Tag Archive for 'office'

Summer heat – makes us sluggish employees

Published on August 26, 2010 in Misc and Productivity. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I don’t know how you feel, but summer heat makes my working days real pains. I often find myself sitting in front of the computer thinking at the perfect vacation – I probably shouldn’t say that – but it’s a fact and I can’t deny this feeling. While outside temperature may be rising, inside productivity is on the decline. Not even the air conditioning can change this “summer syndrome”.

It’s not just me, it’s about all of us and there are surveys to prove it. For example, experts from CarrierBuilder.com have conducted a survey which revealed that:

  • - “More than a quarter (27%) of workers describe the temperature at their work place as “too hot,” while 2-in-10 (19 %) workers say it is “too cold.”
  • – More than 1-in-5 (22 %) workers said that a “too hot” work environment made it difficult to concentrate. 11% of workers said the same about a “too cold” work place.

    • Continue reading ‘Summer heat – makes us sluggish employees’

Start Doing Daily Productivity Checks in the Office

Published on June 26, 2009 in Business Tips and Productivity. 0 Comments Tags: , .

productivityIf you want to increase productivity in the office then you need to make yourself and others accountable for using your time more wisely. The best way to do this is to create a system of daily productivity checks. You check in with yourself, you check in with others and you check up on others in the office. When this is done in an efficient and organized manner each day, it is successful in increasing productivity.

Set Daily Productivity Goals

The first thing that you?ll need to do is to set daily productivity goals. Most people find that it?s best to create a list at the end of the day to be accomplished the following day. This way, you know right at the start of the day what your goals will be. It is best if you organize these tasks by their contribution to your overall productivity. (See this Daily Productivity Planner for one example of how to do that.)

Determine How You?ll Do Check-Ins

Daily productivity goals work best when you hold yourself and your employees accountable for meeting those Continue reading ‘Start Doing Daily Productivity Checks in the Office’

When 9-5 Just Isn’t Working for your Business

Published on May 15, 2009 in Business Tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

9-5If you operate a small business then there?s a good chance that you started that business with a normal schedule. You?re open Monday through Friday from 9-5 or something close to that. You work forty hours per week (or sometimes more) and so do your employees. But does this work schedule really make sense in today?s society? More and more people are realizing that 9-5 just doesn?t work for them.

Reasons the 9-5 Schedule May Not Work

There are a variety of reasons that this schedule may not be working for you anymore. These reasons may include:

??You?re spending too much time on your commute. People who work standard hours are in traffic at the same time as everyone else which makes your work day longer but you don?t get anything done during that time.
??You don?t want to be in the office five days per week. Many people would prefer to work longer hours for 3-4 days per week than to have to work 5 days out of 7.
??You want different days off. The Monday-Friday schedule works for most people but some people would prefer to have weekdays off. And some people just like working weekends. Many people find that working weekends makes them more productive because there are fewer distractions throughout the day.
??You would prefer to take off large chunks of time. Some people would prefer not to have days off throughout the year if it meant they could take two months off at one time. That?s not a reality for all businesses but some schedules can be adjusted to accommodate longer breaks. These breaks can be very invigorating for people; you come back to the job with fresh eyes. Continue reading ‘When 9-5 Just Isn’t Working for your Business’