Category: Productivity
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UnProductive 101: Paving the Cow Path
When I worked at Accenture, we were often in the business of identifying the existing business processes and then analysing how we would enable these processes with technology. Sometimes it was putting a mobile phone purchase process onto Siebel CRM, sometimes it was putting insurance sales onto SAP ERP. A senior partner used to say…
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The 4 Arts of Self Sabotage
The equation for human performance is the following: Performance = Potential – Self-Sabotage That is it. You achieve not what your boss lets you, not what the others let you… you achieve what you don’t screw up for yourself. In the years since I first wrote this equation up in a class and people said…
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Do you know how to use the internet?
I heard this question asked to a full conference room recently: “Do you know how to use the internet?” All hands went up. Everybody in the room felt that yes, they know how to use the internet. Then, the speaker asked a second question: “Ok, show me what you have created?” “Show me what you…
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Leading Teams: The 5 Styles of Managing People
I was teaching a seminar recently and a young film producer told me “I am not a good manager”. I asked him why he believed this. He described a recent series of disasters that he had overseen with his team. I asked him “who are the people on your team?”. He said his cousin helped…
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Why is it a Must for You?
Most people know what they would have to do if they really wanted to get where they want to go. But, they don’t get there. Most don’t even start. To Must or Not To Must If it is not a must for you, it is not going to happen. What is the holy grail between…
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Accepting Feedback
At the end of every course I teach at IESE Business School, all participants give extensive feedback on their experience of the course, the facilities… and on my role as a teacher. When the summarized feedback reaches me a couple of weeks later, I open the pdf in a state of nervous tension. I am preparing…
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What will future jobs look like?
Economist Andrew McAfee suggests that, yes, probably, droids will take our jobs — or at least the kinds of jobs we know now. In this far-seeing talk, he thinks through what future jobs might look like, and how to educate coming generations to hold them. Are you Bill or Ted? There is a big and…
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10 Rules to Look Like you are Working Hard
Sometimes I want a lazy day. Sometimes I don’t feel like producing good work. I often blog about productivity, about removing purposeless-busy-ness from our lives; but sometimes I don’t car and I want to give the impression that I am really working hard. Here are 10 golden rules for looking like you are working hard:…
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10 Things we Hate about Bosses
10 things that employees surveyed last year by the Great Place to Work organisation said contributed to poor management: Lack of Recognition and Appreciation – employees who believe that managers do not really appreciate the work, energy and effort put in during their days and sometimes evenings Poor Communication – employees want to find out…