Robert Pozen proves Extreme Productivity with his own compelling reality: he simultaneously managed roles as chairman of MFS Investment Management and professor at Harvard Business School, while serving on multiple boards, writing books, and maintaining strong family relationships. But instead of presenting this as a superhuman feat, he breaks it down into learnable strategies that any professional can adapt.The book emerged from a simple question that kept following Pozen around - how does he get so much done? When his...
Strategic Time Investment
Most professionals rush through their days without thinking about why they're doing what they're doing. Robert Pozen explains a better way - organizing our work around clear priorities, and his approach shows us exactly how to do this effectively.Let's start with how to set these priorities properly. Pozen suggests writing down everything we need or want to do professionally - and he means everything. This includes both the tasks we're assigned and our personal career goals. The key is to...
Smart Mini-Deadlines
People often joke about procrastination, but its impact on work quality and personal life is no laughing matter. As Robert Pozen points out, nearly 15% of adults are chronic procrastinators, and they pay a heavy personal price for this habit. The cycle is painfully familiar. During the early days of a project, anxiety builds as the work remains untouched. Then comes the inevitable panic mode - working through nights, canceling social plans, and rushing to meet deadlines. This creates not...
Our Workplace Culture Kills Productivity
First things first. Extreme productivity isn't about how long you sit, but what you actually accomplish. Organizations don't understand that. Our workplaces are trapped in a bizarre ritual of glorifying hours over actual achievement. Working hard? Not good. Working longer is what's encouraged, which in turn encourages procrastination. And the billable hours system we have in our workplaces makes it worse.Take lawyers and consultants, for instance. These people compete like Olympic athletes, and their medal is total hours worked. One...
How to Master Low-Priority Tasks
We've all been there: drowning in a sea of emails, reports, and mundane tasks that you think will take a second, but which eat up all your time somehow. What's the mystery there?Consider the accountant Pozen mentions - a professional who spent an entire week perfecting quarterly sales reports when his executives only needed rough estimates. This obsessive attention to detail might seem virtuous, but it's actually a productivity killer. By spending almost a week on low-priority tasks, his boss...
Take Your Writing From Chaos to Clarity
There are three personal skills you'll need to develop to become a truly productive professional. Reading, writing, and speaking. Let's focus on writing, cause that's where most of us stumble.Writing isn't just about putting words on a page. It demands strategy, focus, and intentional thinking. Most professionals struggle not because they lack ideas, but because they haven't developed a systematic approach to transforming those ideas into compelling communication.For writing effectively, we need to understand how our brains process information. Our...
Personal Productivity
As we draw the curtains on our exploration of productivity, let's confront a crucial truth: productivity isn't just about cramming more work into our days. It's about creating a meaningful life that balances professional achievements with connection, and personal fulfillment.Our work world has changed dramatically. Remember how our parents' generation handled things? Men worked, women managed households. Today, everything looks different. We're navigating a complex landscape where technology connects us constantly, blurring lines between office and home. A single email...
Summary
Mastering productivity isn't just about working harder—it's about working smarter. By focusing on results, understanding your life stage, communicating openly with your organization, and taking control of your own approach, you can transform your professional life. Embrace flexibility, prioritize your goals, and unlock your potential to achieve extraordinary results while reclaiming your personal time.
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About the Author
Bob Pozen is a renowned strategist, influential thought leader, author, mentor, teacher, and coach.
Bob gets a lot done and does it well. Bob’s best-selling book Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours provided readers with practical solutions to help them save time while adding value to their jobs and lives overall. Now, let Bob help you and your team or organization do the same by having him come to you to provide his productivity classes or talks.
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