How to Reduce the Friction that Hurts You — and Harness the Friction that Helps
Harvard Business
JANUARY 30, 2024
Stanford’s Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao on how to boost efficiency and satisfaction while also improving innovation and decision-making.
Efficiency How To Time Management 
It’s Not “Time Management.” It’s Lean.
Markovitz Consulting
NOVEMBER 19, 2019
But the reduction in office hours can be the stimulus for creative thinking about how to increase productivity and efficiency. Of course, every situation is different and will require a different approach.
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Managing Meetings: How to Drive Productivity and Success
Tom Spencer
APRIL 12, 2024
Keeping participant numbers limited to those who are essential to the discussion is crucial for efficiency. This is especially relevant in product management, where decisions often involve cross-functional collaboration. Image: DALL-E 3 The post Managing Meetings: How to Drive Productivity and Success first appeared on Tom Spencer.
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How to Spend Way Less Time on Email Every Day
Harvard Business
JANUARY 22, 2019
Research shows how to make messaging more efficient.
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4 Tips for Effective Virtual Collaboration
Harvard Business
OCTOBER 13, 2020
How to be more efficient with your team’s time.
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How to Decide Which Tasks to Delegate
Harvard Business
JULY 26, 2017
The skill is learning how to delegate. Even if you think you already delegate effectively to an extent, I bet you have room for even greater efficiency and resulting peace of mind, whether on the home or work front. That means there is someone out there who can delight in the devil of your details. Even better than you do right now.
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How to Help Your Team Manage Grunt Work
Harvard Business
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
How to Lose Your Best Employees. Time management is a skill that many need help to learn, and as a manager, you may need to be the teacher. Expect some pushback — an employee is likely to say that they can’t complete X task in half the time. You and Your Team Series. Whitney Johnson.
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How to Win with Automation (Hint: It’s Not Chasing Efficiency)
Harvard Business
MARCH 30, 2017
At the same time, managers need to continue to motivate employees who fear their jobs being replaced by robots. This creates a dilemma for leaders. Clearly, any enterprise that doesn’t embrace automation won’t be able to survive any better than a farmer with a horse-drawn plow.
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Are You Productive Enough?
Harvard Business
JULY 25, 2018
” As a time management coach, I’m keenly aware that you could answer the question “Am I productive enough?” Question 3: Am I owning my time management and using productivity resources? Part one is: “Am I owning my time management”? How to Become Productive Enough.
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How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work from Home
Harvard Business
MAY 5, 2017
” But, in fact, research suggests the opposite: Working from home increases productivity, efficiency, and engagement. “It is possible to be as, or more, productive” at home as in the office, says Karen Dillon, coauthor of several best-selling titles, including How Will You Measure Your Life? .
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How to Focus on What’s Important, Not Just What’s Urgent
Harvard Business
JULY 3, 2018
Unfamiliar but important tasks often have a learning curve that makes how much time they’ll take to complete unpredictable. Working on them often feels more clumsy than efficient, which is another subtle factor in why we don’t do them. I consider success as taking my own advice at least 50% of the time!
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Rebuilding Brand Loyalty: The Rise of Founder-Led Marketing
Tom Spencer
JANUARY 4, 2025
She shares her personal struggles, such as with anxiety, time management, and being the youngest person in the room. How to adopt founder-led marketing Now that we have seen the power of founder-led marketing, how can founders apply this marketing approach to achieve brand loyalty?
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Why Shared Services “Teams” Don’t Work with Agility
Johanna Rothman
APRIL 14, 2021
The organization lives with many delays when the managers choose a shared services model. That's because the managers think resource efficiency works. They don't realize how much more effective flow efficiency is.). They're wasting time, which costs much more than the salary costs. Why three months?
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Automotive Industry 2022: Overcoming Project Challenges
Epicflow
JANUARY 21, 2022
So, automakers have to change their approaches to product development to make it shorter but no less efficient. . Nevertheless, automotive companies need to deliver their projects as successfully and efficiently as possible. 5 Tips on How to Address Challenges in Automotive Projects. Prioritize projects and tasks.
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How to Establish a Meeting-Free Day Each Week
Harvard Business
FEBRUARY 28, 2017
It’s also a strategy I use with my time management coaching clients. How Top Salespeople Land Hard-to-Get Meetings. 5 Ways Meetings Get Off Track, and How to Prevent Each One. There’s a reason that I’ve coached professors on how to be productive during their sabbaticals. You and Your Team Series.
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Track Your Time for 30 Days. What You Learn Might Surprise You.
Harvard Business
APRIL 11, 2018
It’s hard to know if we’re really making efficient use of our time. But are we spending our time on the right things? Inspired by a colleague, the time management expert Laura Vanderkam , I decided to spend the month of February tracking exactly how I spent my time, down to half-hour increments.
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144 Why the Most Productive People Don’t Always Make the Best Managers
Harvard Business
APRIL 17, 2018
While individual contributors can focus on their own development, great managers take pride in helping others learn. They know how to give actionable feedback. The person who focuses on productivity often has found a workable process, and they strive to make that process work as efficiently as possible. Being open to innovation.
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Do You Know How Each Person on Your Team Likes to Work?
Harvard Business
MAY 30, 2017
When she was promoted to manager of a new team, she immediately dug into the new product she was assigned, as well as her team members’ work. Sveta had a keen attention to detail and placed a high value on being efficient. Therefore, she didn’t waste much time or words when talking with her team.
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Transitioning to Consulting: The Changing Value of Your Time
Tom Spencer
JULY 15, 2022
It also offers a way to prepare yourself for the transition to consulting by providing you with some suggestions on how to implement a consultant-like scheduling method. This will help you practice being a consultant and improve your time management skills before graduation. Time Commitments in Graduate School.
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Where I Think “Agile” is Headed, Part 2: Where Does Management Fit?
Johanna Rothman
AUGUST 14, 2019
Too often, managers think “agile” is for others, specifically teams of people. Teams need to figure out how to manage their WIP, collaborate with the customer, and deliver something small every day. If the managers don't change their behaviors, a team cannot sustain any agile approach.
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69 How to Reduce Primary Care Doctors’ Workloads While Improving Care
Harvard Business
NOVEMBER 13, 2017
Much of the current thinking about new service-delivery models is based on the notion that cost and efficiency of care delivery can be enhanced by directing more patients to primary care. There is a large advice industry about time management, designed for busy executives seeking control over the relentless demands they face.
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Scheduling Meetings Effectively When You’re Self-Employed
Harvard Business
MARCH 8, 2017
It’s important for all professionals to use their time efficiently. But it’s particularly essential for the self-employed, who have far more discretion about how to structure their days. How to Design an Agenda for an Effective Meeting. First, it’s important to understand the full cost of a meeting.
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How to Pass the BCG Online Case
CaseInterview.com
AUGUST 1, 2024
While time management is important, the focus should be on demonstrating strong analytical and problem-solving skills. BCG is more interested in the quality of your thought process and the insights you generate than in how quickly you complete the case.
Mastering the Art of Leading Remote Work Teams
Rick Conlow
JUNE 19, 2023
Time Mismanagement: Remote work requires effective time management skills. However, employees may struggle to prioritize tasks and allocate their time efficiently. Leverage Technology: Provide remote workers with the necessary tools and technology to perform their tasks efficiently.
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Stop Scheduling Conference Calls and Finally Commit to Videoconferencing
Harvard Business
JUNE 29, 2018
Watch this very amusing “ conference call in real life ” video to see how ineffective these calls can be. The power of focused attention to craft a strategy or discuss an especially challenging issue with videoconference is much more efficient for everyone involved. How to Design an Agenda for an Effective Meeting.
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Stop Letting Email Control Your Work Day
Harvard Business
SEPTEMBER 7, 2017
One of the very first lectures I give each year to new MBA students is about time management. By the time they arrive in my classroom, they are two days into the fall term, and I can already see that some of them are barely keeping their heads above water. Covey’s time management matrix is a good tool for this.
The 8 Digital Productivity Tools Everyone Should Adopt
Harvard Business
JUNE 20, 2016
For most people, the goal is to adopt the smallest number of tools necessary to work efficiently. That’s why my friends and colleagues often ask me which technologies I regard as must-haves: the tools and tactics that will make a big impact on their productivity without spending a lot of time or money getting up and running.
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Polite Ways to Decline a Meeting Invitation
Harvard Business
MAY 17, 2016
How Top Salespeople Land Hard-to-Get Meetings. 5 Ways Meetings Get Off Track, and How to Prevent Each One. That will be much more efficient than attending the entire meeting. I’m not able to attend, but I will find some time to share my thoughts so you can include them in the discussion.” Stu Heinecke.
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The Training Phase in Management Consulting
Tom Spencer
JULY 11, 2021
The first step starts with training, the learning of technical skills, soft skills, and time management skills. Training is important because your firm and clients are relying on you to deliver value efficiently and effectively. Receiving an offer from a top consulting firm is an exciting experience.
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How to Pass the McKinsey Problem Solving Game
CaseInterview.com
SEPTEMBER 9, 2022
This game evaluates the candidate’s ability to solve problems efficiently and think critically. Time management is certainly a factor. Some candidates finish early, while others don’t complete it in time. How to Win McKinsey's Digital Assessment Game. How to Practice the McKinsey Digital Assessment Game Solve.
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Before Day 1: Taking Advantage of the In-Between
Tom Spencer
NOVEMBER 11, 2022
Rather, if you find that you have some additional time before starting your first job post-graduation or even in-between your first and second jobs, these suggestions might provide some ideas on how to best utilize it. This is your chance to try something new, meet new people, and enjoy your time. Become a barista or bartender.
How Working Parents Can Manage the Demands of School-Age Kids
Harvard Business
JUNE 13, 2018
We’ve been concerned about his math scores, and we’re talking with the teacher about how to support him over the summer and into next year. When the day is over, enjoy knowing that your yearly contribution has been made in full — and efficiently. Invest your time where it matters most.
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71 Until You Have Productivity Skills, Productivity Tools Are Useless
Harvard Business
AUGUST 1, 2016
I don’t play golf, but I understand how to swing a club: I know that I am supposed to hold the grip end and swing the flat end. Yet most companies roll out software with only technical training, intending for that software to improve efficiency and ultimately, productivity. In all cases, learning to use the tool is a by-product.
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Sales Management Skills to Master
LSA Global
MARCH 17, 2025
A skilled sales manager understands how to interpret these data points and translate them into actionable improvements in sales processes, forecasting, and performance optimization. Are your sales managers effective decision makers?
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5 Ways to Say No to a Networking Request
Harvard Business
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
How to Get the Most Out of a Conference. I’ve written quite a bit on the subject of how to launch your book successfully, and I think these articles will answer most of your questions. If you’d genuinely like to meet the person but don’t have time for a one-on-one coffee, you could invite them to a group gathering.
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Sales Rep Performance Checklist
LSA Global
MARCH 17, 2025
Master Time Management and Organization Research from CSO Insights shows that sales reps spend less than 40% of their time selling. High performing sales reps spend less than 10% of their time on non-sales related activities. With multiple deals in play, sales time management and efficiency is critical.
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Methods to build team cohesion
Asamby Consulting
JANUARY 27, 2022
In this blog post, we will explore the definition of team cohesion, why it affects your efficiency, and how you can impact it to increase revenue and be the top in your competition. In turn, resulting in low turnover rates for the organization, maintaining or increasing the efficiency of the performance.
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52 A Refresher on A/B Testing
Harvard Business
JUNE 28, 2017
To better understand what A/B testing is, where it originated, and how to use it, I spoke with Kaiser Fung, who founded the applied analytics program at Columbia University and is author of Junk Charts , a blog devoted to the critical examination of data and graphics in the mass media. What Is A/B Testing?
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The Costs and Cures for Employee Burnout
LSA Global
AUGUST 16, 2018
It will likely become quickly clear that most of those who suffer from burnout do not know how to manage their time well, struggle to effectively prioritize projects and have difficulty saying no. For the longer term gain, you need to analyze the time tracking data and adjust behaviors to improve efficiency.
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Freelance programming
QEmploy
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
How to become a freelance programmer? It depends how good you are at convincing others, market yourself/your skills in an efficient way as mentioned above in the article. Effective and efficient work. Flexibility is the key feature of being a freelance developer. In a freelancing job you are the boss of your own.
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Why doesn’t my team learn from training? What can I do about it?
The Management Centre
JULY 31, 2023
These new skills allow for a more confident approach, better interactions with others, utilising tools or techniques with more efficiency and / or effectiveness, new ways of working or even enabling learning in others. For example, if your colleague is late to every meeting, sending them on a time management course might not cut it.
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