Here’s a great case study from ReadWriteWeb on how 37signals has become one of the country’s leading software companies.
1. Watch for red flags:
Little words can make all the difference to productivity. 37signals tries to avoid words or phrases that often cause misunderstandings like:
- Can’t: "We can’t ship the product without a feature."
- Easy: "Your job is easier than mine." Ouch.
- Only: "You only have… to work harder, rebuild the software platform, shoot for the moon."
2. Question your work
To ensure it focused on the right things, the company developed a list of questions as a guide. They include:
- What problem are we solving?
- Is this useful?
- Are we adding value?
3. Make tiny decisions
Instead of agonizing over huge decisions, the company encourages everyone to break big decisions into a series of little ones. The impact: You gain momentum, you get to celebrate small victories and if you make tiny decisions you can’t make big mistakes.
You can read more about 37signals, including its list of questions to improve workplace productivity here. Or check out the report on the Internet Marketing Report Online blog.
DIGGING DEEPER
Getting new managers up to speed is key to running a successful business. Too often new managers are learning on the job. And that means they make mistakes that can hurt productivity and morale. To give them a head start, get them up to speed with the Executive Report: Turning Good Employees into Great Managers.
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