Recent Articles from Derek Murphy
Productivity tips from a night owl
The early bird catches the worm. I hate that phrase. I find it irritating because of the origin behind it, the idea that to succeed, you must wake up and get to work early. I’m going to have to disagree with this concept. I’m a night owl. I have little desire to be up at 6 a.m., unless I absolutel...
Should you let your office go to the dogs?
It’s no secret that workplace stress is a major contributor to employee absenteeism and low morale, which can result in a substantial loss of productivity. But what can business leaders do to help lower stress levels? Reduce the amount of work given to an employee? Sure, that sounds noble in theor...
Summer brain drain
We may have conflicting views on politics, movies, and choice of beer, but when it comes down to it, the whole country can agree on one thing – it’s hot outside. Living in Colorado, I’m not quite as accustomed to a steady supply of 100-degree days. But whether I like it or not, this is our current...
The Achilles’ heel of leadership
At one time, Achilles was considered the strongest of all Greek warriors, except for his pesky heel problem. To give you a Greek mythology refresher, Achilles was the hero of various battles during the Trojan War. He was invulnerable, except for one spot untouched on his heel. And in true mytholog...
Five ways to avoid becoming a Hollywood boss
If there is one thing movies about the workplace tell us, it is that Hollywood believes bosses come in all shapes and sizes, and they are all pretty terrible people. Why the bad rep for leaders? Well, it’s no secret most employees have been disappointed and let down at some point in their careers by a […]
Perserverance: Not just a cheesy saying
When I hear the term perseverance, it’s hard not to think of those “motivational” posters proudly displayed in so many offices. You know what I mean; the posters usually showcase a mountain or a sailboat with a slogan that says something about persevering no matter the hurdles, etc. I don’t know about you, but I […]
It’s all in your head
Everyone gets stuck in a rut. It happens to us all whether we are presidents, students, managers, baseball players, or stay-at-home parents. We might have days, weeks or even months where we feel like we’ve lost our focus, take longer than necessary to achieve goals or simply become disconnected from our work. It’s not a […]
Watch out for blind spots
Driving and blind spots often go hand-in-hand. These blind spots are not only frustrating; they can present real problems, which sometimes result in car accidents. Well, blind spots are not just limited to the roadways. As individuals climb the leadership ranks, they oftentimes are moving at such a quick pace that there is not much […]