Welcome to Amanda’s semi-regular blog, where she writes about how to improve business profitability

What a Faulty Laptop Can Teach Us About Productivity Culture
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

What a Faulty Laptop Can Teach Us About Productivity Culture

After 24 years as a loyal customer, my recent experience with a well-known business PC supplier has been nothing short of eye-opening. What started with a faulty laptop spiralled into months of back-and-forth troubleshooting, escalating costs, and a complete breakdown in customer care.

This isn’t just a story about a laptop—it’s a case study in poor productivity culture. The issues I faced highlight inefficiencies that are all too common in organisations with problematic cultures: rework, returns, refunds, and disengaged employees.

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A huge thank you — UNBLOCK is off to an amazing start!
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

A huge thank you — UNBLOCK is off to an amazing start!

Wow — what a week I had last week! Monday kicked off with the Kindle launch of UNBLOCK, followed by the official book launch on Tuesday. Thanks to all of your support, UNBLOCK hit #1 in Hot New Releases across three different categories!

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Final Countdown: How UNBLOCK Can Transform Your Business
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Final Countdown: How UNBLOCK Can Transform Your Business

With practical advice and real-world case studies, UNBLOCK provides the roadmap to a more productive and successful business.

📆 Don't miss out on the Kindle deal running ONLY on Monday 4th November — open to find out how you can get your copy for just 99p / 99c and get ready to start your transformation journey!

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Building a Successful Change Management Plan
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Building a Successful Change Management Plan

One of the challenges with improving productivity is we have to change how we work.  This requires change management.  Effective change management is crucial for any organisation looking to improve productivity and stay competitive. Here are some strategies from "UNBLOCK: Transform Your Profitability Through a Culture of Productivity in Just 100 Days," to help you navigate change successfully:

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Creating a Systematic Productivity Culture
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Creating a Systematic Productivity Culture

Here are some strategies from UNBLOCK on creating a systematic productivity culture. This approach focuses on throwing off lethargy and taking a proactive, structured role in improving productivity.

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Why Consistency Matters
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Why Consistency Matters

Consistency is the bedrock of productivity, ensuring that processes are repeatable, reliable, and effective.

Here are three key reasons why consistency matters.

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Understanding the Productivity Pyramid
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Understanding the Productivity Pyramid

A crucial concept from UNBLOCK: the Productivity Pyramid. This model encapsulates the four key drivers of productivity: People, Process, Promise, and Price. To reach the peak of productivity, you need to focus on all four areas.

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The Four Productivity Drivers Explained
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

The Four Productivity Drivers Explained

By focusing on four drivers—people, process, promise, and price—you can create a balanced and effective productivity strategy. For more detailed insights and practical examples, be sure to explore "UNBLOCK" when it launches.

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How to Conduct an Unblock Audit™: A Step-by-Step Guide
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

How to Conduct an Unblock Audit™: A Step-by-Step Guide

Today I want to share some key insights from the book on how to conduct an Unblock Audit™. This process is pivotal in identifying and overcoming productivity barriers in your organisation. Here are three key takeaways to get you started:

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My journey to writing UNBLOCK
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

My journey to writing UNBLOCK

Excited to share my journey to writing "UNBLOCK: Transform Your Profitability Through a Culture of Productivity in Just 100 Days."

Written during a summer holiday in Scotland, this book offers practical insights to boost organisational productivity. Join me on this journey!

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Task level improvements don’t drive productivity
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Task level improvements don’t drive productivity

In a recent Forbes.com article, Carter Busse makes the point that company productivity does not come from tasks, rather it is derived from well-structured processes.

It’s a sentiment with which I agree. There are thousands of books on personal productivity and yet we continue to suffer from poor, or stagnant productivity and have done so now for over fifteen years.

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Our productivity sucks
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Our productivity sucks

What has happened to our productivity since 2008? And why does our productivity growth remain stubbornly low?

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95% of training is a waste of money
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

95% of training is a waste of money

I’ve been thinking about change. From where I’m sitting in the productivity space, change is everywhere. If we want to improve our productivity, we have to change the way we work. So, change management and productivity improvement go hand in hand.

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Make progress visible
Amanda Sokell Amanda Sokell

Make progress visible

One of the key objectives for those leading long change projects, is keeping the team motivated.

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