The creativity of employees—it does exist—may be hard to harness in certain environments and with particular kinds of managers. Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert cartoons, worked for years at a bank and at Pacific Bell; yet, at no time was he celebrated for his contribution to creative problem-solving. He certainly demonstrates creativity in…

Let’s talk about the elements of Problem Solving you’ll be going through: Problem analysis concentrates on defining the problem you are facing. Problem solving determines possible solutions to the problem. Decision making is a judgement call on which solution to select.  Everything depends on problem definition. A clear, detailed definition allows solutions to emerge; it…

Where you are in your life right—is it where you want to be? The way you feel about yourself right now—is it the way you want to feel? The future you see in front of you right now—is that the future you want? A growth mindset recognizes the possibility of change in your circumstances, feelings,…

Optimism is the hope that everything will turn out alright. Optimism can express itself as: Dispositional- looking on the bright side of everything Situational- this particular project is on schedule and on budget and will end well Unrealistic- ignoring repeated data that customers are unhappy with the project Comparative- this project will bring in more…

You have a 24-hour day, a 40- to 60-hour workweek, and you do not have enough time for everything. Often, that problem might arise from a lack of organization or prioritization skills, but it might also stem for a lack of simple scheduling. Three Types of Schedules A capacity schedule targets preparation for required space…

 “I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” ~ Jerome K. Jerome, British writer What are the biggest time wasters at work? According to Inc.com they are: Frequently checking emails Spending too much time on social media Building a too long to-do list without priorities Multi-tasking and other…

A survey from a US testing company found that managers dedicate about 14% of their time correcting mistakes and redoing tasks assigned to their team. So why would any leader want increase that wasted time with delegation? The Reasons for Delegating It is time to delegate a task when: It has remained on your own…

The ability to focus and concentrate on a task is embedded in the cerebral cortex, and it can be improved. Focus refers to the broadness of one’s attention—the smaller the area of attention, the greater the focus. Concentration refers to the depth of attention—the ability to maintain attention on a single object or activity. Among…

Are you feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do today, next week, this year? Is your level of stress increasing and your ability to cope plummeting as you struggle to fight the next fire and the next and the next? To improve quality of your life and work, you must prioritize you goals and…

The four most vital rules of time management (80/20, 50/10, Drucker’s, and Effectiveness) ensure that you are using your time wisely, expending your energy wisely, prioritizing correctly, and not sacrificing time where you should be committing more of it. Effective time management reduces stress, increases your energy, and allows you to plan for a life…