Productivity – Cube Learning and Development

July 6, 2023

Boosting team productivity: strategies for effective collaboration in the workplace

In the modern workplace, team productivity plays a crucial role in achieving organisational success. According to a survey conducted by McKinsey, highly collaborative teams are 20-25% more productive than their less collaborative counterparts. Effective collaboration and streamlined teamwork are vital components that contribute to a team’s overall productivity. In this blog, we’ll explore key strategies to enhance your team’s productivity both on and offline. Cascading team objectives Clear and well-defined team objectives serve as a compass for focused and aligned effort. Ensure that team objectives are communicated and cascaded effectively, […]

June 1, 2023

The power of marginal gains: small changes for long-term success

In today’s competitive professional landscape, achieving consistent and significant improvements in workplace performance can be challenging. However, by embracing the concept of marginal gains, you can unlock your full potential and achieve long-term success. In this blog, we’ll explore the profound impact of marginal gains, using real-life examples from renowned figures such as David Brailsford, Peter Bregman, and Hal Elrod. We’ll also share top tips for putting small changes into practice to enhance your performance. What are marginal gains? Marginal gains involve making small, incremental changes in various aspects of […]

May 3, 2023

How to stop procrastinating at work and get more done

We’re all guilty of putting things off or overthinking situations, but how do you stop procrastinating and get more done at work? First, we need to understand what procrastination is and why we do it. What is procrastination? Procrastination is a common problem, causing stress, anxiety, and often a sense of guilt. Dr Piers Steel, one of the world’s pre-eminent researchers on procrastination, defines it as ‘the voluntary postponement of an unpleasant task, often against one’s better judgement.’ If you spend your time dragging your feet and delaying the inevitable, […]

April 4, 2023

Four ways to enter a flow state of mind

If you’ve ever been completely immersed in a task or felt ‘in the zone’, its likely you’ve experienced a flow state of mind. You might have found this happens when you’re learning something new, being creative such as writing of painting, or taking part in a sport. Being able to harness a flow state of mind is an important productivity hack. Here’s what you need to know about it, so you can use it to your advantage. What is flow state of mind? Flow is a feeling of effortless focus […]

March 2, 2023

Prioritising your workload for personal effectiveness

With our fast-paced lives, prioritising your workload can help you be more efficient and achieve your goals faster. We often find ourselves juggling multiple tasks and wasting precious time on meetings that could have been an email. So how do you make more time for creativity and ultimately become more productive? Understanding the urgency and importance of tasks coming your way is the first step. Stephen Covey’s ‘Four Quadrants’ is a useful time management tool to help prioritise work tasks and identify those pesky timewasters. A matrix to prioritise tasks […]

February 9, 2023

The difference between pressure and stress for peak performance

We’ve all experienced pressure and stress within our lives, but what’s the difference, and how does this impact performance at work? It’s reported that one in 40 workers were affected by work-related stress, anxiety or depression in 2020 to 2021. That’s around 18 million working days thought to be lost each year because of these problems. A little bit of stress is good for people to perform and protect themselves, say the World Health Organisation (WHO), but too much stress can overwhelm them leading to a fight, flight or freeze […]

July 4, 2022

Presentation Structure – what to consider for maximum impact

In the last blog, (click link – Preparing Perfect Presentations) we discussed presentations: the importance of preparation and how understanding your audience’s needs positively supports their engagement. The next step to delivering a great presentation is to consider how to structure it to achieve maximum impact. Telling the story Think about the structure of a simple story – one you might have been read at primary school. All the best presentations, like the best stories, should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Considering and constructing each of […]

June 6, 2022

Preparing Perfect Presentations

You’ve been asked to do a presentation, so striking while the iron’s hot, you settle down with your laptop, or a notebook and pen and get to work. But before you launch into creating content or designing attractive slides – stop. There’s no denying that for many business professionals, being able to deliver a great presentation is seen as a key skill. Nearly 70 per cent of people surveyed by a Prezi and Harris Poll agreed that presentations are critical to success at work. But while the focus of presenters […]

May 9, 2022

The Thomas-Kilmann model for managing conflict – choosing the right conflict response

In the last blog, we discussed how conflict, if carefully handled in a timely manner, can actually be beneficial to businesses. (link – conflict is good) This time, we’ll focus on the Thomas-Kilmann model, which outlines a range of responses conflict can elicit in people and how managers can actively tailor their responses to be more appropriate – and ultimately more successful – in resolving the issue. If you’re dealing with conflict, you’re bound to have your own personal preferences for how you approach the situation. It’s important, though, to make […]

April 18, 2022

Conflict is Good

Conflict: how can it be a good thing? In May 2021, workplace expert Acas published a report which showed nearly half a million employees resign every year as a result of workplace conflict. It also revealed the potential for increased conflict as organisations try to adapt to changes after COVID-19. There’s a clear benefit to handling conflict early. Not least avoiding stress and impact on team morale. But unpick the problem, and you might find it’s productive and leads to positive change. Here’s why. How can conflict be a positive thing? Many […]

February 19, 2022

Feeding Back Effectively: tips to help keep feedback helpful and constructive

In the last blog, we discussed how facilitating good feedback should be a priority for leaders. It’s critical for improving the performance of your team. But what is best practice when it comes to delivering that feedback? To be truly effective, feedback needs to fulfil these criteria: Timely If you had to pick one vital component to make feedback effective, it’s timing. Feedback conversations – whether positive or negative in nature – are most effective when they’re held as soon as possible after the event. Relevance wanes after a while – […]

April 11, 2021

Productivity and effectiveness: technology and techniques

In our March blog we reflected on the reality of working from home and the impact this has on our ability to be as effective as possible. In the 24/7 switched on world we live in, it can quickly become overwhelming to start each day without a clear idea of what you need to be on top of. And it’s equally as deflating to end it feeling like you haven’t achieved what you needed to. Once you’ve mastered how to look more critically at what’s important to deliver each day, […]

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