Displaying All Posts from April, 2011

Essential Email Tip: Clean Your Inbox Weekly

When was the last time your e-mail inbox was empty?

I can’t remember either. I know the Getting Things Done gurus say it’s an essential step to reaching productive nirvana. But I just can’t reach it.

But look at it. I have less than 20 e-mails stashed in my inbox. The bulk are part of an e-course on content marketing that I subscribed to. And as soon as I’m done with this blog post, I’m reading all of them. Promise.

I confess that this doesn’t happen every day. Who has time for that?
Click Here to Read Article …

Teambox: An Excellent Open Source Collaborative Project Management Solution

While there are approximately 3 million project management apps (I’m guessing. I lost count around 102,463), TeamBox manages to stand out from the crowd by being both open source and focusing heavily on collaboration.

While many hosted web-based project management apps focus on collaboration, few of them are open source. And while there are quite a few open source project management apps, few focus heavily on collaboration in a way that’s designed for virtual teams.

Teambox has both of those covered.
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

teambox review, teambox, open source project management, teambox reviews, project management open source, teambox open source, collaborative project management, open source collaboration, open source team collaboration, open source project management software

Light a Fire! 4 Ways to Inspire Yourself (and Complacent Coworkers)

You know the type…it may even be you.

That certain individual in the workplace who seems to get by on doing the least amount possible. It is frustrating when you’re working harder and they’re getting the same amount of credit. Although rare, it’s painful to attempt to distinguish yourself if everyone is assigned virtually the same job.That being said, in order to grow in your personal workspace and prove your value amidst co-workers and omnipotent bosses, you must actively seek out tasks, projects and ideas.

Armed and Ready

When faced with lazy and defiant co-workers, there is only so much energy that can be expelled into making them tolerable to deal with. Since some of us are extremely ambitious and learn best by doing things independently, we are inspired on our terms. Others require being told and shown. Which is where showcasing your particular earnest for a job yields varying results depending on who you are dealing with.

I’m a firm believer in kids needing to be inspired by someone or something in order to achieve things in life. The same can be said for adults who end up in a work environment that may not be their calling. People generally think well of and enjoy talking about themselves. You can learn immense amounts with active listening. Too many of us can’t wait to spit our next thought out only to have missed the punchline.

After working a number of random jobs, I’ve learned that tapping into another person’s interest is an easy and promising way to gain their trust. Through that connection you are able to find a way to get them more ‘in the game’ at work. Humor, when used correctly (no racist, sexist or grossly foul jokes); food, (ensuring that allergic concerns are addressed); discussing family pets and giving genuine compliments all work towards your success. Lazy workers dispel ‘against the grain’ personality types because they raise the bar for what’s expected at work and while change is a vital part of life, we tend to resist it. Disturb the stagnant water that is workplace politics and be prepared for a ripple effect.
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

fire, complacency in the workplace, overcoming complacency in the workplace, spitting fire, how to overcome complacency in the workplace

Bring Love To Work

“Work is love made visible.” – Kahlil Gibran

Love and work are not topics we necessarily talk about together, but if we let it work can be a wonderful way to express ourselves…and show love to those around us!

Whether you are waiting tables or a brain surgeon, any job you do is about serving others and making their life better on some level. We have all had experiences where someone working in their job has lifted us up and made a difference to our day or brought us down and made our day worst.

A friend of mine told me a story once about a shop assistant he had observed in a large department store in London. It was the shop assistant’s job to answer customer queries all day long. At any one time, he would have queues of people waiting to ask questions and they were often ready to let off steam about something that had gone wrong! My friend saw that the assistant was consistently calm and happy, answering each customer in turn without getting flustered or overwhelmed. My friend managed to strike up a conversation with the shop assistant and asked him his secret. The shop assistant told him that meditation helped him to stay focussed and centred so that he could be present and serve each customer to the best of his ability.

This is an inspiring story that points to something important: we always have a choice about who we are going to be at work, regardless of our job. We have all met wonderful people cleaning floors and people who are not so wonderful who have amazing jobs. So whatever your job, how do you bring love to work?
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

love of work, love for work, love to work, i love to work

Clutterpad: A Complete Project Management App

Clutterpad is a full-featured project management app that considers itself  “a way of doing things-not just a tool.”

Clutterpad operates on 5 principles:

  1. Sheer Beauty
  2. Ease and Simplicity
  3. Define Productivity
  4. Complete Mobility
  5. Security

Sheer Beauty

Clutterpad believes that to want to use something, you have to like the way it looks — and I completely agree. Clutterpad manages to achieve this with a sleek look where all features are easily accessible, without the interface looking cluttered.

Ease and Simplicity

Clutterpad thinks that “software should be as intuitive and easy to use as switching on a light.” While I still recommend that you always read all the features (and a product’s blog) — Clutterpad does do a pretty good job of having an intuitive interface.

Productivity Redefined

While I wouldn’t go as far as Clutterpad does in referring to using it as fun — it does offer a slew of features that can significantly help small teams stay organized, on track, and in touch all in one place.

Mobility

As a web-based app, Clutterpad is available from anywhere. (However, I didn’t see any mention of a mobile-optimized version.)

Security

Security is always concern — especially with cloud based apps — and Clutterpad lets it be know that they are super-serious about security.
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

project management apps, lifehacker project management, clutterpad

The Four-Day Workweek: Pros and Cons

When you know a three-day weekend is just around the corner, do you try hard to tie up loose ends during the week so you can enjoy it? I know I do. When you get back to work on a Tuesday, doesn’t the rest of the week seem to fly by? Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a four-day workweek every week? You can!

When faced with a short workweek I know I am more productive during business hours. Here are some other benefits:

  • People have more time to spend with their families.
  • Employees save money on commuting to and from work.
  • The business saves money on energy costs.
  • Studies show that employees with a four-day workweek are more productive and happier overall.

But there are drawbacks, too. Working 10 hours a day isn’t for everyone.

When thinking about creating a four-day workweek, people tend to think about how great it will be to have more time away from the office rather than how increasing their workday by two hours may affect them and their families. Less time in the day outside of work means less time for running errands on your workdays.
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

4 day work week, four day work week, 4 day work week pros and cons, 4 day workweek, four day work week pros and cons, pros and cons of 4 day work week, four day work week pros cons, 4-day work week, 4 day work weeks, 4 day working week

ProjeLead: Another Contender in the Project Management Software Market

Project management software has become a more integral tool for businesses in recent years, and another contender has come to our attention in recent weeks: ProjeLead.

ProjeLead touts itself as:

“…a simple open source tool that will make project managers focus more on their project than on their project management tool.”

Originally created to meet the internal needs of our project managers and consultants, ProjeLead has been offered as a free download since early 2009 under an Open Source license. The response from its user base has been quite positive and while we’re yet to give it a full review, they are gaining traction in what is a very crowded space.
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

ProjeLead, project management software market share, project management software market

The Art of Persuasion: How to Hone Your Influencing Skills

The art of persuasion, of influencing the people around you, is a vital skill in the workplace. Without it, you’ll simply be ineffective. Sure, you can bend people to your iron will, or get people to do what you want with compulsion, manipulation or coercion, but at the cost of trust and long-term cooperation with colleagues or customers.

Persuasion is a different beast; subtle, but far more powerful in the long-term. So, how can you can you hone your influencing skills, to benefit yourself and those around you? Well, there’s a certain amount of groundwork you need to lay first.

Whether it’s a telephone pitch to a potential client or influencing colleagues at work, the same principles apply even if the timescales differ

It’s not (just) about the benefits.

We all know there are things we should be doing for our own benefit, but never quite get round to. The forces that motivate us aren’t quite as simple as personal gain or loss, punishment or reward.

You can have an incredible pitch on paper, but people will respond to you, or rather how they perceive you, as much as what you have to say.

Emotion screws with the wiring when we make decisions. Of course you need the numbers, but it’s never enough just to make them understand your case. They have to be eager to do business with you.
Click Here to Read Article …

Popular search terms for this article:

the art of persuasion, influencing skills, art of persuasion, the art of persuation, persuading and influencing skills, influence skills, influencing skill, art of persuation, persuading skills, PERSUASION and INFLUENCING SKILLS