Blog
Is it time to renovate your personal productivity?
If it’s been a while since you’ve updated your task list or appointment calendar, it may be time for a productivity renovation. Have you ever renovated your home or at least watched one of the many TV series about renovating? Often we'll launch these massive renovations when we find that our homes have been damaged by leaky pipes, termites, or the insidious idea that orange shag carpet is fashionable. After a while, things like houses--and [...]
What’s a habit and why should I care?
Behaviors are the foundation of processes--and at the foundation of behaviors are habits. Habits consist of three elements. In fact, these three elements govern any habit. Let’s start at the beginning... What is a habit? It’s a shortcut for the brain, habits makes things more efficient. How do habits work? Charles Duhig breaks down habits in his book The Power of Habit. He introduces a simple model called the habit loop that makes it [...]
Daily Planning: How to Win the Day!
By not taking a few minutes for daily planning you may be tripping yourself on the way to winning the day. Even if you’re working harder than anyone you know—but not working on the most important, high-leverage tasks—you may not be as productive as someone who works half as much as you! Here’s how to make sure you win every day… It takes less than fifteen minutes a day Make sure to block a fifteen [...]
PlanPlus Online Vector 2.7.15 Release Notes
October 10, 2017 Improvements / New Features New search feature that suggests results as you type. Refined search results page grouping all matches by record type on one convenient page. Gauge/goal-tracking dashboard widget completed. Refined workflow for building both trend and gauge dashboard widget. Added option to make a dashboard public OR private. Added User API to fetch a user's profile based on email address. Added feature on Contact APIs to honor or ignore team [...]
How memory impacts your productivity
When I say memory, what do you think of? Do you think of a computer chip? The human brain? That song from the musical “Cats”? There are many different types of memory When it comes to computer memory, there are two main types, RAM or “Random Access Memory” and Primary Storage Memory. RAM allows the computer to retain key pieces of information in a way that is quick and easy to access. Whereas Primary Storage [...]
Why you need a centralized database to be successful
If you are part of a growing company, you need a centralized database to be successful. There are many reasons that you might decide you’re ready for a centralized database and many benefits that you’ll get out of having one. You’ll be able to: Find information more quickly. Simplify your IT infrastructure. Have more accurate information. Eliminate redundant files. Have more effective collaboration with your team. But the primary function of a centralize database comes [...]
What do the “Productivity Whizzes” do that you don’t?
Have you ever met those people who just seem to naturally productive? They seem to always be busy achieving amazing things. If you’re anything like me, you may have felt a little envious toward these people who seem to effortlessly float from one accomplishment to another. I’ll let you in on a little secret I’ve discovered. These “Productivity Whizzes” are actually trying much harder than they may let on. In fact, that’s a big part [...]
Is scope creep sabotaging your project success?
Scope creep can sneak up, morph, and destroy a project. Here’s how it occurs, and how to keep it at bay. Have you ever had a project that seems to be getting bigger all the time? At first it was manageable, but now it seems that everything, including the kitchen sink, has been tossed in? Not surprisingly, this is often called the “kitchen-sink syndrome.” Or for project managers, it’s simply called “scope creep.” Meaning the [...]
What can an old farmer teach you about goals?
Once, an old farmer was known around town for being exceptionally good at making sure the furrows in his field were absolutely straight. One day, a young man asked the farmer to tell him his secret. The old farmer quietly explained that, while plowing each row, he picked some sort of object, like a tree, far off in the distance and only focused on it until he completed the row. The young man hurried home [...]
Create a culture of Assertive Respectful communication
Effective communication is the real work of leadership—and a skill you can learn. Learning how to engage Assertive Respectful communication will improve every aspect of your life. Do you have any processes that aren’t yielding the results you were hoping for? Most of us do, right? S0, what do you do about it? Is it a people, process, or communication problem? Often, when you’re getting poor results, you ask yourself if it’s a people or [...]