Like many of you, yesterday was my first day back in the office after what I had hoped would be a serene and calming Christmas holiday (but what became – as per usual – a non-stop cavalcade of cooking, wrapping up presents, cooking, meeting up with friends and family, and yet more cooking). Saying that, it was […]
I can't count the number of times that I've excitedly opened a new message on my phone, only to find yet another email from yet another company asking me whether I can "spare a few seconds" to give them some feedback in yet another "customer satisfaction" survey. Often I delete these messages straight away, mumbling to myself […]
I've laughed in them, cried in them, been bored in them, and even shouted in them. No matter what your personal thoughts are about one-on-ones – whether you think they are a brilliant opportunity to get your voice heard, or you see them as a waste of time and would rather get rid of them for good […]
In this post, People Alchemy founder Paul Matthews looks at how we can combine conscious and unconscious tasks to be truly productive. Can you really multitask efficiently? There are many people who swear that they can, and just as many studies that say they are fooling themselves, and that efficient multitasking is impossible. So what is the truth of […]
In this guest post, Nigel Dessau, founder of The 3 Minute Mentor, explains why you should take a proper vacation - getting some quality time away from the workplace can help you to reduce stress and improve your productivity. Nigel is also the subject of an Expert Interview, about his recent book, "Become a 21st […]
When I first made contact with Chris Bailey, his reply to my email was immediate – and automated. Bailey would be checking email just once a day, it said, at 3pm EST. Ah ha! I thought. That must save a bit of time. This is just one of the techniques he's implemented since completing a […]
Imagine you're at work, sitting with your two colleagues. It's mid-morning and the company coffee bar has opened. One colleague asks, "Fancy a coffee?" You might indeed fancy one, but experience has taught you that the invitation does not extend to you. As usual, the other agrees that a coffee would be a great idea […]
All Posts, Communication, Inclusion, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management
While you're reading this, what else are you thinking of? If you're focused on these words to the exclusion of all else, then bravo! You have achieved what many of us struggle to do: keep our minds focused on the task at hand. However, if you regularly find that your focus drifts during tasks or […]
Do you have to love what you do for a living to be happy at work? As an editor, I play with words all day and, right now, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. I may not wake up and dread my working day now but, during my past roles, I […]
Communication, Leadership, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management
When I was a student, I had to learn and remember a lot of information to pass my end-of-year exams, and I did so in various ways. I'd start off by reviewing the notes and handouts from my lectures, and I'd rewrite them by hand. This helped refresh my memory, and clarify the information in […]
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