Many companies pride themselves on their "Work Hard, Play Hard" attitude. But as I look around, all I seem to see is the "hard work" bit. The economic downturn has resulted in many companies and individuals having to work a lot harder just to achieve the same profits as last year. And for some companies, being first to arrive to work and last to leave is worn as a badge of honour.

But maybe the answer to improved productivity isn't simply putting in more hours. In this article, Margaret Heffernan suggests that the key to greater productivity is not to work harder, but rather to change the way we work.

http://www.bnet.com/blog/business-strategy/how-to-be-productive-stop-working/378?promo=713&tag=nl.e713

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Author: Cam Wayland
Here is my own real example of not asking the right customer questions, or worse, thinking I had asked the right questions, but still ending up with a project situation that took longer and cost more than anticipated. This is a reminder that if we want to be profitable and have great customer satisfaction, projects need to be done right the first time, and that means asking the right questions upfront and not assuming anything.

A while back I was asked by a colleague to help setup their new computers and network. Now while I have reasonable technical knowledge, I am not an engineer, but would consider myself to be quite competent around SMB PC networking, security and associated applications a sales/solution level.  Read More

Author: David Blackman
Today’s work environment is one where customers, partners, peers and staff expect instant gratification. Perception is reality and if you can’t respond in a timely fashion, or your organisation provides less that expected levels of customer service, there is always a competitor standing by to eat your lunch.

I’ve always pitched work-life balance as being critical. But there are times when I wonder if it’s possible! The Laptop/PDA/Phone/Blackberry is the new boyfriend/ girlfriend/ spouse/ wife/ husband. You spend more time with your electronic communication devices than you do with your loved ones. We can be found on planes, in offices, hotels, café’s, or restaurants more often than in our own homes. More importantly, we also have our family and friends also vying for and requiring precious time. So how do we retain balance?   Read More