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Do More With Less: How To Consolidate Your Martech Stack
Project Management 7 min read

Do More With Less: How To Consolidate Your Martech Stack

Your martech stack is probably costing you more time and money than it needs to. Recoup those wasted resources with our consolidation tips.

Do More With Less: How To Cope With the Hidden Cost of Layoffs
Productivity 5 min read

Do More With Less: How To Cope With the Hidden Cost of Layoffs

If your company has experienced layoffs, you may be asked to absorb projects and tasks. Here’s how you can create the capacity to take on more.

Is Information Overload Real? Or Are We Just a Wimpy Generation? (Video)
Productivity 3 min read

Is Information Overload Real? Or Are We Just a Wimpy Generation? (Video)

Information overload is supposedly a very real, very current phenomenon that our parents never had to deal with. And if you believe we're just a wimpy generation compared to our forefathers, here's a stat to knock your socks off: we see more than 34 billion bits of information per day online — an equivalent of 2 books a day. The stat comes from Adrian Ott's research while writing his book The 24-Hour Customer. It captures our predicament aptly: now more than ever before, we're drowning in potentially meaningful information. We interviewed Getting Things Done author David Allen, who calls this phenomenon an attack by the "barbarians of overwhelming opportunity." See the video below: Information Overload: Not the Real Problem  To be clear, even though consuming 34 billion bits of data daily is massive, that's not what's creating the crisis. It's the potential meaning that could be in the information we've received that stresses us out and keeps us from focusing on one thing at a time. Allen explains with an example: nature. When you set foot in a forest, every one of your senses feeds you information about your surroundings. But you don't implode because there aren't that many potentially meaningful things you have to worry about — until you come across dangerous animals or suspicious fruits.  Email is a different story. You never know which message is urgent or life-threatening, and which is just spam. Hence every new message in your inbox becomes a potential mountain lion or poisonous berry. Not knowing which is which causes stress and pressures you to get through it all. Suddenly you're looking at 15 emails instead of working on your report. Addicted to the Ping Which leads to the addictive behavior connected with email, or with putting out fires that aren't even on your to-do list. Handling and organizing all these little pings on our attention creates dopamine in the brain, making them highly addictive. It's not surprising then that approximately 28% of our working day is spent interacting with our email. We simply love the rush of going through new messages and  sending off responses ASAP; it makes us feel productive. In actuality, the time-suck it's sapping us of the energy we need to do our real job: creative problem solving.  Cognitive Load, Overloaded! Handling all the potentially meaningful information in our inboxes and in our daily lives takes effort. And according to a study by Baba Shiv at Stanford University, there is a limit to our "cognitive load," the amount of mental effort needed to accomplish a specific task. Once this load is taxed, no energy is left to make good decisions.  Clarify and Organize Your "Barbarians" So how does one deal with all this info without getting stressed mentally and physically? You have to set apart a time to clarify and organize these inputs before you can act on them. Allen's GTD method calls this the processing stage: you decide what you want to do with each idea. Is it urgent? What’s the goal? What’s your next action step? Are we just a wimpy generation? So to circle back to the original question: is information overload real? Absolutely. Though the real danger is the flood of potentially meaningful info we let in. Why not make it your New Year's resolution to adopt the GTD practice of processing all your input so you aren't overwhelmed by the barbarians at your gate?

Everyone's a Project Manager — Yes, That Means You (Video)
Project Management 3 min read

Everyone's a Project Manager — Yes, That Means You (Video)

When you think about the term "project manager" who comes to mind? Your boss? A colleague on a different team? The guy who literally has "Project Manager" on his LinkedIn bio? Here's something to think about: we're all project managers — you, your teammate, even the intern on the other side of the office. Whether you consider the client side project manager definition or the definition of a receptionist's role, both have their responsibilities which fall under the umbrella of project management. According to David Allen, father of the popular productivity system Getting Things Done (GTD), a project is ANY multi-step action. Which means that every time you work on something that takes more than one step, you are managing a project. Creating a new ad campaign. Hitting your sales goal. Buying a new car. Making a 3-course dinner for your in-laws. These are the types of daily projects we manage. What does this mean for how we approach work? We need to look at everything we do from a different angle. If we come at our daily tasks and projects with the mindset, "I can do this in a structured, organized way," then the outcome will substantially improve. How to Approach Life Projects Using GTD: 1. Identify what you're working on. Stake your claim that this is now a project you're managing. Simply changing your mindset can make a difference in how you approach the work. 2. Envision your intended outcome. 3. Make a list of the actions it will take to get you to the end goal. 4. Map out the flow for all your action steps. 5. Single out your very next step and set aside everything else for later. See what David Allen says about everyday project managers in a contributed post on his website about the natural planning model, and in our recent one-on-one interview: Interested in managing all your daily projects more efficiently? Start your own 2-week free trial of Wrike project management software today. Related Reads:• 4 Ways David Allen Applies GTD to Teams• How to Set Up GTD Using Wrike

Interview with Nir Eyal: How to Get Your Customers Hooked
Leadership 3 min read

Interview with Nir Eyal: How to Get Your Customers "Hooked"

Facebook, Amazon, Gmail, Spotify, Netflix... what do they all have in common? They all have us hooked on their products. They found a way to wiggle their product into our routines, and as a result, we've formed a habit dependent on their product that we simply can't break. What is so gut-wrenchingly addictive about these products and why can't we seem to shake the obsession? We were able to speak with entrepreneur and investor, Nir Eyal, about his recent book Hooked: How to Build Habit Forming Products, focusing on his acclaimed "Hook Model," and the secret to obtaining loyal customers. According to Nir, building a "hook" or a habit has nothing to do with being the best product out there. [inlinetweet prefix=" " tweeter="" suffix=""]"Engaging products don’t happen by mistake. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat know this." —@NirEyal [/inlinetweet] A few things you'll learn as you watch the video: Why he wrote Hooked What the Hook Model entails, and how it will help you understand your customers better Why going "viral" isn't always the goal How to create a habit out of a non-habit forming product What trends are up-and-coming that people aren't paying enough attention to Watch the full interview below! Tweet this! [inlinetweet prefix=" " tweeter="" suffix=""]"It's the product that has the "mind monopoly" that succeeds." —@NirEyal [/inlinetweet] Nir defines the "Hook Model" as consisting of these four steps: Trigger Action Reward Investment These steps define the various ways we engage with a product; whether it be reading their content and perceiving them as subject experts, or just feeling so comfortable using the product that you don't want to bother learning how to use a new one. Are you hooked on a product or service? Let us know in the comments what products have managed to hook you!

The 7 Wastes that Cripple Knowledge Workers (Video)
Project Management 3 min read

The 7 Wastes that Cripple Knowledge Workers (Video)

Everybody loves a good sequel! The second installment of our Lean video series is here, with all new lessons and 100% more explosions. Okay, not really... but our productivity coach Errette Dunn is back with some dynamite tips to make your daily work more efficient. Watch the video to learn: • How to identify the 7 wastes dragging knowledge workers down • How to cut common wastes and get more done every day • The two essential questions you need to answer to get the most value out of your work Bust through your productivity roadblocks by hitting ‘play’ now!   Like this video? Download the PDF guide with a summary of the 7 wastes and share it with your team! More helpful videos are on their way, so subscribe to the Wrike blog RSS feed and never miss a new release! Also Watch: • Product Development Tips from the Wright Brothers (Video)

First Things First: Watch A New Video on How to Prioritize Your Work in Wrike
Project Management 3 min read

First Things First: Watch A New Video on How to Prioritize Your Work in Wrike

Have you ever wished to be saved from the pressure of looming deadlines? If so, prioritizing project work is exactly what you need! Explicit and timely prioritization helps your team focus on the most important and urgent tasks, fight off distractions, and avoid deadline panic. If you drop by our blog, you already know how easy it is to prioritize tasks in Wrike project management software, as it takes only a mouse motion to set, adjust and share task priorities with your team. Prioritizing tasks is so crucial for efficient project management that it deserves more attention, and we decided to shoot a video on this topic. Our new video will help you refine your priorities and let important and urgent tasks make their way to the top of your team’s to-do lists: Now that you know our suggestions for avoiding the stress of a hectic schedule, please tell us about your practices for defining and sharing work priorities. What tricks do you use to keep the most important and urgent tasks on the radar?

Welcome to Our YouTube Channel – a New Place to Share Ideas
News 3 min read

Welcome to Our YouTube Channel – a New Place to Share Ideas

A picture is worth a thousand words, so what about a video? Or even a video channel! We decided to give you a full overview of Wrike's project management tutorials in our brand-new Wrike TV. Come visit our YouTube channel, where you already can find several new arrivals – on Wrike's integration with Google docs, handy drag-and-drop support and the fantastic Activity Stream. Here's a piece on how you can work on Google Docs collaboratively in Wrike: But this is just a beginning, as we want to turn our channel into a get-together to exchange great project management ideas. We will share some interesting experiences of project management gurus and useful tips on efficient collaboration in the easy form of little videos. As you can see, the most interesting updates are on their way, so stay tuned! You can easily subscribe to our channel with your Google account. Do you have a piece of practical advice or an inspiring team experience to share with other viewers? Be our TV guest star and cover yourself with glory! We prepared a small present for you – a gift card for ThinkGeek – to thank you for helping our users become more productive. We also have some gifts to raffle off among the first 100 lucky subscribers and anticipate presenting them to you!

Product Development Tips from the Wright Brothers (Video)
Leadership 3 min read

Product Development Tips from the Wright Brothers (Video)

Roll out the red carpet! Pop the popcorn! Dim the lights! We’re premiering the first in a series of videos on Lean methodology, featuring your very own productivity coach, Errette Dunn. This first video applies Lean principles to the product development process, taking examples from the history of flight and the Wright brothers’ amazing success. You’ll learn: how to shake up your process for better results the most important first step for every stage to watch for costly assumptions that could trip you up Make your product development process more efficient, the Wright way. Hit ‘play’ now!  Like this video? Share it with your friends and colleagues!  The second installment of our video series is coming soon, so keep checking the Wrike blog — or better yet, subscribe to our YouTube channel! Related Articles: 5 Lessons in Lean Product Development from the Wright Brothers (Infographic) Startups Should Lean on Lean Project Management

List of Suspects Narrowed in Death of Project (Video)
Project Management 3 min read

List of Suspects Narrowed in Death of Project (Video)

SAN FRANCISCO — Police in San Francisco say they have narrowed down their list of suspects in the ongoing investigation into the death of a travel brochure project. The project was originally owned by the advertising agency Sea Cliff, Presidio, and Associates, Inc. The case received national attention last year when the brochure mistakenly featured a photo of the Bay Bridge rather than the Golden Gate Bridge, leading to a dramatic decrease in visitors to the city of San Francisco between June 2013 and June 2014. Mistakes leading to the project's demise occurred over several weeks, and were allegedly made by various members of the project team and their associates. The police are trying to determine which mistakes were truly fatal, to bring the ultimate culprit to justice. In the Wrike-exclusive video below, hear suspect interviews and updates from the Chief of Police as he sheds light on this very public case. According to him, "Unfortunately, we're seeing this type of thing more and more. It's very sad. We hope that by sharing our investigation with the public, we can prevent future project deaths." "There are no words to adequately describe the impact of this blunder on our great city," says an anonymous San Francisco native. Police declined to comment on who they believe to be most responsible at this point. As of this morning, they have not made any arrests. Do You Suspect an Imminent Project Death? If you or any of your colleagues suspect that your own project is approaching its demise, take immediate action! Visit the Project Management Guide for pointers on better team collaboration and asset management, and make sure you immediately report suspected foul play to your project stakeholders, before it's too late. Read Next: Project Risk Assessment (Ultimate Guide to Project Risk, Part 1) Project Risk Management Tools (Ultimate Guide to Project Risk, Part 2) How to Handle a Project Management Crisis (Infographic)

Waste Not: Becoming a Lean Team Means Cutting These Wastes (Video)
Productivity 3 min read

Waste Not: Becoming a Lean Team Means Cutting These Wastes (Video)

Lean methodology started out as a way to make manufacturing more efficient by finding and getting rid of waste, reducing costs, and delivering products faster. Its main focus is on value, which is essentially anything the customer would want enough to pay for. Value is always defined by the customer. So that means no guessing what the customer wants or making blind assumptions. Lean projects need open conversations with customers and stakeholders. Begin your lean processes by hitting 'play' on the video below. You'll learn 3 simple tips for eliminating the biggest source of waste: rework. Then keep reading for easy fixes to the 7 other most common forms of waste for knowledge workers: How to Eliminate the Most Common Wastes for Knowledge Workers 1. Failure to share knowledge. Too often knowledge and experience is wasted because it isn't captured or shared. Other people can't learn from what stays trapped in your head. So start a knowledge base that everyone can access and contribute to. Common questions will get answered, and your team will be able to find the answers they need as soon as they need them. 2. Duplicate efforts. Nothing is more frustrating — or more wasteful — than realizing you've spent time and effort doing the same work as a colleague. Make your teamwork transparent with a task board, or a quick weekly standup where everyone shares what they're working on. When everyone knows exactly what they're responsible for — and what their teammates are doing — these types of mistakes don't happen. 3. Unproductive meetings. For most knowledge workers, meetings equal wasted time. You follow an agenda, but don't actually accomplish anything. Skip the status updates, and only hold meetings when there's a specific goal or task your team needs to complete together. 4. Flawed Processes. When was the last time you asked "Why?" Why are we doing this? Why are we going about it this way? Most teams just keep doing the things the way they've been done, simply because they've always been done that way. Hold a retrospective after each project to discuss what went well, what you ultimately achieved, and how the process could be improved. 5. Ineffective communication. Vague expectations, fuzzy deadlines, and unclear responsibilities lead to mistakes, wasted efforts, and missed goals. Improve communications by learning to listen. Pay attention to what the other person means, not just the words they're using, and always confirm you're on the same page. 6. Delays. Knowledge workers are pretty familiar with waiting: waiting for approval, waiting through rounds of revisions, waiting for documents to be shuttled back and forth, or for the information they need to proceed. Standardize processes wherever possible, and trim where you can. Every step in the process should add value. If it doesn't, cut it. 7. Errors. Mistakes happen, it's just a basic fact of life. But mistakes can be costly, and as customers have more options and the field of competition grows, expectations get higher and higher. Eliminate common errors by taking some simple steps. Automate where you can by using spell check or a bug tracker. Make sure everything gets at least two sets of eyes during revisions. Or release to an internal sandbox or staging server to catch errors before you deliver to the customer. Best Tools for Workplace Efficiency Now that you've got the right mindsets and processes in place, discover a few new tools to help your team up their game. Check out this list of 25 online tools to help you run your business.

HR Tip: How to use Wrike for Applicant Tracking and Recruitment Process
Productivity 3 min read

HR Tip: How to use Wrike for Applicant Tracking and Recruitment Process

The first step to any successful project management is acquiring the right talent. No matter if your organization has one hard-working recruiter or an impressive HR team, the applicant-tracking process can be time-consuming and demanding at times. Among other things, it requires prompt access to recruitment data and the ability to always keep track of the applicants' statuses, engage the team in the process, and more. Fortunately, with Wrike, you can not only overcome the mentioned challenges, but also easily track the applicants and manage your projects within one single app. And, while Wrike helps you to streamline the whole recruitment process, you can focus on your main goal – acquiring the best talent possible!   In a new tutorial video, we featured some simple ways to optimize your applicant-tracking process with Wrike, so you'll be able to: Stay on track with the applicant's status and progress. Manage the applicant flow for the concrete position. Use custom statuses and tags to find a sought-after applicant in a few clicks. Analyze your recruitment channels to spot the most effective ones. Keep all your recruitment data and action items in one system with no need to switch between apps. and more! Don't miss a chance to take a glance at the second part of our new tutorial video with our Top 5 productivity tips, as they will not only save you time, but also make the recruitment process smooth and simple!  

Bring Back the Lunch Break! (Video)
Productivity 3 min read

Bring Back the Lunch Break! (Video)

We all want to be productive at work and gain recognition (and hopefully a raise) for our dedication. But that doesn’t mean you should chain yourself to your desk! Longer hours don't automatically translate into increased productivity. In fact, that mid-day break for lunch is more important than ever if you really want to wow your colleagues with your creativity, focus, and ability to do great work. Click 'play' on the short video below for 7 compelling reasons to step away from your desk at noon. Do you agree that the lunch break deserves a comeback? Share this video on social media, or get a conversation started in the comments below. Increase Your Productivity At the Office For those hours you are at your desk, try out the Wrike team's favorite workplace productivity tips: 10 Workplace Productivity Tips From People Who Actually Use Them (Video)

6 Simple Workplace Productivity Tips (Video)
Productivity 3 min read

6 Simple Workplace Productivity Tips (Video)

If you're feeling burned out, low on energy and ideas, and your to-do list is taunting you, then it's time to take action to get your productivity back. Watch this video for 6 very simple, no-sweat life hacks that will recharge your mind and morale. Why These Productivity Tips Work Here's the science behind these tips: 1. Sitting by a window keeps you focused 15% longer It's all about getting some sun! A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory reveals that people exposed to natural light experience an increase in energy, creativity, and productivity. People working in natural light keep at it 15% longer than the average worker under artificial light. Everyone needs a window seat! 2. Indoor plants improve creativity and health According to a 2013 study, indoor plants improve creativity by 45%, also sharpening focus and concentration. Even better: they reduce fatigue, coughs, and sore throats by more than 30%, according to the University of Agriculture in Norway. 3. Looking at photos of nature sharpens focus by 20% A study at the University of Michigan showed that looking at photos of nature, improves memory and attention scores by about 20% — that's not the case when viewing urban photos. 4. Eliminating browser tabs cuts down on distraction Can't stay on task with (2) new notifications staring at you from your email tab? Use a browser add-on or extension that forces you to focus on one tab at a time, such as TabZolo. You'll eliminate the temptation to check those distracting notifications. 5. Going for walks can lessen fatigue According to research from the University of Edinburgh, going for walks when you're tired — especially in places where there are lots of plants — can decrease brain fatigue, frustration, and give you a boost of much-needed energy. 6. Listening to ambient music or white noise increases focus by 35% You already know that putting on headphones blocks out extra office noise. But when you make your music choices, remember that listening to ambient music or white/pink noise at low levels has been shown to improve your focus by 35%. Need More Productivity Tips? For a mega-list of ways to increase focus and engage your creative brain, look at our list of 44 productivity hacks.

Super Fast, Efficient and Sexy: Enjoy the Redesigned Wrike!
News 3 min read

Super Fast, Efficient and Sexy: Enjoy the Redesigned Wrike!

This is certainly the news no one will fail to notice! Combining power and elegance, we have redesigned Wrike project management software to make it amazingly fast, yet unbelievably convenient. Whether you are running dozens, hundreds or even thousands of tasks and projects, you can manage them all in a few mouse clicks. Check out this video that will walk you through the highlights of the new interface: To test-drive the redesigned Wrike, follow this link. Wrike is the only project management tool that allows you to view your work as a combination of task lists, backlog, spreadsheet, online Gantt charts and activity stream, all in one app. Just click on these new stylish icons at the top of the screen to switch between different views on your work and enjoy all the wide array of options in navigating your projects. To make your work in Wrike even faster and more convenient, we also added some extremely useful features that will skyrocket your productivity: enhanced filters; universal search function; multiple task editing; super fast redesigned Dynamic Timeline, and more! Stay tuned and learn all the details about these fantastic new features in our upcoming posts. Some of the updates in the new user interface were inspired by customer suggestions, so thanks a lot to all of you for your valuable feedback! Our customers who were the first to notice Wrike's slick new look have already shared their impressions with us today. "Wrike's speed and flexibility set it apart from any other project management solution I've ever seen," says Timothy Seward from ROI Revolution. All this is just a click away! Check out the new Wrike and let us know what you think.  

How Wrike Uses Wrike... For Fun!
Wrike Tips 3 min read

How Wrike Uses Wrike... For Fun!

We're not like a regular startup, we're a cool startup. ;) Here's the 411 on work events outside the office: team bonding events are difficult to pull off. They're normally unoriginal or downright boring. At Wrike, we were looking for a way to celebrate a successful end of the quarter with a game that everyone could take part in and be excited about, and we wanted to use a collaborative tool we all know how to use. We decided it was time for... the First Annual Wrike Scavenger Hunt! It started by creating teams of five and choosing a theme and a name for each team — oh, the creative possibilities! On the big day, teams gathered around and the list of scavenger hunt items was revealed in Wrike tasks. Teams had two hours to run around downtown Mountain View, CA and complete the tasks by uploading proof-of-completion photos or videos to the tasks via Wrike mobile app. Some of the tasks included taking a selfie with a stranger, snapping photos of all six downtown bubble tea locations, finding an item that cost exactly $0.49 cents, and completing a water balloon toss. Emeka and Patricia — our scavenger hunt facilitators — were able to get updates in real-time on their phones, so they could keep track of who was in the lead as the clock ticked down. How to Create Your Own Scavenger Hunt in Wrike   Step 1: Divide everyone into groups of 2 or more and have them choose a fun name or theme that represents their team.   .  Step 2: Create a Folder and add a single task.   .  Step 3: Within that task, add subtasks with the specific actions you want completed during the Scavenger Hunt. Make sure these tasks require teams to take a photo or video they can upload to the subtask before they hit complete.    .  Step 4: Duplicate the parent task for each of the participating teams.   .  Step 5: Name each task with a specific team name and share it with them.    .  Step 6: On the day of the Scavenger Hunt, give all the teams a time limit to complete each subtask. Explain to the teams that they will have to upload a photo or video to each subtask using the free Wrike Mobile App.   .  Step 7: Follow the Scavenger Hunt progression in real time by watching as the subtasks are completed by each team. The team who completes the most subtasks in the shortest amount of time, wins!   .  Step 8: Share the winner with us on social media with the hashtag #WrikeScavengerHunt   .  Have fun and Wrike on!   Check out our short video recap of the scavenger hunt to inspire your own team and use Wrike for your own adventures! We're an ambitious bunch, so it was a great opportunity to unleash our competitive spirits while having fun with our co-workers. And we found a fun new way to play with Wrike! How do you use Wrike for fun? Share your own stories in the comments!

How to Prioritize Your To-Dos When Everything's Important (Video)
Productivity 3 min read

How to Prioritize Your To-Dos When Everything's Important (Video)

We’ve all been there: you walk into the office, take one look at your inbox or to-do list, and immediately feel the urge to run away. You’ve got a million things on your plate and they’re all important — where do you even start? The more requests come flying in at you from all sides, the less time and brainpower you have to discern which are actually worth your time. So you end up scrambling to do them all, perpetuating the cycle of eternal busy-ness. Stop. Take a deep breath and use a few of these prioritization tips from entrepreneur Lauren Perkins, NY Times bestselling author Greg McKeown, and Wrike's own productivity coach Errette Dunn to organize your day, get the most significant work done, and still have time for your own high-priority tasks. First hit 'play' on the short video below to learn the most important prioritization tip Wrike's Errette Dunn picked up from productivity pro David Allen, then keep reading for more expert advice: Tip 1: Define your deadlines. Tip 2: Get some space. At least once a quarter, get out of the office for a day to clear your head and re-focus on the big picture. Where do you want to be in a year? Three years? Reminding yourself of where you ultimately want to go will help you gain perspective and identify the projects and tasks that are instrumental in getting you there. Tip 3: Pretend you have half the time you actually do. Cut your work hours in half when you sit down to plot out your day. It’ll force you to be extremely picky when it comes to the tasks you agree to take on or contribute to. Bonus: it’ll give you time to make sure these high-priorities actually get done on time — and done well — and you’ll have time to tackle your own important to-dos, instead of just helping out with everyone else’s. Tip 4: Keep priority singular. When the word “priority” first appeared in the English language, it was singular, as in the one most important thing — and it stayed that way for close to 500 years. Only in the last century did we start identifying multiple priorities. So take back the word’s original meaning, and choose one priority for each day. It's likely you'll always have several important things going on, but if you don’t have a hierarchy with one single priority at the top, you'll always feel unfocused and pulled in too many directions at once. Tip 5: Learn to let go. Let go of perfectionism and the inclination to micromanage. If you always get caught up in perfecting every tiny detail of the project you're working on, you're only making more work for yourself and eating up more of your time. Learn to delegate tasks that don't absolutely need your input, and give yourself limits on the work that does so you don't start down the rabbit hole of nit-picking. How do you prioritize your daily workload? Share your favorite strategies in the comments below to add your ideas to our list! Sources: Entrepreneur.com, Inc.com

14 Online Resources to Break Through Your Creative Block
Productivity 5 min read

14 Online Resources to Break Through Your Creative Block

You know the feeling. You sit down to work on a creative project and your brain just goes blank. When creative inspiration is stubbornly elusive, most of us turn to the internet for distraction... only to come back to our project three hours later just as stuck as we were before. But the internet can be your creative ally, not your foe — if you know where to look, that is. These inspiring websites, videos, podcasts, and other resources are sure to rekindle your creative spark. Browse These Websites for Creative Inspiration 1. Language Is A Virus A site to cure writer’s block. Daily writing prompts, interactive creative writing games, experiments and exercises, a character name generator, articles on the creativity techniques of famous authors, and more resources to pull you out of a creative rut. 2. Writing Prompts Subreddit A steady stream of wildly creative, user-submitted writing prompts. Click through to the comments to read other peoples' responses, or just pick your favorite prompt, grab a pen and paper, and start scribbling. 3. Selfless Portraits Strangers across the world draw each other's portraits. Doodling has been shown to stimulate creativity, so activate a new part of your brain, break through that creative block, and get a cool new Facebook profile photo to boot. 4. The Acoustic Guitar Project Are you a musician stuck on a set of lyrics or struggling to find your next melody? Plug in to The Acoustic Guitar Project. You’ll get a guitar, a handheld recorder, and one week to record an original song. Use the deadline as motivation, and when you’re done, sign the guitar. It’ll be forwarded to the next musician for inspiration. If you’re not musically inclined, listen to the soundtrack of previously recorded songs to get in a creative mood as you write, illustrate, edit, etc. 5. Damn Interesting Fascinating true stories from history, science, and technology to stuff your brain with interesting tidbits. Learn about the furious race between two scientists to achieve absolute zero, the mysterious tragedy of a 1930s ocean cruiser that caught fire after the suspicious death of its paranoid captain, and more strange-but-true stories. Read longform articles (with optional sound effects!) or listen to the podcast versions — either way, you'll pick up some creative ammunition. 6. BrainPickings' Literary Jukebox A side project of Maria Popova of BrainPickings.org, famous quotes from classic books are thematically paired with a song. Find inspiration and an accompanying soundtrack to fuel your creativity in one beautifully-designed spot. 7. Times Haikus This site is home to a computer algorithm that periodically checks the New York Times home page, scanning sentences to create spontaneous haikus. Human curators then select the best results to post on the blog. Browse the surprisingly poignant results to get in a reflective or inventive mood, then get your creative juices flowing by picking up a nearby newspaper or magazine (or opening one in a new browser tab) and trying it out for yourself. 8. Do Nothing for Two Minutes Exactly what it sounds like. This site will force you to take a short break to reset your brain. Don't touch your keyboard or your mouse, or the timer will reset. Just sit back, listen to the wave sounds, and come back to your project refreshed and focused. Watch These Videos for New Creative Ideas 9. TED Talk: Play This Game to Come Up With Original Ideas Toy designer Shimpei Takahashi's game shiritori is his foolproof way to come up with new solutions and original ideas. Learn how to play, then see how it can help you tap into greater creativity. 10. How to Boost Your Creativity Did you know that listening to your favorite music at work can actually make you less productive? This short video is full of quick things you can do in a matter of minutes to boost your creativity. 11. Watch Whose Line Is It, Anyway? clips Use the zany skits and prompts to get in the right mindset for generating a bunch of new, off-the-wall ideas. Plus you're sure to laugh, which will put you in a good mood and make you more productive. 12. TED Talk: How to Get Out of the Box and Generate Ideas When someone tells you to "just think outside of the box," do you get the urge to punch something? Easier said than done! Giovanni Corazza steps in with techniques for actually getting outside that proverbial box to promote innovative thinking. Listen to These Podcasts for New Creative Habits 13. The Accidental Creative Author and host Todd Henry interviews artists, authors, and other creative professionals for tips on how to succeed in life and work. Each short podcast is 20 minutes or less and features well-known leaders in the creative community, including Seth Godin, David Allen, Gretchen Rubin, Steven Pressfield, and more. 14. Radiolab: Me, Myself, and Muse Staring at your creative project and drawing a big, fat, blank? Talk to it, out loud, as though it were a person. Ask it what it wants. Tell it to meet you halfway. If a new idea comes to you while you're stuck in traffic, no pen in sight, tell it to buzz off and come back later. This is the technique embraced by famous creatives like Elizabeth Gilbert, Tom Waits, and Oliver Sacks. Learn why it works in this short, 15-minute podcast. The Best Techniques for Better Creativity What are your go-to methods for fighting creative blocks? Share your favorites in the comments! Sources: http://www.goodnet.org/articles/984 https://creativemarket.com/blog/2014/01/23/5-sites-to-boost-creativity-in-2014 http://www.stumbleupon.com/blog/staff-picks-sites-that-spark-creativity/

Learn How to Get the Most out of Wrike's Backlog Feature
News 3 min read

Learn How to Get the Most out of Wrike's Backlog Feature

We regularly release tutorial videos to help you learn how to use Wrike project management software. Recently, we released a new video that teaches you how you can easily adapt your plans in Wrike to the fast-changing business environment! The new video describes how to make the best use of Wrike’s Backlog feature. It tells you how tasks in your backlog are different from usual ones; and how to create, manage and prioritize tasks. In this tutorial, you will see examples of how useful the backlog can be for scheduling and assigning tasks to your peers. You can use Wrike’s Backlog feature in many ways – to manage agile development teams, store important ideas, prioritize product requirements, or even create your personal backlog. Watch this new tutorial and see how to save time and make scheduling and prioritizing even easier! Watch the other tutorials at the top of Wrike’s help page.

Beware the Managers from Hell! (Video)
Leadership 5 min read

Beware the Managers from Hell! (Video)

Your boss is rude, non-communicative, and unrealistic with expectations? Then you're dealing with a manager from hell.

10 Workplace Productivity Tips From People Who Actually Use Them (Video)
Productivity 3 min read

10 Workplace Productivity Tips From People Who Actually Use Them (Video)

What's more annoying than sitting around in an unproductive funk all day? How about trying to get yourself in the mood to work by trying out productivity tips that have never actually helped anyone? No thanks! (Last week I did a handstand against a wall in the office to "get my blood flowing." It just made me dizzy.) So we did some research at Wrike HQ to see what our coworkers are doing to stay focused in the office. Their first suggestion was to stop doing handstands. And then they shared some insightful advice from their own tried-and-true productivity arsenal, including: Color-coding your calendar by activity type Starting off your day by helping your colleagues with their work Looking around at your desk space — and fixing it up to make it a better space for focusing Watch our quick three-minute video to hear ten pieces of advice that are actually helping office workers get more done, straight from the mouths of our most productive Wrikers: What productivity tips have you tried? Are you a productivity junkie? Have you tried every productivity tip you could find online, along with a few of your own homespun concoctions? Let us know what has helped you focus during a long day in the office (and what doesn't help at all) — we all want to learn from your experience. Here's to a more productive workplace for all! Related Reads: 16 Simple Motivation Tips to Get More Done (Infographic) 6 Reasons Your Marketing Plan Isn’t Working (+ New Welcome to DroneCo Comic) 4 Problems with Virtual Meetings that You Can Fix

Communicate Better, Be More Persuasive with Visuals: Interview with Dan Roam (Video)
Collaboration 3 min read

Communicate Better, Be More Persuasive with Visuals: Interview with Dan Roam (Video)

Dan Roam is a management consultant and strong advocate of incorporating visual thinking into your business to solve any problem. He's the author of four best-selling business books, including The Back of the Napkin, which has been called one of the best innovation books of the year. Wrike interviewed Dan Roam to get his take on using visuals at work to improve the way we're working and communicating. Watch to learn: His predictions for the future of work — it's not a common viewpoint! How to fix common problems he sees in both large and small teams. How to deal with the three major business problem areas: emails, meetings, and reporting on activities. How to use pictures to sell your ideas or startup pitch, even if you don't think you're a good salesman. Why it's important for every worker to hone their presentation skills. Hit 'play' now to hear more about visual thinking and how you can use it to improve communication on your team: (Note: there is a minor sound issue in the first minute.) Our biggest takeaways from our interview with Dan Roam were how we can start using visuals to improve our team communication today. Here are some ideas from Dan Roam, mixed in with a few of our own: 5 Ways to Use Visuals to Improve Communication Classic technique: when giving a presentation, instead of loading your PowerPoint slides with text, fill them with pictures to illustrate your point or inspire a feeling in your audience. Before sending an email, think about the content. Can you illustrate any of your ideas instead of sending a explanatory paragraph? Sketch it out quickly on paper, snap a picture on your phone, and attach it to your email. Next time they respond, you'll be working around an image, instead of a heavy block of text. If you're sending a task to your design team, mock up your design ideas instead of explaining them with words. Even if you don't have a good eye for aesthetics, giving them your ideal layout at the start prevents the disappointment and wasted time of them creating a first draft that misses the mark. Proactively get up and use a whiteboard during meetings. Just hold the marker in your hand to make yourself more likely to open up and start drawing. Even if you use circles, squares, and arrows to illustrate your point, structured whiteboarding helps make sure everyone  understands the goals in the same way. When it comes to reporting, a picture is worth a thousand words. Send charts and graphs instead of a string of numbers and percentages. What do you think about bringing more visuals into conversations? Have you read any of Dan Roam's books? What was your biggest takeaway from our Dan Roam interview? If you are already using visuals to improve team communication, have you noticed a big difference? Share your thoughts with everyone below, and if you already have a tried and tested method, tell us how we can keep improving the way we work with visualization. Let's start a conversation! Read Next: The 4th Phase of Project Management: Interview with Peter Taylor (Video) 20 Lessons from David Allen on Succeeding at Work, Life, and GTD (Video)

4 Reasons We Love Email (Video)
Collaboration 3 min read

4 Reasons We "Love" Email (Video)

At its inception, email was a great way of sending short notes to your officemates and people around the world. Since then, it has become a primary way to communicate at work, and messages can be anywhere from a short, "OK," to a long-winded essay on all the tasks that need to be done before tomorrow and every step to be taken. Which then quickly spirals into a chain of back-and-forth emails. Tasks get assigned and promptly forgotten, people send simultaneous messages that contradict one another, and you never know if your email has actually made it through the territorial spam filters. We challenge you to look at your email inbox again and consider if this is really the best way to communicate with your team. How many projects have been delayed because important emails weren't read properly or in time? How often have you had to resize a document in order to attach it successfully? Do you open your inbox in the morning and groan at the amount of junk mail you are now required to wade through? Watch our video on the reasons we "love" email, and if you identify with these groan-worthy moments, maybe it's time to switch to a better communication tool: What do you hate about email? We only named six reasons why email is a pain in the neck, and we know we left some out. So tell us: what do you hate most about communicating with your team via email? Download our free ebook: It's Not Me, It's You: Why Managers Need to Break Up with Email and Spreadsheets If this video resonated with you, and you know your company needs a better communication and work planning platform, try out Wrike. You can start a free 2-week trial for your team today. Related Reads: Email Management: 10 Clever Tricks to Hit Inbox Zero 3 Collaboration Tips for Enhancing Teamwork The 5 Ws of Virtual Communication

What Happens When Companies Invest in Working Moms (Video)
Leadership 5 min read

What Happens When Companies Invest in Working Moms (Video)

The challenges of working mothers may be well documented, but the unique value they bring to their organizations is acknowledged far too seldom. Here’s what happens when companies invest in working moms.