Activity vs. Productivity

Guest post by: Jim Stovall
Become an Author

Free PDF Download
Getting in and out of Trouble - By Jim Stovall

Most of us work very hard. We get up each day and spend eight hours or more doing something
we call work. If you talk to the most successful and the least successful persons you can find,
they will probably both tell you they are working extremely hard. If this is true, why are so few
people actually getting the results they want from their hard work?

Quite simply, they confuse activity with productivity. Just because you’re doing something
doesn’t mean you’re really getting anywhere. We have all seen hamsters running around on the
little wheel in their cage. They create a tremendous amount of activity, and no productivity.

Recently, I did some consulting for a sales organization. These sales people work on straight
commission, so the only productive thing they really do is talk to new people about their products
and services. Before our training session, the average sales person told me they were working
very hard for eight to ten hours every day. Once they learned that their only productive task was
talking to new people about their products or services, we conducted a simple experiment. Each
sales person was given a stop watch and instructed to keep it in their pocket and click it on only
when they were talking to a new prospect, either on the telephone or in person. We discovered
that the very top wage earners were actually productive only three hours per day. The average
and below average producers were far less productive.

If you want to be more successful, earn more, or reach your goals faster, simply separate activity
from productivity and commit at least half of your work day solely to productivity. The
difference will amaze you. Your destiny awaits.

Today is the day!

Minimize Meetings

The Most Important Report You Write: The One To Yourself

Managing a Telecommuter Successfully

Activity/Activity/Activity

Sales Training for the Entrepreneur Struggling to Succeed

How to Improve Productivity May Require Changes in Behaviors to Increase Sales

Are your goals in writing?

Historical Productivity Gains in Industry Generally

Monetize Lost Productivity

How Layout Affects Productivity

Sales Success vs. Sales Productivity: Are They the Same?

Halve Sales Costs

Tracking & Diagnosing Sales Performance

Monitoring Inside Sales Productivity

Hobby Loss Rule

Monitoring Productivity

Staying motivated in August

Getting Things Done and Maintaining competitiveness

The productivity problem...

4 Helpful Guides in Leading a Virtual Working Environment

Home > Productivity > Jim Stovall > Activity vs Productivity > Google +

Free PDF Download
Getting in and out of Trouble - By Jim Stovall

About the Author: Jim Stovall

RSS for Jim's articles - Visit Jim's website
Jim Stovall has been a national champion Olympic weightlifter, the President of the Emmy Award-winning Narrative Television Network, and a highly sought after author and platform speaker. He is the author of the best selling book, The Ultimate Gift, which is now a major motion picture starring James Garner and Abigail Breslin. Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes magazine, says, “Jim Stovall is one of the most extraordinary men of our era.” For his work in making television accessible to our nation’s 13 million blind and visually impaired people, The President’s Committee on Equal Opportunity selected Jim Stovall as the Entrepreneur of the Year. He was also chosen as the International Humanitarian of the Year, joining Jimmy Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Mother Teresa as recipients of this honor. info@jimstovall.com www.narrativetv.com www.ultimateproductivity.com
Click here to visit Jim's website.

More from Jim Stovall
Bridges and Boundaries
Lessons from a Funeral
Minimize Meetings
Someday Isle
Being Quick and Hurrying

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Activity vs. Productivity

Related Articles

Related Forum Posts

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.


Name:
Email: