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by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE “Over-communicating is the glue that holds a high-performing team together and keeps them focused in the same direction. And, it circles back to clarity. Without good, consistent communication, you don’t have clarity.” ― Lee Ellis, leadership consultant, author, presenter, retired colonel, USAF. As managers, it’s drilled into us that we shouldn’t micromanage —that instead, we should hire well-qualified, intelligent self-starters, then give them their instructions and get out of the way. And while this strategy is generally sound, you’ll always find some exceptions that test the rule. In recent years, some business experts have begun backing off a bit from the approach outlined above, expounding on the virtues of overcommunication. In the past, we’ve been told not to overwhelm employees with information, and ideally to establish a single type of communication—whether face-to-face meeting, email, or phone — by which to convey our instructions. Overcommunicate subverts those concepts. But while it may seem intrusive, this doesn’t mean it it’s unnecessary. The business landscape has changed significantly in the past five years, largely in response to reality of COVID, the resulting lockdowns, and the concurrent rise of remote work. This may have forced changes in your direction, or may do so as you move forward. Therefore, consider overcommunication as an option, along with these five tips for wielding it. It need not be difficult or harsh. Applying overcommunication can prove as simple as a quick question: “How’s it going with the Kowalksy report?” Many manager already do this, so if you’re one of them, keep it up. Similarly, you can shoot someone an email occasionally just to check on a product’s status, or call as a follow-up to a meeting. Overcommunicate in times of crisis or change. When the future seems uncertain, keep in constant touch with your team. Make check-ins, updates, and follow-ups part of your regular tool-kit, providing consistent and clear communication to ensure everyone understands a project’s details and milestones. Make sure they know what you need of them, so you can keep team productivity on point. Under-communicating at such times, or even just communicating at normal levels, may make team members feel lost and confused. Overcommunicate to clarify messages from leadership. A single company-wide meeting won’t cut it, because even if your team members take copious notes, all the messages won’t get through to everyone. Reemphasize your organization’s mission, vision, goals, and priorities immediately after such a meeting, whenever someone new joins your team (even if it’s an in-company hire), and at regular intervals thereafter. Don’t flood them with such reminders, but do encourage your team to frequently reconsider your leadership’s messages. Overcommunicate with remote workers. The COVID and post-COVID eras have taught many employees they can work just fine remotely, which makes it doubly important they understand your directions. Overcommunication becomes a must, since (a) remote work may cause workers to lose their sense of acting as part of a team; and (b) Skype and Zoom notwithstanding, your team members can’t communicate with you face-to-face. Ask them to let you know if they’re confused, and follow up your instructions. Just don’t descend to the level of “infotoxication,” where overwhelm creates further confusion. Try multiple methods of communication. Here’s another point where the overcommunication focus breaks with tradition. Instead of sticking exclusively with one method of communicating information, orders, and directions to your team, mix it up a little. Again, after a meeting, you might send out emails clarifying the details of the new assignment. If you usually stick to email, follow up with calls, voice messages, or (if possible), face-to-face meetings with key team members. Steering Clear of Confusion Although the hands-off approach may be ideal, it doesn’t always reflect reality. Sometimes, you just have to talk too much for your directives to get through intact. Advertisers have practices this for at least a hundred years. It’s not as necessary in a newspaper, since newsprint is static, but think about it; how many times do radio and TV ads repeat their toll-free numbers? In their books, business opportunity gurus and marketers tend to repeat the same information at least twice, even three or four times. They realize you might miss it the first time around. Despite your careful charting of the course at the beginning of your trip, as with any voyage, you need to perform a reality check occasionally and then do whatever’s necessary to get back on course. Reality may have shifted in such a way that your original directions may not always apply, or your communication methods may have developed gaps that don’t let some things through. If this is true, it’s time to overcommunicate so your people understand everything you’re trying to tell them, in ways that help bridge any gaps. © 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. View the full article

Want a comfortable and modern papasan chair for your home? They’re incredibly relaxing to sink into its soft cushion and watch a movie, study, or read a good book. These chairs are also ideal for various living spaces such as porches, kids’ rooms, living rooms, or dens. Some of them are also foldable, which is convenient for storage and transportation. In this review, I’ll list my favorite modern papasan chairs. View the full article

Thinking about buying a bungee cord chair for your home, backyard, or office? In this article, I’ll list my favorite chairs on the market for your needs. I’ll also talk about some important issues like whether these chairs are comfortable and safe for your back. View the full article

Every day, a large amount of time and effort is spent on measuring vibration levels in buildings, factories, and other equipment or structures. This is where an effective vibration meter becomes important. Thousands of machine designers, technicians, and engineers have become experts at measuring vibration levels and evaluating how objects are impacted by vibration. Here is my recommended list of the best vibration meters you should consider purchasing. View the full article

The right ergonomic setup for a teenager will go a long way to keeping them comfortable and focused on their studies. That’s why the right ergonomic study desk and a comfortable chair should be your number priority. So what home desk is right for your teenager? In this guide, I’ll mention things to consider like size, desk shape, storage, and more. I will also recommend and review my favorite desks available. View the full article

Although most of us will go to a pilates studio, some of my clients prefer to do their own routine at home. If you’re one of those people, you’re going to need to invest in a pilates reformer machine. In this review, I will recommend some of the best machines on the market, for whatever your skill level may be. View the full article

Are you looking for a comfortable ergonomic chair that’s a bit more stylish? People that appreciate mid-century office chairs are probably familiar with their minimalist shapes, bold colors, and clean lines. Today we celebrate the period of the 1930s to 1970s with some of the best chairs on the market. We know looks aren’t everything, so we included pieces that are made well and have stood the test of time. View the full article

Leather portfolios are a convenient and stylish way to keep yourself organized at work. So which portfolio is right for you? In this review, I’ve listed some of my favorite portfolios on the market that are functional and high quality. View the full article

As a mother and occupational therapist, I’ve always been interested in children’s ergonomics and how little attention we give it. If it’s important how adults sit, why wouldn’t it be the same for our children? And to be honest, it’s not that difficult to set your child up with an ergonomic workstation. Apart from a comfortable ergonomic chair, a kid’s adjustable desk are probably the two most important factors. Below you will find my recommended lists of kid’s desks, and also some chair and desk sets. View the full article

Being part of a remote or hybrid team can sometimes feel lonely, disconnected, or just lacking in the day-to-day office banter. And while having the right tech is the leading way to engage hybrid and remote teams, Slack and other team-building apps create an easy platform to initiate casual conversations throughout the workday, fostering a more inclusive environment. Whether you’re managing a Slack team or participating in groups in Slack, there are plenty of creative ways to engage with your colleagues and enhance team cohesion. View the full article

Here’s a thought exercise: imagine you finally manage to beat the procrastination motivation monster for once. (For many of us, that would already be a fantasy.) But say you sit down to work, full of beautiful productive motivation, ready to take on the day. Then what? Surely you’re going to try to get some work The post Multiply your productivity with a few small changes appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Whether you’re doing a job at home or at a worksite, chances are you’ll need a reliable step ladder. So which step ladder is best for you? Selecting the right ladder for the task at hand is essential for your safety. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of choosing the best step ladder. I’ll also review and recommend some of the best ladders on the market. View the full article

If you have a limited budget or just want something simple, a minimalist desk for the office will be perfect. In this guide, I’ll list some of my favorite basic desks that are ideal for home offices. View the full article

Here’s a little not-so-secret secret: we all miss the mark sometimes. Sure, we’re all trying our best. We all have things we want to accomplish with our lives. We have a goal we’re chasing, and we’re determined to achieve it. We think about how great it would be if we could just get it done. The post Get your act together with SMART goals appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

We often think of technology as a new app or the latest smartphone, but few of us think of the power tech has in education. Although some time might have passed since you were last in school, tech is being used to update and advance our current education system. View the full article

Hey Remotive peeps, I'd love to know your favorite productivity tool. What is the one app that you cannot live without? Vic Our Favorite Articles 💯 Top 5 Highest Paying Remote Jobs Of 2024, From Research (Forbes)TL;DR: 3 out of the top 5 jobs are in technology. Learn more → Why Thailand is making it easier for travelers to stay longer (CNN)Time to pack your bags! One of the top spots for digital nomads is calling your name. See details → Why You Feel Underappreciated at Work (HBR)We've all been there! Here's what you can do about it. Read on → The Harsh Truths of Building a $20B CompanyI really enjoy Shane Parrish's podcast conversations. Here's the latest episode on YouTube. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Remotive Accelerator • Unlock 30,000+ remote jobsFinding your dream remote job shouldn’t be a full-time job Find Your Remote Job Remotive Jobs 💼Is this job for you? 👉 Senior Fullstack Developer (Next.js+React.js) at Proxify (CET +/- 3 hours) 👉 Senior Frontend Developer (React.js+Next.js) at Proxify (CET +/- 3 hours) 👉 Senior Mobile Cross-Platform Developer (Firebase) at Proxify (CET +/- 3 hours) Free Guides & Tools​Public Job Board​We curate 2,000 remote jobs so you don't have to! ​Find your remote job →​ ​Exclusive Webinar​3 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking For A Remote Startup Job (And What To Do Instead) ​Register for free →​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely ​Check it out →​ Join the Remotive newsletter Subscribe to get our latest content by email. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email address Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit View the full article

Join us as we chat with Tim Vaughan-Spencer, a freelance copywriter who calls Chiang Mai home. Tim takes us through his unexpected journey from a planned short stay to a more permanent settlement, all while balancing the best of both worlds—stability and adventure. Discover how his flexible freelance lifestyle, allows him to thrive both professionally and personally. Connect with Tim: tvscopy.com Connect with Anne: Leave a review or voice message at digitalnomadstories.coOn instagram @annes_nomadstoryLearn more about my business: The Podcast Babes

. Chapters in this Story of Experiencing Buenos Aires 3AM. Time to get moving. Buenos Aires, Argentina was on the horizon As I rolled out …View the full article

Travel. Just travel. For those with wanderlust, travel is an empowering lightning strike to the heart that should never be underestimated. (This article is Part …View the full article

Travel. Just travel. For those with wanderlust, travel is an empowering lightning strike to the heart that should never be underestimated. And for those wanderlusters …View the full article

Hybrid meetings have become the norm, making hybrid technology that fosters engaging and productive collaboration vital for any business. Yet, according to the 2023 State of Hybrid Work report, only 37% of employers upgraded their video meeting technology in 2023. For enterprise businesses navigating the modern workplace, finding the right hybrid collaboration solutions is key to unlocking seamless communication and productivity. View the full article

Learn how Rosie structures her day to maximize personal freedom, balances work commitments with a flexible schedule, and the significance of finding time freedom in a busy world. Connect with Rosie: discoverysessions.com@thebeachbell on instagram Connect with Anne: Leave a review or voice message at digitalnomadstories.coOn instagram @annes_nomadstoryLearn more about my business: The Podcast Babes

There is so much each and every one of us has to deal with, every day, to keep ourselves in check. To keep striving toward being healthy and accomplished. Sometimes it feels like, with all the things we’re supposed to do daily, there’s no room left in our mind for, you know, anything else. How The post Your default behaviors are under your control appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE “Artificial intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. The ultimate search engine that would understand everything on the web. It would understand exactly what you wanted, and it would give you the right thing. We’re nowhere near doing that now. However, we can get incrementally closer to that, and that is basically what we work on.” ― Larry Page, co-inventor of the Google search engine. Is there anyone in the Western world who hasn’t seen (or at least heard about) the Terminator or Matrix movie franchises? As much as we’ve loved our Tamagotchis, Furbys, and Roombas, we still worry our digital and robotic creations will grow beyond us so fast and so far they’ll learn to hate us or simply become indifferent to our presence, destroying us in the process. Even the late Stephen Hawking, probably one of the most intelligent people to ever live, worried it might happen. Hawking aside, those who fear technology typically do so because they don’t understand it. This has occurred throughout history. Some cavemen probably rejected that newfangled spear-thingy—until it proved itself in action. Consider weaver Ned Ludd, who supposedly destroyed two stocking-knitting machines in 1779, afraid they would take his job. Some alarmists in the 1800s thought riding trains would kill them, because the speed would rip them apart or cause them to suffocate; and parents in the 1920s refused to let their children listen to the radios for fear it would “enthrall” them. Those fears proved groundless. In the 1980s, many people thought computers would replace them, when in fact they just made most of us more productive. This type of mistrust has also hampered the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Computer scientists first proposed AI in the 1950s, though research stalled for decades starting in the 1970s, due to the fears so well illustrated by the abovementioned movies. Since the beginning of the 2020s, however, research in AI has boomed, with the resulting products now starting to revolutionize business… in a good way. Generative AI (GenAI), which can create new content based on prompts human users input, has proven especially productive. Consider these good reasons to welcome these handy programs. AI is easy to use. The hardest part is installing the program, and that’s not hard at all. When you’ve got your GenAI tool up and running, you can provide it with simple text prompts, telling it what to create or how to edit an existing text, image, song, or other “modality,” as the industry calls them. Some AIs can even convert one modality to another, like an image to a text. AI can automate repetitive tasks. The ultimate goal of GenAI—contrary to popular belief—is to make jobs easier, not to replace them. GenAI is a tool, just like your computer, printer, phone, or other software. If you have repetitive tasks you take care of every day or week, like standardized reports, spreadsheets, or other routine documents, you can use GenAI to handle them. It’s also great for data analysis, research (much better than search engines), and administrative tasks. It can even organize your calendar, take care of some email, or schedule meetings. AI works great for customer service. GenAI can offer customer service agents real-time recommendations on how to respond to customers during support calls. Such programs can also provide links to internal documents that explain technical issues. One study has shown that AI helpers can make customer support workers 14% more productive by it making easier to address customer issues. Less experienced and less-skilled workers saw even greater results from GenAI use, boosting their productivity by an average of 35%. AI can help coders write software. In one study involving 70 experienced programmers who regularly coded an average of nine hours per day, half used a GenAI tool to help them perform a specific programming task, while the others coded without using AI at all. Those who used the AI tool finished in an average of 1.2 hours, while the control group took an average of 2.7 hours. That means the GenAI tool helped its users complete their tasks more than twice as fast (126%) as those who didn’t use the tool. Imagine your workers producing twice as much in a single week, just because they adopted a simple-to-use software program! Moving Right Along You may be thinking, “Generative AIs seem almost too easy to use.” Maybe so, but it’s poised to take productivity to a whole new level. Not so long ago, fears of triggering apocalyptic scenarios hamstrung efforts to develop AI for benevolent uses. But the recent business benefits are impressive. Some alarmists still scream about the perils of chatbots and virtual assistants, and fiction editors hate AI, for good reason. But it’s proven profitable and safe in business contexts, and it hasn’t taken over the world. So far, so good. © 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. View the full article

by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE “Artificial intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. The ultimate search engine that would understand everything on the web. It would understand exactly what you wanted, and it would give you the right thing. We’re nowhere near doing that now. However, we can get incrementally closer to that, and that is basically what we work on.” ― Larry Page, co-inventor of the Google search engine. Is there anyone in the Western world who hasn’t seen (or at least heard about) the Terminator or Matrix movie franchises? As much as we’ve loved our Tamagotchis, Furbys, and Roombas, we still worry our digital and robotic creations will grow beyond us so fast and so far they’ll learn to hate us or simply become indifferent to our presence, destroying us in the process. Even the late Stephen Hawking, probably one of the most intelligent people to ever live, worried it might happen. Hawking aside, those who fear technology typically do so because they don’t understand it. This has occurred throughout history. Some cavemen probably rejected that newfangled spear-thingy—until it proved itself in action. Consider weaver Ned Ludd, who supposedly destroyed two stocking-knitting machines in 1779, afraid they would take his job. Some alarmists in the 1800s thought riding trains would kill them, because the speed would rip them apart or cause them to suffocate; and parents in the 1920s refused to let their children listen to the radios for fear it would “enthrall” them. Those fears proved groundless. In the 1980s, many people thought computers would replace them, when in fact they just made most of us more productive. This type of mistrust has also hampered the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Computer scientists first proposed AI in the 1950s, though research stalled for decades starting in the 1970s, due to the fears so well illustrated by the abovementioned movies. Since the beginning of the 2020s, however, research in AI has boomed, with the resulting products now starting to revolutionize business… in a good way. Generative AI (GenAI), which can create new content based on prompts human users input, has proven especially productive. Consider these good reasons to welcome these handy programs. AI is easy to use. The hardest part is installing the program, and that’s not hard at all. When you’ve got your GenAI tool up and running, you can provide it with simple text prompts, telling it what to create or how to edit an existing text, image, song, or other “modality,” as the industry calls them. Some AIs can even convert one modality to another, like an image to a text. AI can automate repetitive tasks. The ultimate goal of GenAI—contrary to popular belief—is to make jobs easier, not to replace them. GenAI is a tool, just like your computer, printer, phone, or other software. If you have repetitive tasks you take care of every day or week, like standardized reports, spreadsheets, or other routine documents, you can use GenAI to handle them. It’s also great for data analysis, research (much better than search engines), and administrative tasks. It can even organize your calendar, take care of some email, or schedule meetings. AI works great for customer service. GenAI can offer customer service agents real-time recommendations on how to respond to customers during support calls. Such programs can also provide links to internal documents that explain technical issues. One study has shown that AI helpers can make customer support workers 14% more productive by it making easier to address customer issues. Less experienced and less-skilled workers saw even greater results from GenAI use, boosting their productivity by an average of 35%. AI can help coders write software. In one study involving 70 experienced programmers who regularly coded an average of nine hours per day, half used a GenAI tool to help them perform a specific programming task, while the others coded without using AI at all. Those who used the AI tool finished in an average of 1.2 hours, while the control group took an average of 2.7 hours. That means the GenAI tool helped its users complete their tasks more than twice as fast (126%) as those who didn’t use the tool. Imagine your workers producing twice as much in a single week, just because they adopted a simple-to-use software program! Moving Right Along You may be thinking, “Generative AIs seem almost too easy to use.” Maybe so, but it’s poised to take productivity to a whole new level. Not so long ago, fears of triggering apocalyptic scenarios hamstrung efforts to develop AI for benevolent uses. But the recent business benefits are impressive. Some alarmists still scream about the perils of chatbots and virtual assistants, and fiction editors hate AI, for good reason. But it’s proven profitable and safe in business contexts, and it hasn’t taken over the world. So far, so good. © 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. View the full article