Tag Archives: organization

Music and Productivity – Part One – Introduction

Written by Amy DeCaussin
Director of Projects & Social Media

This is part one of a new three part series on “Music & Productivity.”

Guess what??  Music helps to improve your productivity…well, usually.  Personally, there are times when I am working when I need absolute quiet.  An example would be if I am doing something business-y and/or financial.  I think that is because I am artsy by trade.  If I am painting, I’m all ears for music.  I think the same typically goes for whatever skill that you excel at.  Some people listen to music while they read.  Others can do their taxes while listening to music.  If you haven’t considered listening to music while you work, check out the infographic at the bottom of this article to see some facts about how it might help your productivity.

Music is a wonderful addition to any experience involving repetitive tasks.  According to Jacki Hollywood Brown, of Unclutterer.com, “If you have a project you have been putting off for some time or if your task involves repetitive work…turn up the volume and listen to your favourite music to get you motivated.” Some repetitive activities to consider could be doing dishes, folding laundry, cutting coupons–well, really anything domestic.  Other tasks that could benefit from music include sorting and organizing receipts, doing a product inventory count, grading papers, installing air conditioners, driving a truck, charting patient records and counting sheep or cracks in the sidewalk.

In the following parts of this series, we will explore how music closely effects artist Joey Salamon and we will hear from an expert in music, Dr. James Gerber, Music Associate at All Saint’s Episcopal Church in Phoenix.  Until then, I leave you with this site where you will find 226 free tracks to help your productivity.

Sources Used/Other links to check out on the subject:

“The Power of Art: Can music help treat children with attention disorders?” BBC News

“Listening to Music at Work–Do’s and Don’ts” CNN.com

“The Power of Music, Tapped in a Cubicle” New York Times

“Music at Work: 3 Real Productivity Benefits” CBS News

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Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you

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Institutional Design Frontiers Summit

What is IDF?


Higher education is a critical social enterprise facing crisis and opportunity. The roots of both seemingly stem from complex interactions between elements of policies, organizations and individuals. Institutional design thinking in higher education accommodates perspectives that account for all these elements. In examining the frontiers of institutional design in higher education, this summit brings together thought leaders from government, business, industry, higher education and academia.

The IDF Summit was produced by Laboratory 5 Inc. and took place April 8th-April 10th 2015 at the Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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President of Arizona State University, Michael Crow, Kaplan University President, Wade Dyke and Scholar Barry Bozeman discuss issues in higher education.

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At the entrance of the summit, a colorful show using video projection mapping by Fransisco Flores lit up one of the resorts indoor waterfalls.

The event featured a presentation by Lee Gutkind, who is considered “the Godfather creative nonfiction” according to Vanity Fair Magazine.

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Attendees participated in an infographic workshop with designer Sarah Spencer and  where they learned how to transition their scholarly information into in a visual graphics.

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Tamara Christensen guides participants to think creatively.

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Steven Yazzie and his crew conducting interviews.

The participants had an opportunity to discuss their academic works in an interview which was then recorded and made available for publication.  The summit directors were featured in the Boston Globe.

Written by Amy DeCaussin – Director of Projects & Social Media

Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you

 

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90 Day Company Cleanse: Week 6

We hope you enjoyed last week as much as we did and really took some time to relax a little, in case you missed out here is the link Week 5. Now that your feeling a bit refreshed lets tackle Week 6 which is going to focus on setting your mobile device for better productivity.

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We are all guilty of working from our mobile devices, sometimes it is an emergency for most of us it is simply convenient.  New technology is constantly produced, promising to help us stay connected and productive.  Often it can be more of a distraction, leading to less productivity.  Here are some tips to make the most out of your tech devices.

  1. Organize Your Digital Space: Make sure the apps or links you use most often are easy to access and conveniently located on your phone. This means when you need to work you can jump right on your mobile device and get down to business. That may also mean getting rid of apps you don’t use, maybe those free trials you downloaded and didn’t like so much. It can also be something as simple as making sure the links you use most are bookmarked and saved such as online banking websites, vendor sites your order from, Quickbooks, and any page you find yourself visiting often.
  2. Extend Your Battery Life: If you don’t have one already you need to go out and buy an external battery for your smartphone right now! You will thank us later (Your Welcome!). Not only will it give your phone a nice charge when you’re not by an outlet, most of them are pretty inexpensive. If you are using your phone as much as we think you are for work and other business related stuff your battery’s life probably seems shorter and shorter everyday. So forget the days of having your phone die right before your send that very important email, and give your device the gift of immortality (ok not really immortal but definitely long enough to make it home to your charger).
  3. Download This App: Evernote is a great app to use. Not only will you be able to share ideas and information with other people, the app is available on android and iOS devices.
  4. And These Apps Too: For Quickbooks users, you can download the Quickbooks app for free.  It allows you to record your receipts before they get lost in the shuffle of your busy day.

Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you

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