Five Tips That Can Improve Your Speed and Performance

As contributed by various members of Berrett-Koehler's staff:

1. Turn off your email, IM messenger, and telephone to concentrate. Whatever time saved by responding to those "quick question" emails and calls while working on a project is illusory. True, it takes only a few minutes to deal with a "quick question" email or phone call, but the time taken to refocus on a project after being distracted outweighs the time saved by dealing with the distractions immediately. You will deal with both your projects and your communications much faster if you handle them separately at separate times.

2. End meetings at a set time -- no matter what. Meetings run long because we allow them to. Get into the habit of adjourning at the scheduled time. Shelve any topics not discussed for the next meeting or, if time sensitive, another time. People will soon tire of having their topics shelved or attending extra meetings and will move meeting discussion topics along faster to meet the scheduled end time.

3. Take breaks. It seems counterintuitive, but taking time off to grab some coffee or go for a short walk actually helps you work faster in the long run because people have more energy when they take time to rest. Many places even encourage catnaps as they have shown to be highly effective in boosting energy during the afternoon stretch.

4. Mix it up. Don't work on one project from beginning to end, especially if it's a longer project. You may find that you tire after a while and work at a slower pace. Switch between two or three projects on an hourly or even half-hourly basis. Though it may feel strange at first, you'll quickly fall into the routine.

5. Eat that frog! If you have one hairy project and two or three smaller projects to finish, it's appealing to complete those smaller projects first and leave that hairy one for later. Of course, each day brings additional smaller projects that cause you to repeatedly set aside that one big project for later. Follow this routine, and that one hairy project remains not only incomplete, but delayed as well. The stress and anxiety around that project increases with time, which in turn slows down progress on the project even further. As Brian Tracy says, "When you have something nasty that you have to do, like eating a frog, do it first!"

Do you have any tips for us or for other readers on how to work better faster? Add them below.

Five Things President Obama Needs to Do Immediately to Help America

MIT Sloan Professor of Management, bestselling author, and considered to be one of the world's top thinkers in organizational matters, Edgar Schein knows group dynamics and motivation. The overarching principle of effective help is that the helper wants to help and is aware of where help is not only needed, but will be accepted if offered.  Given those conditions, here is what Obama should do right away:

1) Stimulate the economy by providing a jobs program.

Nothing is more demoralizing to the citizenry than being out of work or having meaningless work.  The country needs a jobs program to be implemented immediately.


2) Begin work with government and private healthcare providers, practitioners, and industries to work toward comprehensive health care programs for all.

Nothing is more frightening than having health problems without the means or access to address them. Nothing drives families into debt quicker than medical bills.  Not only must costs be curtailed reasonably, but the country needs to a more positive approach that stresses health maintenance over just treatment.


3) Start doing the footwork and research to broker a peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The conflict has always been there but lately has become expecially bloody and needing of resolution as soon as possible. Locate where the core pain is for both parties and provide positive leadership to create a program that is motivated by the need to resolve that pain. This will lead to a mutually beneficial, two-state solution.


4) Work with economists to establish quantifiable ways to measure overall progress.

A jobs program will stimulate the economy, but we also need to re-engineer or revamp the controls and systems of checks and balances to insure that the people know where the money is going and so that the money will go where it is needed.


5) Begin rebuilding our international reputation as reliable partners in the global fight against terrorism and environmental and atmospheric deterioration.

Our ways of dealing with terrorism and environmental pollution have limited effect and do not inspire other nations to partner with us. Multiple helping relationships must be built with our European, Asian and South American allies to contend with these issues on a global scale because they are global problems and not just national problems. It is imperative that especially in this arena help should only be offered where it is needed.  Unsolicited help quickly leads to imperialism.


Are there any that should have been on this list that weren't? Do you have a list of top five things the president should start focusing on now? Please add your feedback and comments below.

Five To Turn Walls into Bridges

Representative Kyrsten Sinema was born in Tucson, Arizona, in 1976 and has lived in Phoenix since 1995. First elected to the State Legislature in 2004, she was re-elected in 2006 to continue serving central Phoenix in District 15. Kyrsten's book, Unite and Conquer, is out now.

Identifying common ground with someone holding different views from you remains the fundamental first step to building a winning coalition. Too often, we assume that we can't possibly work successfully with others who think differently from us. This fallacy builds walls between us that get in the way of reaching our mutual goals. (For some, it's winning a campaign, and for others, it might be taking over the world.) Consider Kyrsten's five quick tips to help you start breaking the proverbial bread with that person you've always argued with:

1. Laugh. And by laugh, I mean laugh at something other than the person you're working to build a bridge with. I typically start with myself. (Luckily, I have lots of flaws so there's tons to make fun of.) If you are uptight and unable to make fun of yourself, or if you're perfect, then laugh at something harmless - like your mom. Laughing with another person breaks down barriers almost instantly, leaving two people enjoying the happy moment that comes with joy, smiles, and a great joke. Once you've shared a good laugh with another person, neither of you will forget that little bond you share.

2. Chill out. We build walls so quickly, laying brick after brick with every rude, insensitive, boorish, or flat-out wrong comment made by another person. Some people specialize in barbs that psyche you into warp speed, building sky-high walls. Only when we consciously remind ourselves that their barbs and boorish comments are about them, not us, can we stop building and relax. Those who make frequent comments that poke others are simply sharing their insecurities about their own selves or positions. Instead of building higher walls in response, think how lucky you are not to be burdened with that insecurity. Responding maturely without ire will not only prevent your walls from going up, they'll chip away at his/her walls, too.

3. Ask about his/her kids. Or his/her alma mater, or sports, or knitting, or favorite food. Actually, ask about anything. When you take the time to learn a little something about another person's life, you get a glimpse into that person's realness. Not only do you see the other person in a new light, that person will see you in a different light as well. It becomes a lot harder to detest the person who shares the same frustration you feel about your 13 year old daughter's phone habits.

4. Take a walk on the wild side. Spend some time learning about the "other side" - whether that other side means another person, group, or just some stuff you understand. Reading the Economist, listening to a sermon, attending a meeting or lecture, or, in my case, watching Fox News -- all are venues to learn about those who are different than yourself. While much of today's media highlights the differences between us, (trust me on this, I am in politics after all) these are often overblown, cartoonish versions of real people and real life. Spending some time learning about the other peopke or their stuff can help demystify them and perhaps even burst some of your preconceived bubbles about them.

5. Listen. This one remains my favorite. It's also the one I'm worst at. Listening to others can be so hard, especially when I am bursting with so many brilliant things to say! But talking and talking and talking without leaving space in your head to listen only pushes people away. Take time to listen to what others say - and more importantly, what they mean. Listening for understanding can break down parts of the wall that are based on misconceptions, rumors, or faulty facts. Listening also symbolizes respect - listening to another, even if you don't agree with his/her statements tells that person that you care and that you respect him/her.

Do you have any other ideas for building bridges or any comments on Kyrsten's hints? Chime in below.

Five Reasons Why Layoffs Are A Bad Idea

Dr. Wayne Cascio is a professor of management at The University of Colorado at Denver. He is the past chair of the Human Resource Division of the Academy of Management and was the past president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. In 1999, he received the Career Achievement Award given by the Human Resource division of the Academy of Management.

Here are his five reasons why downsizing is simply wrong:

a. Reason #1: Downsizing does not automatically make a company more profitable nor perform better.

Research done over the last eighteen years, along with surveys done by the American Management Society and Society for Human Resources Management, show that only one-third of companies that downsize end up being more profitable. A remaining one-third report no change from before the downsizing, and the final one-third actually fall even further after downsizing. Meanwhile, stable companies (meaning companies with less than 5% staff fluctuation in any given year) outperformed companies that downsized in almost all cases."

b. Reason #2: Layoffs are a quick-fix solution to a long-term problem.

Layoffs represent a “band-aid” approach. Any benefits are purely temporary and do not address the long-term issues. Long-term problems need long-term solutions. These long-term solutions include figuring out how to attract new customers, what new products and services to offer to consumers, and what potentially profitable new markets should be expanded into. Long-term solutions require long-term thinking, not focusing on what can fix the problem for right now.

c. Reason #3: Layoffs do not capitalize on the "share-the-pain" philosophy that bonds employees as friends.

Employees have often worked for many years with each other and see each other more than they even see their families and relatives, so it is inevitable that they will also be friends. Survey after survey shows that employees would make individual sacrifices (such as reduced hours, job-sharing, pay cuts) to avoid their co-workers being laid off.

d. Reason #4: Firms often find that they wind up hiring back at least some of their laid-off employees as consultants -- at higher salaries

The companies wind up hiring back laid-off employees at much higher consultant fees than they were making previously as employees. This "re-hiring" happens because management realizes too late that they lost institutional memory and valuable skills in laying off people.

e. Reason #5: Too many decision-makers don't ask the all-important question first: "How will downsizing allow us to serve our customers better"?

If decision-makers cannot answer this question definitively, they have not thought the matter through carefully. Customers are income, and if downsizing does not allow for better service that will result in higher income, it's best not to go there in the first place.

The Top Five Communique Articles of 2008

As reflected by the sheer number of people who clicked on the links and wrote in about the features:

1. Publisher Judith Regan fired over the OJ If I Did It book amidst accusations of pandering to tabloid controversy. Apparently no one had a problem with the Scott Peterson book though.

2. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs disses Amazon's Kindle as a flawed concept. Apparently God was wrong.

3. Bestselling author Ishmael Beah defends himself against allegations that parts of his memoir were fabricated. Beah remains utterly credible when compared to the fake memoir of Black ghetto life by a White woman who never ventured out of suburbia, and the false autobiography of a holocaust survivor's marathon journey to freedom across 3,000 miles of Nazi-occupied Europe (turns out she isn't even Jewish).

4. Entertainment Weekly releases its list of The One Hundred New Classics: The Best Reads from 1983 - 2008. Despite not being included in the list, ex-Beverly Hills 90210 star Tori Spelling's autobiography still hits #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

5. The Berrett-Koehler Author Bill of Rights, emphasizing greater responsibility on both the author's and BK's part is released to the public under a Creative Commons license for all publishers to (hopefully) adopt. Various industry blogs pick up the document as a new model for collaboration.

Was your favorite story from 2008 one of the articles listed above? Was there one that should have been up there? Write it in below - it's what blogs are for!

Five Ways to Handle Your Fear of the Economy

Bill Treasurer knows how to handle fear, he's been doing it all his life. Here are Bill's five tips for handling your fear of the current economic crisis:

1. Refocus on your work. Fear is the enemy of productivity. Get clear on what needs to be done - right here, right now - and go about the business of doing it. If you're not contributing, you may be in danger. Stop being in denial. Know your job, and then do it.

2. Stop playing it safe. Ditch the herd. While everyone else is hiding, you can stand up and stand out, getting noticed for your talent and contributions. It's easy to follow the herd. It takes effort to lead.

3. Form a posse. Create an inner circle - a small group of co-workers who you can trust and turn to when the going gets really tough. Take turns being "the positive one" and injecting a daily shot of courage.

4. Find a productive distraction. What makes you feel better - a little stronger or braver? U2 on your iPod? A can-do mantra? A long run at lunch? Identify that one little thing - your own personal "fear buster" - and use it early and often.

5. Just say "no" to the pity party. It's tempting to commiserate with co-workers. Don't do it. It will stoke your fears and shake your confidence even more.

What are your suggestions for handling the fear? Write them in below (no login/security clearance required).

Better Ways to Spend a Trillion Dollars

Author Rob Simpson gives you five creative ways to spend a trillion dollars (and five ways to be outraged at the way it was spent on the war). Many more suggestions can be found in his book:

1. Send every high schooler in America to a four-year college. We'd have the most educated workforce in the world.

2. Create a retirement account for every child born in America -- shortly after the child's birth. That child will be a multimillionaire come retirement age. If they don't touch the account, they will never have to save up for retirement for the rest of their lives.

3. End ALL homelessness in America.

4. Rebuild New Orleans -- completely. This means bring back all displaced families, build new housing for everyone who needs it, repair all damage, reinstate businesses, create new incentive programs for businesses, restore wetlands and counter environmental damages, and pay for an ongoing, aggressive tourism plan.

5. Buy everyone in the world an ipod. It may not be the latest, cutting-edge model, but it still means we'll be rocking the Casbah, not blowing it up.