10 Great Questions to Ask to Assess Your Own (and Others') Productivity

As some smart person once said, "There is no such thing as a stupid question - only stupid mistakes." Learn to ask questions before you make a mistake and to help yourself stay productive.

1. When you call someone on the phone or stop by someone's office, ask, "Good time, bad time?" This can become a standard question that you ask - such that people expect it of you and are ready to tell you the truth. This allows them to be more productive and you to be more productive. This question alone is worth more than the price of this article. You could stop reading now.
2. Ask, "When would be a better time?" You can ask this question if the answer to #1 was, "Bad time," or just when you perceive that someone is not quite ready to talk or meet or proceed on a project. Just ask.
3. Query, "Is this the right time for us to talk about this?" You can ask this question of an individual or an entire team. Note: It is also not a bad question to ask at home sometimes.

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From Business Week: Time for a Time Checkup

By Ellen Joan Pollock

This is a tale of obsession, passion, and guilt. You guessed it: The subject is time management.

Six months ago, I embarked on a mission to wring a few more hours of productivity out of my week. I chronicled my work with a coach in an article in BusinessWeek. If you missed it, shame on you. But I'll save you the time of thumbing through past issues or firing up your laptop and recap: I'm the executive editor of the magazine you are holding, and I work a frightening number of hours each week while keeping my fingers crossed that my 11-year-old is eating at least a gram or two of protein and has not taken up smoking.

Read the Article at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_41/b4150072791166.htm