2014 is coming to an end! We wish you all happy holidays and an awesome new year filled with achievements and wonderful memories.

Here is the Sandglaz Blog’s most popular content in 2014:

The 6 characteristics of a highly effective team

highly effective team at work

Great teams don’t just happen. Those teams that fit together like puzzle pieces are the result of hard work and thoughtful leadership.

But what exactly are the things you need to look for when putting together a highly effective team? [article]

 

The complex relationship between happiness and motivation, according to science

the complex relationship between happiness and motivation

By now, we know what kind of behaviours demotivate people at work.

But what does motivate workers?

Of course, each person is fuelled by their own dreams and ambitions, but taking a close look at the complex relationship between happiness and motivation might give us a hint at what drives people to do their best work. [article]

 

How to improve your time management skills with the urgent-important matrix

time management skills

If you often find yourself firefighting through your to do list, managing crises and barely staying afloat, then this article is for you.

Among the time management tools and concepts available to us, the urgent-important matrix is one of the most helpful.

 

What kind of procrastinator are you?

the 5 types of procrastinators

Procrastination is productivity’s arch-nemesis.

About 20% of adults in the U.S. are chronic procrastinators, according to research by psychology professor Joseph Ferrari.

Other research suggests that 80% to 95% of college students procrastinate, especially when it comes to their coursework. [article]

 

Why businesses that embrace change win

embrace change or die

“Embracing Change” has been getting a lot of buzz in the last few years. Words like ‘lean’, ‘agile’, ‘iterative’, and ‘flexible’ have become commonplace. Startups and big companies alike are striving to follow this trend. But, why? What does it all mean? And, what’s the value in it? These are some important questions to answer before you hop on a new trend. So for those interested, I gathered some background information about it. Spoiler alert! The trend in fact didn’t come from one place only, it has multiple origins.[article]

 

Why Gantt charts don’t work

Why Gantt charts don't work

As a visual tool that outlines tasks, completion dates, resource allocation and dependencies, Gantt charts are quite helpful in showing schedule status and detailed future plans at a glance. They were considered extremely revolutionary when they were first introduced in 1910, more than 100 years ago, and rightly so. But in modern management, they simply suck.[article]

 

4 life hacks to help you stop multitasking

multitasking text overlay

We live in a world where we are always connected. Virtual interactions dominate our time, with our phones buzzing, our email begging for attention, and our Facebook ripe with the latest updates from our friends.

In this environment, we have the possibility to communicate with more people than ever before. But it is also increasingly difficult to focus on one task at once. [article]

 
Which posts did you find most interesting? Are there any topics you would like more of? Please let us know in the comments below.