Skip navigation
Profit from the Positive
Book

Profit from the Positive

Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business

McGraw-Hill, 2013 more...

Buy the book


Editorial Rating

7

getAbstract Rating

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Executive coaches Margaret Greenberg and Senia Maymin describe direct actions leaders can take to boost their employees’ performance, commitment and productivity. The book offers at least 30 tools managers can implement quickly at little or no cost, including advice on how to improve meetings, revamp your performance-review process and support profitable growth. The authors offer common sense and simple, yet powerful, ideas based on small changes that can make a profound difference. getAbstract recommends this easy and engaging book to leaders who seek practical, inexpensive ways to improve their results dramatically.

Summary

“Positive Psychology”

Positive psychology is not a New Age, feel-good philosophy. Instead, it is a practical, easily applied business approach you can use to spur higher performance and more profitable results in your organization by emphasizing the positive – especially in leadership and team building.

Positive Time and Task Management

To become a better leader, examine how you work and interact with your team. Organize your time and tasks before jumping into projects or significant tasks. Don’t “multitask.” Time lost switching between tasks and ramping back up each time is greater than any benefit you might otherwise realize. The more you plan your day precisely and with great specificity, the more likely you are to use your plan. “To-do lists” work better when you assign a time slot to each task. Avoid the pursuit of perfection – an impossible standard that only causes delay.

Use simple but effective techniques to boost your productivity. People remember more about tasks they’re prevented from completing than those they finish. Leave a job slightly incomplete so you can dive back into it the next morning. This...

About the Authors

Margaret Greenberg is a coach, consultant and former HR executive. Psychologist Senia Maymin is a coach, entrepreneur and former finance executive.


Comment on this summary

  • Avatar
  • Avatar
    S. K. 1 decade ago
    Really a great piece on creating a positive everything. It goes to the strengths of many people which in result will also strengthen mindset and productivity of those you surround yourself with. Simple information, but so to the point.
  • Avatar
    A. S. 1 decade ago
    I agree that matching the job to strengths is great. Sometimes though, you have to look for an "almost strength " so you can help your staff grow. I love the recommendation to avoid just hiring for skills. It's way easier to teach a technical skill than to teach caring, optimism and nice! It is great when I can hire a previous student who interned with us as you know so much more about the person than the interview shows.
  • Avatar
    G. H. 1 decade ago
    I really liked the idea of looking at each empoyee and matching the job to their stengths. Be positive each morning so that it spreads throughout the day to others. ANd have a task not yet complete so you can finish the next morning to get a jump start of accomplishing a task for the day.

More on this topic

Related Skills

AI Transformation
Attract and Recruit Talent
Become a Self-Driven Learner
Become More Adaptable
Build Confidence
Career
Communicate Effectively
Develop the Organization
Foster a Culture of Innovation
Human Resources
Innovation
Lead Ethically
Leverage AI in Your Daily Tasks
Manage Change
Manage Learning and Development
Manage Teams and Departments
Management
Master Collaboration
Optimize Workforce Performance
Plan and Strategize Your Sales
Production and Logistics
Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sales
Search for a Job
Soft Skills
Strengthen Team Collaboration
Understand Organizations
Develop Self-Mastery
Have Effective Meetings
Set Performance Standards
Leadership
Master Lean Management
Ask Questions
Cultivate Flexibility
Identify Your Strengths
Leverage AI for Leadership
Set and Achieve Goals
Adopt a Learning Habit
Manage Sales Teams
Manage Your Leadership Impact
Motivate Your Team
Dare to be Vulnerable
Develop Team Members
Optimize Production
Practice Servant Leadership
Understand Yourself
Conduct Employee Surveys
Place Talent Strategically
Be Emotionally Intelligent
Get Physically Fit
Build and Maintain Well-Being
Live Well
Delegate Effectively
Develop Your Thinking Skills
Drive Organizational Performance
Foster Team Culture
Master Interpersonal Skills
Build Team Cohesion
Manage People and Talent
Pursue Excellence
Build Your Resilience
Find Meaning
Recruit Diverse Talent
Develop Self-Awareness
Practice Transformational Leadership
Navigate Leadership Challenges
Sleep Well
Create a Sense of Belonging
Personal Growth
Understand Human Behavior
Improve Your Mental Health
Lead through Change
Manage Stress
Evaluate Employees
Finalize Hiring Decisions
Manage Your Emotions
Build Psychological Safety
Overcome Self-Doubt
Lead Strategically
Leverage Employee Resource Groups
Streamline Your Workflow
Executive Leadership
Navigate Uncertainty
Set Boundaries
Work Remotely
Cultivate Positivity
Drive Team Performance
Overcome Impostor Syndrome
Facilitate Group Ideation
Manage Performance
Motivate Yourself
Ace Job Interviews
Understand Motivation
Develop Leaders
Enhance Your Focus
Promote Failure-tolerance
Create a Hiring Strategy
Provide Feedback
Practice Mindfulness
Live Intentionally
Manage Employee Relations
Improve Team Performance
Use AI for Personal Productivity
Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Build Useful Habits
Conduct Candidate Interviews
Understand Leadership Approaches
Lead Yourself
Cultivate Self-Discipline
Embrace Intelligent Failure
Enhance Employee Experience
Master Prioritization
Maintain Work-Life Balance
Embrace Challenges
Evaluate Candidates
Avoid Procrastination
Leverage Your Strengths
Workplace Skills
Drive Employee Engagement
Conduct Performance Reviews
Develop Grit
Manage Your Time
Overcome Challenges
Become More Productive