Productivity Tips – Dr. Melissa’s Blog
“Work Smarter!” you say? How annoying.
Work smarter…not harder. ~Allan H. Mogensen, the father of flowcharts, ca. 1930 For knowledge workers, “hard” work is often measured by time spent – an eight-hour day becoming a ten-hour one, for example. Hard workers put in extra hours, check their work email...
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I Chose a Dumb “Word of the Year.” It Changed My Life.
I’ve been writing blog posts since 2008. I get inspiration from my clients, my industry, and occasionally, personal experiences. Those of you who have been loyal readers for a while have seen me fail at my goals, sell my business, roll with an unexpected family...
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Your calendar is a shield, not a sponge!
Your calendar is the shield with which you defend your balanced life. However, too often we treat it as a sponge for other peoples' priorities. In this video, Dr. Melissa Gratias gives three tips to use your calendar as the important time management tool that...
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How to Reduce the Number of Hours You Work Each Week
In this video, Dr. Melissa Gratias tells the tale of a client who reduced her work hours from 75 to 50. There are things you need to do at work and home to achieve similar results. Don’t want to watch the video? A transcript is below. https://youtu.be/BOIRC_SZJiE...
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10 Tips to Finish the Year Well
There’s nothing astronomically significant that happens at midnight on December 31st. There’s no “New Year Comet” that flies through the sky. If you really want to get astronomically geeky about it, a year is not really a year. There is a psychological significance,...
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Do we even need voicemail anymore?
Fewer and fewer professionals are struggling with voicemail as a productivity problem. Many people don't get any voicemails. In this video, Dr. Melissa Gratias asks for your input on the state of voicemail. Is it still a useful business tool? Don’t...
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How to Delegate Productively
Delegation does not have to be painful -- for you or other people. Sometimes our dread of delegation leads to poor execution. In this video, Dr. Melissa Gratias gives three powerful tips to make delegation productive. Don’t want to watch the video? A...
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Should you Change yourself or Change your Job?
Recently, I have a wave of eerily similar conversations with clients and potential clients. I’ve discussed the issue with people both during and after training classes. I’ve spoken with at least two potential clients about it during their initial assessment calls....
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Two Ways to Organize Your Email
Should you construct a File Plan? Or, is a Big Bucket approach the best option? In this video, Dr. Melissa Gratias discusses the pros and cons of these two methods of organizing your email. Don't want to watch the video? A transcript is below....
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How to Take Electronic Notes in Meetings
In a previous post, I gave tips for taking meeting notes on paper. I promised to discuss electronic note-taking later. Welcome to later. Yes, there are cognitive and social advantages to taking meeting notes on paper. Research shows that we remember...
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