I am currently writing a new, longer essay on this concept of the Rule of Tens; however, I thought I’d share the bare bones outline as it should clarify a networking problem and a viable answer. During your lifetime, you’ll meet thousands of people; however, only a small number will become good friends (I use […]

  There are three main problems with interruptions. First, they deviate one from primary tasks. Second, they occur rather frequently in the work place. Third, it takes time after the interruption to reorient back to the original task. A variety of studies, such as the one conducted by Professor Gloria Marks on interruptions and the fragmentation of work, […]

Definition The other day, someone emailed me to ask me for my personal definition of ‘Productivity’. Of course, if one looks in the dictionary, you will see that this noun is synonymous with the words ‘output’ and ‘yield’; yet, I do not think that is an adequate explanation. I believe there is a simple way […]

Have you ever decided to go to the grocery store to purchase a few things that you really needed without creating a shopping list first? While at the store, you might purchase a number of other items; however, when you returned home, you realized that you forgot to pick-up one of the core items. The […]

Everyone should have their own file system to track paper information that they may need to reference at another time. In fact, most people should probably have two. If you work within an office, it is wise to setup a simple system for your own work-related information; however, I do not advise co-mingling this with […]

Last week, I discussed the importance of cleaning your desk. The rule for keeping a clean desk holds true for the physical inbox on your desk too (and your email inbox as well). First, if you do not have an inbox on your desk, make sure you get one. Second, I highly recommend keeping an […]

Remember: your desk (or general work area) is not the following: A Filing Cabinet A Bookshelf A Tickler System A Junk Drawer A Trash Can It should be used for active tasks and project!  Entropy is a strong force and it is much, much easier to spend your energy making messes than it is to […]