What’s the best way to get something done quickly? Ask someone to do it on Tuesday. Nearly half (48 percent) of executives surveyed recently said employees hit peak performance on Tuesdays. Not surprisingly, Fridays were viewed as the least productive day of the week. The results are consistent with two earlier polls conducted in 1987 and 1998.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest temporary staffing service for accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked: "In your opinion, on which day of the week are employees generally most productive?" Their responses:

26% Monday
48% Tuesday
9% Wednesday
5% Thursday
1% Friday
11% Don't know/no answer

"It’s natural for activity levels to fluctuate throughout the course of a week," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees For Dummies® (Hungry Minds, Inc.). "By learning to identify the normal peaks and valleys in staff productivity, managers can provide additional motivation when it is needed most."

Messmer noted, "Mondays can be hectic because there are frequently more meetings scheduled. By Tuesday, employees may be better focused on day-to-day responsibilities." He added that as the weekend nears, productivity clearly is impacted -- a sign that workers may need closer guidance or an extra morale boost to keep projects on track.