Maximizing Workplace Productivity

How do you transition back to work from vacation? Every time I return from vacation my email is flooded and my calendar is packed. It can feel overwhelming. Good news is that I’ve been figuring out my strategy over the years and I no longer stress about the ‘re-entry’. Here’s my process: First I triage my inbox. Use tech to your advantage, focus on what matters and clear out the noise. 🎯 Prioritize. Use filters to group messages by sender, subject, or project and identify emails from leadership, key stakeholders, and team members first. 🎯 Delete unnecessary emails. Skip the backlog of newsletters and other ‘nice to read’ messages. Also skip any threads where decisions were made without you. Those updates will come through team and project meetings as you reconnect. 🎯 Two minute rule. My favorite. Any email with a quick response or action, I knock out. For more complex emails, I flag them for later and group them into calendar time blocks for follow-up. Now I do a calendar review. Get a quick and clear picture of the day and week ahead. I do this review before I leave on vacation to ensure the first days back are focused. I do it again the first day back (within the first hour), and make any required changes. 🎯 Critical meetings. Look for meetings that need preparation and prioritize them. At the same time look for meetings where agendas have not been shared, reprioritize. 🎯 Block time for catch ups. Treat this time as a meeting with yourself and protect it. Schedule blocks for email, catch up with your team, to review project updates, and handle urgent items. I schedule these blocks on my last day before vacation so I’m set up for success when I come back. 🎯 Say NO. Cancel or decline non-essential commitments. It’s okay to say no to meetings that aren’t a high priority, especially in the first few days back. Now I reassess my week and perhaps reprioritize. What needs immediate attention? Have deadlines changed? Any new goals? A crisis? Understand current state and time block for critical path items and high impact work. How do you manage work when you come back from vacation? Please share your tips in the comments so we can all drop the stress in returning to work post vacation.

Get more done in less time - Master the Eisenhower Matrix: Too often we mistake being busy with being productive. The reality? We spend far too much time on the wrong things. Use this time management tool to prioritize your tasks properly, And dramatically increase your productivity. Its simplicity drives its effectiveness - Categorize all of your tasks into 1 of 4 quadrants based on their urgency and importance, And then take action accordingly. This sheet breaks down the details, So you can put it to work: 1) Do Now (Urgent and important) Description: ↳Tasks that require immediate attention and are crucial for your goals ↳Often tied to deadlines, crises, or high-pressure situations Examples: ↳Completing a critical project that's due by end of day ↳Fixing a website crash that's preventing customers from making purchases ↳Preparing for a last-minute client presentation scheduled for tomorrow How to Get Them Done: ↳Prioritize them over everything else ↳Avoid multitasking - focus only on them ↳Use a timer or set specific time blocks to ensure completion 2) Plan for Later (Not urgent but important) Description: ↳Tasks that are important for long-term success but don't need immediate attention ↳Often involve personal growth, strategy, and big-picture goals Examples: ↳Researching and implementing automation tools to improve workflow ↳Meeting with a mentor to discuss career growth ↳Creating a content calendar for next quarter How to Get Them Done: ↳Schedule these tasks into your calendar and stick to working on them ↳Break them down into smaller, actionable steps so they feel less overwhelming 3) Delegate Now (Urgent but not important) Description: ↳Tasks that may feel urgent but aren't critical to achieving your goals ↳Often stem from others' priorities and don't require your unique skills Examples: ↳Replying to most customer service inquiries ↳Reviewing routine reports that don't require your direct input ↳Scheduling travel arrangements for an upcoming conference How to Get Them Done: ↳Delegate these tasks to someone else immediately ↳Provide clear instructions and all necessary resources ↳Give autonomy and only follow-up when asked or necessary 4) Eliminate Now (Not urgent and not important) Description: ↳Tasks that offer little value and don't contribute to long-term goals ↳They are distractions or time-wasters that can be removed Examples: ↳Checking social media notifications often with no clear purpose ↳Attending meetings that don't require your presence or input ↳Over-customizing a PowerPoint for a basic internal presentation How to (NOT!) Get Them Done: ↳Recognize where you're wasting time on trivial things ↳Eliminate these tasks from your routine ↳Set boundaries to avoid falling into time-wasting habits Use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize like a pro, And turbocharge your productivity. Have you tried it before? --- ♻️ Repost to help your network become more efficient. And follow me George Stern for more.

The post-vacation overwhelm is real, and it's getting worse 📱 As many of us return from extended summer breaks, we're having an interesting conversation internally about "notification bankruptcy" - that moment when you come back to hundreds (or thousands) of messages and feel completely overwhelmed, and you consider nuking the inbox 🙅🏻♂️ This challenge is particularly serious for companies like Doist that collaborate primarily through chat tools and async communication. The very systems that give us flexibility at work also create this crushing wall of information when we return from time off. Here's what makes it so painful for me: - Everything feels "urgent" when you're catching up - You lack context on conversations that evolved while you were away - The fear of missing something important keeps you scrolling endlessly - Wasted time reading comms that have already been solved or are no longer relevant - It can take days just to get back to a baseline, much less move forward We're exploring several approaches to minimize this pain internally, sharing in case it's useful for others out there: - Notification bankruptcy - Encouraging marking all or at least large chunks of comms as read and trusting that truly important items will resurface. Only read @mentions and direct messages. - Structured triage - Dedicate specific time blocks to different message types. Start with DMs, then recent squad/team updates, then general channels. Set time limits to avoid rabbit holes and add long threads as tasks for later dates. - Email deletion strategy - Set an auto-reply saying you'll delete all emails when you return, so people should follow up after your return date if still relevant. Side note - I've been doing this for many years and have found most issues resolve themselves during your absence. - Temporary delegation with handoff projects - Create a centralized Todoist project where covering team members add (only) critical updates and decisions that need your attention (with links and context, very important!). Much more focused than scrolling through hundreds of messages. - Selective catch-up calls - Cancel all non-essential calls during your return week and schedule brief syncs with key team members to get updates on complex situations. The reality is that most of the "urgent" stuff from while you were away either got resolved without you or isn't actually urgent anymore, and very likely, your absence created an opportunity for another teammate to step into that space and grow from it. We tend to think we have to read and reply to everything, but declaring bankruptcy might actually be doing your team (and yourself) a service. I'd love to know how others are dealing with the post-vacation message flood, and any strategies that have worked (or failed) for your team? Always looking for better approaches to this modern workplace challenge 🤝 **Photo of Koda monitoring my approach to post-vacay inbox management 🐶

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the value of focus—not just for yourself, but for the people you work with. This means assigning clear priorities and encouraging people to zero in on just one thing at a time. At first, it may feel limiting or even insulting to be asked to focus so narrowly. After all, we like to believe we’re capable of juggling multiple priorities. But the truth is, the more tightly you focus, the more likely you are to achieve something extraordinary. The principle is simple: the highest-impact problems are often the hardest ones to solve. Left to their own devices, most people gravitate toward solving problems they already understand. These are the “small problems”—challenging but solvable with a little effort. The “big problems,” on the other hand, are the ones that make the biggest difference, but they require relentless focus and persistence because the solutions aren’t obvious. And, failure will occur along the way. By simplifying priorities and focusing one person on one problem, you’re not just increasing productivity—you’re creating the space for true breakthroughs to emerge. https://lnkd.in/gqbRC3G5

Picture this: Dave, a modern-day professional, immerses himself in the hustle and bustle of daily tasks, darting from one activity to another, each demanding a slice of his fragmented attention. Hold on, scratch that. Let’s not romanticize the gritty reality of multitasking. It’s not an art, it’s not a skill. It's a scientifically documented pitfall. Let's talk facts. According to a study from the University of London, multitasking can drop your IQ as much as a night without sleep. That's not a badge of honour, that's a red flag waving vehemently, screaming for attention. Here’s another: a report published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology highlights that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%. That’s not just a dip, it's a cliff, a dangerous drop into the abyss of inefficiency. Think of your brain as a computer processor. When you overload it with too many programs running simultaneously, what happens? It slows down, lags, and sometimes crashes. The human brain, despite its complexity, operates on a similar principle. We are not built for simultaneous processing. We are built for focus, for dedicated engagement with one task at a time. But Dave is relentless, right? He bounces from emails to meetings, from spreadsheets to Slack notifications, a relentless pinball in the arcade of modern business chaos. Wrong move, Dave. Because with each switch, Dave pays a tax, a "switching cost" that drains cognitive resources and time. It’s like driving with a foot on the brake – a surefire recipe for burnout and decreased output. Steve Jobs didn’t rise to the pinnacle by scatter-gunning his focus. His genius lay in the relentless pursuit of perfection, in doing one thing, doing it extraordinarily well, and then moving on to the next. So, here’s the hard-hitting reality: Multitasking is not a skill to be honed; it's a mirage to be avoided. In the realm of business and entrepreneurial excellence, it's time to dismantle the multitasking myth, to discard it like the outdated relic it is. We need a shift, a radical refocusing of our energies. Because the future belongs not to the busiest, but to the focused, to those who can navigate the noise and hone in on what truly matters. Remember Dave? Tomorrow, Dave opts for a change. He decides to embrace unitasking, giving each task his undivided attention, nurturing it to completion without the cacophony of modern-day distractions. And as the day winds down, Dave realizes a profound truth: Multitasking was the greatest con of the modern business world. No more divided focus, no more fractured efforts. Do one thing, do it well, then move to the next. In the quest for excellence, it’s not about juggling tasks but mastering focus. One focused step at a time, onto a path less chaotic and more productive.

Ever returned from a much-needed break only to be greeted by an inbox that resembles a game of Tetris—just when you think you’ve cleared one, five more drop in? That’s exactly what happened when I returned from a two-week mission trip in Guatemala. While the trip was incredible, the email avalanche that awaited me was anything but. As leaders and executives, taking time off is essential, but the transition back to work can feel overwhelming. Here are my top 5 strategies to keep your sanity and stay on top of things after time away: 1-Prioritize Ruthlessly Not every email or meeting is a fire. Spend the first hour back triaging what needs immediate attention, what can be delegated, and what can wait. Trust me, the world won't end if you don’t reply to that group thread about last month's team lunch. 2-Set Expectations Before You Leave Before you pack your bags, make sure your team knows what to handle and when to escalate issues. This creates a buffer and keeps your inbox from becoming a disaster zone. 3-Use the 'Vacation Debrief' Meeting Schedule a meeting with key stakeholders to get a quick download on what happened while you were away. This avoids the back-and-forth email chains and gets you up to speed faster. 4-Embrace the 'Two-Minute Rule' If an email will take less than two minutes to address, do it immediately. This clears the quick tasks out of the way and gives you mental space to tackle bigger issues. 5-Pace Yourself It’s tempting to try to tackle everything on your first day back, but pace yourself. Block off your calendar for deep work time and allow yourself a few days to fully catch up. Returning from Guatemala was a stark reminder of how easily work can pile up, but these strategies helped me regain control without losing my post-vacation zen. How do you handle the post-vacation chaos? If you have any tips or want to learn more about how I maintained some of my daily routines during the mission trip, click like, share your thoughts, or ask a question in the comments below. Let’s keep the conversation going! #healthcareonlinkedin #litrendingtopics #productivity

Probably the simplest most-effective way to improve productivity is to reduce your work in progress (things you work on simultaneously) to 1. Think about a situation where you must work with a "platform team." Your team is bopping along until it comes across something it needs to do that the platform can't handle. It then stops work and hands off to the platform team. Rather than being idle while it waits, the first team now starts working on a second thing until it needs a database change, which it hands off to the database team. Not wanting to be idle, it starts working on a third thing. Weinberg points out that every "thing" you work on reduces productivity by about 20%. So, if you have three 5-day tasks. Working on two of them at once adds 20% to each task, so it will take 12 days to do 10 days of work. Add a third task and we're adding 2 days to each task, so it now will take 21 days to do 15 days of work. This isn't even considering what happens if the other team gets it wrong and you need to resubmit the request or the fact that it now takes up to four times longer (21 days rather than 5) to get something useful into your customer's hands. So, to work on only one thing at a time, we need to eliminate the dependencies. Our single product team needs to be able to make platform and database changes (safe ones, at least, to avoid collisions with other teams). They need to align with the other teams when they make those changes so that they don't break anything, but I find that an occasional chapter/guild meeting to deal with consistency issues takes way less time than the time you lose to WIP>1.

Are you part of a real team? Or do you sometimes feel isolated, unclear, and disconnected, even though you're surrounded by colleagues? Early in my career, I naively believed that assembling a group of high performers automatically equated to a high-performing team. But reality proved otherwise. Instead of synergy, I witnessed friction. The team wasn’t meshing; it was like gears grinding without proper lubrication. Each high performer, while brilliant on their own, seemed to have their own agenda, often pulling in different directions. The energy and time spent on internal friction was enormous, and the anticipated results? Well, they remained just that – anticipated. It was a stark realization that a team's effectiveness isn't just about individual brilliance��it's about harmony, alignment, and collaboration. With our workplace becoming increasingly diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic this is no easy feat. So, in my quest to understand the nuances of high performing teams, I reached out to my friend Daria Rudnik. Daria is a Team Architect - specializing in engineering remote teams for sustainable growth. She shared 5 key insights that can make all the difference: 1. Define a Shared Goal ↳Why? A team truly forms when united by a shared goal that can only be achieved together, not just by adding up individual efforts, ↳How? Involve the team in setting a clear, measurable goal at the project's start. Regularly revisit and communicate this goal to keep everyone aligned and motivated. 2. Cultivate Personal Connections ↳Why? Personal connections hold a team together, boosting trust, support, and understanding for a more productive environment. ↳How? Begin meetings with a social check-in. Let team members share updates or feelings, enhancing connection and understanding. 3. Clear Communication ↳Why? It’s the backbone of a successful team, preventing misunderstandings and building trust. ↳How? Hold regular team meetings and check-ins. Ensure a safe environment for expressing thoughts and concerns. 4. Defined Roles and Responsibilities ↳Why? Clear roles prevent overlap and ensure task coverage, giving a sense of ownership and accountability. ↳How? Outline everyone’s roles at the project's start, ensuring understanding of individual contributions to overall goals. 5. Provide Regular Feedback and Recognition ↳Why? Feedback clarifies strengths and areas for improvement. Recognition boosts morale and motivation. ↳How? Hold regular, constructive feedback sessions. Publicly recognize and reward achievements. Remember, 'team' isn't just a noun—it's a verb. It requires ongoing effort and commitment to work at it, refine it, and nurture it. 👉 Want to supercharge your team's performance? Comment “TEAM” below to grab your FREE e-book and learn how to 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦'𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 in just 90 days, courtesy of Daria.

Take Control of Your Day with These Time Management Hacks 👇 Struggling to fit everything into your day? These time management tips will help you stay focused, reduce stress, and make the most of your time. ⏰ Prompt 1: Morning Kickstart Planner Start your day with intention. Write out your top three priorities before you dive into emails or meetings. Use the “Eat the Frog” method by tackling your hardest task first. Track how this sets a productive tone for the rest of your day. ⏰ Prompt 2: Prioritization Power Tool Organize your to-do list using the Eisenhower Matrix. Categorize tasks as “Urgent & Important,” “Important but Not Urgent,” “Urgent but Not Important,” and “Neither.” Focus on what truly matters while delegating or eliminating the rest. Watch how this transforms your productivity! ⏰ Prompt 3: Time Blocking Mastery Schedule every hour of your day with time blocking. Dedicate specific blocks for deep work, meetings, and breaks. Add buffer time between tasks to stay flexible. Stick to this schedule to eliminate distractions and stay on track. ⏰ Prompt 4: Task Batching Genius Group similar tasks together to minimize context switching. For example, set aside one block of time for emails, another for phone calls, and another for brainstorming. This saves mental energy and keeps you in the zone. ⏰ Prompt 5: Pomodoro Productivity Boost Use the Pomodoro Technique to break work into 25-minute focus sessions followed by 5-minute breaks. After four cycles, take a longer 20-30 minute break. This method keeps you energized while avoiding burnout. ⏰ Prompt 6: Digital Detox Hour Turn off notifications and close unnecessary tabs during focus time. Use apps like Forest or Freedom to block distractions and reclaim your attention span. You’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish! ⏰ Prompt 7: Weekly Goal Alignment Every Sunday, set goals for the upcoming week and break them into daily tasks. Review progress at the end of each day to adjust as needed. This ensures you’re always moving toward your bigger objectives. ⏰ Prompt 8: Learn to Say No Protect your schedule by saying no to tasks that don’t align with your priorities. Politely delegate or defer when possible. This keeps you focused on what truly matters without spreading yourself too thin. ⏰ Prompt 9: Reflect & Refine Routine At the end of each week, reflect on what worked well and what didn’t in managing your time. Adjust strategies as needed to continuously improve your efficiency and balance. 👉 Follow me for more productivity tips! 🔄 Share this post to help others master their time and achieve their goals!

We often hustle to the point of burnout, but here’s the truth: You can't pour from an empty cup. Instead of wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor, let’s reframe self-care as an investment in sustainable success. Here’s how to give your best: • Prioritize rest: Productivity flows from being well-rested. Recharge so you can perform at your peak. • Set boundaries: Protect your energy. Learn to say no to distractions so you can say yes to what truly matters. • Focus on wellness: A healthy body fuels a sharp mind. Make movement, nutrition, and mindfulness part of your daily routine. • Make time for reflection: Self-awareness creates better decisions. Pause regularly to reassess and realign with your goals. When you take care of yourself, you show up more focused, creative, and resilient—and that's what creates lasting success. I remind my team of this simple mantra: “Work from overflow, not empty.”