From Corporate - Edition #12

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We’re in the throes of an epidemic right now and its name is optimization. Everywhere you look people are trying to “hack” their lives, to work faster, get more done and recoup that one elusive thing: time.

Which is why when you search “procrastination”, nearly all related keywords are around how to stop it. But what if by cutting out procrastination, we’re actually cutting out our best ideas? In this week’s top stories we look at why high-performing workers procrastinate, why longer lunches might be okay and brain-boosting hobbies to prioritize.

Wasting time at work

In this article, Jotform Founder Aytekin Tank looks at how regular, structured breaks help top athletes recoup what they need to win more games. Suggesting that to work better, and have more ideas, we need breaks that give our prefrontal cortex a breather, like walks, daydreaming and even leisurely lunches.

Do you hit deadlines?

When we think of “high performance” we often think of those who jump into a task or idea without procrastination. But organizational psychologist Adam Grant, who studies “original” thinkers, says that those who wait a while before starting a task actually produce better results.

Top performing workplaces

An independent assessment of 971 workplaces worldwide looked for the holy grail: organizations with outstanding employee experience. Out of those 971 workplaces, 28 made the cut. What did they have in common? Most had open-plan offices, with different workspaces for different tasks rather than personal desks and greener credentials which supposedly cause an upswing in employee pride.

Motivation: have you seen it?

Ever wondered what causes great employees to lose motivation? This research review suggests four main bugbears, including low value in tasks, lack of confidence, employees that are consumed by negative incidents in their personal lives and not being able to locate the cause behind a task that’s troubling you.

Brain-boosting hobbies

If, like me, your hobbies include watching Netflix repeats and spending a lot of time with your dog, then it’s time to rethink your activities. According to science, there are some hobbies which are more “brain-boosting” than others. Examples include reading, playing a musical instrument, layered learning where you improve on something you already know and puzzles or games.

Why procrastination isn’t laziness

Be honest, when you think about those who procrastinate does the adjective “lazy” come to mind? Well, according to this NY Times article procrastination is actually a displacement activity, which we do in order to cope better with how certain tasks make us feel. So next time you’re bored, frustrated or anxious and decide to rearrange your paperclips, remember: it’s not you, it’s your bad mood.

What good communicators have in common

Ever wondered why some people make you sit up and listen and others are sending out signals that send you to sleep? In this blog, we look at five characteristics great communicators have in common and how these play out in the workplace. From meaning what you say, to bringing others along with you using the art of the big picture.

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The header image in this post was found on stocksnap.io but we think it's really nice when someone creates an image for people like us to use for free, so a big shout out and thanks to JESHOOTS.com.