Critical Thinking in Today’s Cubicle “All change is not growth and all movement is not forward.” Ellen Glasgow
Productivity Partners, Inc.
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‘Collaboration is great, but sometimes I’d kill for a door.’ I read this in an article published in the June, 2005 issue of Fast Co. magazine. It was written by Linda Tischler in an essay entitled “Death to the Cubicle!” With open space offices and shared arenas for team communication, there can be an issue of privacy and focus. But it has become more than just privacy and focus. It’s now about critical thinking, job performance and productivity. The article goes on to quote Dr. Tom Davenport, a professor of Management and Information at Babson College. Dr. Davenport conducted a year long survey of a cross-section of professionals and found there were three factors that determined white collar performance: management and organization, information and technology, and workplace design. All of these are connected. Just as paper, time, space and digital file management are all connected. One is not independent of the other. It’s finding a way to connect the dots with all these factors in order to achieve a more harmonious and productive working environment. Focus and concentration are key time management elements for working on priorities and goals. Not only is this type of critical thinking difficult to achieve, but different styles require different levels of each it. Some run a sprint, others run a marathon. Each employee is entitled to ‘think time’. When I say this in a workshop, some of the faces staring back at me look like they’re waiting for a magic answer to getting it…but there isn’t one. It doesn’t matter whether your ‘think time’ is achieved in the shower, on the way to work or at your desk. As long as you get it and guard it on a daily basis. Even 15 minutes a day means you’ll have over an hour of ‘think time’ under your belt by the end of the week. One employee I saw had a unique but effective solution. She put a short curtain on a spring-loaded rod and placed it across the entryway of her cubicle. It was her way of saying to the world, ‘please don’t bother me now because I need this time to think on this project and make this deadline’. You may not want to use a curtain rod. But find a way to carve out and protect your ‘think time’. You need it and you deserve it. © 2001 Cynthia Kyriazis
Productivity Partners, Inc.
913-649-0878
888-482-2688
Productivity Partners, Inc. specializes in helping employees overcome the 24/7 time management and organizing challenges they face in order to improve performance, increase productivity and reduce stress. PPI assists individuals, teams, and entire companies in gaining confidence and control when it comes to paper, information, time, space and choice management. Offerings include: Onsite workshops Online workshops or webinars Assessments Coaching Consulting Presentations Products
Cynthia Kyriazis started her business in 1992 after 25 years experience in multi-unit operations management. She is an organizing and time management coach, consultant, trainer, speaker and author. Cynthia is past Secretary of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), 2008 President of the International Society for Performance Improvement-Kansas City chapter (KCISPI), a national speaker, and consultant to the American Coaching Association. Cynthia can be reached at Cynthia@ProPartnersInc.com www.ProPartnersInc.com www.Moveyourmindset.wordpress.com Linkedin.com/in/propartnersinc Twitter.com/ProductiveYou GoogleMe
Productivity Partners, Inc.
913-649-0878
888-482-2688