We Americans spend millions each year producing clutter and then millions more clearing it from home and office. But what about the debris that clutters your mind? My nine years as a Professional Organizer and Productivity Trainer have convinced me that mental clutter poses a greater threat to quality of…

If you work in an office, you’re a project manager. You may not be certified as such. You may be the only one working on most of your projects. But you’re a project manager nevertheless. Each deal you put together, each case you work on, each vacation you plan is…

Forget about being more organized. Goal-setting won’t do it. Time management means nothing and striving for work-life balance is useless. None of these productivity tools matter if you are less than kind at work. Your relationship with those around you can make or break your productivity. It’s a fact that…

Urgent deadlines. Demanding clients. Unexpected “fires.” Pressure to perform…There are few circumstances at work or home that you can’t improve with some thoughtful editing. Yes, editing. When you edit your writing, you cut away clutter so that the main ideas stand out starkly and flow most coherently. We are all…

“Busy-ness” is a common complaint nowadays. Sadly, it’s often true. We are too busy—too busy to decide what’s important to us, too busy to change, too busy to do the work that produces the greatest results. This misdirected activity hurts both people and the bottom line. The reasons for our…

Continued from Part 1: The Solution Here are some strategies to make your Open Door Policy work without killing your productivity. Apply the spirit of the law. Be open to comments, criticism and concerns. Consider the ideas you receive and take action as needed. Your warm welcome of others’ input demonstrates…

I recently asked a group of professionals to differentiate between “Open Door” and “All Access.” “There’s a difference?” one person asked. Many people, striving for quality service and positive relationships, confuse “Open Door” with “Constant Availability.” They forget that the Open Door Policy (ODP) is a philosophy, not a description of a permanent…