How to improve productivity and build positive relationships

How to improve productivity and build positive relationshipsHow to improve productivity and build positive relationshipsWerent expecting a piece combining productivity AND having that correlate with the importance of relationship-building, were you? Heres the thing - the two go hand-in-hand. Allow me to explain Every great stride in productivity, performance and planning comes from what we learn and put into action from others. None of us are given all the answers. We have to figure that out. We do so from teachers, mentors, coaches and partners.A fascinating analysis from Harvard Business Review details Dr. methylendioxymethylamphetamin Seppalas findings in studying workplace happiness and productivity. She writesA positive work climate also leads to a positive workplace culture which, again, boosts commitment, engagement, and performance. Happier employees make for not only a more congenial workplace but for improved customer service. As a consequence, a happy and caring culture a t work not only improves employee well-being and productivity but also improved client health outcomes and satisfaction.This happiness she speaks of comes directly from empathy, values and a willingness of leaders to build positive relationships. We can take this model and apply it to our personal lives, relationships and in entrepreneurship. Kindness, Respect, Positive Attitude all lead to building lasting relationships with others. This mindset attracts like-minded people to help us become more successful.Its also a winning strategy for boosting your productivity. So many of us wander around looking for the magic elixir or formula for how to become more productive. There are no secrets and certainly no shortcuts. It begins with discipline, confidence and a strong competitive desire - with yourself - to continue refining, building and progressing toward your peak potential.Once youve done the self-mastery and moved closer toward your own self-actualization, you need to reflect an d look upon the ways others have helped you to grow in the process. Its a reciprocal relationship of continuing to take the inputs of others to keep building yourself. Then, doing the saatkorn for others and picking someone else up.Ive highlighted four important principles to consider and reflect on as you look at yourself, your impact and how you want to impact the world around you. Your productivity will run directly proportional to your ability to build positive relationships with those around you, but also through encouragement and enrichment for yourself.1. Were able to produce and do more than we thinkThe saying mind over matter is real. Our willpower is so strong, yet we only get to know and realize this once we begin to tap into it. Our ability to overcome pain, loss, disadvantages and adversity is largely controlled in the power of our minds But remember this - the other side of this coin is thinking you can do too much, in too short of a period of time.This great Bill Gat es quote exemplifies thisMost people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.In other words, while we are strong beyond measure, we often umstand into a trap of overestimating our short-term plans and underestimating the long game.This is why I believe so strongly in the power of a five-year plan. Once you put things in writing and commit to a realistic plan, you can truly do anything within reason of your talents and natural abilities.Youre only ever limited by your attitude and your work ethic. If youre willing to stay positive and work hard, you will always produce more than you ever thought possible. And through this ethos, youll attract more people who will help you continue building toward your biggest goals.2. Time is your most valuable commodityMy favorite things in life dont cost any money. Its really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. - Steve JobsWell, there you go I can tell you. Your friends and c olleagues can tell you. And heck, one of the greatest innovators ever can tell you. But youll only truly understand this truth through your experience. Ive personally found the best way to learn just how valuable time really is, is to strike things out on your own in an endeavor where you are dependent solely on yourself for success.I believe everyone should become their own boss at some point in their life. If nothing else, it causes you to become resourceful and take ownership like you never have before. Once you are doing this for something you believe in and have passion for, youre on a road toward success and fulfillment. And as you keep traveling, youll find just how much you value you time. Because you are both the manager and delivery specialist for your time.Ask any entrepreneur and theyll tell you - My time is valuable. Once you go through a similar experience, you know why, too. You come to value your time for your personal ambitions, your time with family, business time and even volunteer time in a totally different way. This engenders a call to action to be more competitive with yourself, so youll become the person you can be.3. Youll never have it all figured out - thats OKDespite many a successful persons efforts to gain influence and control over every part of their life, it will never happen. Never. And you know what? Thats actually a great thing. You have to seek to influence that which you can, just know its not possible to influence everything. As a result, you wont figure out the answer to everything.Those of us with dominant personalities fight this battle each day. Eventually, you have to let go. Faith needs to enter the equation. Faith in yourself, faith in others, faith in God - faith that things will work out in harmony with your life. Faith is one of the most fundamental values to living a life you can be proud of. Speaking of values4. Values structure will sustain you through lifeWhen your values are clear to you, making decisio ns becomes easier. - Roy E. DisneyRelationships. Goals. Determining your Why and personal definition of success. These things provide structure for your life Building relationships begins local with family, friends and co-workers. In this digital-age, it expands to social media and professional networking sites. Powerful, loving, mutually beneficial relationships help give your life meaning and purpose.Goals provide you with something to reach for and work to attain. Most successful people Ive observed and studied succeed by setting small, incremental goals. Those goals can then fit into the context of a long-term plan, if you choose the five-year plan route above. Either way, having something to aim for is a winning strategy.Values are what give your life definition and serve as the foundation for every move you make. I believe so passionately in the power of values, I wrote a book on the topic. I realized that we all need a framework of reference that helps with making decisions, finding opportunities and building great relationships.Values are the key to beginning on the path that you want to take. Find that structure you crave. Find your values and know they lead to the truth. Once you know your true path, its so much easier to be productive and to attract the people you want to share your journey with.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

How a media boss turns their to-do list into a power move

How a media boss turns their to-do list into a power moveHow a media boss turns their to-do list into a power moveThe to-do list has turned into a small industry, with special notebooks (see the Weekly Action Pad) and experts and apps. People have a love-hate relationship with to-do lists theyre either enemies of productivity or old stalwarts for getting things done but Kate Lewis, the Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines, takes a different, more freewheeling approach to her list.As she tells The Cut, she writes a detailed to-do list weekly, in eight-point font. Its a tremendously overwhelming thing.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAnd then?Then I throw it out. I figure whatever I can remember from what Ive written down is what I really have to do, and everything else is kind of bullshit. Its so good. For so long I had notebooks and downloaded to-do list apps, and as soon as I wrote everything in there, I was mad. So I was like, okay, Im going to try a new approach, and this has been very effective for me. If you fall off the list, sorrySounds like the go-with-the-flow approach is a great way for fending off resentment for the pile of work thats waiting for you and its not like youre going to forget about that big meeting or lunch anyway. And who really needs another to-do app or to learn how to execute another new font of to-do listing anyway? Toss out your notebooks, everyone and dont be offended if youre the one that gets dropped off an agenda or two

The 2012 Vault Consulting Rankings for Europe and Asia are H

The 2012 Vault Consulting Rankings for Europe and Asia are HThe 2012 Vault Consulting Rankings for Europe and Asia are HThe 2012 Vault Consulting Rankings for Europe and Asia are HereIts shaping up to be a good year for McKinsey. Not only is the firm the worlds most prestigious consulting outfit, it has also emerged as the Best Consulting Firm to Work For in both the 2012 Vault Consulting 25 Europe and the Vault Consulting 25 Asia rankings. McKinsey overtook Bain in both regions this year, with its top marks for prestige combining with improved employees scores for quality of life issues to push the firm to the top of the overall consulting rankings.The rankings are a result of Vaults annual consulting survey. More than 500 consulting professionals of all levels in Asia Pacific and almost 1,700 professionals in Europe assessed their peer consulting firms on a scale of 1 to 10 based on prestige (respondents were unable to rate their own employers and rated only firms with which they w ere familiar).Consultants also ranked their own firms quality of life in such categories as firm culture, compensation, overall satisfaction and diversity among others. A weighted formula was then used to combine findings from both prestige and quality of life rankings to create one Best to Work For category for each region.The Top 10 Best European Consulting Firms to Work For are1. McKinsey Company2. Bain Company3. Oliver Wyman4. Roland Berger Strategy Consultants5. OCC Strategy Consultants6. A.T. Kearney Europe7. Booz Company8. Frontier Economics Ltd.9. Simon-Kucher Partners10. CandesicThe Top 10 Best Asia Pacific Firms to Work for are1. McKinsey Company2. Bain Company3. Booz Company4. Oliver Wyman5. A.T. Kearney6. NERA Economic Consulting7. Roland Berger Strategy Consulting8. OCC Strategy Consultants9. Deloitte Consulting LLP10. Alvarez MarsalNo matter where you are in the world, McKinsey simply cannot be beaten when it comes to prestige, said Phil Stott, Vaults Consultin g Editor. But the Quality of Life ratings prove that theres more to McKinsey than just reputation. The firm has clearly stepped up its efforts to attract and retain employees across the board. That effort helped them upend Bain in Vaults rankings in Asia and Europe this year. With that in mind, Ill be paying close attention to see whether they or Bain will emerge as the Best Consulting Firm to Work For in North America when we release those Consulting 50 Rankings later this year.Read MoreCheck out the full Vault Consulting 25 Europe rankingCheck out the full Vault Consulting 25 Asia ranking.