Work Archives

How to Have a Productive Disagreement

What is productive disagreement? How do you disagree with someone in a respectful and non-combative way? Disagreeing productively means that you and the other person have a natural give and take and maintain an openness to working together. When you think of disagreement in this way, you can approach it as a fluid exchange of ideas—a generative and creative interaction rather than a combative argument. Here’s how to have a productive disagreement, according to Adam Grant.

How to Avoid Burnout and Stay Productive

Do you find it difficult to relax? Do you often sacrifice rest to get more done in a day? Society teaches us that we need to be purposeful and productive at all times, so taking time for rest feels unimportant and can even cause guilt and anxiety. As a result, many people don’t know how to take a break at all, working themselves to the point of burnout. Here’s how to avoid burnout and still stay productive, according to Greg McKeown.

Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace

Would you say that your organization has a safe working environment? Why is it important to ensure psychological safety in the workplace? Safe work cultures prioritize learning and critical thinking over profit and end results. Creating psychological safety in the workplace starts with fostering an environment where employees feel like they can take risks when interacting with others without fearing negative consequences. With this in mind, here’s how to cultivate a sense of psychological safety in the workplace.

Tips for Staying Focused and Resisting Distractions

A woman holding up a hand with "FOCUS" on it illustrates how impactful it is when you focus on one thing

Do you have difficulty staying focused? How can you resist the pull of distractions and get your mind to focus? With so many things vying for our attention these days, it’s hard to stay focused on one thing at a time. Distractions are literally at our fingertips, only a click away. Fortunately, it’s in your power to shut off anything that interferes with your ability to stay focused and get work done. Here are a few tips for staying focused and keeping distractions at bay.

Returning to Work After the Pandemic: Employer Challenges

What are some challenges of returning to work after the pandemic? How is the workforce changing post-pandemic? Returning to work after the pandemic is proving difficult, not just for employees, but also for employers impacted by the labor shortage. Businesses looking to bring workers back to the office face two challenges: a worker shortage, and changed expectations and priorities among the workers they currently employ. Keep reading to learn how companies are dealing with the challenges of returning to work post-pandemic.

Jobs After the Pandemic: Acknowledging a Changed Workforce

How are jobs after the pandemic different? How has the workforce changed? What can companies do to accommodate these changes? Acknowledging how the pandemic has fundamentally changed the workforce will lead to both happier workers and a more adaptable team. To retain current workers or hire new ones, companies should allow for more autonomy, acknowledging that less supervision doesn’t mean less productivity. Keep reading to learn more about how jobs, hiring, and the entire workforce are changing post-pandemic.

Cross-Team Collaboration: An Essential Key to Innovation

How often do people from different teams in your company work together? Do they communicate effectively? When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft in 2014, he discovered why the company had fallen behind the pack in terms of innovation. One of the barriers he identified was the lack of collaboration and communication among the various teams in the company. Continue reading to find out how Nadella cultivated cross-team collaboration at Microsoft and to learn seven tips for better cross-team communication.

How to Avoid Overexertion: Tips for Workaholics

Are you a workaholic? Do you often work yourself to the point of burnout? In today’s hustle culture, many people think the only way to live a productive and rewarding life is to work as hard as possible. This idea is so ingrained in our culture that many work to the point of overexertion, sacrificing their mental and physical health. Here’s how to avoid overexertion and burnout in a culture that never sleeps.

At Microsoft, Diversity and Inclusion Equal Innovation

What difference do diversity and inclusion make for Microsoft? What could these values do for your company? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella can be seen as a diversity success story: an Indian immigrant who was able to rise through the ranks of Microsoft to eventually become its CEO. In his book Hit Refresh, he discusses Microsoft’s diversity and inclusion efforts under his leadership and why he has these values. Read more to learn how diversity can help a company do new things.

How to Improve Decision-Making in the Workplace

How are decisions made in your organization? Is it ever a good idea to let employees question the leader’s decisions? In most organizations, key decisions are made by team leaders and executed by lower-rank employees. Decisions made at the top are almost never questioned or scrutinized. According to Adam Grant, the author of Think Again, team leaders should not only share their decisions, but also the entire decision-making process they used. With this in mind, here’s how to improve decision-making in the workplace by introducing transparency to the process.