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In a world of hustle culture and stressors of all kinds, joy can seem both illusive and impossible. But despite barriers, you can create the conditions for happiness. Well-being and joy are critical issues today, with 69% to 77% of Americans feeling stressed about factors like the economy, current events, violence, and lack of connections, according to the American Psychiatric Association. In addition, a global mental health study of 17,000 people across 16 countries by Ipsos/AXA found that 64% face stress, 43% are suffering from depression, and only 25% of people are flourishing. But strategies for “micro joy” can be a solution to the struggles and a way to build both well-being and resilience. Micro joy is made up of the small moments of happiness, presence, and mindfulness that we can find in the midst of challenge or difficulty. It is about embracing the power of little delights in the everyday. How can you create micro joy in your life? Here’s what works best. Take action Perhaps most important to micro joy is realizing that you have power over your actions and reactions. There may be a lot that is getting in the way of your happiness, but you can take action to contribute to your mental health as well. Even if you can’t change your situation, you can adjust your thinking and your habits. Remind yourself of all you’ve achieved and all you’re capable of. Reframe problems as opportunities to learn. When you’re faced with a new opportunity, instead of resisting it, motivate yourself to move out of your comfort zone by saying “Why not?” Take a walk, spend time outside enjoying nature, get enough sleep, and stay hydrated. Also consider keeping a gratitude journal. These kinds of actions have positive effects, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research of almost 18,000 people in 169 countries. They contribute to improved emotional well-being, greater positive emotions, feelings of empowerment, reduced stress, increased health, and better sleep. Taking action contributes to happiness because it helps you feel empowered, and it reinforces your agency. It also gives you an opportunity to learn. When you attempt to solve a problem or you address a challenge, you get feedback about what works, what you can improve, and the best ways to keep going. Focus on small wins You can also create moments of micro joy by focusing on small wins. It’s natural that work may include good days and not-so-good days. But in a study of 12,000 people over three years by Harvard, the people who tended to be the most motivated were those who felt like they had made progress on any given day. It wasn’t always the big achievements that created satisfaction, but simply the feeling they had moved things forward. Another study published in Health Psychology found that frequent, small experiences (think: small steps) had measurable positive impacts on emotions and physical health and reduced depression and anxiety. Small acts like keeping a gratitude journal or tracking your progress on a project at work can help you reinforce small wins. You can also track small wins in your personal life like monitoring your streaks—including the days you meditate or the times you go to the gym or take the dog for a walk. Focus on others When we’re seeking happiness, it can be natural to focus on our own needs, but ironically, focusing on others can help us even more. In fact, a surefire way to achieve happiness through micro actions is to do small kindnesses for others. We all have an instinct to matter, and when we help others, we not only help them but also ourselves. Based on a survey by BioLife, when people helped others, 45% felt a greater sense of purpose, 36% felt happier, 26% experienced greater mental well-being, 20% improved their self-esteem and self-confidence, and 11% said they were less stressed. And fully 49% volunteered because they expected to feel personally fulfilled. Set a goal that every day you’ll actively help another person, visit a friend who needs support, or reach out to a neighbor who is sick. Do a random act of kindness for a stranger. Focus on the present You can also increase happiness with moments of micro joy that are focused on the present. If we ruminate too much on the past or worry too much about the future, we can exacerbate mental distress. Of course, you want to reflect and learn and you want to plan for the future, but when you keep enough focus on the present, you also stay grounded. One way is to focus on your senses. Smell your freshly brewed coffee and enjoy that first cup in the morning. Step outside and notice the sun on your face or enjoy the new crispness in the fall air. Listen to the children playing in the yard down the street or pause to hear the trickle of the stream as you walk through a park on the way to work. Any of these will help you pause and enjoy where you are. You are also wise to focus on what you’re grateful for. When you think consciously about the people and experiences you appreciate, or the skills and capabilities that you celebrate in yourself, you’ll reinforce what you have, rather than what you’re yearning for. When you express more gratitude, you’ll also tend to feel happier, according to research conducted by the University of Montana. In a 1991 movie called The Fisher King, Robin Williams plays a man who is without a home and who has had a psychotic break. Despite his suffering, he says that he has all he needs and holds out his hand to show a few stones. Each one represents a memory or special moment. They are his touchstones for healing, redemption, and a new beginning. And they remind him of parts of his life he’s grateful for. Micro joys are like this as well. You can tap into micro joy with strategies to focus on small things in the present, as well as your own ability to embrace moments and memories with gratitude and fulfillment. View the full article

YouTube is the second-largest search engine, where users spend roughly 50 minutes daily (and growing). It’s also the 2nd most cited source by LLMs, meaning video mentions don’t just reach human audiences—they teach AI how to recommend your brand. YouTube…Read more ›View the full article

Wording used by Michael Prescott was itself an edit of The President’s actual words View the full article

When I was learning to play bass, my first teacher told me, “Find your groove and stay in it.” As a musician, that meant discovering the rhythm that allowed me to lock in with the drummer so the rest of the band could shine. Years later, as a consultant and culture architect, I realized the same principle applies to productivity: Each of us has a groove—a natural style of working—that, once discovered, allows us to perform at our best. The challenge is that most professionals attempt to replicate productivity systems that don’t align with their brain’s natural rhythm. They read about a CEO waking up at 4 a.m. or a time-blocking hack and feel frustrated when it doesn’t work for them. That’s like asking a jazz saxophonist to practice like a classical pianist. Both are musicians, but their art—and their brains—require different approaches. Neuroscience supports this. Research on brain plasticity reveals that each of us develops distinct cognitive strengths and energy patterns based on our experiences and genetic wiring. In other words, your productivity style is as unique as your fingerprint. Leaders who thrive are those who learn to recognize, honor, and harness their style—and then build teams that groove together like a jazz ensemble. The Four Productivity Styles Over the course of decades working with leaders, teaching project portfolio management, and performing music, I’ve identified four broad productivity styles. Think of them as sections of an orchestra: Each contributes differently, and the magic happens when they play in harmony. The Disciplined Virtuoso (Focus & Discipline) These are your “practice room” professionals. Like Prince, who mastered 27 instruments through relentless repetition, they thrive on structure, consistency, and clear goals. The Creative Shape-Shifter (Reinvention & Innovation) Think David Bowie or the Beatles. These individuals thrive when they can reinvent themselves, innovate, and question the status quo. The Resilient Improviser (Experimentation & Recovery) Modeled after jazz legends like John Coltrane, this style thrives in uncertain times. They treat challenges as improvisational prompts, seeing them as opportunities to adapt and grow. The Collaborative Conductor (Collaboration & Vulnerability) Like Beyoncé, who builds a powerhouse creative team, these leaders excel at orchestrating others. Their groove is creating safe, trust-filled environments where collective brilliance emerges. Each style can lead to extraordinary results—but only if you work with it rather than against it. Why Knowing Your Style Matters Failing to identify your productivity style is like ignoring the bass in a song—it leaves everything else hollow. Here’s why it matters: Energy Alignment: When you work in harmony with your natural groove, tasks that once felt like mountains become more like your favorite tune. Reduced Burnout: A Kronos study found 95% of HR leaders believe burnout is sabotaging retention. Misaligned productivity approaches are a silent culprit. Team Synergy: Just as an orchestra needs strings, winds, brass, and percussion, organizations need a mix of productivity styles. Strategic Clarity: The most successful companies, from Apple to Walgreens, found their “hedgehog concept” by aligning passion, capability, and economic engine. Individuals must do the same with their productivity. How to Find Your Productivity Style Think of this as a discovery process—not unlike learning to play music by ear. Here’s a framework I use (inspired by my Productivity Smarts podcast and methodology): Identify Peak Energy Hours – Track your energy for a week. Virtuosos often peak early; shape-shifters may find evenings more generative. Map Motivational Triggers – Do you thrive on checklists or freedom? Pay attention to when you feel “in flow.” Replay Your Work History – Look at past projects. Were you most engaged when innovating, executing, adapting, or collaborating? Run a Jam Session – Try tasks outside your default style for a week. Notice whether they energize or drain you. Seek Feedback – Ask colleagues what they see as your strengths. Others often notice patterns you miss. Turning Style Into Strength Discovering your productivity style is only the first step. The real magic comes when you apply it with intention: Design Your Environment Like a Studio Virtuosos thrive with tidy desks and project management tools. Shape-shifters may need whiteboards and inspiration boards to help them visualize their ideas. Improvisers benefit from safe “sandbox” spaces. Conductors need open collaboration zones. Build Your Productivity Parthenon In my book, Productivity Smarts, I describe the Parthenon as a metaphor for enduring productivity. Each pillar—Focus, Innovation, Experimentation, Collaboration—must be represented. Your style shows which pillar is strongest and which requires partners. Sync With the Band Productivity is not a solo act. Leaders should intentionally compose teams with a mix of styles. That’s how you avoid the “all-drummers problem”—lots of noise, no melody. Use Neuroscience to Hack Your Groove Neuroscience tells us emotion, novelty, and stories enhance memory and performance. If you’re a Virtuoso, add novelty breaks. Shape-shifters should ground ideas in stories. Improvisers should embed recovery rituals. Conductors should practice emotional intelligence to deepen trust. Make Decisions Like a Jazz Soloist In my book A Symphony of Choices, I wrote that effective decision-making is about striking a balance between structure and freedom. Let your style guide not only how you work but what you choose to work on. When Styles Collide I once consulted with a federal agency IT department that was paralyzed. Projects were late, innovation was flat, and morale was low. After assessments, we realized the leadership team was composed almost entirely of virtuosos. They were masters of execution but resistant to improvisation. We introduced shape-shifters and improvisers into the project management leadership pipeline, pairing them with virtuosos in co-lead roles. The result? Innovation flourished, risks were managed, and execution remained strong. Within two years, their project delivery rate improved by 35%, and employee engagement scores jumped. The lesson: When you know your style, you not only work better, you know who to partner with to fill your gaps. Action Plan: Finding Your Groove Here’s a simple five-step plan you can use tomorrow: Take Inventory: Track when you feel most energized. Label Your Style: Decide whether you’re primarily a virtuoso, shape-shifter, improviser, or conductor. Align Your Calendar: Schedule high-value tasks during your peak windows. Curate Your Ensemble: Partner with colleagues whose styles complement yours. Review Weekly: Ask, Did I honor my style? Did I balance it with others? Why This Matters Now We live in what Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez calls the Project Economy: a world where most of our work is structured as projects with clear outcomes and stakes. In this environment, productivity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most in harmony with how your brain works. Leaders who ignore this reality will continue to fight burnout, disengagement, and wasted resources. Leaders who embrace it will unlock resilience, creativity, and sustainable high performance. Closing Note: Play Your Part When I play in a jazz ensemble, no one asks the bassist to sound like the The Presidentet or the drums. My job is to provide the groove that makes the whole band sound better. Productivity is the same. Your style doesn’t need to match anyone else’s. It needs to be yours—and when you play it well, others will find their groove alongside you. Your brain already has a productivity style. It’s time to discover, honor, and utilize it. Because in the great symphony of work, the world doesn’t need more noise. It requires your unique music. View the full article

Regulator asks UK broadcaster if misleading ‘Panorama’ clip was aired in USView the full article

Most personal branding advice assumes you’re one thing. But what if you’re not? What if you’re a strategist and an artist, a CEO and a musician, a parent and a community builder? For leaders who live at these intersections, the advice to “pick a lane” can feel suffocating. I know this tension firsthand. My own path has spanned finance, strategy, leadership development, writing, and creating art. Initially, I worried that showcasing this diversity would appear disjointed. Over time, I realized that my multidimensionality isn’t a liability; it’s part of my brand. The question isn’t “How do I simplify myself?” It’s “How do I integrate my many identities into a coherent, compelling story?” Why This Matters Research shows multidimensionality is more common—and more valuable—than ever. A recent McKinsey study found that half of American professionals now identify with more than one “career identity,” often blending side hustles with traditional roles. Meanwhile, the Harvard Business Review reports that leaders earn more trust when they reveal dimensions beyond technical skill—such as creativity, vulnerability, and even hobbies. And as Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha argue in The Startup of You, the most resilient brands are those that adapt, iterate, and broadcast a multidimensional story. The challenge? If you don’t actively design your personal brand, the world will do it for you, and it will often default to the narrowest version of you. Examples of Multidimensional Branding Done Right Too often, leaders feel pressure to pick one defining trait: strategist, innovator, operator. But the most resonant brands are those that embrace complexity. Here are some well-known examples of multidimensional personal brands that have gotten it right. Bozoma Saint John: The former CMO at Netflix and Uber has a brand that stands for more than marketing expertise. She weaves her identity as a Ghanaian-American, a fashion icon, and a champion for diversity into her professional story. That integration has made her one of the most recognizable CMOs in the world, known as much for her bold presence and narrative as for her marketing results. Lin-Manuel Miranda: A creator who fuses theater, history, and hip hop—his brand isn’t “playwright” but “storyteller across genres.” Reshma Saujani: The founder of Girls Who Code is also a lawyer, advocate, and author. Her personal brand is built on a throughline of bravery in the face of imperfection that ties her varied pursuits together. These leaders didn’t collapse themselves into one lane. Instead, they built brands around the connective tissue of their pursuits. A Framework: The Three C’s of Multidimensional Branding So how do you put this into practice? When I work with leaders, I use a framework inspired by The Startup of You to help them embrace, not erase, their complexity. Clarify Your Throughline. What’s the connective idea across your roles? Maybe it’s expanding access, bridging art and science, or helping people reimagine what’s possible. This becomes the anchor of your brand. Curate Your Narrative. Not every role needs equal airtime. Instead of a laundry list, craft a story arc. Example: “I started in finance, which gave me analytical rigor. I layered in strategy and biotech, which taught me the importance of scale and innovation. Today, I bring that foundation into leadership development, blending structure with creativity.” Communicate Across Contexts. Your brand isn’t static—it flexes depending on the audience. On LinkedIn, you can highlight your leadership coaching skills. On your podcast, your identity as a connector and storyteller comes to the forefront. Consistency lies in tone and values, not identical messaging. Together, these steps ensure your brand reflects your wholeness, not just one polished fragment. Practical Tips for Leaders Building a Multidimensional Brand Frameworks are powerful, but they only come alive when translated into daily practice. Many leaders nod along to the idea of “integration over simplification,” but then get stuck when it comes to LinkedIn headlines, bios, or introductions at networking events. The gap between knowing and doing can make multidimensional branding feel abstract and intangible. That’s why it helps to start small with practical, repeatable actions that align your external signals with your internal story. These aren’t about over-engineering your brand. They’re about cultivating habits that make your complexity relatable and memorable. Here are four ways to put multidimensional branding into action: Audit your brand signals. Google yourself, review your LinkedIn headline, and ask: Does this reflect all the sides of me that matter most now? Experiment in public. Post about a project outside your “main lane.” When I first began sharing my artwork alongside my leadership insights, I was surprised by how strongly it resonated with them. That integration signaled more authenticity than adhering to a single “professional” script ever could. Borrow language from others. Listen closely to how colleagues describe you. The phrases that recur often point to your authentic differentiators. Tell stories, not resumes. People remember narratives of how you moved between worlds, not a bullet list of achievements. The old model of branding said: be consistent by being narrow. The new model says: be consistent by being authentic. You don’t need to shrink yourself to be relatable; you need to integrate yourself to be memorable. So, ask yourself: What’s the throughline that ties together my many identities? How can I share my story in a way that feels both multidimensional and coherent? Because in an era where disruption is constant and roles are fluid, the leaders who thrive won’t be the ones who fit a mold. They’ll be the ones who embody the power of and—and in doing so, expand what leadership itself can look like. View the full article

Five years ago, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong did a bold thing. He banned political conversations at work. He made this decision because he knows what the job of a business leader is: to deliver for customers, employees, and shareholders. More recently, another executive did the opposite. Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s fame left the company as part of a row with its parent company over social activism. For Greenfield, political stances are not just part of the company; they ultimately outweigh everything else. This stark difference is very instructive at this time. Amid America’s rising polarization, what stance should businesses take? Many people who think of themselves as social justice activists criticized Armstrong and praised Greenfield. But in reality, for society, Armstrong showed the kind of leadership America desperately needs. The degradation of public discourse is corrosive to society and individual well-being. It might be the greatest social challenge we face today. Government leaders are, all too often, exacerbating this. But businesses can—and must—bring Americans together. Years of research have proven this. Studies of intergroup contact theory find that when people work across differences and focus on common goals, they build much greater understanding. Workplaces are often the main places in which this happens, and they benefit from greater cooperation and collaboration. “By recognizing how interpersonal trust, the foundation of teamwork, is primarily formed in our workplaces through acknowledgement, respect, and relating, as well as by modeling trustful behaviors, team leaders can manage political discourse,” a 2023 study on political polarization found. They can also “acknowledge the good, and refocus on the mission, culture, and goals that united us in the first place, before polarization became so pronounced.” How is this done? Should companies take stands on controversial issues or avoid them? When a stand is taken, will that create an echo chamber of aligned social warriors that alienates the nonaligned? Unite around meaning Businesses must create environments in which people do their best work. Employee engagement drives productivity—and it’s all about how people feel about work. Yes, in this data-driven world, feelings still matter more. Leaders should build cultures that make people feel excitement and connection over shared aims. Decades ago, President John F. Kennedy confronted a perceived threat from Russia, and raging controversies in America about what to do. He responded by motivating people to share a dream of U.S. astronauts making it to the moon. That dream was so compelling that it was faithfully delivered seven years after JFK’s assassination. The lesson: focus on big goals and build camaraderie around what it takes to achieve them. Business leaders must set up moonshot aspirations. Lay out what it takes for the organization to get there. Make that the driving force of daily operations. Build focus amid overstimulation Anthropologist Grant McCracken talks about today’s culture being “concussive.” People have so much coming at them at all times that they’re distracted and often triggered. They feel overwhelmed just by being alive. The pervasive complaint of “overwhelm” is a symptom of this condition. An absolutely essential job of a leader today is to deliberately and methodically pull people out of that morass of overstimulation. Make work the place in which people derive a sense of meaning from achievements that become core to their identity. Create an environment in which they take pride in work well done and beautifully executed. This happens when leaders make clear what the purpose of the enterprise is. That purpose must override everything else. So a leader should ask: Are we in the business of creating the funkiest, most creative ice cream on earth, at scale? If that’s the purpose, then everything else comes second. You don’t divide the company, customers, workforce, corporate partners, suppliers, or anyone else over issues outside that purpose. Over the years, I have noticed that the happiest people I know are a bit obsessed with their work; they find meaning and joy in what they do. The CEO’s job is to foster this environment. One where a sense of purpose and meaning comes from being part of an organization larger than themselves, and where it is clear to everyone what the relevant beliefs, mindsets, and mental models are. At its core, the job of culture is to find that which unites people. With political extremism and violence endangering America’s future, the nation needs workplaces to step up. There, leaders can create clear, positive cultures, capture people’s attention, and help them rediscover what it’s like to come together. View the full article

This guide on where to stay in Hat Yai lists interesting and best-rated hotels in the best area to stay for visitors. Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. This inland city is overlooked by foreign visitors who visit the south for the islands, but it’s worth a stop if you are passing through. Most international visitors are from Malaysia who descend on the city en masse on the weekend and holiday periods, so you will have more competition for hotel rooms if you are visiting then. What I like about Hat Yai is that the train station is in the city centre, so you can walk from the station to your hotel. The station is known as Hat Yai Junction, and the city feels like a place that is built for travellers. The station is also used as a pickup point for minivans that go to the ports for ferries to the islands. If you are staying near the station then it’s easy to get your onward transport to the islands. No need to mess around with bus stations at the edge of the city. Hat Yai is famous for the dim sum restaurants, and Kai-Tod Decha serves Hat Yai-style fried chicken. It’s worth a pit stop here to eat your way around the city. [Stay in Hat Yai to wake up for dim sum breakfast.] This Where To Stay Guide lists the best area to stay in Hat Yai with some notable places to stay. Map of Hat Yai hotels Hotels mentioned in this article are pinned on this map. [View map of Hat Yai hotels.] Best area to stay in Hat Yai The best area to stay in Hat Yai is in the city centre between the railway line and the Toei River (Mae Nam Toei) to the east. Staying further east of Rajyindee Rd (the large North-South Road) puts you too far from the action for a short-term stay. A good aspect about the city area is that it has a gridded street layout, so it feels more like a city and is easy to explore. You can see on the map how there is more activity in the gridded area (the light orange background represents an “area of interest”). Beyond this area, the streets become unplanned and harder to walk around. Search for hotels in Hat Yai Hostels Lamoon Hostel is a 7-minute walk from the train station. Budget hotels Get GuestHouse 2 (Sangsri 4) is one of the top-rated guesthouses in the city. Indra Hotel Hatyai (2-star) is opposite the Odean Shopping Mall, which I would say is the most central intersection of the city. It’s an old hotel that remains popular for its location. Sakura Hotel (2-star) is a big hotel in the city area but away from the main market area. These budget hotels in Hat Yai are showing their age, but they are kept in good condition. Siam Mansion (2-star) is a stylish budget hotel that has dorm beds and private rooms. Mid-range hotels Hoshi Hotel Hatyai (3-star) is a Japanese-style hotel offering a ryokan-inspired experience. The hotel is on Pracharom Alley, which is showing signs of evolving into the hipster street of Hat Yai with cafes and bars. The Lantern Hatyai Hotel (3.5-star) is a boutique-style hotel. Sakol Hotel (3-star) is a small modern hotel close to the Odean intersection. Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel (3.5-star) is one of the big landmark hotels in the city centre near the night market. V.L. Hatyai Hotel (3.5-star). Centara Hotel Hat Yai (4-star) represents the only brand-name hotel in the city. Centara Hotels & Resorts is a hotel group that was founded in Thailand in 1983, and has since spread to other destinations in Asia. Urbanli Hatyai Hotel (4-star) opened in 2025, and its modern design is a refreshing addition to the collection of older buildings in the city. Note that Hat Yai is a provincial city, so there are no 5-star hotels or international hotel brands. The Holiday Inn Express Hat Yai is expected to open in 2027, which will make it the first international hotel in Hat Yai. Here are my notes on Hat Yai from a previous trip. Transport Hat Yai Airport has good domestic connections and limited international flights (such as AirAsia to KL). I have flown from Chiang Mai to Hat Yai (the longest domestic flight in Thailand) and then gone overland to Malaysia after staying in Hat Yai. There are overnight trains from Bangkok, and minivans to the coast are timed to meet the trains. Check Bangkok to Hat Yai trains. I have also taken the train from Hat Yai to Sungai Kolok on the border, and then crossed into Malaysia to get the Jungle Railway. There are some travel agents in front of the station that book onward travel to the islands. I visited Ko Lipe via Hat Yai, and I booked a van and boat combo ticket in advance. There is a hotel at the station (The Train Hotel Hatyai) but the city is so close that don’t need to stay here unless you specifically want to stay at a train station. Hat Yai is near the Padang Besar border crossing. Getting the train from Hat Yai to Penang is a much more enjoyable experience than getting a minivan. View the full article

Colleagues are a critical part of what makes your work experience enjoyable and meaningful. You interact with your colleagues and (in the best of cases) create a neighborhood of peers that you can rely on both to push the work forward and to share the joys and tribulations of the workday. That’s why annoying colleagues can be a particular thorn. When you have a peer at work that you don’t want to deal with, it disrupts the flow of your day and diminishes your intrinsic enjoyment of work. So, what can you do to deal with annoying coworkers? A lot of that depends on what is making them annoying. Here are a few possibilities. Missing social norms One thing that can make a colleague annoying is that they just don’t understand the social norms of the office. This is particularly likely to be true of people who are new to your organization and especially those who are new to working in general. Also, these social norms can be very hard to pick up when the company works remotely. You might want to help these colleagues get acclimated to the workplace. Talk to them about what colleagues expect in the organization. Offer to give them feedback on the interactions you witness in meetings or group gatherings. Give them a heads-up about upcoming situations. The idea here is that annoying colleagues are particularly annoying when you feel like there is nothing you can do to avoid them. By becoming a proactive part of the solution, you are giving yourself some agency that will make your colleague feel less like a rock in your shoe. Lack of trust Some colleagues are annoying, because you flat-out don’t trust them. You suspect that they are using any information they obtain to get ahead at the expense of others. Perhaps they have the ear of leadership and tend to badmouth members of the team. They might even try to take more credit for projects than they deserve. This is a hard one, because you have to be able to engage with your peers to get your work done. For one thing, if you witness a colleague doing something that undermines your trust in them, find a time to talk with them. It is possible that they are insecure and doing some of the things they do to feel successful. They may not even realize that others have picked up on what they’re doing. The aim is to try to convince your colleague that playing with the team is likely to help them to be more successful than undermining the team. If you do have this conversation, focus on the observable facts without implying a motive. Tell them what you saw them do and allow them to talk to you about why. Hopefully, the conversation will improve that colleague’s future behavior. Of course, if they deny having done anything wrong, it reinforces your lack of trust. If you do have a colleague who is truly untrustworthy, try to avoid engaging with them more than necessary. Hopefully, their supervisor will have some sense that this person isn’t trustworthy and will provide some feedback to correct their behavior. Machiavellian individuals in particular may treat their peers poorly, but suck up to leadership. Still, your best bet is to steer clear and focus your efforts on your trusted colleagues. Social awkwardness and neurodivergence Some people are just socially awkward. They mean well, but they don’t pick up on the social cues that others use to know that a social interaction isn’t going well or they should leave someone alone. Some (though not all) of these socially awkward individuals may be on the autism spectrum. There are two things to do here: First, give some grace. If you’re fortunate enough to be socially skilled, you may not realize how hard it is to be socially awkward. Everyone wants to feel some connection to their colleagues, and your socially atypical and neurodivergent colleagues have a particularly hard time sustaining those connections. Being a good colleague and friend is going to improve their work experience (and yours). As you befriend these colleagues, talk with them about whether they would appreciate you letting them know if they’re being a bother. Often, they will value getting more direct feedback about when an engagement has gone awry. That way, you can help them and also redirect interactions before they become annoying. AITA? If several colleagues are being annoying, it could be a run of bad luck, but there is also a significant chance that the problem is you. Reflect a bit on the way you engage with your colleagues. Are there things you’re doing that may rub them the wrong way? If you can’t figure it out, find a colleague you think you get along with well, and ask. If you do figure out (or are told) that you are driving your colleagues nuts, then sit down with your colleagues individually and apologize. Discuss the situation and assure them that you want to be a good colleague and are working to improve. Conversations like that can go a long way toward repairing your relationships with your peers. View the full article

Business leaders are scrambling to understand the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence. But if companies are struggling to keep up, can today’s business schools really prepare students for a new landscape that’s unfolding in real time out in the real world? Stanford University thinks it might have the answer. At its Graduate School of Business, a new student-led initiative aims to arm students for a future where AI is upending in ways that are still unfolding. The program, called AI@GSB, includes hands-on workshops with new AI tools and a speaker series with industry experts. The school also introduced new courses around AI—including one called “AI for Human Flourishing,” which aims to shift the focus from what AI can do, to what it should do. But Sarah Soule, a longtime organizational behavior professor who became dean of the business school this year, told Fast Company that preparing students for this brand-new work environment is easy to say, harder to do. Especially given how quickly AI is changing “every function of every organization,” she says. So the school hopes to lean on its network of well-connected alumni, as well as its location in Silicon Valley, the heart of the AI boom, to lead business schools not just into a future where AI knowledge will be necessary—but in the present, where it already is. “It would not be easy for me as the new dean to just come in and mandate that everybody begin teaching AI in whatever their subject matter is,” Soule said, explaining that that approach likely would fail. In a conversation with Fast Company, the dean shared more about what she hopes will work, and how she plans to train the next generation of leaders for an AI-powered world. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. Many business schools are adding AI courses. But it sounds like you’re thinking of AI as less of an add-on, and more like a core part of the school’s DNA going forward. How do you make that distinction? I think it has to be [a core part]. Developing a very holistic leadership model, alongside all the offerings in AI, is going to allow us—I hope—to think about the questions of ethics and responsibility, and the importance of human beings and human connection, especially in an AI-powered organization. AI is going to change the future of work completely. So having those two parallel themes at the same time is going to be critical. What does ethical, responsible AI mean to you? HR comes to mind right away. I’m thinking about privacy concerns: What do we need to be worried about? If we’re outsourcing scans of résumés and so on to algorithms and agents, do we need to worry about privacy? I also think about: What does the world look like if a lot of entry-level jobs begin to disappear? How do we think responsibly about reskilling individuals for work that will enable AI? I don’t think we have the answers to these questions, but I’m really glad that we as a business school are going to be—and have been—asking these questions. The new AI initiative is student-led. But what is the school doing to train faculty to better understand how they can, or should, teach about AI—or use AI in their classes? Implementing this has been a mixed bag for a lot of universities. We have a teaching and learning hub here that has very talented staff [members] who are pedagogical experts and who are offering different kinds of sessions on AI. So that’s of course been helpful. But one of the most gratifying things to see is how faculty are talking to one another about their research—to see them really jazzed about how they’re using AI in the classroom, and sharing speakers that they’re going to bring in, and thinking about new case studies to write together. It’s really fun to see the buzz amongst the faculty as they navigate this. Many, if not most, of our faculty are using AI in their research. I think because they’re becoming so comfortable with AI, they’re genuinely excited about teaching AI now—either teaching content about AI, or bringing AI into the pedagogy. I’ll give you an example. In one particular class, the faculty member essentially created a GPT to search all of the management journals and to help answer common managerial questions and dilemmas. So it’s an evidence-based management tool that the students can use. They could say, “What’s the optimal way to set up a high-functioning team?” And it will search through the journals and give an evidence-based answer. One of Stanford GSB’s most popular courses is Interpersonal Dynamics, known as the “Touchy Feely” class. Do you think teaching skills like emotional intelligence as an aspect of leadership becomes even more important in an AI-dominated world? Absolutely. “Touchy Feely” is an iconic class. Even though it’s an elective, nearly every student takes it; it transforms people’s lives, and they love this course. 
 It focuses on an important facet of leadership: self-awareness. But that’s only one piece. We also have courses that get students to think about a second facet of leadership, which is perspective-taking: the ability to ask very good questions, and to listen really well to others to understand where they’re coming from. 
 So, self-awareness and perspective-taking are part of the leadership model. The third thing: We have a wonderful set of classes on communications, not just about executive presence and executive communications, but classes that focus on nonverbal communication and written communication. The last two facets of our leadership model are: critical and analytical decision making—having the judgment and wisdom to make the kinds of decisions that leaders always have to make—and contextual awareness to think about the system in which they’re embedded. Not just to understand it, but to navigate it, and to have the will to try to change it if it needs to be changed. All of those dimensions of leadership are going to be more and more important in the coming years with AI. So many of the rote tasks and analysis will be being done pretty well—maybe better than humans—by AI. But we are going to need people who can lead others—and lead them well, and lead them in a principled and purposeful fashion. View the full article

Staying on top of project timelines is easier when you have the right tools, and that’s where construction scheduling templates come in. Whether you’re managing a small renovation or coordinating a large-scale build, a clear schedule helps keep tasks organized, teams aligned and deadlines realistic. In this guide, you’ll find free construction scheduling templates for Excel, Word and Google Sheets that you can download and customize to fit any project. Let’s simplify your planning process from start to finish. 1. Construction Schedule Template A construction schedule template helps teams coordinate the many moving parts of a building project, from site preparation to final inspection. It provides structure for sequencing tasks, managing subcontractors, and tracking deadlines, ensuring the work progresses smoothly across each phase of construction. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpg Our interactive construction schedule template opens in ProjectManager and gives users a dynamic Gantt chart built for complex projects. It lets you map milestones, visualize the critical path and establish project baselines for accurate tracking. You can assign resources, monitor the percentage of completion, log cost details and adjust timelines with simple drag-and-drop controls. This flexibility enables clear communication across teams and ensures the entire build remains aligned and on schedule. 2. Gantt Chart Template Understanding how work fits together across time is much simpler with a Gantt chart. This type of chart displays each task as a bar on a horizontal timeline, making task duration, overlaps and sequencing immediately visible. For construction projects with many dependencies, it’s a powerful way to avoid bottlenecks and maintain flow. /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gantt-chart-template-for-Excel-600x264.png This free Excel Gantt chart template automatically creates a stacked bar chart from the details you enter. Add your tasks, define start and end dates and include estimated durations, and the chart updates itself instantly. As you revise activities or adjust timing, the visual timeline reshapes without any manual formatting. This real-time responsiveness helps construction scheduling teams plan alternatives, refine scheduling decisions and keep their project timelines accurate with minimal effort. While templates like the Gantt chart template are incredibly helpful, they pale in comparison to dynamic project management software. ProjectManager improves construction scheduling by providing real-time access to data across teams. It does the heavy lifting, making it easy to revise timing or activities, alert team members and adjust resources. Get started by taking this free 30-day trial. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Construction-Gantt-light-mode-task-info-general-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpgLearn more 3. Project Network Diagram Template When you need to understand how tasks connect and depend on one another, a project network diagram lays out that logic visually. Instead of reading a long list of activities, teams can follow the flow of nodes and arrows to see how work progresses and where delays might develop. /wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Project-network-diagram-template-600x187.png A project network diagram template for Excel gives you a fully editable starting point, complete with sample nodes, arrows and duration fields. You can study the structure to understand how sequencing is represented, then adapt the diagram by renaming tasks, adjusting dependencies or inserting new activities. The layout makes it easy to build a network diagram that mirrors your project’s unique workflow. 4. Critical Path Template Some projects hinge on a specific chain of activities, and the critical path diagram reveals exactly which tasks set the pace. By highlighting the longest sequence of dependent work, it becomes easier to predict the earliest possible completion date and protect the construction schedule from unnecessary delays. Another important reason why the critical path method is used in construction is that by identifying critical tasks, it also helps allocate resources. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/critical-path-method-screenshot-600x205.png This Excel critical path template includes two sample task paths arranged with nodes and arrows, plus the underlying formulas used by the critical path method in construction scheduling. The visual layout helps users see how the algorithm determines total duration, while the editable fields allow you to replace sample tasks with your own. Once customized, the diagram shows the true critical path for your project and clarifies which activities must stay on track. 5. Project Timeline Template Sometimes the best way to understand a project is to see its major phases laid out in a simple visual sequence. A project timeline captures this high-level view by showing when tasks start, when they’re expected to finish and how key deliverables unfold across the duration of the project, which greatly facilitates the construction scheduling process. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Project-timeline-template-600x240.png Our Excel project timeline template automatically builds a stacked bar chart, similar to a lightweight Gantt chart, based on the construction scheduling details you enter. Add task names, start and end dates, estimated duration, priority level, percentage of completion or major deliverables, and the chart updates instantly. The layout is easy to customize, making it a practical tool for presenting schedules clearly to executives, clients or team members without heavy formatting work. 6. Work Breakdown Structure Template Breaking a project into smaller, more manageable pieces is often the first step toward organizing the work effectively and making a realistic construction schedule. A work breakdown structure (WBS) does exactly that by outlining the major deliverables, dividing them into components and showing how each element contributes to the project’s outcome. /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WES-Screenshot-600x222.jpg A work breakdown structure template for Excel helps you identify project deliverables and map out the hierarchy that defines each WBS level. You can arrange work packages into a tree diagram, assign priority levels and establish a logical sequence for execution. The editable layout makes it easy to reorganize elements, refine the structure or adjust dependencies as the construction schedule evolves. It’s a practical tool for bringing order, clarity and structure to even the most complex construction projects. 7. Schedule of Values Template In construction, tracking how much work has been completed—and how much money has been earned—is essential for accurate billing. A schedule of values (SOV) breaks the construction schedule into billable components and assigns a dollar amount to each one, creating a clear roadmap for payments throughout the job.</ /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Schedule-of-Values-Template-600x199.png Our Excel schedule of values template simplifies the entire billing process by helping you list completed work, record payments and calculate retainage with ease. It includes fields for balance to finish, percentage of completion and other key financial details. Each line item can be customized to match your contract structure, giving you a transparent, organized view of how costs progress as work moves forward. This makes payment applications smoother, more accurate and easier to verify. 8. Workload Analysis Template Balancing labor across a construction schedule requires a clear view of who is available, how many hours they can contribute and where potential overloads may occur. Workload analysis makes this possible by comparing capacity with assigned tasks so managers can adjust staffing before delays take shape. /wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Workload-analysis-template-600x273.png This Excel workload analysis template lets you list employees, note their total available hours for the month and allocate work hours based on project needs. It automatically calculates labor costs from each worker’s hourly rate, giving you a precise view of staffing expenses. As you plan your construction schedule, the template helps you avoid over-allocation, distribute work evenly and forecast labor requirements with greater accuracy. 9. Resource Plan Template Construction projects rely on more than just people—materials, machinery and specialized equipment all need to be coordinated on a tight timeline. Resource planning brings these elements together by showing what’s required, when it’s needed and how much each resource will cost throughout the project. /wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Resource-Plan-Screenshot-600x213.jpg Our Excel resource plan template allows you to list both human resources and physical assets, such as materials or equipment. You can allocate them across a timeline, assign costs and track availability as the schedule develops. The editable fields help you map usage patterns, highlight potential shortages and make informed decisions about procurement or staffing. It’s a practical way to keep every resource aligned with the project’s workflow. 10. Action Plan Template An action plan gives structure to the work that follows a construction schedule by outlining each task and the steps required to complete it. It clarifies responsibilities, timelines and resources so the team understands exactly how the project will progress from planning into execution. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/action-plan-template-project-plan-2024-600x229.png This Excel action plan template helps you list tasks, define resource needs and estimate associated costs. You can also set timelines for each activity, making it easier to coordinate responsibilities and monitor progress. The editable structure allows you to refine priorities, adjust workloads and track the execution of work with greater precision. It’s a practical tool for transforming planning efforts into clear, actionable tasks that guide the team through each project phase. ProjectManager Is Better Than Construction Scheduling Templates Construction scheduling templates are helpful to a point. However, static spreadsheets can only do so much. Instead, upgrade to project management software like ProjectManager. Unlike templates, data in our software updates in real time, making it easy to stay in sync with your team regardless of your working location. With dynamic project views that appeal to every role on your team, it’s easy to stay aligned on your schedule to ensure your project is successful. Make and Adjust Schedules on the Gantt Chart ProjectManager’s Gantt chart is great for construction because it makes complex schedules easy to see and update. You can track task dependencies, manage crews and resources and adjust quickly when plans change. Everything updates in real time, so everyone—from contractors to owners—stays on the same page, making the whole project run more smoothly. /wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Gantt-chart-in-project-management-construction-project.png Leverage AI Project Insights Construction project managers need fast insights into what’s happening in the project. In one click, AI Project Insights automatically analyzes schedules, resources and progress data to flag risks, like tasks that may fall behind, overloaded crews or dependencies that could cause bottlenecks. It also highlights trends you might miss in a busy construction environment, such as repeated delays on certain phases or predictable weather-related impacts. /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AI-Insights-Light-Mode-Dashboard-GPT5.png Related Construction Scheduling Content 20 Best Construction Scheduling Software of 2025 Why Use a Gantt Chart in Construction Project Management Critical Path Method (CPM) in Construction: A Quick Guide Line of Balance Scheduling in Construction Projects Fragnet Schedule in Construction: Use Cases and How-to Guide How to Make a Material Schedule for Construction ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office, on the job site or anywhere else. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 10 Free Construction Scheduling Templates for Excel, Word & Google Sheets appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Eurotunnel said expected tripling of levy makes planned freight investments untenable View the full article

And the bitcoin meltdownView the full article

Asian markets climb as chipmaker shrugs off bubble concernsView the full article

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee keeps falling asleep in meetings I have an employee who joined the team about 10 months ago. He is a good contributor so far, but I’ve noticed he has a bad habit of drowsing off during afternoon meetings, especially ones that are within an hour after lunch. I brought it up to him once about 2-3 months after he joined the team, and told him frankly that it was unprofessional and not acceptable. He agreed and said that he would work on getting better. But in the past month I’ve noticed it happening again. He’s also a bit older (maybe early 60’s though I don’t know his exact age) — not that age changes anything, but maybe makes him more susceptible to post-lunch food coma? I’ll likely bring it up again in my next one-on-one with him next week, but I’m concerned about things possibly backsliding again. Any ideas on what to do if that happens? Just be direct! “We talked about this previously, but I’ve noticed it’s happening again. If there are things we can do on our end to help, I’m very open to them, but I do need you to get it under control permanently, not just temporarily.” But also think about whether there are tweaks you can make that would help. For example, it’s probably not realistic to avoid all afternoon meetings but since he otherwise does good work, is there any room for reshuffling things in a way that would minimize this without much inconvenience (like if there’s one meeting where it always happens and that meeting could easily be before lunch rather than after)? Are your meeting rooms too warm? Sufficiently stocked with caffeine? Can you encourage people to stand or move around during meetings if they need to? I’m not saying this is on you to solve — he’s an adult who has to figure out how to manage his own energy patterns (or needs to raise it if there’s a medical issue he needs accommodations for) — but there’s no harm in being thoughtful about small tweaks that could help. 2. My office party is in a bar with a photo of me in a bikini on the wall My director is taking out our team for a staff party and dinner at a local bar in a couple of weeks. The problem I have is that on the wall of that bar they have a bunch of pictures of the winners of their annual bikini contest. I won the contest in 2010 when I was in college and there’s a huge picture of me in my bikini on the wall and my name listed below on a gold colored plate. Should I consider not attending the event or perhaps begging HR to force them to move the event? Maybe I should just go and if the picture is noticed make a joke about it? Do you think anything bad would happen if my colleagues see a younger me in a bikini? Well … if you work in a male-dominated field or just a particularly sexist or conservative one, it’s not great; that’s a context where it’s risks being really unhelpful to have your coworkers see you in the sort of sexualized way bikini contest winners tend to be portrayed in photos that hang on bar walls. (In other words, it’s not just the bikini itself; it’s the social framing around the photo.) If you don’t work in a male-dominated, conservative, or sexist field, it might not be a big deal, particularly since it’s from 15 years ago. But if you do … any chance you could just ask the bar to take it down? A lot of people would be happy to oblige if you showed up and said, “My whole office is about to come here for a staff party in a week and I really don’t want them seeing a huge photo of me in a bikini; can you take it down for now?” 3. I was promised a monthly schedule, but it changes weekly I’m two months into a new job as a full-time AV technician at an events venue. I’ve been doing similar jobs for the past few years on a freelance basis. I’m well accustomed to the demands of irregular and unpredictable hours. Before this role, I was often booked for a job the night before or day-of. This work is not my passion but it’s related to my love for making music and performing. I see this as my priority and work as a means of facilitating my passion. I’m in my 20s, if you couldn’t tell! When I took this job, I was told by the COO in the interview that my working hours would be irregular from Monday to Sunday (anything from 7 am to 1 am) but by consolation I would be given my rota a month in advance. However, to my surprise, on my first day my manager said I would be given my rota weekly. That is, on a Saturday for the following week. Despite my familiarity with irregular hours, I’m struggling with not being able to plan my personal commitments. When I was self-employed, I had the freedom to refuse work. In spite of my great efforts, band rehearsals are falling to the wayside and I have not seen my friends the past two months. I can request days off but it does not look professional to do so frequently, nor would the requests be approved. (However, this is the best salary I have ever received and am determined to stick around and do well here.) I have constructively brought this up with my manager, even suggesting that I write my own rota two weeks in advance for his approval, as the calendar is about 90% certain at this point. However, I am simply ignored. I’m aware flexibility is a necessary condition for working in busy events operations, but I feel I was misled in this respect. Do you have any suggestions for how to advocate for myself tactfully or how to learn to cope in my own way? Yeah, this isn’t reasonable — you can’t make plans if you have to keep your schedule wide open until two days before each week starts and you can only infrequently request specific dates off. Have you told your boss that the COO explicitly promised you in the interview that you’d have your schedule a month in advance? If so, and he doesn’t care, are the internal politics there such that you could go back to the COO and say, “We talked about this explicitly in my interview, but it’s turned out that I’m only getting my schedule two days before the week starts. Since you’d mentioned when I was being hired that I’d have a lot more notice, I wanted to check back with you about it.” If that seems like a politically risky move, then I’d ask yourself: would you have taken the job if you’d had the correct info about the schedule from the start? If so, that’s one way to frame it for yourself — that this isn’t ideal and it particularly sucks that you were given bad info, but that it wouldn’t have stopped you from accepting regardless. Additionally, I wonder if it’s possible for you to negotiate one day a week that you’ll always have off (or even every other week) so that you have some ability to plan? 4. Should a CEO’s contract prevent them from being unfairly fired? The firing of the CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has roiled my nonprofit world. It’s gossipy in and outside Philadelphia partly because so many unusually specific details of the firing were included in the news — for “just cause” almost never is actually part of the press release! — and also because she was under contract and it seems like contracts are supposed to prevent leaders from being fired quickly like this. Not withstanding the specifics of the situation, can you clarify how a contract does, or does not, protect employees from regular hiring and firing decisions? It varies widely depending on exactly what’s in the contract, but it would be typical for a contract for that type of position to spell out what would be cause for firing, which would generally include things like ethics violations and failure to perform (as opposed to leaving it wide open like at-will employment typically does) and what terms would govern a separation (how much severance, etc.). It’s also common for a contract at that level to include two different separation packages: one if the person is fired for cause, like fraud or gross negligence, and a higher package if the reason is something more like bad chemistry with the board or the organization making a strategic shift. In this case, it looks like the board is claiming they fired her at least in part for improper spending; depending on what that means in practice, the firing could definitely be allowed under such a contract (assuming there was real financial impropriety, not buying herself a fancy pen or something). Or it could be BS to cover up that they just didn’t like her and wanted her gone (which sounds like is at least partly the case). 5. Can I give one employee a larger bonus than the others? I have a newish employee, Jane, who is amazing. She’s been with the company for about six months. Jane inherited a messy situation from her predecessor, who was a poor fit for the role, and has not only cleaned that up, but also made significant improvements in our processes. She is trustworthy, reliable, hardworking, competent, and proactive. I feel really fortunate to have her on the team! I try to give all my staff flexibility and perks in whatever ways I can manage, but Jane’s role is one of the least flexible on the team. (For example, other people are able to work remote, hybrid, or flex schedules, but she can’t, due to the nature of the role. Other people travel around our area for work and have company cars, but Jane is based in the office so she takes the bus.) It’s also the most junior role and pays the least. We traditionally give bonuses at the end of the year, and I’d like to recognize Jane’s value and contributions to the company with a larger-than-normal bonus. I’m thinking $500-1,000 instead of $200-400. Is this a good idea even if I won’t be able to match it next year, the year after, etc.? Is it fair to my other staff, who are also wonderful and hardworking, but who get paid more and enjoy more perks year-round? I don’t want to create bad feelings with other staff if people decide to discuss their bonuses (which may happen), and I also don’t want to set an expectation that I can’t live up to in subsequent years. But I feel strongly that Jane deserves recognition for how much she’s contributed thus far, and money is the best way to do that. Note: We also give raises, and I fully expect to raise Jane’s salary, but she won’t be eligible until she completes her first year of employment. You absolutely can give Jane a larger than normal bonus in recognition of her good work; that’s a very common and normal thing to do. You’d want to be prepared to explain the discrepancy if anyone asks about it, but it sounds like you’d be able to do that easily (she’s done an phenomenal job and she has the least flexible and lowest-paying role on the team). To avoid setting Jane up to expect it every year, you can say something like, “Our year-end bonuses are typically less than this, but you’ve done such a fantastic job this year under difficult circumstances that I wanted you to get some special recognition for that.” The post employee falls asleep in meetings, office party is at a bar where there’s a bikini photo of me, and more appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

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Just askingView the full article

“Work smarter, not harder” has always been one of my favorite phrases. But now that I’ve entered my working-mom-of-a-toddler era, it’s taken on a whole new meaning. I only have so many hours in a day, and if I want to have any semblance of free time, I need to make the most of them. Enter: these AI productivity tools, all of which help me streamline, automate, and optimize as much as possible. Some of them help me save hours of work, others a few minutes, while some just help me maintain my sanity — it all counts. Every second I save goes toward that glorious hour or two when my work is done, my daughter is snuggled up in bed, and I can cozy up with (read: pass out on) a good book. Of course, productivity tools are nothing new — but with the addition of artificial intelligence, they’ve become even more powerful. Not only can these nifty AI apps and tools help you boost productivity by organizing your time and tasks better, but they can also use machine learning to do some of those time-consuming or repetitive tasks for you. As a self-proclaimed tools nerd, I’ve tested out many of the ever-growing list of AI productivity tools on the market. These are the ones I keep coming back to. Jump to a section: Buffer ChatGPT Notion Otter.ai Todoist AI Assistant Reclaim AI Speechify Type 1. BufferUse AI to brainstorm, write, and repurpose social media posts. One of the best ways to ensure you grow your following on any social media platform is to post consistently (the algorithms love it). But when you’ve got a full-time job along with your social side projects (not to mention multiple channels to maintain), content creation can become really overwhelming, really fast — unless you’re leaning on Buffer’s AI Assistant. The AI tool can help brainstorm, generate, and repurpose social media posts, no matter what platform you’re using. The assistant is social media smart. In other words, it’s trained to understand the nuances of each platform — for example, that X/Twitter posts can’t exceed a certain number of characters, LinkedIn posts tend to be a little more professional, Instagram posts lighthearted, and so on — without you having to prompt it. When I’m stumped on what to post to help me build my personal brand on LinkedIn, I often turn to Buffer’s Create Space and click the ‘Generate Ideas’ button to start brainstorming. To get a better sense of what is going to resonate with your audience, the assistant will ask: What is your business about?Who is your target audience?From there, it will generate a stream of ideas for you to axe or approve, one at a time. It can help you workshop existing content, too, like taking a social media post that performed well on one platform and repurposing it for another (my personal favorite use case). Buffer pricing: Buffer (and AI Assistant) is free to use for up to three channels. Paid plans start at $6 per month per channel. ⚡Put AI Assistant to the test for free (no sign-up required!) with our Social Media Post Creator →2. ChatGPTUse AI to Take the admin jobs off your to-do list. While there are a host of super-powerful AI productivity tools in my tech toolbox right now, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is by far the most versatile. I treat ChatGPT like my AI virtual assistant (thank you, natural language processing) and ask it to take time-consuming tasks off my plate several times a week. I use it for things like finding target keywords for SEO, writing basic HTML to augment my blog posts (like the handy table of contents at the top of this list, for example), and summarizing long or complicated documents. What’s really handy about ChatGPT is that the chatbot functionality means you don’t have to start from scratch if what it generates isn’t what you’re looking for. You’re constantly building on your initial prompt. For example, I can ask it to summarize a complicated article into ten bullet points, and if that is still too difficult to digest quickly, I can just add, “Explain the above like I’m a 10-year-old.” (One of my favorite prompts.) ChatGPT pricing: Free for the basic version, with paid plans starting at $10 per month 3. NotionUse AI to generate documents and search all your documents for specific answers. Notion has long been one of my favorite project management tools — it’s also a big part of our workflow on Buffer’s Content team and Buffer’s company documentation system — so I was buzzing when they made the powerful product even better with AI. Notion AI can help generate text and autofill databases, create a handy summary of pages, and even assign action items based on specific documents – all handy time-savers. But my favorite Notion AI feature is the ability to ask the AI very specific questions about all the information you have stored there. As we’ve talked about on our Open Blog, we use Notion at Buffer to house most of our (very thorough) company documentation. As comprehensive as our documentation system is, it can take time to find an answer to an in-the-weeds question when you’re in a hurry. So, rather than scrolling through articles and databases, I can hit the search icon, then ‘Ask AI,’ and type in my question (say, “How do I categorize internet costs in my monthly expense report?” or “Which Buffer teammates are based in the US?”) From there, the AI will generate a response to my question and link to the pages it used to compile the answers. It’s worth noting that this feature is still in beta, but it’s always worked just fine for me. Notion pricing: AI features will cost $10 per workspace per month. (Notion is free to use for individuals, but plans start at $10 monthly — this excludes the cost of AI). 4. Otter.aiUse AI to automatically transcribe and summarize meetings. I’ve been using Otter.ai, an audio transcription tool, since my journalism days (you have no idea how much time audio transcriptions have saved me). Now, it’s still a go-to in my tool stack as a marketer. I still use it to transcribe interviews (for case studies, expert comments, and the like), as well as note-taking for regular meetings. When the meeting is over, I’ll drag and drop the audio recording of the call into Otter’s web app. Within minutes, I’ll have a full transcript and — more importantly — an AI summary of what was discussed in the call. Sure, many video call tools will do this for you (it’s worth checking out the Zoom AI Companion if you use Zoom exclusively). However, there are two reasons I prefer Otter.ai. For one thing, I want my transcription tool to be separate from my meeting platform of choice. I often find myself pulled into meetings in Zoom, Google Meet, and Riverside, depending on what my guest prefers to use. Another handy Otter.ai feature is the ability to click on a bullet point within the meeting summary and be automatically taken to that point in the recording. Here, you can play back that moment with Otter’s transcription playing alongside it like captions. Otter also integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, so you can transcribe in real-time, which streamlines your workflow. However, this does mean OtterPilot will join your call as if it were another guest (something most transcription tools will do), which I find jarring. Still, if you’re aiming for full optimization, this is the way to go. Otter.ai pricing: Free for up to 300 monthly transcription minutes. Paid plans start at $18 per month. 5. Todoist AI AssistantUse AI to better manage and break down your tasks. Todoist is one of my ultimate productivity tools — I live by the task manager and productivity app. Todoist’s AI Assistant, much like the app itself, is simple and helpful. It can help you do three things: Give tips to help you complete a taskMake the task more actionableBreak the task down into smaller onesI’m a big fan of the GTD (getting things done) productivity method, which starts with “capturing” your tasks — really just a brain dump of all the things you have to get done. The next step is to “clarify,” making the task actionable, breaking it down into sub-tasks, etc., which Todoist’s AI Assistant can help me do. (Read more about the GTD method in Francesco D'Alessio’s article on productivity apps for social media marketers.) Like many of the other tools on this list, the AI Assistant isn’t baked into Todoist — you’ll need to head over to integrations and activate it before the options you see in the screenshot above become available. Todoist pricing: While Todoist has a free plan, the AI Assistant is only available on their Pro plan and upwards, which costs 6. Reclaim AIUse AI to schedule your day while defending your focus and personal time. As the name suggests, Reclaim AI will help you claw time back from your jam-packed schedule. Rather than a calendar in and of itself, think of Reclaim as an AI-powered assistant for your calendar. (It syncs with Google Calendar right now). Based on your priorities and role, it will help you block flexible time out in your calendar for all the things that are important to you — like focused working time, working out, or a lunch break. I use Reclaim to block out time for all of these things, plus a bedtime routine blocker for my daughter. My focus time, lunch, and workout events shift around every day based on what other meetings I have on my calendar, but my daughter’s bedtime is non-negotiable and remains the same Monday through Friday. This is far from all Reclaim does, though: it also has a Calendly-like meeting scheduler, daily planner, smart scheduling for team members in different time zones, plus a ‘buffer’ feature that automatically schedules decompression time after every virtual meeting and travel time before and after every in-person event. Reclaim AI pricing: Reclaim has a solid free plan that will help you do most of the things above. Paid plans start at $10 per month. 7. SpeechifyUse AI to read any text aloud. Gwyneth Paltrow helped me edit this article — thanks to Speechify. Speechify is an AI tool that reads any text back to you. It has over 130 voices (including the likes of Gwyn, Snoop Dog, and Mr Beast) and over 30 languages. Thanks to AI, the readings sound pretty natural and not robotic. If you’re an auditory learner like me, Speechify will help you digest information faster than you thought possible. You can also speed up the reading pace to boost productivity further. There are so many use cases for this text-to-speech tool, which has a Chrome extension and even a mobile app, so you can listen while you’re on the go. You could have it read your emails while you wash the dishes, help you digest complicated documents, or turn any PDF into an audiobook. But my favorite use case is having it read my articles back to me before I hit publish. It’s a brilliant way for writers to spot typos, grammar mistakes, or areas where they could improve clarity. There are some neat features, too, like the ability to create your own AI Voice clone (I know) or translate and dub videos into other languages. Speechify pricing: Speechify offers a limited free plan. Premium plans start at $69 per month per user. 8. Type Use AI to draft content in your unique style. There are plenty of AI writing tools out there (Jasper, Copy.ai, and Writer are all great options), but Type is one of the few that comes without a learning curve). Type does exactly what it says on the tin: it uses generative AI to help you write more, better. Type’s simple document-processor interface is uncluttered and easy to understand. It also includes a host of templates for creating everything from blog posts to onboarding emails — really handy if you’re not great at coming up with AI prompts. You might be thinking, “Wait, didn’t you just tell me ChatGPT and Notion can do that?” and you’d be right! But what sets Type apart is that you can train it to write like you. With each prompt, you can upload, paste, or link to a format, tone, and style example, which the AI will mimic when it devises your draft for you. The results aren’t perfect — it’ll still require plenty of tweaking to make it sound more human than robot — but it’s notably better than some of the other AI writing assistants I’ve tried. Type pricing: 14 days free, then $29.00 per month. More AI productivity tools to try? While I’ve tested as many AI tools as I could get my hands on, I know there are a plethora out there that I've yet to explore. If there’s a tool out there that I have to put through its paces, I’d love to hear about it! Please comment below or tag @buffer or @bufferapp on all major social channels, and I’ll put your favorite tool to the test. View the full article