creating a shared sense of action and resolve
• Codes of conduct
• Work habits and emotional reactions
• A company’s story and how people are a part of it

A company’s culture is constantly changing. This makes it a challenge to evolve under a formal program. Implement organizational culture as the foundational structure in which you and your teamwork together.

7. Help Underperforming Team Members Improve

Characteristics of high-performing teams include holding one-on-one sessions with each member to make sure that they are performing to the level that your team requires. Provide development steps when needed. When teams are high-performing, it is because of the people. It’s important for each member of your team to perform equally to achieve goals. If you have someone who isn’t pulling their weight, then this will impact the dynamic of your team. In time, it will cause your company to lose business.

High-Performing Teams Require Nurturing

With these seven tips, you’ll be able to create a team that works together, one with good work habits and high productivity. For additional support and direction, reach out to us at the Productivity Intelligence Institute.

Streamline Processes

7 Ways to Streamline Processes

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date August 2, 2021

Problem or process symbol. Businessman hand turns wooden cubes and changes the word 'problem' to 'process'. Beautiful grey background. Business and problem or process concept. Copy space.

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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.

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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.

Reduce Stress

12 Ways To Reduce Stress

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date July 26, 2021

1,153 Views

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.

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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.

Managing Virtual Teams

5 Fun Virtual Team Building Activities

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date July 19, 2021

1,192 Views

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.

Make More Money

How to Make Extra Money

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date July 12, 2021

1,019 Views

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.

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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?

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date July 6, 2021

1,278 Views

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.

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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.

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Brain Hacks

What is the difference between the subconscious and the unconscious?

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date June 28, 2021

1,504 Views

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.

Entrepreneurship

Do you have an Entrepreneurship Spirit?

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date June 21, 2021

1,102 Views

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.

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Increase Productivity

10 Ways to Increase Productivity at Work

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date June 16, 2021

1,307 Views

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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