How many productivity apps do you have on your smartphone? Do you have a folder labeled "Productivity" that holds all of these wonderful apps? Do you occasionally (or regularly) find yourself not getting things done despite this plethora of digital assistance? Am I speaking to you yet? Read on.
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No, this post is not about over/under splits dealing with lots for sporting events - note the "(other)" in the title. Besides, you don't want gambling advice from me anyway. I can't win at paper, rock, scissors or even at flipping a coin. I'm fine with games where everyone has an equal shot. Not so great at chance; it's just not my thing. But I digress.
Isn't it amazing how easy it is to be distracted by digital elements in our society? Right now you are reading this blog post instead of doing whatever else you should be doing. Granted, your brain is taking care of your heartbeat and breathing rhythm, but we are always finding things to distract us from the voluntary tasks we should be doing. I found the following infographic on Visual.ly this morning, and I thought it addressed the subject of digital distraction fairly well. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining about our techno marvels. But it is kind of eye-opening when you really take the time to consider how distracting they can be. Work on (or continue to digitally procrastinate)!  There's an infographic floating around out there that asks, "How Would You Like Your Graphic Design?" While the illustrated concepts have everything to do with output from the graphic design process, they are equally applicable to just about any kind of work product. The original version can be found on Visual.ly, but I've cropped the title off the version below so that you can see how this diagram directly relates to your work and the quality of work you expect from other people. Enjoy!  "Oh good, a philosophical post," you mutter as you shrug and roll your eyes. No, really, you should stick around for this one. On tap: reactionary versus proactive decision making.
The world is an ever-changing place (obviously). Mobile devices, the Internet, and social media all drive that change at a vastly accelerated rate over what we encountered even five years ago. Businesses have to be far more fluid than in years past, meaning they have to be prepared for market changes and expect significant shifts in their respective industries. How businesses implement policies to handle market shifts - when the rubber meets the road - says a great deal about how those businesses are run. When a company responds to market shifts and creates action plans after the fact, it is said to be reactionary. On the other hand, when a business anticipates market tendencies and preemptively aligns itself with future outcomes, it is said to be proactive. Companies shy away from proactive decision making for a lot of reasons, but none more than the ever-present business assassin, risk. What if the company shifts prematurely? What if the anticipated change doesn't occur or occurs in a manner other than what's expected? While these concerns are legitimate, they are no less avoidable than other inherent business risks when approached with the right frame of mind. Look at mobile apps - great example of these concepts in action. Company A sees a market trend - people can't seem to stop buying $0.99 applications that run on mobile devices. Company A seeks to exploit this trend in its industry before its competitors can do so. All the while, Company B sees the same market trend and discusses it ad nauseum. Rather than changing its business model to preemptively capture a potential high-growth market, Company B rejects mobile app development on the premise that sharing revenue with a third-party distributor for each copy of the software sold is ridiculous (even though its current distributor relationship offers an even greater discount on physical products). Six months later, Company B is exploring mobile app development (albeit with the same, "don't-share-your-profit" mindset) because an obvious revenue stream has manifested. Company A has completely reinvented itself, captured a new market segment, and increased its industry reputation all while making a good deal of money in the process. The only reason this was possible was because Company A believes in proactive decision making; Company B does not. Whatever course you choose when it comes to decision making, be sure you evaluate the short- and long-term consequences of both courses. Be sure you understand the managerial projection this issue will have on your employees. When at all possible, try and stay ahead of the curve. Decide, implement, and leave your reluctant competition behind. Ever feel locked in line? The line isn't moving; you're just stuck there? Lack of progress on a project is a sure fire way to create resentment and poor morale among team members. I saw an image online today that made me think about my personal strategy for resolving deadlock and instigating progress. I added a little speech balloon, and...well...we have this...  Morale of the story: Look for an escape route. If you're on a boat, and it springs a leak, are you just going to sit there and except your fate or are you going to get up and try to save yourself? Unless your suffering from Eeyore syndrome, you are gonna get up and do all you can to not drown! Task/project productivity should be treated the same way. Not making progress? Well then, look for an alternative path that will allow you to get the job done.
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