Eighty-six percent of employees say they’re most productive when they work from home, as cited by Fundera. Seventy-seven percent of employees report greater productivity while working off-site, according to the Remote Collaborative Worker Survey by CoSo Cloud. Sixty-four percent of global business leaders said flexible working had a positive impact on productivity, Condeco reports. Telecommuters are 14% more productive than their office-bound colleagues, according to a study released by Stanford University. Research found that working from home increases job performance and productivity while also decreasing the number of sick days taken.

Take It Easy on Your Brain!

We rely heavily on our brains to help us get more done. According to research, we do it way too much. We rely on our brains constantly to remember a litany of tasks on our mental to-do lists and to help us prioritize the list so we can and take the right action.

The problem is that our brains burn through much energy and attention trying to hold on to ideas, tasks, etc. that it doesn’t want to forget. It’s called the Zeigarnik effect. Think of it as a reminder system built into our minds that keeps pinging us when we know that there are things that we need to do and can’t forget about.

Eat That Frog!

Retired U.S. Army four-star General Stanley McChrystal gets a lot done. And it starts with his mornings, which are organized with military precision. Since his day is booked with work, he wakes up each morning at 4:00 AM to get in a 90-minute workout in before he heads into the office. This is the advice he dispenses for all of us to improve our own morning routines.

“Find certain things you know you should do, don’t like to do, or make excuses to avoid, and then do them every day or every other day, and then it just becomes a habit.”

How big should your goals be?

Now that we have determined which tasks we need to be doing, the next step is to set clear, actionable goals that will help us get our tasks done. Goal setting is a critical component of any growth process, personal or professional.

There are many benefits of setting goals, including:

Clarity and focus: Goals motivate us to cut through the weeds and get focused on what’s really important
Planning: Goals help us map out the necessary steps to achieve our desired result
Accountability: Goals force us to set and meet deadlines and be accountable to others
Transparency: When shared, goals help others understand what we’re focused on
Self-esteem: Goals raise our self-confidence as we see ourselves grow and progress

Leverage your leadership style

Another way that we can lead ourselves and others to increased productivity is to understand how to leverage your leadership style. Leaders who understand how they “operate” — for example, what makes them tick, how they solve problems and their communication preferences — can more easily identify their strengths and potential weaknesses, develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence, and understand the impact of their behaviors on others.

The connection to productivity is plain. Employees who feel understood and are put in a position to be successful are more engaged and more motivated to work hard. Making the effort to understand how to connect and work better with your people will pay big dividends over time.

Naphtali HoffJuly 18, 2022Impactful Coaching & ConsultingComment

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰? 😟

We all tend to get dragged down and overwhelmed by things that accumulate over time and end up cluttering our minds.

When we identify them - even if we're not prepared to do anything about them right now - we raise our awareness and naturally start to handle, fix, and resolve them.

Start by making a list of what you’re putting up with at work and at home to determine what might be cluttering your mind and slowing you down!

Examples could be: incomplete tasks, frustrations, problems, other people’s or your own behavior, clutter, shoulds, unmet needs, crossed boundaries, unresolved issues or guilt, lack of exercise, eating habits, being indecisive, procrastinating, lack of sleep, etc.

Before judging, pause and ask yourself this question

Oftentimes, we rush to judge others and we assume that people are in full control, and that they're just acting rude, loud, etc. anyway.

But let's remember that we've all had moments where we struggle!

We struggle with our emotional health.

We struggle with the people around us.
We struggle with our finances.
We struggle with our physical health.
We struggle with our circumstances.

We are constantly struggling! And because of this struggle we don't always have the optimum awareness and sense of how we should be interacting with other people.

What to do when you're not feeling it

When you're feeling down or just "not in the mood"...

just take action!

This morning, I woke up feeling anything but "up."

I wasn't in the mood for my morning workout and was feeling a bit down in general due to some recent developments (nothing major, thank G-d.)

So, what did I do?

I remembered William (Bill) McRaven's "Make your bed!" motto and I decided to take action.

Tales of an Introverted Leader

They thought that I was hiding. Or worse, disinterested.

As an introverted head of school, I would often close my office door.

It helped me focus, think, and get more done.

And I didn't think much of it.

But others did.

Largely because my predecessor kept an open door policy.

And was always accessible.

When people lack information, they typically assume the worst case scenario.

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