The top 5 new rules of productivity - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

The top 5 new rules of productivity - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog We all want to increase productivity and get more done with our working hours. Theres just one problem: Most peoples view of productivity comes from the?industrial age. This leads to some fundamental misconceptions about work, including these: If you work more hours, you get more work done. Adding more people to a project?means you can finish sooner. Productivity is more or less constant and can be reliably predicted and?scheduled. For knowledge workers, i.e. anyone who works with information rather than physically producing stuff, these beliefs?are not only wrong, theyre actively harmful. So here is my suggestion for 5 new rules of productivity for knowledge workers. 1: Productivity varies wildly from day to day. This is normal. In an industrial setting, production and output can be planned in advance barring accidents or equipment failure. Basically you know that if the plant operates for X hours tomorrow youll produce Y widgets. For knowledge workers you cant possibly know in advance whether tomorrow will be a day where you: Reach a brilliant insight that saves you and your team weeks of work. Work tirelessly and productively for 12 hours. Or the day where you: Spend 8 hours gazing dejectedly into your screen. Introduce a mistake that will take days to find and fix. This variation is normal if a little frustrating. It also means that you shouldnt judge your productivity by the output on any given day but rather by your average productivity over many days. I have never seen this more clearly than when I was writing my first book. Some days Id sit myself down in front of my laptop and find myself unable to string two words together. Some mornings I banged out most of a chapter in a few hours. Writing is a creative process. I can do it when I?m in the mood. Trying to write when I?m not, is a frustrating exercise in futility. On the days where I couldnt write, Id go do something else. Probably wakeboarding :) The result: I wrote the book in record time (a couple of months all told), the book turned out really well AND I enjoyed the writing process immensely. Three things you can do about this: Dont make project plans based only on your maximum productivity days. Not every day will be like that. Base your schedules on your average productivity. Dont beat yourself up on the low-productivity days. Its normal, its part of the flow and these days have value too. I like to think that on these days, my subconscious mind is working on some really hairy complicated problem for which the solution will suddenly appear fully formed in my mind. If you do have a day where you get very little done, why not go home early and relax or get some private chores done? 2: Working more hours means getting less done Whenever we fall behind, its tempting to start working overtime to catch up. Dont! Instead, commit this graph to memory: It comes from this excellent presentation on productivity. Read it! Heres another data point: In 1991, a client asked me to conduct a study on the effects of work hours on productivity and errors? My findings were quite simply that mistakes and errors rose by about 10% after an eight-hour day and 28% after a 10-hour day? I also found that productivity decreased by half after the eighth hour of work. In other words, half of all overtime costs were wasted since it was taking twice as long to complete projects. After the study was done, a concerted effort was made to increase staffing. (Source) This may be counter-intuitive but its important to grasp: For knowledge workers there is no simple relationship between hours worked and output! Three things you can do about this: Dont work permanent overtime. In fact, some studies indicate that knowledge workers are the most productive when they work 35 hours a week. Take breaks during the work day and make sure to take vacations. Experiment to find out what schedule works best for you. Five eight-hour days? Four longer days and a long weekend? 3: Working harder means getting less done In an industrial environment, you can most often work harder and get more done. An increase in effort means an increase in productivity. For knowledge workers, the opposite is true. You cant force creativity, eloquence, good writing, clear thinking or fast learning in fact, working harder tends to create the opposite effect and you achieve much less. Three things you can do about this: Take the pressure off yourself and your team. Even if you make a mistake or miss?a deadline the world probably isnt going to end. Less pressure means higher productivity. Schedule a work load equivalent to only 80% of your work week. Trust me, you wont be wasting your remaining 20% but you will be more relaxed and more creative. In the words of Fred Gratzon: If it feels like work, youre doing it wrong. If you find that most of what you do is a struggle, this is a sure sign that you are not at your most creative and productive. 4: Procrastination can be good for you In an industrial setting, any time away from the production line is unproductive time therefore all procrastination is bad. Search for procrastination on google and you?ll find a massive number of articles on how to stop procrastinating and get stuff done. They will tell you that there is only one reliable way to get stuff done: Check todo-list for next item Complete item no matter what it is Go to step 1 They?ll tell you that if only you had enough willpower, backbone, self-control and discipline, this is how you would work too. Well guess what: Knowledge workers don?t work that way. Sometimes you?re in the mood for task X and doing X is ridiculously easy and a lot of fun. Sometimes doing X feels worse than walking barefoot over burning-hot, acid-covered, broken glass and forcing yourself to do it anyway is a frustrating exercise in futility. Sometimes procrastinating is exactly the right thing to do at a particular moment. This is largely ignored by the procrastination-is-a-sign-of-weakness, the-devil-finds-work-for-idle-hands crowd. Three things you can do about this: Procrastinate without guilt. Do not beat yourself up for procrastinating. Everybody does it once in a while. It doesn?t make you a lazy bastard or a bad person. If you leave a task for later, but spend all your time obsessing about the task you?re not doing, it does nothing good for you. Take responsibility, so that when you choose to procrastinate, you make sure to update your deadlines and commitments. Let people know, that your project will not be finished on time and give them a new deadline. Remember that Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted (according to John Lennon). 5: Happiness is the ultimate productivity enhancer The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work. I?m not knocking all the traditional productivity advice out there ? it?s not that it?s bad or deficient. It?s just that when you apply it in a job that basically doesn?t make you happy, you?re trying to fix something at a surface level when the problem goes much deeper. Three things you can do about this: Get happy in the job you have. There are many things you can do to improve your work situation ? provided you choose to do something, rather than wait for someone else to come along and do it for you. Remember to appreciate what is already good about your job. Often we forget, and overfocus on all the annoyances, problems and jerks. This is a natural tendency called negativity bias, but it also tends to keep us unhappy because we forget what works. If all else fails, find a new job where you can be happy. If your current job is not fixable, don?t wait ? move on now! The upshot The industrial age view of productivity has serious limitations when applied to knowledge workers but it remains the dominant view and still informs much of our thinking and many of our choices at work. Lets change this! This is not without its challenges. The old view of productivity may no longer apply, but it does give managers an illusion of control and predictability. The new rules are messy. Less predictable. They rely less on charts and graphs and more on how people feel on any given day. It ultimately comes down to this: Do we want to stick with a model that is comforting and predictable but wrong or are we ready to face what REALLY works? Your take What about you? When are you the most productive? What is your optimal number of working hours per week? What stimulates or destroys your productivity? Please write a comment, Id love to know your take. Related posts How to procrastinate effectively. Dont let The Cult of Overwork ruin your work life. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Fundamentals of Job Searching

The Fundamentals of Job Searching It can be tough to find a job even when the economy is thriving, but during down times it seems almost impossible to find a position that fits. Recessions take their toll on just about every job sector. But, that doesnt mean you have to be discouraged by the lull in the market. Now is a great time to show your resiliency, improve your skill-set and prove how qualified you are. So how do you begin your job search? Prepare Yourself Education is key. Its a perfect time to take additional courses or go for accreditation in your field. Subscribe to your industries newsletter, find out about upcoming projects, look at what firms are hiring, which market segments are experiencing growth, so that you can target your job search appropriately. Connect yourself. Join online groups like Facebook, LinkedIn or Fastpitch.com. Now is the time to make the internet work for you, make yourself the authority in your field online and you will see the job market expand. Its imperative to keep up with the changing landscape, so do what you can to stay abreast of trends. Reach Out and Connect Your network is the most valuable asset you have, but its only strong when you utilize it. Make a list of business associates, friends, owners, coworkers and anyone else that youve ever known or done business with. Get yourself out there and let these people know that you are available and looking for work. You may just be the missing piece that their company has been looking for. Until you have one, networking should be your full-time job. Contact friends, family, old school roommates, vendors or anyone else that might allow you to find a job. Time to be Flexible Flexibility will help you find a job no matter the economy. However, in a down market, you have to be open to trying different things. Maybe your full-time job will get its start through a small contract position. Some firms are reluctant to hire a full-time position due to fears of failing financially â€" so getting a contract position could give you an in that you need. Just get your foot in the door and be open to positions that are not related to your work experience. Always be Prepared Remember, everywhere you go, no matter if its dinner with friends, a social gathering or networking event â€" it could lead to job opportunities. Finding a job is your job now, so you have to do everything in your power to find a job. There are so many opportunities to work with people who will help you find a job. Who knows, maybe the next person you strike up a conversation with will know of an open position. You dont know, so you should always be prepared to showcase what you can do. Try to leave a lasting impression with the people you meet. Many people have found a job just by talking to people they meet at parties or through friends. Keep those eyes open.

Resumed Working From Home Entrepreneur

Resumed Working From Home EntrepreneurResumed working from home entrepreneur have one important thing to keep in mind. You can make as much money as you can from the internet, but if you expect to be rich overnight, you are going to be disappointed.So many of you guys started your internet business after you heard about the success stories of successful internet marketers. After hearing these stories, a lot of you started looking for ways to make more money. You probably thought you could do the same as these people, so you started searching on the internet for information on how to do this. Well, it sounds good, doesn't it?However, don't let yourself get overconfident, just because you read some of these tips and learn some of the secrets of how to make more money online. If you want to succeed, you need to learn some common sense first. Do not expect to start making more money in a day, next week or next month.Now, if you are one of those people who keep looking for information on how to do this, one way to fix that would be to start learning to do things yourself. There are a lot of ways to learn this kind of thing. First, you could do some research about what has worked for others and learn from those people. These are only the beginning steps, but they are the most important.Second, you need to learn how to identify and grab the knowledge that you want. This is because people who have mastered the internet know exactly how to do certain things. That is why they make millions of dollars, and you don't want to know how. In other words, once you have the knowledge, it is up to you to learn how to use it.Third, you need to remember that the internet is an enormous space where you can find out information all around you. All you need to do is to read and search through this vast ocean of information and learn how to do it. By the time you hit the edge of your expertise, you will already have the knowledge to make more money online.So that is it. The important t hing is to remember that you don't need to know everything about internet marketing. Just learn the basics and learn how to do it yourself.

The Appeal of New England Conservatory Resume Writing

The Appeal of New England Conservatory Resume Writing Introducing New England Conservatory Resume Writing If you're still not sure about what to do with your Musical Theatre degree after graduating, perchance a triple-threat program is perfect for you. My experience for an audio theater major at the Boston Conservatory is not anywhere near the normal college experience. Music and other careers An audio education is great for you in lots of ways! The full team consists of college students. A great guideline is simply list audition experience for some other orchestras as big as the one you're auditioning for. Today, a conservatory can be seen in the majority of continents. The house I'm in now is a fantastic house for it. The subteam is searching for members and a lead. Each play stipulates the next opportunities. Because there are several techniques to trade, and to put money into the stock market, getting started is an unbelievably daunting undertaking. The aim of your resume is to secure you a job interview with your intended employer. Under the latest role, type your preceding function. The Three Sisters appears to be a fantastic option for female scenes until you realize the vast majority of the female only scenes are of 3 or more characters at any certain moment. If you've completed some good gigs and some undesirable gigs, leave the terrible ones off. Possibly solely 5 works are ordinarily not really enough for making the comprehensive impression. From the extent the customer requires depends the last worth for paper. Even though it isn't unlawful to take advantage of them, the typical speedy paper of the job can get you into troubles. You need to be careful with the essays you receive from that point. In the event you accomplish that, you might put you prone to getting a much less-than-passable essay submitted underneath your name. If you are able to get past that point and begin trading, then you're going to end up like 90% of t raders who wind up losing money and quitting. Bear in mind, in addition, there are discounts available when purchasing all 3 e-books and free shipping when purchasing all three text books. If you're asking for a job, any job, make the very first information which you provide the most relevant to the job that you want. In america alone, there are lots of fine options a prospective student can select from, several of which shall be discussed briefly below. All transcripts have to be in English. Made for exceptional musicians interested in a wide range of artistic careers in addition to an elite liberal arts education, the dual degree will enable the 2 institutions to supply the best of their unique strengths. International students whose transcripts aren't issued in English must also supply official translations.

References on a Resume [Should You List Them]

References on a Resume Should You List ThemReferences on a Resume?September 23, 2019 By Mark Slack, CPRW When in doubt, dont add a list of references to yur resume. Although this is one of the most agreed upon rules among resume experts, job seekers continue to ask whether its acceptable.Build My Resume NowShould I Include References on my Resume?No. Nope. Never References do notlage belong on a resume, period. The space on your resume is valuable real estate, so dont waste it by adding information that 99.9% of employers dont require up front. Instead, you should use this space for an additional resume skills section, a resume introduction, or more accomplishments for resume bullet points. Including behauptung details will be much more enticing to employers than a list of names and phone numbers.References do not belong on a resume, period.In most cases, references arent requested until after the final in-person bewerbungsgesprch or near the end of the hiring process. HR department s dont have time to contact every candidates list of references its much more efficient for them to wait until they have narrowed down the candidate pool to 23 final applicants. So, if you reach this point in the hiring process and the manager asks you to provide a list of references, then whats the best way to present them? TipReferences arent the only thing that dont belong on a resume. Learn exactly what to put on a resume (and what not to put) with our expert guide.How To List ReferencesBefore you begin your job hunt, gather your references onto a Professional Reference Page.Include each references name, title, organization, phone number, and email address. TipList your references starting with yourmost impressive or important reference.Although some people suggest that you provide the addresses of your references, we recommendthat you leave them off for two reasons. First, hiring managers wont be contactingyour reference via snailmail. Second, your references most likely dont want you to share all of their personal information. Dont forget to clarify your relationship with each reference and how long you have known them.Creating a reference page is actually simple, but if you want to save time, then download our free reference list templateClick Here to Download Our Reference Page TemplateWant more free resources to aid your job search? Check out our downloadable resume samples and cover letter examples.How to Choose your Professional ReferencesYour OptionsThe best references are managers or former colleagues because they have first-hand knowledge of your skills and abilities in a work environment. However, for a student or recent graduate, finding a set of professional references can be difficult. So, for those wholack work experience, teachers, professors, coaches, advisers, and guidance counselors are all suitable alternatives to a professional reference.Teachers, professors, coaches, advisers, and guidance counselors are all suitablereferences for t hose who lack work experience. Neither friends nor family members are great options and should only be used as a last resort. Family and friends do not hold much weight for employers since they are likely to only say positive things and arent aware of your abilities in a work environment.Ask PermissionIts never too early to begin compiling a list of reference options. The more choices you have, the easier it will be to provide references to potential employers.However,before you can add anyone to your reference page, you must first ask their permission. Not only is it polite to do so, but it also allows them to prepare their response. TipDont forget to give your references a heads-up before you start applying for jobs. Listing someone as your reference without asking permission could be detrimental to your job hunt. An unprepared reference will lack a well-thought-out response and could end up making you look bad in front of a potential employer.Target Your ReferencesUnfortunately, you cant add every person who you know is willing to put in a good word for you. HR departments arent going to call dozens of your acquaintances. Many employers will limit you to only three references, so you have to choose wisely.There are a few details you should consider when choosing who to includeWhich of my references are most relevant to the job I am applying for?Do I have references that work in the industry I am applying to?Which person would best highlight my skills that are applicable to the specific position?Who is not suited to giving me a reference for this particular job?Asking yourself questions like these will ensure that you narrow down your list to a few highly targeted references.Offering an employer a tailored listof recommendations will maximize your chances of being hired over the other final candidates.Finally, after you get the job remember to thank your references. They helped you convince the employer that you were the right candidate for the position. Th e least they deserve is a nice thank-you note.

5 Subtle Ways Youre Discrediting People with Mental Illness

5 Subtle Ways Youre Discrediting People with Mental Illness Using language that shames people who live with mental illness is so ubiquitous, sometimes we speak without considering the ramifications of our words. But even if we have no ill-intent, certain practices proliferate harmful stereotypes. Stopping the practice of using demeaning language can help stop the spread of negative stigmas associated with mental illnesses.1. Diagnosing Others As An InsultDescribing someone as being a psychopath because they yelled at you or behaved carelessly doesnt help anyone involved in the situation. Instead of labeling someone as psycho or crazy, describe what they did and how it made you feel. leid to sound like a freshman year writing teacher, but describe the actual scene instead of reaching for an overused shortcut. By using the term as an insult, it only makes it seem like people who have mental disorders are angry or deceptive when those symptoms do not necessarily manifest in every person . Not only does this language harm those who are really afflicted with the disorder, but it detracts the blame from people who do harmful things by attributing their actions to an illness that they do not have.2. Making Jokes at the Expense of Mentally Ill PeopleWhen a person with a mental illness is showing outward symptoms, its a serious thing. Joking about celebrity mental illness can seem like an easy targetafter all, you dont even know thembut hearing someone laugh at someone elses mental illness can make people who have those disorders feel ashamed. It sends a message to those living with mental illness that if they hide their symptoms theyre being good, but if their symptoms manifest they will be mocked by those who are supposed to care about them. This adds extra stress that if they display symptoms, they will be ostracized orthe object of gossip.3. Self-Diagnosing As A Means of DescriptionWhen you reach for medical terms to describe things you dont like about yourself, it t rivializes the disorder and is also just a really lazy shortcut. Even when these labels are not used maliciously, they can still do harm by pushing stereotypes and making it seem as if the illness is not that big of a deal or something to be ashamed of.4. tagging Those Living with Mental Illness by Their DiagnosisWhether its someone you know personally or not, using a persons diagnosis as a label about their entire personality is reductive. Taking one biological occurrence and making it the most important thing about them is rude and unnecessary. Using a factor about a person that they cant control also says less about them than distinguishing them by a hobby or talent they have.5. Shaming Medication TakingImplying that a person who behaves in an unpleasant way should be on medication as a slight that onlydemeans people. Making the step to take a medication for a mental illness is a huge decision, and making it the butt of a joke isnt cool. It also proliferates the false idea that m anaging actual mental illness is as simple as taking a drug that will fix everything, which is also harmful.If you do slip up and use a phrase that is shaming, apologizing and correcting what you said with what you actually meant by your comment. For example Im sorry, I shouldnt have said I have OCD. That was lazy of me--what I mean to say isIm very organized. Self-correcting shows that youre aware that the language is harmful and lets others who may have never considered the impact of this behavior see that it shouldnt be acceptable. Making these changes could also mean a lot to those around you who are living with the mental illnessthemselves.--Kayla Heisler is an essayist and Pushcart Prizenominatedpoet. She is a contributing writer for Color MyBubble.Her work appears inNew Yorks Best Emerging Poetsanthology.

Writing a Resume for a 16 Year Old: the Ultimate Convenience!

Writing a Resume for a 16 Year Old the Ultimate Convenience You will just have an employment history in case you have completed any part time work like a paper round or Saturday job whilst youve been at school. There are an assortment of different methods to have a job but increasingly a good deal of job-seeking and recruitment is currently being done online. If you are searching for work across town, you might want to mention you have access to a vehicle or convenient public transportation when writing a cover letter or interviewing. From 13 you are able to get a part-time job that can be a fantastic way to earn some additional cash as youre still at school. The Unexpected Truth About Writing a Resume for a 16 Year Old You should try and give only snapshots of your skills, hence the hiring officer could choose whether you would fit with the organization or not. Many jobs need minimal training, and there could be an opportunity to gain from tips. Locating a job can be diffi cult in the very best of times, even for well-qualified, experienced men and women. Dont despair if change career resume examples appear to be not working as its very possible that youll need some expert assistance whos a specialist in the area. The food services industry has at all times been a conventional supply of jobs for 16-year-olds. Keep in mind, your resume is just the very first step. Resume examples for free will help you in a detailed process about how to compose your resume. If its possible to font quite well and its pertinent to the job, take an on-line typing test to learn your speed. You may be a very good team player. Hard skills Hard skills are extremely definable and measurable like typing at a particular speed, or the capability to use a specific software package (e.g. Microsoft Word). It is possible to easily test whether someone does or doesnt have a specific hard skill. Writing a Resume for a 16 Year Old For instance, be sure to include keywords fr om the work description in your resume. A great balance of simple and intricate sentences is utilised to develop an argument. A resume summary statement is a good means to rapidly demonstrate the employer why youre a strong candidate. A resume example is able to help you make a decision as to what type of content to include, together with how to format your resume. Now, lets take an in depth look at every part of your CV, and the way to write it. Learn how to read and remember that which you have read. The applicant needs to have the contact information readily available to give during the work interview. You would like to land yourself a great well-paying job, but youre likely to require a strong CV first. In truth, it might not have dates whatsoever, but you must be listed in order of relevance instead. In with, remember to do not present your ideas employing the lists. Instead, come across as a true individual who would like to talk alongside others, not at all them. A clean, error-free resume will force you to look professional. The Hidden Treasure of Writing a Resume for a 16 Year Old So its a little ironic that all of your expertise could end up working against you once youre searching for work. Make certain the skills are related to the job which you desire. Resumes give potential employers a means to learn about applicants quickly and readily, and theyre your very first step toward new job opportunities.