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When people are described as night owls or early birds, it's not because we're obsessed with ornithology as a culture. These two terms refer to our energy cycles or the times in which we're most (and least) productive. While you may think people who rise early will always catch the worm, the reality isn't quite as simple as an aphorism. We'll look at how these cycles work and how you can use the patterns to adjust your workday. We're… View More

When it comes to getting work done, people have a lot of reasons for why they do what they do. See how managers can address these expectations to start driving better performance. Not surprisingly, managers who constantly strive to become better managers are more successful than those who simply rely on their "tried and true" management methods. In fact, a manager's sheer awareness that they're not perfect can go… View More

  When an employee is doing well, it's sometimes difficult to tell how much their success is due to hard work and drive and how much is due to the employer's training and leadership. There are a lot of schools of thought about how employees should learn, and they range from traditional classroom structures to extreme role-playing. If you're not seeing improved expertise and competence of your employees after they go through… View More

  Trying to get an individual to change their behavior can be an uphill battle, let alone attempting to get an entire office to change. If your marketing and sales departments have had a long-standing rivalry since the business began, their feud likely won't be solved over a few beers and icebreaker games. If only one person in the office is meeting their monthly productivity goals, then one motivational speech to the team… View More

  Problem-solving likely consumes much of your time both personally and professionally. In fact, it's not unusual to get stuck just trying to decide how to approach a problem. Should you employ a "Pros and Cons" list? Should you solicit feedback from a variety of people with experience? Is it just a matter of the best ROI? While it's true that solutions can arise from the most unlikely places, those… View More

Improved productivity doesn't just happen overnight. It's a detailed, sometimes painstaking process to lead a better life. However, the more diligently you incorporate these tips, the more likely it is you'll start to see the results you want. Most people want to figure out ways to get more done in a day, but this type of generic goal will never spur anyone to action. Couple the vagueness with the mixed results everyone gets when… View More

Where do good business ideas come from? Do you feel like your business just doesn't generate enough new ideas that help increase revenue, improve productivity, or release cutting edge products and services? Your business could be in a rut. But hope is not lost. Innovation stems from a change in mindset and a break from the norm. What does that really mean in practice? See how this works in the real world at… View More

There's little doubt meetings are a double-edged sword for most people in business. Sometimes they smooth out communication gaps, but other times they seem to drain people's will to live. In fact, excessive meetings are usually the culprit behind those 70-hour work weeks. A full 70% of employees state they don't even think meetings… View More

If you're one of the 23% of workers who does some type of remote work, you probably already have opinions about what it means to have a home office. While there's little doubt the flexibility of the role will inspire jealousy in others, it's not necessarily a dream come true. Telecommuting has a lot of perks, but it can also feel incredibly isolating. Without… View More

Dealing with negative coworkers on a regular basis can sap your strength, darken your mood and prevent you from having a productive day. We share some tips for making sure that you can remain positive and productive despite a negative environment. Related: Employee Lifecycle Management with… View More