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10 Great Questions to Ask to Assess Your Own (and Others’) Productivity

18th March, 2010 - Posted by Meggin - No Comments

As some smart person once said, “There is no such thing as a stupid question – only stupid mistakes.” Learn to ask questions before you make a mistake and to help yourself stay productive.

When you call someone on the phone or stop by someone’s office, ask, “Good time, bad time?” This can become a standard question that you ask – such that people expect it of you and are ready to tell you the truth. This allows them to be more productive and you to be more productive. This question alone is worth more than the price of this article. You could stop reading now.

Ask, “When would be a better time?” You can ask this question if the answer to #1 was, “Bad time,” or just when you perceive that someone is not quite ready to talk or meet or proceed on a project. Just ask.

Query, “Is this the right time for us to talk about this?” You can ask this question of an individual or an entire team. Note: It is also not a bad question to ask at home sometimes.

Wonder out loud, “Should I/we be doing this project?” Sometimes we forgot to ask this question early in the process and may need to ask it once we’re already somewhat immersed in the project. It is never too late to get smart(er). If the answer to this question is, “Yes,” then you can move forward with renewed purpose. If the answer is, “No,” then it is time to extricate yourself.

Muse, “Is this the best use of my time right now?” For a couple of years, I had this question on my desk where I could see it multiple times each day. This question needs to be asked and answered frequently. We are all in ever-changing environments and we need to reassess our time allocation.

Ask outright, “Is this worth the time, effort, and/or energy I’m/we’re spending?” When you ask that question of yourself, listen to your gut reaction not just your brain reaction. When you ask it of others, watch for their visual and physical responses and listen to their words, too. It is all quite informative.

Determine the answer to: “Am I being paid to do this?” We can all fritter away a day doing all kinds of things…none of which we are actually charged with doing or being paid to do.

Ask, “Has someone significant asked me to do this?” If so, we need to determine the appropriate level of time and energy to devote to the task. Sometimes, the only reason we are doing something is because of “who” asked us…and that’s OK.

Answer the question, “Do I really want to be doing this?” This is not meant as a low-level question. It is meant to inform you if you begin to see a pattern of doing too many things you don’t want to be doing.

Be bold enough to ask, “Am I having fun and does this give me energy?” This question follows along on the last one…and you do have to be bold to ask it (and in particular, to answer it). Although it is thrilling when the answer is, “YES!” it is disheartening when it is, “No.”

A really big and somewhat philosophical question to ask is this one: “Is my life turning out the way I intended it to?” Depending on your answer, be thankful…or start making changes.

If you know you are meant for something “more,” even if you aren’t sure what “more” is, go to the Life of E’s site and see if membership in the Life of E’s might help you find out.

** http://LifeofEs.com

And, to make sure you are productive in your personal and professional life, you’ll want to access the resources at

** http://TopTenProductivityTips.com

(c) 2010 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm)