Face Off Finale - Iveta Brigis & Jim Benson

If you want to get things done, spend less time faffing around and get ahead in your career, you can't go far wrong with Jim Benson and Iveta Brigis.

Focussing on productivity, effectiveness at work and getting the most from your job, this edition of Face Off is all about you…..

THE BEST EMPLOYEES TAKE A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO THEIR WORK & LEARNING, AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Iveta: The best employees understand which working style best suits both their strengths and the task at hand, and can apply different approaches as needed - this could fall anywhere along the spectrum of structured to unstructured. From a management perspective, I think it is very important to allow employees to get their job done using their own preferred working style and not to enforce any one style.

Jim: Both. Structure is a dangerous word. People should have clarity around their work, meaning they understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what options are being strengthened or excised because of it. For many, structure means a writen set of steps to completion. For me, structure means that you have a systematic understanding of your work and can then act responsibly.

IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE TIP ON IMPROVING INDIVIDUAL WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Iveta: Discover what motivates you, and find ways to organize your work so that you are intrinsically motivated to excel. Share these motivating forces with your team and manager, so they can help find ways to make your work more meaningful to you, which is a great way to keep yourself productive.

Jim: Be self aware. Know what you are doing.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO HELP PEOPLE DEAL WITH INFORMATION OVERLOAD IN THEIR JOBS?

Iveta: Practice ways to better manage your mental energy to help yourself focus. My favorite suggestions from that HBR article are: reducing interruptions by performing high-concentration tasks away from phones and e-mail, and responding to voicemails and e-mails at designated times during the day.

Jim: Visualize your work, understand your capacity, and communicate that to everyone all the time.

DO YOU THINK THE WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE COULD INCLUDE A PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY & LEARNING SYSTEM FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE?

Iveta: Absolutely. Learning, productivity, and motivation are all very personal, and tailoring development opportunities to each employee will make any learning program much more effective.

Jim: I would go for effectiveness over productivity. Anyone can be productive simply by working more. The workplace of the future will focus on effectiveness - doing the right thing at the right time.

WHAT'S YOUR SECRET TO STAYING MOTIVATED AT WORK?

Iveta: I'm really motivated by work that has large social impact and where I can take on meaningful leadership roles, so I have guided my career toward this kind of work. I also find that working with really talented colleagues keeps me accountable to getting things done, because I hate to let them down, so I make sure to surround with great people.

Jim: Having other motivated people to work with. Work is social.