Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours [Hardcover]

Robert C. Pozen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2012

“Required reading for professionals—and aspiring professionals—of all levels.”
—Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Former Chairman of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

“Read this book if you want to learn how to run efficient and effective meetings—or how to avoid them altogether.”
—J. Michael Cook, Director of Comcast and IFF, Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Deloitte

Robert C. Pozen, one of the business world’s most successful—and productive—executives, reveals the surprising secrets to workplace productivity and high performance. Extreme Productivity is an essential handbook for every business professional, empowering them with proven methods for prioritizing efficiently and maximizing time at work, while leading a full and productive personal life as well.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Academic and former executive Pozen offers his set of recommendations on productivity, urging us to adopt a proper mind-set, to focus on the results we seek rather than the hours we work. He defines personal productivity as “the quantity and quality of your results in achieving your own objectives.” Presented in five parts, his advice and “takeaway” lessons include setting goals with specific priorities, focusing on final results, not sweating the small stuff, organizing your daily routine, improving reading comprehension, writing and speaking effectiveness, and long-term career decisions. His ideas are for all types of professionals, and he suggests action for certain stages of their careers. His insights on traveling effectively, embracing change, and balancing home and work are particularly valuable. He concludes, “Regardless of your employer’s culture, you can adopt most of the specific techniques in this book. . . . Ultimately, it is within your power to boost your results and reduce your working hours.” An excellent how-to on personal productivity. --Mary Whaley

Review

“It’s impossible to get ahead in today’s knowledge economy without knowing how to read, write, and speak effectively. Pozen’s tips on these three subjects alone are enough to make Extreme Productivity required reading for professionals-and aspiring professionals-of all levels.” (Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Former Chairman of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1995 - 1999) )

“This book is a must read for overwhelmed professionals. It gives you tips and tools to accomplish more on a daily basis and to make better choices about your career.” (Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. Trade Representative, Partner at WilmerHale )

“Bob Pozen’s prodigious output is extraordinary. Read this book to learn how he does it all in a 24-hour day.” (Martin Feldstein, Professor at Harvard University, Former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers )

“Read this book if you want to learn how to run efficient and effective meetings-or how to avoid them altogether. Bob really knows how to lead a discussion, get the group engaged, and drive to a consensus on what to do.” (J. Michael Cook, Director of Comcast and IFF, Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Deloitte )

“Personal productivity requires you to focus on the most important tasks rather than spending your time on busy work or small wins. If you want to learn how to raise your game, look no further than Extreme Productivity.” (David Calhoun, Chairman and CEO of Nielsen, former Vice Chairman of General Electric )

“Filled with useful recommendations on a wide variety of topics, this book will find adherents at every level of the company org chart.” (Publishers Weekly )

“[Pozen’s] insights on traveling effectively, embracing change, and balancing home and work are particularly valuable…An excellent how-to on personal productivity.” (Booklist )

“Extreme Productivity is filled with such sage advice and pragmatism… The book is populated with practical, real world anecdotes....For companies’ to have more effective boards, they will need to change with the times. A good place to start is to read Extreme Productivity.” (Huffington Post )

“I believe that everyone will find at least one section of the book that will resonate with them. Extreme Productivity is the essential guide to investing our time wisely.” (Newsweek )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062188534
• ISBN-13: 978-0062188533
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems
  • #63 in Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Time Management

More About the Author

Robert C. Pozen is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He was chairman of MFS Investment Management and vice chairman of Fidelity Investments. He served on President Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security and was also secretary of economic affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was associate general counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was a partner at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Caplin & Drysdale. The author of six books, Pozen lives with his wife in Boston, Massachusetts.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars some good stuff, but mostly trivial and highly US-centric December 25, 2012

By Michael V

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The majority of this book would be somewhere between boring and simplistic to any experienced manager. Much of it is about the author's personal preferences for breakfast, aeroplane seating, wardrobe, etc, which he appears to think are worth knowing about and even following. He has indeed accomplished a lot in his career, but the book is advertised as advice, not biography, and the details about his life quickly become tedious. Most of the content could be conveyed simply through the summary points at the end of each chapter -- readers could dramatically improve their own productivity by skipping the rest of the book. People interested in setting goals and finding ways to meet them would be much better off reading Clayton Christensen's book "How will you measure your life". Readers outside the US will find substantial portions of the author's advice irrelevant; readers who have evidence-based knowledge about topics such as jet lag will realise that some of the advice is just plain wrong.

That being said, the chapters on reading, writing, speaking, and holding meetings were good reminders about how important it is to do these things well and how often they are done badly. Unfortunately those chapters are unlikely to resonate with the young and inexperienced readers who might find the rest of the book useful and even interesting.

Pozen says many times in the book that one way to be more productive is to give only a "B+" effort to low-value tasks. He apparently applied that advice to writing this book, but I would rate it a "C-".

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book for Every Aspiring Leader October 7, 2012

By Andy Kaufman

Format:Hardcover

A consistent theme from leaders we work with is "too much to do, not enough time to do it." Bob Pozen has written a book that will benefit every leader. His chapter on prioritizing is like a strategic planning lesson applied to life. His chapters on reading more strategically, writing more effectively, and speaking more confidently are each worth the price of the book if taken to heart and practiced. His insights on habits are a great supplement to what you may have read in Charles Duhigg's book The Power of Habit. And his chapter on work/life balance is powerful, not only because of the wise advice, but also because Bob is an inspiring model of how to live a life of extreme productivity while maintaining strong family relationships.

I had the opportunity to interview Bob on our People and Projects Podcast ([...]) and found him to be one of the most kind, engaging, and generous guests ever. Bob Pozen is the real deal and this book encapsulates powerful lessons that have been tested in the real world. Every aspiring leader needs to read this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Hardly Extreme... December 20, 2012

By David H

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I consider myself a highly productive person, but I have always wondered about the secrets of those rare individuals who seem inhumanly prolific. The book jacket sets up this promise by describing the author as teaching a "full course load at Harvard Business School while serving as the full-time chairman of a global financial-services firm...written six books...hundreds of articles...raised a family...." Imagine my surprise when the one example the author gives for a typical calendar day includes almost none of these activities, but rather is typical white collar day that begins at 8:30 a.m., includes some ordinary-sounding meetings and some mid-morning exercise, and ends around 6 p.m. These examples don't suggest any "extreme" productivity or any apparent reduction in typical working hours as suggested in the title, unless you are comparing his hours to those of young investment bankers.

Some of the the author's more provocative suggestions (such as mid-day naps) would be very difficult to achieve in some environments, i.e. in a union-based work setting or in open office interior designs. I was hoping to see how the author would adapt his advice to these challenges, but I ultimately felt his key message was to find a different job or try to change the system.

Admittedly, there are some common sense tips and reminders that may be helpful for someone new to the working world, and certainly I have colleagues who could benefit from advice about topics like prioritization and meeting facilitation.

Ultimately, anyone who follows the author's recommendations should be reasonably productive, but it turns out there is no special sauce to "extreme" productivity.