Work Archives

Chris Bailey: Productivity Isn’t the Same as Busyness

What exactly is productivity? What are some things you can do to become more meaningfully productive? According to productivity expert Chris Bailey, productivity isn’t just about trying to do more for the sake of doing more. Rather, productivity is the ability to identify and prioritize what matters most. In this article, we’ll explain Bailey’s definition of productivity and how it challenges a common misunderstanding about what it means to be productive.

How to Gather Information: Finding Gems Among the Rocks

How can you figure out whether certain information is relevant to the issue at hand? How do you know if an information source is credible? The first step to critical thinking is gathering information. To do this well, first, clarify your topic or question and its parameters. Then, assess the relevance of the information you find. Check it for reliability, bias, and fallacies. Continue reading to learn how to gather information to find real answers and solutions.

Managing Distractions: Tips From a Productivity Expert

Do you get distracted a lot? How do distractions hinder your performance? Getting distracted not only wastes your valuable time but also makes it more difficult to resume focus. Attention research has shown that employees focus on a project for 11 minutes before being interrupted, and on average it takes them 25 minutes to refocus. Here are some tips for managing distractions and preventing them from stealing your focus.

Managing Priorities: The Key to Being Productive

Do you struggle to manage your priorities? What are some criteria you can do to identify the most important tasks on your to-do list? Managing priorities is the key to being meaningfully productive. When you’re able to identify and tackle the highest priority tasks first, you’ll progress a lot faster. However, it’s not always easy to identify what is most important from your to-do list. Productivity expert Chris Bailey gives some tips on how to identify the most significant, highest-impact tasks.

How to Identify the Problem: 2 Ways to Figure Out What’s Wrong

When you’re stuck, what’s the first step to getting back in gear? What’s a good way to identify a problem in a group setting? To solve a problem, you must first identify the problem. Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem Solving by Bigrocks Thinking shares two practical frameworks to do just that: 5W2H and SCQH. They walk you through each framework in steps. Keep reading to crack the 5W2H and SCQH codes and clearly identify the problem that’s holding you back.

Why an Anti-Hustle Culture Is Essential for Business

What is anti-hustle culture? How is modern work ruining our drive to succeed? In The Buddha and the Badass, Vishen Lakhiani claims that hustling won’t get your business anywhere. In fact, he proposes an “anti-hustle culture” that combines spiritual enlightenment with disruptive leadership. Continue reading to learn more about Lakhiani’s anti-hustle culture.

How to Structure a Story: 4 Ways to Get Your Message Across

Do you have great ideas but struggle to communicate them effectively? How can critical thinking help you structure a story? The authors of Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem Solving explain how to give good presentations and effectively get your ideas across by using critical thinking. They advise you to use stories to persuade and inform your audience. Continue reading to learn how to structure a story by using critical thinking principles and techniques.

How to Structure a Presentation by Structuring Your Thinking

What’s the pyramid principle, and how can it help you present information effectively? What if you structured your presentations as stories? The authors of Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem Solving explain how to give good presentations and communicate your ideas effectively using critical thinking. They note that many people have excellent ideas but don’t understand how to structure their presentations. Read more to learn how to structure a presentation by structuring your thinking first.

What Are Extreme Interviews & Are They Effective?

What are extreme interviews? How are job interviews changing? Does extreme interviewing work? Job interviews are changing, with Zoom and AI screenings replacing some in-person interviews. In the case of extreme interviews, which use outlandish tactics such as brainteasers or making applicants dance, employers are putting candidates through the wringer like never before. Read on to learn about extreme interviews and experts’ advice on conducting successful interviews.

Brain Coupling: The Key to Efficient Teamwork

What is brain coupling? How does in-sync thinking foster collaboration in the workplace? Brain coupling is where your team is in sync with each other when it comes to ideas or projects. Vishen Lakhiani’s book The Buddha and the Badass claims that brain coupling is important for efficiency and decision-making in an organization. Discover how brain coupling works and why you should encourage it at work.