In this Ask Chris episode, we tackle two powerful leadership questions:
How do you actually measure productivity when building culture and teamwork — and how do you manage stress so it doesn’t follow you home?
If you’re a leader trying to improve performance or a professional struggling to “leave work at work,” this episode will give you practical, no-fluff guidance you can apply immediately.
What You’ll Learn
- Why culture and teamwork directly impact productivity — and how leaders should think about measuring it
- The biggest mistake leaders make when trying to track productivity with surveys instead of involvement
- Why being “hands-on” as a leader gives you a better productivity gauge than annual reviews
- How to identify breakdowns in teamwork by watching behavior, not just reading reports
- The importance of addressing attendance, accountability, and communication issues in real time
- Why your business is what you do — not who you are
- How emotional attachment to your job can create unhealthy stress patterns
- Questions to ask yourself to identify the real source of your work stress
- How task saturation, poor delegation, and lack of prioritization increase stress levels
- When to delegate, hire support, or restructure responsibilities to reduce overload
- Why difficult conversations at work are often the key to lowering long-term stress
- Practical boundaries you can implement to stop bringing work stress home
- When “the ox is in the ditch” — and how to recognize when overtime is necessary vs. unhealthy
Productivity doesn’t improve because of fancy tools.
It improves when leaders are engaged, aware, and actively shaping culture.
Stress doesn’t disappear because you ignore it.
It shrinks when you identify the source, address it directly, and put healthy boundaries in place.
Take this information, change your leadership, change your business, change your life — and join us on the next episode.
Thanks for listening folks!
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Yea for Stress
Just the right level of stress makes you better. It pushes you to growth. Too much and it ruins you through obesity, hypertension, relationship problems, lack of creativity, and lack of energy.
Like most people I have my fair share of it. Here is my personal strategy for dealing with it:
Pray About It: Well duh. There is only so much I can do on my own.
Work out: Endorphins are amazing. I work out every day, no matter what. Most days this is over lunch. There is nothing that kills stress better than a really hard workout. The more I have going on the more important a workout in. Afterwards I am always more alert, have more energy, more creative, better looking, etc… Bottom line it helps me get more done.
Eat right; I like donuts more than about anybody but they sure don’t help my state of mind. Sticking to slow carbs, protein, and healthy fat really makes a huge difference in stress levels.
Write it all down: When things get really crazy I do a GTD style brain dump followed by Delete, Delay, Delegate, or Do (by priority). Knowing I have it all written down allows for more brain cycles to actually do work.
Eat dinner with my family: This is a near non-negotiable for me. I will get up earlier, work later, whatever, but I almost never sacrifice this time with my family. It gives me perspective. No matter how crazy it is at work it doesn’t matter. I am doing it for my beautiful family. I know not everybody has this luxury but you have to find a way of getting perspective.
Shut if off: No emails after dinner. My phone gets put in another room. If somebody needs me they can call me.
Rest day: I work like a maniac six days a week. Sunday, I read books, drink coffee, and play games with my kids.
Listen to Chris Locurto: Nothing takes the edge off the commute like a little personal coaching time with Chris. Great podcast. Love it.
(I need to stop blogging in other people’s comment areas)