Want to boost productivity, enjoy more time off, and jumpstart your career? Focus on these easy ways to work smarter—and get the job done.
1. Waste Your Coworkers' Time Take 15 minutes a day to talk about the ball game, ask about their kids, make plans for lunch. People with friends at work are better communicators (which is good for productivity, good for the boss, and good for your career). 2. Ask for an Office A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that people who work in cubicles<http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=guy.wisdom&category=career.money&conitem=4dabc817838c3010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____>have higher levels of stress hormones than those who work in offices with doors. More important to your bottom-line boss: Open offices increase morale and efficiency. 3. Sweat Through Lunch Men are more productive when they exercise. Those who exercise at any intensity for 2 hours a week (just 17 minutes a day), are 61 percent less likely to feel stressed. While working out will boost any bad mood<http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=motivation&conitem=584a99edbbbd201099edbbbd2010cfe793cd____>, it has the biggest benefit when it's done outside. 4. Stand up When You're on the Phone It has a magical way of shortening calls, according to Lyle Sussman, professor of management at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. "You're less likely to shoot the breeze, and you get to the point faster," he says. 5. Arrive 45 Minutes Early and Stay 15 Minutes Late Use the 45 to knock one big thing off your daily agenda, and the 15 to plan out tomorrow. You'll undergo your own productivity boost by tapping into your best morning energy and end the day with a burst of organization. 6. Play Your Favorite Music at Work Researchers found that workers who listened to their favorite music improved their job performance and productivity by 10 percent. Music can boost your mood as well as drown out chatty coworkers. 7. Act Immediately on E-mails and Phone Messages "If you can complete the task in 2 minutes, do it right away," says David Allen, author ofGetting Things Done. Remember that your "delete" key can be the best organizer of all. 8. Bring a Tennis Ball to the Office When reading, squeeze the ball in your right hand. This stimulates the left side of your brain, which processes words. If it's blueprints or instructions with diagrams, switch to your left hand. Stimulating the brain's right side helps with visualizing and spatial relationships. 9. Have Stand-up Meetings If you've tried everything to shorten office meetings without success, then try this: Take all the chairs out of the room. People will stop chatting and start making decisions. 10. Use an L-Shaped Desk Designate one side for right-now work, the other for later-on work. The L shape prevents you from being distracted by other projects right in front of you and saves time in sorting things out. -- "In complete darkness, we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you." J. Jackson "Es fácil criticar a los demás. Difícil corregirse uno mismo. Èl que nunca se equivoca, es aquél que nunca hace nada." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "English Learner's Cafe" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/english_learners?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
