Extreme Productivity Quotes

“Although most people believe they are ethical, few have actually written down their own code of ethics. Don’t rely solely on the mission statement or compliance manual supplied by your firm. Instead, identify three or four main principles that will guide your personal behavior over your professional career—and write them down. For each principle, think about why you believe it is important. Then think about a situation in which you would find it difficult to abide by that principle, and consider how you would address the challenge.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Once the Q&A session begins, you should abide by the following ground rules: • When someone asks a question, make sure it is heard by everyone. Repeat the question if necessary. • To encourage more questions from the audience, respond to initial volunteers by saying, “That is an excellent question.” • Don’t let one person dominate the Q&A session; if no one else volunteers, call on one of your “planted” questioners. • Don’t let anyone give a speech instead of posing a question; if someone starts down that road, ask him or her politely to get to a question. • If you are asked an unexpectedly tough question, repeat the question to give yourself time to think of a good answer. • Give a thoughtful answer to each question, but don’t go on too long. An in-depth answer might be of interest only to the person who asked.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“PREPARING FOR A SPEECH The key to effective speaking is preparing well before the event. Preparatory activities can be divided into three main areas: knowing your audience, structuring your speech, and practicing your delivery.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“First, read the introduction carefully, looking for the theme sentence or paragraph that will unlock the whole article or chapter. The theme sentence or paragraph often encapsulates the ideas and structure of the piece. Then skip directly to the conclusion. Why? Because the conclusion tells you where the writer is going to end up. It usually summarizes his or her main points and, if it’s well done, suggests what the writer thinks are the key takeaways. Only when you know where the writer is aiming should you read the body of the text. (I’ll have more to say on how to read the body of text shortly.)”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Unfortunately, a good reputation for personal integrity, developed over many years, can be lost quickly. Warren Buffett was exactly right when he said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”20 The psychologists John Skowronski and Donal Carlston have demonstrated that people don’t evaluate someone’s integrity by observing all of her actions and taking some sort of “average.”21 Rather, people place a heavier weight on negative actions. For a person to be a “liar,” he needs to tell a lie only occasionally; for a person to be “honest,” he must tell the truth all the time.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Consider the following questions when deciding whether to discuss a disagreement with your boss: How big are the stakes involved? Do you think you can prevail in this argument? What will happen if you don’t fight at all? If the stakes are modest or your chances of prevailing are low, grit your teeth and go along with your boss’s position. Remember the lyrics from the Kenny Rogers song: “You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.”5”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“When Amabile analyzed the data, she came to a clear conclusion about one key factor: workers are happiest—and most motivated—when they feel that they accomplish something meaningful at work. These accomplishments do not need to be major breakthroughs: incremental but noticeable progress toward a goal was enough to make her subjects feel good. As one programmer described it, “I smashed that [computer] bug that’s been frustrating me for almost a calendar week. That may not be an event to you, but I live a very drab life, so I’m all hyped.”1 The lesson here is that managers can get the most out of their employees by helping them achieve meaningful progress every day.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Start with an Introduction In my view, a good introduction must fulfill three objectives: • Provide the reader with context • State the main theme of the author • Explain the organization of the writing At the start, the reader needs background facts to understand why he or she is spending time on the piece.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“My approach to creating an outline is completely systematic: first I brainstorm, next I categorize, and then I outline the final product. • Brainstorm: I take a blank piece of paper and jot down all my thoughts on the relevant subject. My goal is to get down as many ideas as possible, not to put them into any particular order. • Categorize: Next I put the ideas into various categories and subcategories. This process helps me organize my ideas into groupings, which will become the building blocks of an outline. • Outline: Then I arrange and rearrange the groupings in various combinations. In the end, I try to find a logical order for the groupings, which can serve as a writing outline.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“1. Understanding key ideas. I recently read an article in the Economist on declining marriage rates among women in Asia. I had no immediate use for the detailed statistics in that article, but I thought I might use them in the future to describe how demographic trends affect public retirement plans. So I skimmed it to learn the general trends. 2. Finding specific facts. At the opposite pole is reading closely for facts. When I’m preparing for a board meeting, I carefully look over the memos and reports related to the company’s quarterly performance. I want to be able to remember certain key statistics and substantive points to discuss with the board.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“By letting the participants create their own follow-ups and time schedule, I’m trying to create a sense of ownership in them. This principle is known as the “IKEA Effect,” named for the home furnishings retailer whose products are notoriously difficult to assemble. The IKEA Effect states that by forcing consumers to play an active role in the assembly of their dresser or bookshelf, they will value the product more highly than if it were assembled in store.11 In a similar fashion, by creating their own deadlines, employees will be more motivated to meet them.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“managers don’t seem to be aware of this. In a related study, Amabile asked 669 managers to rank five different factors affecting employee morale: support for making progress, recognition for good work, monetary incentives, interpersonal support, and clear goals. Only 5 percent ranked support for making progress first, and most ranked it dead last.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Most people strongly prefer stability to change. However, I believe that change is the rule, not the exception, in most aspects of the economy. My step-by-step approach to career planning recognizes this high degree of economic dynamism. To make productive choices in the working world, you need to learn how to embrace change at each step and take advantage of the opportunities change presents. At the same time, certain aspects of the working world have remained the same over the years. These include the fundamentals of profit and loss and the ethical values of honesty and integrity. To succeed in the working world, you need to recognize these constants and act consistently with them.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“In my view, you can increase your career options if you start by studying a “hard” subject instead of a “soft” one. A hard subject is one that is more rigorous, where there is generally a right answer and a wrong answer, such as physics. You should learn hard subjects first because they teach you the fundamental skills that are needed to evaluate softer subjects. For example, if you first obtain a rigorous education in statistical methods, you will have some of the tools necessary to analyze the impact of many public policies. Furthermore, softer subjects are easier to learn on your own. You might be able to pick up the main ideas of a certain field of sociology by reading some papers, but you probably can’t learn the fundamentals of neurophysiology without formal instruction.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Take the initiative to submit a list of your accomplishments to your boss, especially at bonus time.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Neglectful Boss Some managers are on the other end of the spectrum. Instead of micromanaging their subordinates’ projects, they fail to give any directions at all. In an extreme case, their subordinates may feel that their boss is ignoring them. As a result, they feel that they have to guess what their bosses want. To fix this problem, you’ll have to be very assertive to get your boss’s attention. If you receive an assignment with unclear goals, ask for clarification right then and there. Don’t leave your boss’s office or hang up the phone until you are satisfied that you know what you need to do. During the course of the project, you should also communicate more frequently with your boss. For instance, if you send your boss a key email every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 p.m., he or she will know that it’s important—and be more likely to respond to it. If that doesn’t work, try to speak face-to-face with your boss about getting more direction. Be specific about what you need and how your boss can be helpful. If your boss still ignores you at this point, look elsewhere in the organization for mentors who can provide you with some form of guidance.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“If a project looks as though it may fail, make sure to give your boss plenty of advance warning. Bosses don’t want to be surprised by long delays or major blowups. It is bad enough if they occur; it’s even worse if they occur without prior warning to the boss. With advance notice of a serious problem, your boss may be able to revise the project goals, reshuffle its resources, or come up with a brilliant solution. At the very least, your boss won’t make promises to his or her superiors that cannot be kept.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Even if your boss does not ask, you should submit a list of accomplishments at appropriate times. This is not a time to be modest: without your list, there is simply no way for your boss to know the full range of your achievements. On the other hand, your boss will turn against you if you do not produce results as expected. Here, the key word is “expected.” If your boss has high expectations about what you will produce, he or she is more likely to be disappointed. So try to underpromise and overdeliver; bosses don’t generally complain if you exceed expectations!”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“MATCH THE MODE OF COMMUNICATION TO THE BOSS On a daily basis, adjust your method of communication to reflect the preferences of your boss. Take notice of the types of interactions that he or she initiates. Does your boss call you to ask for information on a current project? Does he or she tend to stop by your office for a chat? Or does he or she simply send you an email asking you for information? Most likely, the form of outgoing communication reflects his or her desired form of incoming communication. So you should generally respond to your boss using whatever medium your boss typically uses.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Many “pure volume” metrics, such as calls made and repairs completed, are susceptible to cherry-picking concerns. In such cases, use multiple indicators that are adjusted for the risks involved—metrics that take into account the difficulty of cases taken instead of encouraging your employees to take only the easy ones.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Engage candidates in intellectual debate about a subject of their choosing that they know well. That way, you can judge the caliber of their thinking. How well can they make their argument? How do they deal with possible inconsistencies and counterpoints? • Try to gauge the creativity of the candidate. Ask a question such as “What are all the possible uses of a brick for our business?” One future employee of Microsoft came up with thirty-five uses.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“• In the interview, ask candidates to talk about their personal history, starting with where they went to high school. The answer will help you understand their character and motivation; we are all heavily influenced by our roots.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“You and your lieutenants need to embrace the principle of “Owning Your Own Space.” Under this principle, all employees in a large company view themselves as the owners of a small business. I’ll show you later exactly how to implement this principle, but here’s the gist of it: after setting clear goals for a project, give your employees broad discretion to decide how best to achieve these goals—and then get out of their way. This creates the right environment for your employees to do their best work, and it frees up time for you to focus on your highest Objectives and Targets.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“I like to speak from a one-page outline. The outline might include an actual sentence to get started and another sentence as a closer. But the rest would be a brief sketch of the main steps in the speech, with a few supporting points for each step. This helps me keep the line of argument foremost in my mind and convey it clearly to my audience. It also allows me to adapt my speech to the audience easily as I sense the mood in the room.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Fourth, you should lay out a road map for the rest of the speech: “I will begin by describing X, next I will argue Y, and finally I will propose Z.” This is not a time for subtlety; be direct and explicit. If you are going to use visuals to support your speech, you should spell out these three steps in an “agenda” slide. Such an explicit road map helps your audience see how the different components of your argument fit together in a logical fashion. The body of your speech should have a clear structure with a logical progression. One possible structure is: • Here’s the problem. • Here’s my analysis. • Here’s how we could solve this problem. Another possible structure might be: • Here’s an issue of current interest. • Here’s my take on this issue. • Here’s how we might rethink this issue in the future.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Third, after getting your audience into the proper mood, you should explain why the topic of the speech is relevant to them—why they should want to listen to you. This might mean tying the speech to a recent headline in the news or a current event in the organization or unit. Or it might mean relating the topic to a problem of special interest to the audience—for example, increases in the crime rate to community groups.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Second, you need an effective opening. That means thanking the group that invited you to speak and expressing appreciation if someone gives you a nice introduction. Next, you should tell a joke or story to loosen up the crowd and show your human side. For example, after expressing appreciation for an effusive introduction, I might say, “But you forgot my basketball career!” I would then briefly recount my teenage efforts to guard Calvin Murphy, who went on to be a high scorer at college and an All-Star player for the Houston Rockets. I was determined to guard Calvin closely—if he went to the water cooler during time-outs, I went, too. By guarding Calvin really closely for the whole game, I held him to 56 points—only 6 above his season’s average. At that point I decided to give up my basketball ambitions and concentrate on finance.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“An introduction to a speech should have four components. First, you should introduce yourself. If you’re speaking to a large external audience, provide one paragraph about yourself for someone else to read as an introduction. Résumés are too long and detailed; select the specific facts to be included in a one-paragraph introduction. If you’re speaking to an internal meeting, make sure that everyone knows who you are—your formal position as well as your role in whatever endeavor you will be discussing.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“You might worry that creating a less-than-perfect first draft would harm the quality of your writing; that couldn’t be further from the truth. Try to write a first draft, go on to another project, and revise the first draft the next day. With a little time for reflection and editing, your revised draft will be much improved.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

“Writing requires a high degree of concentration. You should try to find a place that is a little out of the flow and clear your plate of possible distractions such as computer games and ringing cell phones. Personally, I like to write early in the morning before the buzz of the day begins. I have a friend who can write only in the evening after everyone has left the office and it is very quiet. Both of us like to write on long plane or train rides, where we can get a several-hour block of undisturbed time. You should write regularly at the time of day that works best for you.”
― Robert C. Pozen, Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours