Busy people will often tell me they could easily spend their entire day (or week) doing email. Or following up on requests. Or completing other disparate tasks. We all have a myriad of tasks that are important – but not directly tied to our core priorities. I call these your supporting tasks. Supporting tasks and personal tasks all represent work that needs to get done — but doesn’t align to your core priorities. We offer support to our colleagues. We attend project meetings. We network. We volunteer in the community. And our cats won’t book their own vet appointments. The challenge is when we ..read more

Earlier in my career, vacations seemed to add to (rather than alleviate) stress. I could feel my anxiety rising leading up to any vacation. My list always felt too long and my time was short. I’m not alone in this. According to a Pew Research Center survey, fewer than half of US workers use all their vacation days. And Expedia’s 2023 “Vacation Deprivation report” showed similar results for Canadians with workers in Ontario and British Columbia reporting the highest levels of vacation deprivation, at 62 per cent. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the restorative value of taking a break. Bu ..read more

Over the last few years, we have proven we can be quite productive working from home, thank you very much. Plus, we wore our comfy clothes, balanced our work and personal commitments, and loved the commute. But as we head into fall, many organizations are calling for a bigger in-office presence, and those trips into the office are ramping up. Why does this shift seem so difficult now? Well, for starters, the pandemic lasted for years, not weeks. The workplace is forever changed. It’s natural to feel some uncertainty around this shift, much like we did at the start of the pandemic when we began ..read more

If you’re working hard but don’t feel you’re making progress, there’s a good chance you’re slipping into a common productivity challenge: taking on too much. I know all too well how tempting it is to want to do it all – now. But this dilutes your efforts, wastes too much time in, where was I? mode, and creates the frustration of carrying countless unfinished tasks. If you can relate but don’t know where to start, try this approach. The most important step is to get clear on what is most important to you. To do this, corral all your lists, goals, and deadlines into one central place. At Clear C ..read more

I’ve seen too many emails that are long and unclear; the kind that make my head spin, compel me to shudder, and close them without dealing with them. I know this isn’t very -ish of me, but I am human after all. Our emails are designed to prompt action. The easier we make this action for our recipient, the more likely we are to prompt the results we want. But with email subjects spanning anything from corporate mergers to little league schedules, it’s hard to imagine one approach to fit this wide range of communications. Yet there is a multi-use approach to sending clear and concise emails that ..read more

Early in my career, I recall hearing a seasoned entrepreneur on the other side of the I made it curve describe what he valued most — flexibility. Many years of hard work had paid off, and he finally had the ability to choose what he did (or didn’t do), along with when and where he worked. I was enthralled. At the time, flexibility seemed like the ultimate aspiration; the freedom to choose what I worked on and when. No one looking over your shoulder. No one dictating deadlines. It all sounded so inspiring. But like many things in life, flexibility works best only in moderation. Yes, the benefit ..read more

Over the last two years, we have proven we can be quite productive remotely, thank you very much. We get to wear our comfy clothes, it’s easier to balance our personal life, and you can’t beat the commute. With all the benefits of virtual work, many are asking: exactly why do we need to come into the office? Painful commutes. Sitting on back-to-back video calls while in the office. Complicated childcare. Having to put on pants with zippers. It’s a list that leaves leaders struggling to entice people to come back into the office for any more than the absolute minimum. To be clear, I am an advoc ..read more

The arrival of fall always feels a bit like a brand-new year, and with that feeling comes the urge to regroup and refresh. One of the best ways you can do this is a strategy used by the most productive people to create the space we all need to achieve incredible results. What’s the strategy? It’s your Proactive Routine. I think of routines like closets. You may have the most organized closet, but as you acquire new items (make way for cozy fall sweaters!), you’re going to need to streamline and edit the rest of the closet. Likewise, we need to adapt our routines as our time demands change. Wat ..read more

Earlier this year, a survey from Cengage showed 90 percent of people who recently left their job, or were planning to do so, reported being “burned out and unsupported.” It’s clear this will have critical implications for the workplace. Unfortunately, burnout was already a problem before the pandemic, with 76 percent of employees experiencing burnout on the job at least sometimes, according to a Gallup study of over 12,000 full-time employees. Now, 87 percent of US employers say enhancing their mental health benefits over the next two years is a top priority. This is a step in the right direct ..read more

According to recently surveyed Canadian CEOs, 43% expect to adopt a hybrid work model. So, what are the long-term implications of this monumental shift – and how will this affect team dynamics and their results? We know from the data that productivity can be much higher when people work virtually. There is also promising research to show we can be very productive in a hybrid model – as long as we do it right. Here are some best practices you can use to stay productive and thrive as a hybrid worker. What areas do we need to focus on? There are five key areas individuals need to focus ..read more