Seven Ways to Put Procrastination Behind You

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by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

 

Don’t chalk it up to a lack of motivation.

Victor’s subordinates were pushing him to make up his mind about a proposed major acquisition. He knew the clock was ticking, but he was worried about the downside. What if the promised synergies didn’t materialise? What if they bought a cat in the sack? The pressure was wearing him down. He felt low and exhausted.

Victor was reluctant to admit it to himself, but he always had the tendency to put off difficult tasks and decisions. Overthinking and procrastination were his modus operandi. He excelled at finding distractions and reasons to keep looking for more information.

Although procrastination can offer relief from unpleasant tasks, the relief is only ever temporary. Putting off dealing with something only makes matters worse, as the Victors of this world usually find out the hard way. And there are many of them: In the United States, an estimated 20 percent of men and women are chronic procrastinators.

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How To Be Productive—And Preserve Your Sanity—If You’re Part Of The Hybrid Workforce

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by William Arruda

Remote work was already on the rise prior to the arrival of COVID-19.

In fact, a study from Pew Research Center found that 20% of Americans who could perform their jobs somewhere other than the office were choosing to do so before 2020. When the global health crisis struck, however, that percentage skyrocketed to 71%, as most employees had no choice but to stay home.

With our new understanding of the virus and many organizations attempting to transition to a new way of working—one where both in-person and remote work are encouraged—we have more freedom than ever to choose the workplace model we want to be a part of. But, as always, with freedom comes responsibility.

There’s no going back

The majority of employees who worked remotely during the pandemic (89%) say they want to continue with remote work at least some of the time. And the number of Americans who have left the workforce altogether in recent months suggests these workers won’t take no for an answer. Many employers understand this and have adopted a hybrid model (which could comprise virtually any combination of remote and on-site work schedules) as a permanent policy moving forward. Up to 75% of firms have indicated they won’t be going back to a fully on-site approach. That includes massive companies such as Salesforce, Target, Citigroup, Ford, and many others across a wide range of sectors. Continue reading →

Is the “great resignation” coming for you?

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by Wanda T. Wallace

Here are the red flags to watch out for—and five proven strategies to keep talent on board.

The “great resignation” is real. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in September alone, a record 4.4 million US employees (3% of the workforce) quit their jobs. In August, 65% of US employees were looking for a new job, double the proportion from May. With resignations up in Europe and Asia, the phenomenon is global. If you are struggling to retain your employees, you are not alone.

It’s easy to blame the pandemic for this development. But I believe the issues are more complicated and began long before COVID-19.

Let’s take the case of a composite employee, Linda. She is talented, top-ranked, supported by senior leaders in her line of business, and destined to be a senior executive. As happens, her boss and key sponsor moved to a new role and she acquired a new boss, Peter. Although Peter cares about the team and Linda, and he certainly doesn’t want to damage his reputation with the sponsor, his style is less supportive. Linda is more than pulling her weight with the team’s increased workload and has spoken to Peter several times about the unrelenting expectations. But nothing changes.

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This is what makes people happy at work, according to science

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BY ART MARKMAN

These things can make all the difference in whether you feel good about going to work each day.

In a time when so many workers are searching for greener pastures, many of us are giving more thought to what type of work feels meaningful. After all, if you have a full-time job, then you’re spending a significant fraction of your waking hours each week at work, thinking about work, and/or commuting to and from your office. As a result, it’s only natural you’d like to be happy and satisfied with the work that you’re doing.

There has been a lot of research on this topic.

HAPPINESS VERSUS SATISFACTION

To kick things off, it’s worth distinguishing between overall satisfaction with your work and your momentary happiness. You may love your job and feel completely satisfied with your career path and still have moments at work in which you’re not happy or enjoying what you do. Satisfaction is a long-term state, while happiness is something that happens in the moment. Continue reading →