Productivity Glossary

The 2-minute rule states that if a task takes less than two minutes to complete, you should do it immediately instead of putting it off.

AI, or artificial intelligence, is the ability for computer systems or machines to perform processes that simulate human intelligence.

An Agile sprint is a short, fixed period where a team works to complete a specific set of tasks and goals within a larger project.

An all-day calendar event is a 24-hour long event that is scheduled from midnight to midnight in the calendar.

Asynchronous refers to work styles and workplace communication that don't require everyone to be online or available at the same exact time.

A board meeting is a formal gathering of the board of directors of an organization, held at regular intervals to discuss strategic matters of business

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by exposure to overwhelming and prolonged stress.

A business executive is a senior-level manager responsible for high-level decisions and overseeing the overall operations of a company or department.

A calendar is a system for organizing time into days, weeks, months, and years.

Calendar apps are software applications that integrate with your existing calendar to improve your scheduling and time management experience.

Calendar privacy settings let you control who can see your events and details, from completely private to publicly visible.

Calendar services are the primary calendar account for your schedule, forming the backbone and engine for your scheduling and calendar applications.

Calendar sync, or calendar synchronization, is a way of sharing information across two online calendars together.

Color labels in calendars allow you to assign specific colors to different types of events or calendars.

Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task for an extended period of time.

Delegation is the process of assigning tasks to another person. This management skill allows leaders to distribute work responsibilities to the team.

A direct report is an employee, or subordinate, who will report directly to a manager or supervisor within an organization.

"Eat the frog" is a metaphorical phrase for tackling your most challenging or unpleasant task first. It’s a prioritization and productivity method.

The Eisenhower Matrix is a task management method for prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance. Also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix.

Employee engagement refers to the level of enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment an employee feels towards their work and organization.

Employee recognition is the act of acknowledging and appreciating an employee's efforts, achievements, or contributions within the workplace.

Events from email is a feature found in many calendar apps that automatically converts relevant information from your emails into calendar events.

The Feynman Technique is a learning method where you pretend to teach a complex concept to a student to identify gaps in your own understanding.

Find a Time is a Google Calendar feature that allows you to see multiple peoples’ schedules side-by-side to identify the best mutual time to meet.

The flow state is a mental state characterized by complete immersion in an activity with heightened focus and a deep sense of enjoyment.

A flowchart (also called a process map) is a visual representation of a process or workflow.

Focus time is an uninterrupted block of time that’s set aside for a dedicated task. This productivity method allows you to focus without distraction.

Full-time employment is a work arrangement where an employee works a minimum number of hours each week as defined by their employer.

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a popular productivity method where you declutter your brain so you can organize, plan, and execute your work better.

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon when a group of people’s decisions are irrationally influenced by the desire for harmony and conformity.

Human capital is an intangible asset of a company or country, referring to the knowledge, skills, health, and education possessed by its labor force.

Human resources (HR) is the department within a company responsible for all aspects of managing employees.

An individual contributor (IC) is an employee whose expertise and focus is on completing tasks and projects, not managing other employees.

The Ivy Lee Method is a productivity technique where you outline six important tasks for the day, and complete each one in order of priority.

Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, are quantifiable metrics that track an organization's progress toward goals or strategic objectives.

Kanban is an agile project management method for visualizing work across a board, limiting work in progress, and optimizing your flow and efficiency.

A manager is a person responsible for overseeing and administering a team, department, or project within an organization.

A meeting is a gathering of two or more people who come together to discuss, collaborate, or make decisions on a topic or common goal.

A meeting agenda is a structured outline or plan that details the topics, objectives, and timeline for discussion during a meeting.

A meeting conflict, or scheduling conflict, is where you end up having a meeting scheduled over another important event.

A meeting room is a designated in-person or virtual space where teams can discuss, collaborate, present, and make decisions.

Multitasking is the act of trying to perform more than one task at the same time.

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework used to define and track goals and their outcomes.

OOO, short for "Out of Office," signifies you’re unavailable for work over a certain period of time. Used in business for email replies and calendars.

Onboarding is the process of incorporating new employees, new clients, or new users into a company or organization.

A one-on-one meeting (or 1:1 meeting) is a meeting between two people that usually reoccurs on a regular basis.

An online meeting is a live virtual meeting conducted over the internet using video conferencing, audio conferencing, or screen-sharing technologies.

An organizational chart (org chart) is a visual diagram that illustrates the structure of an organization.

PTO, or paid time off, is a company policy that grants employees paid leave from work for vacation, sick leave, personal days, bereavement, and more.

Paid holidays are specific days designated by employers where employees receive time off from work while still receiving their regular compensation.

Part-time employment is where an employee works fewer hours per week compared to a full-time employee, who typically works 40 hours or more.

A performance review meeting is a formal discussion to assess the employee's work performance over a specific period.

A primary calendar is the main calendar account that you use to schedule your appointments, tasks, events, and reminders.

Prioritization is the act of determining the order of importance and urgency across a set of things you want to get done.

Process mapping is a visual representation of the steps and decisions involved in a workflow or process.

Procrastination is the act of voluntarily delaying tasks despite knowing there will be negative consequences for putting it off until the last minute.

Product management is the cross-functional discipline of planning, launching, and overseeing a product's journey.

Productivity is the measure of efficiency in which resources, such as time and energy, are used to achieve desired outcomes or goals.

Project management is a structured approach to planning, organizing, and executing tasks and initiatives within a specified timeframe and budget.

The RSVP status on a calendar event is an invitation response to indicate whether you will attend an event.

Recurring events in a calendar app are events that automatically repeat themselves at a specific interval, rather than being just a single instance.

Remote work is a work arrangement where employees perform their job duties outside of a traditional office environment.

Return to office (RTO) refers to the shift of employees back to working from a company's physical location after an extended period of remote work.

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning framework used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a business.

Scheduling automation is a software service designed to streamline the process of managing appointments, meetings, tasks, and events.

A scheduling link is an online scheduling page that shares your availability and allows people to easily book an appointment or meeting time with you.

Scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion or changes to a project's scope, occurring after the project has begun.

Scrum is an agile framework to deliver complex projects iteratively through collaboration, regular inspection, and continuous adaptation.

A senior leader is a high-ranking executive within an organization who holds significant responsibility and authority.

Shallow work is the busywork, or logistical and administrative activities you need to do, that can be performed while distracted.

A shared calendar is a type of secondary calendar that has been shared with your main (or primary) calendar account.

Speedy meetings is a setting in Google Calendar that automatically shortens the duration of your events and meetings that are 30 minutes or longer.

A statement of work (SOW) is a formal work document that defines a project's requirements, deliverables, and timeline.

A status report is an update on a project's progress so stakeholders can stay up to speed on timeline, tasks, and issues.

A team meeting is a collaboration session between team members to discuss projects, share updates, make decisions, and solve problems.

Time blocking is a time management technique to divide your day into blocks of time to focus on specific tasks or activities.

Time management is the ability to efficiently organize your time to work more productively across activities, like important tasks and planning.

Time zone settings in your calendar allow you to set which time zone you’re located in to accurately present your schedule.

Timeboxing is a time management technique where a fixed period, or "box," is allocated to an activity or task.

A to-do list is a list of tasks that you need to complete by a certain deadline, usually organized by priority.

A vision statement is a concise, inspirational declaration that articulates an organization's long-term aspirations and desired future state.