42 articles with this tag
A workflow is the specific sequence of tasks to complete something tangible, while a process encompasses multiple workflows working toward a strategic business goal. Workflows are tactical and detailed; processes are broader and strategic. Understanding this distinction prevents teams from optimizing the wrong things and automating chaos.
Over half of business users check email six or more times daily, with professionals spending nearly an hour managing email overload. Tools like Unroll.me bulk promotional emails into one message, while Sanebox splits emails into important versus promotional categories. France banned after-hour emails country-wide, while Atos CEO eliminated internal email entirely using social networks instead.
38% of employees check email at dinner tables, but Batched Inbox restricts email delivery to specific hours. Rapportive reveals workplace and social profiles from email addresses while Clearbit Connect finds anyone's email from company names. Bananatag tracks exactly when recipients open messages with location and time stamps. Streak transforms Gmail into full CRM with pipeline management and customizable mass emails.
Proactive management means planning six months ahead, not 11 months into a one-year runway. Reactive managers get trapped in a self-perpetuating feedback loop where one problem forces reactive decisions, creating more problems due to lack of planning, leading to constant firefighting with lower work quality and hindered decision-making.
Process improvement prioritizes effectiveness over efficiency because highly efficient processes may still fail to achieve business goals. Six Sigma targets 99.9966% quality through root cause analysis. LEAN manufacturing, pioneered by Toyota, eliminates waste based on customer value. Cross-training employees prevents bottlenecks from sick days and vacations, while regular employee surveys reveal hidden improvement opportunities they see daily.
Average professionals juggle 30-100 tasks simultaneously and face interruptions seven times per hour, losing 2 hours daily to distractions. Tony Schwartz of the Energy Project shows that 90 minutes of intense concentration followed by 10-15 minute breaks clears stress buildup. Over 40% of adults suffer sleepless nights from work stress, affecting metabolic processes and brain function.