Productivity Archives - Page 26 of 32

Finding Fodder for Future Ideas

June 1, 2006 by Liz

Finding Fodder

Yesterday, Joe of Working at Home on the Internet reminded me of my days going to press runs, when he was talking about his experience as a printer.

Immediately my mind flashed to this story.

I was in the car with my friend KB on the way to a press run. We’d worked 12 weeks straight living in the Marriott New York East Side. Now we’d flown into Chicago and were driving into one of the suburbs. She was driving. I was looking out the window. I was taking in all of the signs of the restaurants and stores as we passed by them.

Then, suddenly out of the blue I heard, “Will you . . . .SHUT UP!”

It seems I had been reading every sign out loud.

“I don’t really need you to read me every sign we pass,” she said. “What was that?”

“Sorry,” I said. “Fodder.”

[Read more…]

Thank You, Tom Peters

May 31, 2006 by Liz

Positive Impact

I’ve been thinking all day about a story Tom Peters used to tell back in the early 90s. It went something like this. Bear with me, oral history changes in the telling.

Tom Peters at the Steel Company

It was during the time all of the big steel companies, such as US Steel. were suffering, hurting. One small company — small for the steel business — about 1200 employees was doing fine, growing as I recall the story. Tom Peters went out to Ohio to speak with the president of the company. He wanted to know how this company could be beating the odds. Then he found out something even more interesting. The company had no job descriptions. As I remember, Tom quoted the dialogue this way.

Tom said something like, “How can you run a company of 1200 people with no job descriptions?”

The president answered, “We’re trying a new management technique. We talk to each other.”

Forgive me, Tom, if I got the details slightly skewed. It’s clear that I got the point. I’ve passed it on for years, with your name attached.

Synchronicity

Just now when I went to Tom Peters’ blog to find a link, I found this one. It asks whether the great ideas of the past, such as those of Tom Peters had a positive impact. Click the title to read the short post about it.

Yeah, I think the impact has been positive. I’m still passing it on.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

6+1 Traits of Effective Blog Writing

May 30, 2006 by Liz

Effective Writing Traits Kids Know that We Don’t

I’m writing a writing program again. Writing programs are like other products. They have their individual nuances. They offer particular features and benefits, but all solid writing programs offer certain things in common. The engine of any well-built writing program is the 6+1 Traits of Writing.

If you’re reading this post, it’s unlikely that you encountered the 6+1 Traits as a student. You could find plenty about them on the Web now. Unfortunately, what you found would take the form of lessons and research for teaching school children. Why should school kids and their teachers be the only ones with direct access to the information and the rest of us have to adjust our thinking?

I’ve decided a simple action is in order. [Read more…]

ASAP — Here’s What It REALLY Means

May 29, 2006 by Liz

(Updated in 2020)

What Does It Mean?

You’re working on a deadline project. One large part is due at 10 a.m.; the rest goes at 3 p.m. Your day is “Goldilocks just right.” Well, just right if no monkeys come, and no alligators raise their ugly heads.

You get a call asking a favor ASAP. When will you do it?

ASAP is always later, usually LAST.

A real-time deadline always comes first. It has a win or lose line.

ASAP has an “out” of “possible is when I have time.”

ASAP to the speaker means “As Soon As you can Push it through.”

But to the listener it means, “As Soon As the Pressure’s off.”

Unless the person asking wields great power, ASAP will always lose.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Photo by Niklas Kickl on Unsplash

Great Find: Go Give It Your 75%

May 29, 2006 by Liz

Before You Go Back

As you think about how shorter work weeks feel longer, read this

Great Find: Thank you for coming to work. Now scram!
Type of Article: Report on productivity
Permalink: http://positivesharing.com/2006/03/committed/
Target Audience: Everyone who works

Content:Alexander Kjerulf has done the research. In companies that shortened the work week from 40 to 30 hours NO productivity was lost. Doesn’t surprise me. How about you? Want the details? Click the title shot below to get the facts.

Thanks Alexander, for proving what we already suspected — we do things other than work 25% of the time.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Bloggy Question 13 — The Incredible Culture

May 28, 2006 by Liz

Incredible

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Question.

This one starts with a quote from famed choreographer Kenny Ortega, who directed High School Musical, Disney Channel’s incredibly-popular DVD movie that’s a cross between Grease and Dirty Dancing. I found the quote in this weeks’ TV Guide Magazine.

Ortega says, “When I went into rehearsals with the cast, I discovered this incredible group of young people who were so bonded, who so liked one another, who were so ready to have the bar raised and do anything it took to make something special. they came to work on fire. That’s something you can’t buy, teach or direct.”

I’ve felt that at places I’ve worked. It IS incredible. It’s like magic.

What makes a place a culture like that? How does it start? What keeps it going?

–ME “Liz” Strauss