Not Feeling Productive?

I was talking to an old colleague last week. They felt a feeling of not being as productive as they could be. It was a feeling of not being sufficiently challenged, stimulated or excited by the job now and as you look down the road: a feeling that present and future problems and opportunities are not new or taxing or that they are actually downright boring. They had a belief that energy, creativity, talent and potential are not being tapped as fully and as frequently as possible. They look a year from now and do not see a lot of upside by doing what they are currently doing.

Does this sound familiar?

You can change this Manager's "malaise". Here are a few ways.

1. Change and vary the breadth, depth and type of assignment. Worse case, it is a new company, but before that try a new special project to mix things up from the past.

2. Gain new knowledge. Attend a conference, seminar, training. Do something that will advance your skill set.

3. Lead a task force on an important issue.

4. Gain an opportunity for a short-term or long-term travel assignment.

5. Exercise

6. Help set ambitious and tough objectives for you and your unit and strive to attain them. This will get you going (unless there are frustrating hurdles that will prevent the success as that could make the feeling worse)

7. Do a lunch that is not work-related.

There are many more but bottom line, you are in a funk and need to find a way out. Doing the exact same things will not produce new results, so you must change something about what you are currently doing.