The Holy Grail of Productivity

Every company I encounter is trying to do more with less. I know numerous executives and managers who seem to acquire additional titles as often as they receive year-end bonuses. Employees at every level juggle To-Do lists more prolific than rabbits. Unbelievably, most accept this fate and persevere the best they can. Since they’ve been told repeatedly to “work smarter, not harder,” many, especially the high achievers, assume responsibility for their long hours and blame themselves for not being smart enough to avoid working so hard. In their spare time, they surf the Internet hoping to find the holy grail — that magical tip that will finally end their suffering and let them please their bosses while also enjoying their evenings and weekends once again.

4 Steps to a Complete To-Do List Clean Out

We all have them -- those onerous, boring, or socially awkward tasks that haunt our to-do lists for days or weeks as we struggle to motivate ourselves to actually tackle them. Over time these dreaded items pile up, making you feel unproductive and guilty, and creating a further drain on your energy.

Isn't it time you just checked them all off already?

Of course it is, but actually accomplishing such a to-do list clean out is easier said than done. But Better Than Before author Gretchen Rubin can help. A procrastinator like the rest of us, she recently wrote on her blog about the sort unpleasant tasks she routinely puts off, as well as the lovely feeling of relief that comes when you finally conquer them. Here are a handful of the tips she offers to help you finally unclog your own to-do list:

Why Your Coworker Gets Special Privileges

our co-worker seems to get special treatment all the time and it drives you crazy. Now, it's possible that your boss is simply a bad manager who plays favorites (or who is too wimpy to stand up to an employee who doesn't take her job seriously). However, while some managers totally stink, most are doing the best that they can and have very good reasons for why your coworker gets privileges that you don't have. Here's why her life seems to be better than yours:

Ways to Keep Employees Focused on Work and Not Their Phones

The smartphone is arguably one of the best and worst technological advancements in recent years. Thanks to the smartphone, people have quick access to information and apps that make their lives easier. But these devices are also an addictive productivity-killer.

In a 2016 CareerBuilder survey of more than 3,000 employees, 82 percent of respondents said they keep their smartphones within eyeshot while working. Understandably, that degree of proximity contributed to 55 percent of respondents also calling cellphones and texting the biggest distraction in the office.

How to Catch a Liar Before You Hire Them

Research shows that our ability to detect when someone is lying is just as good as an estimate or a guess. Perhaps, this is why lies get past us so often because our guess is that the person is not lying. For most people, the act of lying elicits several reactions because it takes the brain some time to pause and not tell the truth.

Some of these reactions include an increased stress response (think Brian Williams), a stance of defiance and dominance (think Lance Armstrong), and a covering of true emotions, otherwise known as the truth (think Anthony Weiner). Wouldn't it be great to know when you are being lied to? Or better yet, that you could get a heads-up before someone starts lying to you?