A client asked me why some people work hard and it feels like play; whilst others are drained by it and feel every minute of the effort they put in. At the point of asking they were feeling miserable about how little time they had to get stuff done.

I wasn’t surprised to hear them talk about time in this way; it is after all ‘a feeling’ rather than a resource. Recognising that can help to change how you organise time in your head and how that then translates into productivity through your behaviours.

Some clients, over the years have referred to themselves as lazy; which isn’t a descriptor I would use for anyone I’ve worked with. On the contrary, I see these business professionals as having a good work ethic by virtue of the fact they want to do and be better as a Manager or a Leader.

They may procrastinate however, and neglect to complete a job to which they have previously committed. This we would explore unless there was a valid reason to delay.

It’s easy to confuse laziness with a lack of motivation. So, I’d encourage you to engage employees by exploring the benefits for them in delivering on a particular task. Do that and you may find they are no longer idle.

On that note, my work is done – time to play!