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Abstract

ating on work problems rather than enjoying the sun and waves. Or, I’d plan a flurry of activity during my vacation as if to show myself that I could be productive even while recreating.A couple of years into my position, I realized the pace wasn’t sustainable. I also realized almost every article I read on productivity required adding something to my life. Oh, that addition was touted to be the magic fix that would allow me to get more out of my days, but in the end, wasn’t I already stretched thin enough without adding something else? Finally, I had enough, and I searched for a better strategy.That’s when I stumbled upon the secret that changed how I spent my days at work and structured my life. This secret can be summed up in one word: VALUE.Here’s the thing, we will always, and I mean always, default to doing what is important to us. Whatever we value will be what drives our decisions, whether we are aware of it or not. If your most significant value is money, you will default to doing whatever you can to make more of it, even to the detriment of your family. If you value your free time, you will struggle to meet the demands of a job that requires more than 40 hours of your week.What do you value most?Our core values are our driving force in our careers and everyday lives. Over the years, I have been surprised that people are largely unaware of their core values. If you are one of those people, I encourage you to take some undistracted time to figure out the three most essential things in your life. Once you nail those down, you can orient your life and work around those values.Back to productivity. When I realized I wasn’t entirely happy in my job and couldn’t sustain the pace I was operating, I took a few days off work for a personal retreat to determine what I wanted most out of my career and personal life. I rented a place in a little island town where there was nothing to distract me except a nice view, a great coffee shop, and a few good restaurants. I spent my time journaling and walking to give my mind space to open up. What I learned about myself was life-changing, especially for my career.The word that continued to flood my mind was engagement. Simply put, I wanted to know what made my employees tick and how I could help them get what they wanted out of work. I began to prioritize employee engagement, and I surmised that they would become loyal and productive employees if they felt valued.Once I had my core value, I started reorienting my daily schedule to reflect that value. I spent more time on the tasks that allowed me to directly engage with my staff and set aside things that didn’t. As I prioritized employee engagement, two exciting things happened. I started enjoying my job a lot more as I sensed I was doing something valua

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ble, and my staff also started enjoying their jobs more.I began to see productivity increase within our clinics, and our employees engaged more genuinely with our patients. I became the person who would go to bat for them and the person who listened to them. I became the boss who empowered them to do their job well, and they became more efficient. I also started identifying the employees who were disengaged and simply there to punch the clock and targeted them to see if they were malleable.As I saw the positive effects of my engagement with the staff, I also saw the negative effect of employees who didn’t care about their job. In these cases, I worked to transition them to something better outside our company. Life is too short to work somewhere you dislike. Moving unmotivated staff along also created openings that could be filled by those who wanted to make their work environment excellent.This shift helped me be creative with simple day-to-day details that helped me be more efficient. I started putting out-of-office messages on my emails when I was going to be tied up in meetings or interviews most of the day. In doing this, the staff knew to expect my response to be delayed, which saved them from feeling frustrated or ignored. It also helped me realize I could leave email responses for the following day rather than staying late to get caught up at work.Switching to a value-based approach to productivity also helped me say no to things that didn’t fit my core values. When asked to take up a new project, I would first ask if it fit my value of staff engagement; if it didn’t, I rarely said yes. If we aren’t aware of our primary value, we will grasp at whatever comes along in hopes it will add to our success. Often, saying no is one of the best things we can do to stimulate success.A value-based approach also gives us clarity and a firm foundation to build our careers upon. I embodied a people-first approach in my management style, creating an atmosphere that drew people in. I had physical therapists from other companies reaching out to me because they wanted to work for a company that put its employees first. And I would go home knowing I was not only doing great work; I enjoyed myself in the process.Listen, you can feel free to continue to adopt the latest strategy to increase productivity but know this. Whatever you value the most will significantly impact your performance at work. Figuring out what that is and then structuring your day around it will make you more productive and likely increase your enjoyment at work. The happier you are at work, the more efficient you will be.©Kim Kelly Stamp All rights reservedIf you enjoyed this article please feel free to give me a few claps and hit the follow button if you’d like to see more content like this.</article></body>

The Valuable Productivity Secret No One Is Talking About

Here’s a hint: it has nothing to do with meditation, exercise, or waking up earlier. But if you follow this advice, it will impact your life forever.

During the final ten years of my healthcare management career, I discovered a secret that changed everything for me, and in a few minutes, I will share it with you. So, keep reading if you’re interested in being more productive and successful without adding anything new to your life.

There are a plethora of articles about productivity. We live in a productivity-obsessed society that impacts not only our work lives but also our personal lives. Those in productivity-driven jobs are always looking for a leg up to increase their ability to meet demands and score higher profits. Finding ways to hack your schedule or strategies to make your life more efficient are alluring even if your job isn’t reliant on productivity.

Part of the problem with productivity is that the target continues to move. We can never be satisfied with reaching our goals because once we get there, the bar moves up, often before the celebration of our success is over. If you’re in sales, you know this intimately. Your company sets a sales goal for the year, and when you bust your ass to meet it, they give you a new goal 10% higher than your last one. When does it end?

I worked in a classic middle management position within a large private physical therapy company. The joy of middle management is that you’re stuck between those below you and those above you, and the demands on your time and attention are legendary. We were not heavily focused on productivity, but there was a subtle push to see more patients and charge more fees each year.

Early in my career, I tried a variety of productivity tricks and tools; haven’t we all? It wasn’t uncommon for me to receive 75–100 emails a day, and I had eight separate clinics I was in charge of, including managing the 65+ employees who worked in those clinics.

It was easy to get excited when a new article about how to increase productivity hit the internet. Whether the recommendation was to wake up at 5 am, begin a structured exercise routine before work, or bullet-proof my coffee with MCT oil, I was game to try it. Any suggestion that promised I’d have more energy and focus was voraciously consumed. I even attempted meditating regularly, but my ADHD brain couldn’t be still for more than 2.5 minutes.

I was unable to relax during scheduled vacations and always kept my phone on in case of an emergency. I’d attempt to lounge on the beach only to find myself ruminating on work problems rather than enjoying the sun and waves. Or, I’d plan a flurry of activity during my vacation as if to show myself that I could be productive even while recreating.

A couple of years into my position, I realized the pace wasn’t sustainable. I also realized almost every article I read on productivity required adding something to my life. Oh, that addition was touted to be the magic fix that would allow me to get more out of my days, but in the end, wasn’t I already stretched thin enough without adding something else? Finally, I had enough, and I searched for a better strategy.

That’s when I stumbled upon the secret that changed how I spent my days at work and structured my life. This secret can be summed up in one word: VALUE.

Here’s the thing, we will always, and I mean always, default to doing what is important to us. Whatever we value will be what drives our decisions, whether we are aware of it or not. If your most significant value is money, you will default to doing whatever you can to make more of it, even to the detriment of your family. If you value your free time, you will struggle to meet the demands of a job that requires more than 40 hours of your week.

What do you value most?

Our core values are our driving force in our careers and everyday lives. Over the years, I have been surprised that people are largely unaware of their core values. If you are one of those people, I encourage you to take some undistracted time to figure out the three most essential things in your life. Once you nail those down, you can orient your life and work around those values.

Back to productivity. When I realized I wasn’t entirely happy in my job and couldn’t sustain the pace I was operating, I took a few days off work for a personal retreat to determine what I wanted most out of my career and personal life. I rented a place in a little island town where there was nothing to distract me except a nice view, a great coffee shop, and a few good restaurants. I spent my time journaling and walking to give my mind space to open up. What I learned about myself was life-changing, especially for my career.

The word that continued to flood my mind was engagement. Simply put, I wanted to know what made my employees tick and how I could help them get what they wanted out of work. I began to prioritize employee engagement, and I surmised that they would become loyal and productive employees if they felt valued.

Once I had my core value, I started reorienting my daily schedule to reflect that value. I spent more time on the tasks that allowed me to directly engage with my staff and set aside things that didn’t. As I prioritized employee engagement, two exciting things happened. I started enjoying my job a lot more as I sensed I was doing something valuable, and my staff also started enjoying their jobs more.

I began to see productivity increase within our clinics, and our employees engaged more genuinely with our patients. I became the person who would go to bat for them and the person who listened to them. I became the boss who empowered them to do their job well, and they became more efficient. I also started identifying the employees who were disengaged and simply there to punch the clock and targeted them to see if they were malleable.

As I saw the positive effects of my engagement with the staff, I also saw the negative effect of employees who didn’t care about their job. In these cases, I worked to transition them to something better outside our company. Life is too short to work somewhere you dislike. Moving unmotivated staff along also created openings that could be filled by those who wanted to make their work environment excellent.

This shift helped me be creative with simple day-to-day details that helped me be more efficient. I started putting out-of-office messages on my emails when I was going to be tied up in meetings or interviews most of the day. In doing this, the staff knew to expect my response to be delayed, which saved them from feeling frustrated or ignored. It also helped me realize I could leave email responses for the following day rather than staying late to get caught up at work.

Switching to a value-based approach to productivity also helped me say no to things that didn’t fit my core values. When asked to take up a new project, I would first ask if it fit my value of staff engagement; if it didn’t, I rarely said yes. If we aren’t aware of our primary value, we will grasp at whatever comes along in hopes it will add to our success. Often, saying no is one of the best things we can do to stimulate success.

A value-based approach also gives us clarity and a firm foundation to build our careers upon. I embodied a people-first approach in my management style, creating an atmosphere that drew people in. I had physical therapists from other companies reaching out to me because they wanted to work for a company that put its employees first. And I would go home knowing I was not only doing great work; I enjoyed myself in the process.

Listen, you can feel free to continue to adopt the latest strategy to increase productivity but know this. Whatever you value the most will significantly impact your performance at work. Figuring out what that is and then structuring your day around it will make you more productive and likely increase your enjoyment at work. The happier you are at work, the more efficient you will be.

If you enjoyed this article please feel free to give me a few claps and hit the follow button if you’d like to see more content like this.