Author: Dave Edwards
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Getting Stuff Into Evernote
While Evernote is most commonly used to store documents and track projects, it can be very helpful at storing everything from PDFs, emails to audio files. On this edition of Evernote Tips and Tricks, we look at inputting data into Evernote.
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Mac Moments: Starting A New App
While most Mac users know they can open an app from the home screen doc, there are seven other ways to start a program even if it doesn’t appear in the dock.
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5 Ways To Avoid Procrastination
Many of us procrastinate when there is something we need to do. Here are five steps to fix that habit.
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Writing “Meaningful” Performance Goals
Does your organization have a process in place to assess the performance of your employees, or do managers just rank staff based on their personal feeling and observations? While the performance evaluation process often gets a bad reputation, it can be very helpful if done correctly.
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Using GTD To Manage Big Projects
One of the major thrusts of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” productivity system is that you need to write everything down and track all of the next actions. In the last couple of years, Allen moved from California to the Netherlands and renovated an apartment. He tells Dave Edwards how he approaches a big project like that.
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Mac Moments: Using Your Dock
It sits on the bottom edge of your Mac screen and it is key how you get things done. Its the dock and it is key to accessing everything from apps to folders. On this Mac Moments, we share things about the dock that you may not know.
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What Are Your Employees Worried About?
As employees have had to adapt to new working conditions and deal with Covid and other issues, it is only natural that some of them have concerns over the future of their job. Here is how effective managers can work with workers who have these concerns.
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Hire and Retain Your Best Employees
Nearly half of American workers are looking for a new job. Losing good employees can cost a company a lot. So, a focus on retention and finding the right candidate is essential. Here are some suggestions for employers to consider.
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Scanning Notes or Documents Into Evernote
Have you ever lost notes you’ve taken during a meeting? Are you keeping daily journals that eventually sit in the bottom of a drawer? You can bring them alive in Evernote even if they are handwritten.
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Mac Moments: Storing Photos In The Cloud
If you love to take photos, it’s a good idea to store them in the cloud. On this “Mac Moment” we share how to use the iCloud to backup and store your photos and movies.
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The Problem With Email: Carefully Crafting Your Message
Now that so many more people are working remotely, there is a greater reliance on email so there is the likelihood of even more confusion. Sometimes the writer’s intent comes off wrong if words are not chosen carefully. Here are some tips for carefully crafting your emails.
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Happy People Are More Productive
Teaching yourself how to be happy, or see the good in every situation, will help you to be more productive.
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Productivity On The Go: Paper vs Digital
Computers have made it easy for some people to try and go paperless rather than keep a lot of paper documents on hand. This is especially a challenge for those who have to travel on business. But David Allen, the author of “Getting Things Done” finds that a paper-based system is more efficient.
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Mac Moments: Time Saving Tricks
Today another in a series of time saving tricks that you can use when working on your Mac computer.
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Improving Your Attention Span Will Increase Your Productivity
A short attention span can sabotage our best efforts to be productive. As a result of many studies, we’ve learned that there are seven things we can be doing to create better focus.
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Tame Your Calendar and Increase Your Productivity
If your calendar is out of control with meeting after meeting, I have some ideas on how you can use it more effectively.
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Reevaluate Your Workspace When Returning To Work
If you are returning to your office after more than a year, it may be time to look at your workplace environment and determine whether it is a help or detriment to your productivity.
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Staying Productive While Traveling
Airplanes are full as more and more people travel again for business and pleasure. That means it is time to refresh our productivity systems so that we are just as efficient on the road as we are in the office. David Allen, author of “Getting Things Done” explains his system to Dave Edwards
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How To Name Your Computer Files
We store a lot of files on our computer’s hard drive, but when it is time to find something again, the process is made more difficult if you don’t have a strong and consistent naming system for your files. Here is how to overcome that problem.
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Seeking Perfection Hurts Productivity
A person who is a perfectionist works to do everything without making a mistake. They may see it as a pathway to productivity, but it rarely is. It usually interferes with doing their best work and causes frustration. Here are some ways to reduce feelings of perfectionism.
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What Is Your Leadership Style?
Every leader has their own style. Steve Jobs was a different type of leader than Bill Gates, yet no one would argue that both weren’t successful. Some possess the renegade visionary style while others might take a more conservative approach. But no matter their individual styles, we see certain traits emerge in the very best.
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Why Are Some People Difficult To Manage or Work With?
Some work colleagues are easygoing, while others always seem to want to throw obstacles in the way. Managing or working with difficult employees are key frustrations in the workplace. Why and what can you do about it?
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How To Search Your Mac Using ‘Spotlight’
You may not have a perfect naming and filing system for the files and pictures that you store on your Mac. But, if you know how to use Spotlight you have a search tool that will you find anything you need.
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Happy People Are More Productive
Teaching yourself how to be happy, or see the good in every situation, will help you to be more productive.
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Leadership Lessons from a US General
I wanted to read a book that told me more about the recent actions of our military. I also wanted to learn more about how a US General functions as Defense Secretary and navigates the highly charged political environment. That’s why I started to read “Call Sign Chaos” from US General Jim Mattis and loved it
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Be The Kind Of Leader YOU Admire
You may have had the chance to work with someone who is a true leader. They know how to motivate people and get things done. Here’s a look at how they do it and how you can adapt their techniques into your skillset.
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Advanced Searches in Evernote
The value of Evernote is not only in its ability to store lots of material, but its ability to quickly search your files when you need specific information. In this episode, we learn basic and advanced search techniques.
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Speeding Up A Slow Mac
Your once fast running Mac may have slowed down. But rather than replace it, there are a number of things you can do to fix it and speed it up.
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Keep Track of Your Time
It’s easy to lose track of how you spend your time, especially when you have a bush day. Time tracking is a good way of looking for opportunities to increase your productivity.
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Are You Thinking About A New Job?
Perhaps you put off searching for a new job until the worst of the coronavirus was behind us. Now is the time to consider whether you want to seek a new job.
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Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals
Here’s a different way of looking at personal productivity. We live for about 4,000 weeks. How do we make the best of them?
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Backing Up Your Notes in Evernote
Whenever you create a note in Evernote, it stores the information in the cloud. How safe is your data? On this episode we show you how to backup your Evernote files as a safety measure, and how to restore a file.
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Email Should Increase Your Productivity
People complain about receiving too many emails and their inability to stay current on everything coming into your inbox. It doesn’t have to be that way if you follow some simple tips.
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Is Your Computer Hurting Your Productivity?
Our desktop computers have allowed us to do more and faster, but an out of date computer can really slow you down. Even with a very fast computer there are shortcuts you can use to increase your productivity.
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Harvard Study Shows How Covid Changed Way We Work
The work from home culture has changed the way we work. We are on more teleconferences and we are sending more emails. But are we as efficient?
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Building Better and More Productive Habits
We’ve all tried to build new habits into our daily routine. Sometimes we are successful, but often it is more difficult than we think it will be. Here are five ways to establish better and more productive habits.
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Evernote: Using Shortcuts As Part of My Organizational System
You can save important notes as shortcuts on your home screen. Using them and tags are very helpful when planning a vacation.
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Onboarding A Work From Home Employee
Many organizations are hiring new employees who will be working at home. What should the onboarding process look like in that situation that will allow the new hire to ease into their new job? LINK
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This Is What Leadership Looks Like
A senior at Marquette University already knows how to be leader. This is her story.
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How To Compare Two Job Offers
You might think that getting a job offer is difficult. It can be. But, when you get more than one offer, how do you decide between them. Here is an approach you might want to take.
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How To Be The Kind of Leader You Admire
Why do some people stand out as leaders? What skills do they have? Here are some questions you can ask about the leaders you admire so that you can adapt what they know into your role as a manager/leader.
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David Allen: Deleting Tasks That Are No Longer Important
Did you ever notice that your ‘to-do’ lists are getting too long? What should you do? Productivity expert David Allen, author of Getting Things Done (GTD) has some advice.
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The Laws of Human Nature
Robert Greene’s “The Laws of Human Nature” may be the best book I have read in a long time and if I had my way it would be a textbook in every high school in America.
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Measuring Morale
All managers seek to have a work environment where morale is high. We intuitively know that this will lead to greater productivity. But how do you measure morale? Here’s how you can see if you have a morale problem at work.
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Earning Respect As A Manager / Leader
Even if you are the boss, you don’t walk into the job with the automatic respect of your staff. They might respect the position, but to be truly effective, leaders need to earn the respect of their team members.
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Your Journey from Manager to Leader
The terms ‘manager’ and ‘leader’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Becoming a leader is a sign of success because people want to follow you.
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Evernote Tips: A Caution About Using Tags
One of the most popular features in Evernote is the ability to create tags inside of notes. They allow you to quickly find things that have something in common. But, there is a problem that if you use tags incorrectly it can complicate your system.
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Workaholics Risk Their Health
If you are working long hours, you are risking your health. Here is how to achieve better work-life balance.
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Making A Career Move Requires A Strategy
If you are thinking about changing careers here are 6 things you will want to consider.
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