Welcome back to the weekly Work Management Roundup, where we collect and curate the standout business-related articles of the past week or so. This time, we lead off with a shocking headline: according to government labor measurements, recent US productivity hasn't been this low since Jimmy Carter was in the Oval Office. Don't believe it? Read on. Why Is Productivity So Weak? Three Theories (The New York Times): According to the government's official labor productivity measurement, the period between 2011 to 2015 has seen the lowest numbers since 1977-1982. Why is this so? While economists don't know for sure, they do have 3 possible scenarios to explain these low numbers, ranging from the downright depressing to the utterly optimistic. Why Successful Leaders Don't Have An Open Door Policy (Forbes): Is the open-door policy that many execs made popular a few years back really a good thing? The brutal truth: while the goals are admirable, the disadvantages are real. Also, there's a lengthy analysis of the effects of having such a policy in place. There's No "I" in Remote Worker (Tech Culture Blog): Wrike CEO Andrew Filev shares his best tips for helping remote teams thrive and collaborate their way to success. And the best bit is: make sure you put culture — the values your company stands for — before the work itself. It's crucial to build the infrastructure for a truly collaborative and engaged remote team. How to Talk in Meetings When You Hate Talking in Meetings (Harvard Business Review): An edited conversation with Susan Cain, author of Quiet, who shares practical advice on how quiet people can still participate fruitfully in meetings. One trick: raise the volume of your voice above the general chatter to signal your entry into a conversation. How To Know Which Skills To Develop At Each Stage Of Your Career (Fast Company): As you progress in your career, how you're evaluated starts to shift from your technical skills, to your soft skills and your ability to get things done. Here's a handy reference to which skills matter most at each stage of your professional life.

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