Tons of books exist on overcoming procrastination, and each one discusses project deadlines. Do you see project deadlines as inescapable irritants of life or challenges to be conquered? To become fearless about deadlines, attack each one immediately by dividing it into pieces, chunks, or mini-goals necessary to complete it. Supercharge your motivation for meeting these mini-goals by giving yourself rewards for each one you complete. Any small treat, small positive experience, or bit of fun will…

The ability to focus (or be attentive) is a powerful skill. It's a key to high productivity, but it's also a difficult skill to master because it requires fighting distractions, which are always "here and now." To better overcome distraction and loss of focus, practice these attention strategies: 1) Know your beginning and end point with a manageable size of work. Laboring without an end point increases vulnerability to distraction, which preys on fatigue and boredom. 2) Create a pull strategy…

If it hasn't happened yet, someday you may be asked to write a report at work for your boss. If you are not a report-writing guru, you might wonder how it should look. The following time-tested tips will help win the day with most presentation reports if you have not already been given a model to follow. 1) At the top of your report put a title, date, and your name. 2) Create several headings of the key matters or issues you will discuss in the report. The first heading is the "Introduction;"…

Do you share workspace -- a desk, space around a desk, or a room? Millions of employees do. If conflict over shared space is a problem, create an agreement ("protocols") for use of this space. Without rules, you will naturally engage in work and personal habits applied to this space, and they are not likely to match those of your partner. Tension then begins. Boundaries and rules don't add stress to a coworker relationship, ruin the fun, or destroy spontaneity. In practice, they make a better…

Many of us would like to improve our communication at work. Whether it's confronting a coworker you don't see eye to eye with, a supervisor that is difficult to approach, or being able to ask for resources that would help you perform your job better, communication skills are key to a positive outcome. Communication is one of the biggest challenges each of us face in the workplace. Here are some tips to help. 

1. One factor to keep in mind is the tone in which the message is being delivered. A…

Civility represents the social norms and rules that must be followed in order to positively and productively relate with others. Behaviors that threaten positive and productive relations with other people, therefore, constitute uncivil behaviors. Civility goes beyond just having good manners. Each o us has the ability to affect others around us in a positive or negative way whether we know it or not.

Behaviors that may be considered as uncivil include, but are not limited to:

• Failing to…

Ergonomics is the practice of fitting the job to the worker, which may include avoiding tasks that can lead to injury. This helps employers design jobs or workplaces to match workers' capabilities and limitations.

Ergonomists have found a number of jobs where there is a high occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders and have found some common underlying conditions.

According to Department of Enterprise Services Safety Manager Robyn Herring, here's the top five areas that employees could improve…

Showing up, pitching in, being timely, and communicating well are all part of  being on a team. But here are five essential roles you may not have considered. See if any create underperformance for your team:

1. Leadership. Even if you are not the team leader, you can still practice leadership behaviors -- think proactively, take initiative, and "think upstream" to prevent future problems.

2. Conflict Resolution. Spot conflicts early and facilitate resolution.

3. "Other" Awareness Skills.…

"Disability awareness" overcomes stereotypes about disabilities and prevents discrimination, disharmony, and lost productivity. Disability awareness will help you communicate and accommodate fellow workers with disabilities effectively. Organizations need employees who understand the value of inclusiveness, which is essential to success in an interconnected world. Stereotypical thinking about differences is damaging, so disability awareness is a soft skill employers value. Learn the etiquette,…