What fuels you?
Your “why” is your origin story, efficiency is not the same as being efficient and more.
Welcome to another edition of ProductiveGrowth 🌱, weekly stories about productivity, leadership, motivation, and anything else that helps us and our teams grow and be more productive. Plus, industry news on the companies, products, and services that allow us to work less and do more.
I’ve always known that I wanted to leave something behind, something good for others. Recently, I discovered that thing is impactful writing. So, I created this newsletter that merges my goals with my passions of management, productivity, and writing.
This week is all about finding purpose and being fueled by it. Hope you enjoy it,
Steve.
TL;DR
People believe that purpose is supposed to be a huge thing — that it one day becomes clear and helps to move life forward —, but that’s not necessarily true. Not all of us were born to change the world. However, for those of us in management, finding our “why” can help us manage teams and be more productive. Plus: Calendly and Microsoft Teams are now working together.
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EDITOR’S PICK
🤷♂️ You can't change your origin story
Just like superheroes, once you get bit by a scientifically modified spider, there’s nothing you can do about it. You just became Spiderman. In real life, your “why” is your origin story, and all you can do is pursue it (or at least that is what Simon Sinek says).
👩Managing teams is better with a purpose.
We always know what’s right at heart. This is what Kye Anderson learned over the years. In this article, she tells her story about how having a strong purpose helped her build and lead a million-dollar company.
📋 Being efficient is different from being effective.
We have the wrong idea of productivity. We think being efficient means doing every single one of our tasks in time. Sometimes that’s not only impossible, it’s counterproductive. Choosing the right assignment to focus on is a great way to start being productive.
👃 Find meaning right in front of your nose.
Research shows that people are more productive at work when they have a purpose. Sometimes, we have a hard time finding that purpose, and we disengage. Jen Fisher, Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, shows how to regain purpose in four steps. Who knows? It might be right in front of your nose.
1 Quote
He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how. - Friedrich Nietzsche
1 Question
What are you going to do to fulfill your purpose?
DISCOVER
Sometimes, we get caught up in emails and cute cat videos on the internet while we’re trying to stay productive. For columnist Angela Lashbrook, the solution was simple: avoid distractions at all costs. This is how she ended up reviewing AlphaSmart, a children’s toy, as the ultimate writing productivity tool.
IN THE KNOW
Industry news on the companies, products, and services that allow us to work less and do more.
Sales, IPOs, Bankruptcies, Funding and Industry Gossip
Qatalog, a London-based virtual workspace startup raised $15 million in Series A funding.
Releases
Airtable, the no-code database company, is allowing users to create their own apps.
NVIDIA launches new AI-powered video conferencing platform.
Calendly, the scheduling software, is now integrated with Microsoft Teams.
Jobs
15Five - US - Head of Marketing
Leapsome - Berlin, Germany - Senior Account Executive
Superhuman - San Francisco, US - Customer Onboarding Specialist
Events
Nov 4th and 5th (virtual) - Leadership Pathways: Management and leadership foundations workshop by Liquid Learning.
Nov 11th (virtual) - Feeling Like a Fraud: Navigating Perfectionism & Impostor Syndrome as Women
On-demand - Cold Emailing 101 with Sam Parr, Founder of The Hustle
What did you think of this issue?
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TO CONTRIBUTE
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Edited by: Lauren Maslen.
👋 See you next week.