Work Smart Now
How to Jump Start Productivity, Empower Employees, and Achieve More
by Richard Polak
From one of the top HR specialists in the world comes this much-needed guide to help people maximize productivity and increase revenue.
Whether it’s in corporate America or in our own living rooms, people are wasting time. From the minute we wake up and check our Facebook page or emails—before we even crawl out of bed—to late at night when we stay up longer than we should, watching our favorite show.
There’s a precise moment that falls between working enough hours to be productive and working too many hours, yielding a diminishing marginal return. The difference between the person able to master this and most Americans that fail miserably at it is quality of life! If one continues to work past this moment, a negative return will ensue, and that negative return produces guilt. It lowers the amount of time for recreational activities and spending time with family. We’ve siloed productivity to our work life, however; the impact on our personal life is often loss.
An alarming 39% of workers in high-tech companies believe they are depressed, as reported by PC Magazine in December 2018. 72% of people who have daily stress and anxiety say it interferes with their lives—anxiety and stress alone have reduced productivity by 56%. More than 80% of people have experienced some form of anxiety, stress, or depression in the workplace. People are spending more time at work than at home or with their loved ones; or, if they are at home, they are working. They are always “on.” As a result of this disparity, people are not fully living their lives. And the “work-life balance” marketed by some HR consulting firms and employers simply does not work. It’s all work and no life! Studies have also proven that when people are unhappy in their personal lives or careers, their productivity goes down and everything and everyone around them suffers. This causes a domino effect, which trickles into every area of their lives.
Previous generations used to say, “Work harder,” but we’ve now learned we must “work smarter.” Polak has practiced and tested his methods in hundreds of opportunities and has been paid millions by the largest corporations in the world to share these tools. He feels that every individual and business should have these tools, and will share them with us here.
REVIEW
4 out of 5
A brilliant book for managers and leaders in business organizations. Even if you’re just an employee looking to move up in the company, I’d recommend this book. It’s broken down into easy to digest pieces that can be read at your own pace. I liked how the chapters were set up, with examples given. I highly recommend this for anyone trying to increase productivity without increasing stress. Also, a great tool for learning how to make your employees feel more included in the process of improving your organization. A must-read for those looking to get the most out of their workdays.
LEARN MORE
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Over a 40-year span, Richard Polak has been recognized in more than 90 countries around the globe for creating and structuring world-class wellness and HR programs. His research, presentations, articles, subject expertise, and training program with IBIS Academy–the world’s longest-running international HR conference for education and networking, targeting executives in the global benefits space. In 2012, Polak merged his company, IBIS Advisors, and his conference, IBIS Academy, in a deal with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (AJG). This created the role of Executive VP, Multinational Benefits & HR Consulting Services, a position he held for 6 years before deciding to reenter entrepreneurship. Today, Richard is a global advisor for dozens of companies and organizations around the world. He advises on productivity by working smarter, not harder. His book Work Smart Now will be released in April 2021. His entire career has centered around people and what makes them happy and engaged in the workplace.
