Productivi-Tree: The Human Side of Productivity

Most productivity advice focuses on improving your output, but it often misses the source of real progress: the quality of your thinking. Michael Lukich, analytics executive, former Georgetown professor, and author of "The Stoic Systems Thinker," argues that the real leverage is upstream. In this episode, he explores the modern thinking crisis, the DSRP framework, fluid versus crystallized intelligence, and why Stoicism and systems thinking may be the same discipline, separated by 2,000 years.Guest linksBook, The Stoic Systems Thinker: https://www.stoicsystemsthinker.com/bookLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukich/X/Twitter: https://x.com/michaellukichSolver School, Poker and Analytics: https://www.youtube.com/c/solverschool

Adam Tilove spent decades watching brilliant ideas die before they became anything real. In this episode, he breaks down why initiating tasks is harder than doing them, names the six emotional "F-loads" that make you take the off-ramp before you even know it, and explains how irrevocable action and embracing ugly work can finally close the gap between idea and execution. He also shares what a second-grade report card from 1980 taught him about his own ADHD, and why he doesn't believe the superpower framing.💬 Guest Links:Website - neurodiscipline.com Book: Split Second (available on Amazon) Email: adam@neurodiscipline.com🤫 How Productive are you Really? Take the Free Productivity Test - https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/Productivity-Assessment 🎁 More Free Productivity Tools and Templates - https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/free-productivity-resources 📩 Join my Productivity Newsletter - https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/Newsletter🤝 Let's Connect: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-tacoronte/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/TacoronteSanti

Noémi Beres, founder of Podcast Connections, breaks down two sides of podcasting most professionals ignore. First: how to use podcast listening as a genuine productivity advantage -- learning faster, matching content to activity, and building better habits around audio. Second: how to become a podcast guest, write pitches that land, handle imposter syndrome, and turn a single interview into long-term business relationships. If you consume podcasts passively or have been sitting on the idea of getting on the other side of the mic, this episode is for you.Noémi on LinkedIn: search "Noémi Beres" (look for the microphone icon next to the name)https://www.podcastconnections.co

Your company has a meditation app, a mental health awareness poster, and maybe a yoga class at lunch. And yet people are burning out faster than ever. Jody Brooks calls this wellness washing: performing wellbeing without changing the structural conditions that actually cause burnout. In this episode, he shares the Nine Principles of Authentic Living, built from his own journey through severe anxiety, depression, and suicidal thinking, and explains what real wellbeing in the workplace actually requires.🤫 How Productive are you Really? Take the Free Productivity Test - https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/Productivity-Assessment🎁 More Free Productivity Tools and Templates - https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/free-productivity-resources📩 Join my Productivity Newsletter - https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/Newsletter💬 Guest Links:Jody Brooks - https://authenticcoaching.me/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-brooks-coach/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_authenticcoach/⏰ Time Stamps:0:00 Intro -- Jody's story: successful on the outside, breaking on the inside2:15 The moment it broke: crying in a toilet cubicle3:30 The slow erosion: how burnout builds before you name it5:15 What is wellness washing? The car wash analogy7:00 Real examples: apps, yoga classes, mental health first aiders9:00 Why yoga classes polarize instead of help10:30 HR's impossible position: gatekeepers, not guardians12:50 Are HR departments doomed by short-termism?15:00 What it actually costs companies: sickness, turnover, hidden losses19:10 UK burnout stats: 91% experience extreme stress every year21:10 The Nine Principles of Authentic Living -- all 9 explained31:35 Psychological safety: what companies get wrong34:00 Ownership: personal agency when you can't fix the system38:50 AI and burnout: why output models make it worse42:15 Remote work and the return-to-office debate46:50 What every person needs: to be seen, heard, listened to, and to belong49:20 Quickfire round51:05 How to connect with Jody Brooks

Hanna Bauer, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Baldrige Examiner, and founder of HEARTnomics, makes the case that your workday has the same waste problems as a factory floor, and the most expensive one is untapped human potential. Rigorous, practical, and unexpectedly human.Guest Links- Website: https://heartnomics.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bauerhanna/- HEART Leadership Profile: https://heartnomics.com/discover-your-heart-leadership-profile/

Key TakeawaysPeople don't make decisions rationally -- they make them emotionally, then justify with logic. The best communicators, leaders, and salespeople know this and act accordingly."How you do anything is how you do everything." The way you set up a meeting, a room, or a conversation sends a signal before you say a single word.The ROI of kindness is not abstract -- Neal's car dealer case study shows how small acts of generosity (a free oil change, a windshield repair) compounded into a thriving service base of nearly 100 customers and a workforce that wore the company shirt to dinner.Short-termism is the enemy. Toyota planned 70 years ahead -- and their recall response left customers more satisfied than before the recall.There's a "cynical middle" in most organizations -- the people between the idealistic CEO and the enthusiastic new hires. Neal's mission is to remind them: you don't have to be an a-hole to get ahead.Human beings survived because of cooperation, not individual dominance. Teams that finish aren't always the fastest -- they're the most cohesive.Guest LinksNeal Foard -- nealfoard.com Storyfire (Neal's company) -- storyfire.net Email -- neal@storyfire.net TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram -- search "Neal Foard" TED Talk -- "The ROI of Kindness"Chapters00:00 The Emotional Architecture of Advertising05:33 Redefining Success in Business09:23 Teaching Creativity and Selling Ideas17:38 The ROI of Kindness in Business27:24 Short-Termism vs. Long-Term Values34:18 Countering Social Media Rage with Kindness41:16 The Power of Cooperation in Business