Jason Womack

How do you perceive how you're working?

In the past 24 hours, I've presented 3 live programs - two in person, one by teleseminar. No matter how much time I have, I always set the goal: 30% prepared remarks, 70% question and answer period. The amazing thing is, however, that in the Q&A I hear the kinds of questions that I've been preparing to answer for many years! Here's something that "landed" in my journal a while ago, and I still talk about it today!

 

1. How do you prioritize your work?

Here's one thing I know, if EVERYthing is important, than nothing is. In discussions with clients, I often spend time, energy and focus on this concept: "There is a significance to studying the difference between doing one-thing and no-thing." Do yourself this favor:

a. Grab a stack of sticky-notes
b. Find (or buy) a "favorite" pen
c. Set a timer for 20 minutes (or, as long as you can anticipate holding your focus on YOU)
d. Write down your ideas, that is ANYthing on your mind, one item at a time, one item per sticky-note
e. Then, divide those (100 or so) things in to TWO stacks... "next week" and "not next week"

Next Friday, repeat the process with the ones that are still undone.

2. How do you build a work environment that has fewer interruptions?

Wow-za, this is HUGE! If you recognize that there are only 95 15-minute blocks of time in a day, you're well on your way to maximizing your focus. Right? I mean, 15 minutes is "about" 1% of your day (there are 1,440 minutes in a 24-hour cycle) and if you know that it's going to take a certain amount of time to do some of the things you need to do, well, you're on your way to minimizing or maximizing interruptions.

a. MINIMIZE interruptions: As I'm writing this, from a coffee shop in Santa Barbara (Coffee Cat), my BlackBerry® is behind my laptop so I can't see the blinking red light, and I've turned off the wireless connection to my computer. Sure there's some music in the background, and a VERY interesting interview going on over to the side of where I'm sitting, but for the most part I'm away from the interruptions of my office in Ojai. I know that I can get more done, faster, at a higher level of engagement, if I have fewer distractions to pull me out of focus.

b. MAXIMIZE interruptions: Ok, here's one of my FAVORITE productivity techniques... when I do call someone, or get to meet them face-to-face, I like to maximize that interaction. How do I do it?

+ Get a (free or paid) account to Evernote (www.Evernote.com - tell 'em Jason sent ya!)
+ Create a NOTEBOOK called "Agendas" or "Frequent Communication" or "My Team"
+ Create a NOTE for each person on your team/staff/workgroup
+ Every morning (or evening, or afternoon...you get it) open up EACH person's "note" and add some things to bring up the next time you see each other
+ Next time you see or talk to that person, OPEN their note
+ Voila ... maximize the interruption!

3. (And my favorite) What do you do for fun?

Ok, that's a pretty personal question, don't you think?!

The First of the Month - October, 2011

Third quarter is over, 4th has just begun.

As I write this, 21 hours of this 3-month cycle have already gone by. How are you doing? When you think of the next few blocks of time (and, think about how you think about time: hours, days, weeks or...), what comes to mind?

Some observations I've made over the past week that I've been travelin'/workin'/livin':

1) The world is, indeed, small. Barely 7 days ago I had just returned from Brussels, and I was getting ready for a triathlon in Carpinteria. During the two flights, with more than 13 hours in the air, I had the opportunity write about some of the things I'd seen, heard and learned while working in Europe for two weeks. One of the things that comes up again and again: Reach out, meet someone, and...stay in touch.

2) ABR: Always Be Ready. This is something I live by. Yesterday, I hiked the Grand Canyon, Rim-to-Rim, in one (long) day. At mile 22.5, at about 5:15pm, with just about 2 miles left to go, I took out my headlamp, fitted it onto my ball cap, and turned on the light. It was still sunny outside, but I figured, "If I'm gonna need this, I don't want to have to go get it then..." On the top of the mountain, later, my friends (who were waiting for me there!) said, "As soon as we saw the guy with the lamp, before he needed it, we knew it was you!"

3) I'm writing this from a hotel room in Las Vegas, overlooking the craziness of "The Strip," realizing there is a LOT more going on out in that great big world (see #1) than I can imagine. Just walking through casinos, sitting down to dinner at the restaurants, and sharing a conversation surrounded by hundreds (? thousands ?) of people is enough to get me thinking, "What's next? What's next?" Stay tuned, 'cause more is coming!

Know your working styles, and get more done

Generally speaking, there are THREE main ways information comes in, meetings are managed, and projects are discussed.

We all use all three, and, using them more only makes things easier, better and bigger. By understanding more about HOW people work, it is easier to encourage them to do what they do effectively, productively and efficiently.

Every person can facilitate workflow and workplace performance by understanding the three ways in which everyone works. When you study the “form” and “function” of these learning styles, you will be able to use them to your advantage, and your work, your team, your department, and even your company (!) will benefit. Since beginning to study education, performance and leadership in 1993, I have found much success in modeling the way people learn in the way that I coach and teach.

We ALL use ALL three learning/working styles, and by identifying the ones that make it EASIER for you to engage, you will get more done, faster. The more I learn about this (my first teacher was Howard Gardner, out of Harvard), the more I recognize the absolute significance of changing it up, approaching it from different angles, of making it easier to consume.  

What is the “it” that I’m talking about? I'm talkin' about getting the right things done…

 

When we work to our strengths, we can run further toward and closer to an expanding comfort zone of increased awareness and productivity. This was proven to me as I continue watching the www.TED.com talks; recognizing over and over again that the people who ARE changing things for the better are the ones who have two significant strengths:

1. An ability to see, hear or/and experience what’s going on…

2. …with the ability to think deeply about how it could possibly be a little different.

So, those working/learning styles:

a. Kinesthetic
b. Auditory
c. Visual

I GOTTA GET IT:
I knew I was a kinesthetic learner as soon as I started to understand this aptitude. When I do something, when I build a model, if I “role play” some situation, it goes in in a way that stays. When I was learning triathlon, it wasn’t enough to read about the sport, or simply watch the training videos. I had to practice – over and over again – the same moves that I would make during the race.

Likewise, when I decided to “become” a writer, I set myself up with gear, tools, and systems to get engaged. For example, often – when I’m assigned an article from a magazine editor – I will purchase a new notebook, and even a couple of pens. There is SOMEthing about holding something new that gets me thinking in new and bigger and different ways.

OH, I HEAR YOU:
Think about what happens when you’re on the phone with someone, or in a meeting, and they tell you something you think you should remember later on. If you have strong auditory skills, you’ll hear something once and it will go in and stay. On the other hand, if you know that just listening to something isn’t enough to remember it later on, you may be a bit weaker in that “skill.” Personally, I know that I’m not extremely strong in the auditory set.

For example, it doesn’t matter HOW many times I listen to a song, I just won’t learn/remember all the words. However, if I listen to the song, press pause a bunch of times, and write the words, I will get it, know them, and be able to sing along. Imagine now I’m attending a meeting: I don’t rely on remembering what someone said. I’m the guy who will take a picture of the flip chart (visual) or re-write the notes (kinesthetic) in my notebook.

I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT:
Ok, and finally, the visual strength. People who I work with and around who are strong here are the ones that “see it before it’s able to be seen.” In a meeting, when they understand something, they will often say something like, “Ohhhh, I see what you’re talking about.”

Alternatively, if you’re talking with a visual worker/learner on the phone and they don’t know what you’re discussing they will say something like, “I’m sorry. I just can’t picture it in my mind. I need you to show me what you mean.” Over the years, I have used an understanding of these three learning styles to my advantage.

I have written books that have folding pages , I have recorded audio presentations and I have posted many of my presentations - all so clients have multiple ways of engaging in this work. When you think about what you need to get done during the week, remember to engage in three different ways. You’ll stay focused, and the people around you will find it easier to continue working toward completion if you mix up the messaging to address their different learning styles and needs.

What do you do, to mix it up? I’d love to hear all about it!

The First of the Month - September, 2011

However you look at it, time is moving...sometimes quickly.

You could say, "Wow, 8 months are already gone!"

Or, you could say, "Wow, 4 months to go!"

And, of course, you could ask, "How old am I?"

You see, no matter how you look at it, how old you are, whether you're a glass-half-empty or other-side-of-the fence thinker, time is marching on.

Ok, so for this episode of "The First of the Month - September, 2011" I want to share a question, an idea and a joke...

1. Question: "What practices have you perfected?"

2. Idea: Spend some time, starting today and continuing over the next 5-7 days, to completely identify those habits and routines that you HAVE practiced to perfection. Now, of course, chunk it down by starting here:

Create an ongoing list, make an inventory of the activities that take your

time

energy

focus

between "0" and about 10am every day. (Yes, consider making a "back of the page" inventory for the weekend as well.)

So, the alarm goes off (or, you wake up naturally with sunlight splashing on your face) and you find yourself doing...what?

Since it's the first of the month, and 8 months have gone by (or, you've got 4 months to go...or, you're that old...), consider looking at and discarding any "practices" that you no longer need to repeat. Replace them with new experiments that will give you equal or greater return on time/energy/focus invested.

Can I share an example? I used to search the internet "regularly" each morning, for any news of the clients I support worldwide. One afternoon, a friend of mine introduced me to GoogleAlerts. Well, that time I used to spend searching one client at a time? It's gone to scanning just a few emails each morning...


3. A Joke: Ok, if you're still reading this, you're looking for a joke. But, if you know me, you know that I'm really not THAT good at jokes...so, here's my request. Leave one (keep it clean and family-friendly, please!) in the comments section below!

 

3 Ways To See The Future (today’s list)

"People see objects and how they relate to one another. We don't just see with our eyes. We see with our brains. Our eyes are the camera, but the process of interpreting the image in our brains is seeing."

via The brain performs visual search near optimally.

You're going to work - whatever that means to you - and during at least a part of your day you wonder, "What's coming next?"

Seeing what's coming is easier to do than you might have thought. How? Start where you are. Here are three things I do to see the future, now...

1. Clarify what you're looking for.
2. Think back to flip forward.
3. Ask more questions.

1. Right now (and, for the foreseeable future) it's all about "search." Just this morning, I typed the following two items into the "address bar" of my Firefox web browser: weather 10010 - that's right, no www to start with, no .com at the end. I simply typed what I thought I wanted. And, do you know what I got? Well, I won't spoil the surprise. Try it yourself, open a web browser, type in the word weather and your zip code. What happens?

2. In school (ok, this is goin' way back!) my friends and I would write notes on small pieces of paper, take apart a Bic ball point pen, push the note in, and put the pen back together. That was how we "sent a message." I'm reading Ender's Game, and in the "future," messages appear as three-dimensional, dancing words, floating on top of the students' desks.

3. Enough said.

How about you? How do you see the future?

Beyond getting "started" - initiate...take action! (On site, talking about individual leadership development today.)

One of the things about traveling, is I get to see new places and meet new people every day. Between yesterday and today, I'll work with leaders in multi-national organizations.

All the people I meet with have a common (positive) quality: They are focused on leadership and encouraging the talent around them. Three things I'm thinkin' as I head in to the board room today:

1. Are you working "smart"? What can you do, in the next hour, to get something done, right, the first time, so you can move on to #2?

I can recommend changing your perspective by doing one of two things: (a) Watch someone (who really knows what they're doing) do what you need to do and see something new, or (b) Ask someone to watch YOU working, and ask for a suggestion.

2. Are you thinking BIGger? Ok, so once you work smart, you "just might" wind up letting new thoughts in; thoughts that are bigger in scope than before. Go for it!

After contracting with yesterday's executive group (weeks ago) I reached out via my LinkedIn network, and today's presentation "appeared." I'm here on a referral from someone I'd met years ago, while working with Progressive Insurance, here near Cleveland.

3. Are you making more? (And, I'm not talkin' just about $$$ here.) Can you take those bigger thoughts and put 'em in to action? Start now, soon as you finish reading this article.

Simply staying in touch, calling/writing/emailing the people around (your neighborhood/town/city/county/state/country/hemisphere/world) might be all it takes to uncover your next big opportunity.

Your turn: What are YOU doing these days to get beyond getting "started"?

 

Business incubator...startup accelerator

In 2011, I joined the Ventura Ventures Technology Center - http://www.v2tc.com - as a strategic adviser to startups getting going here in the Ventura County locale.

This article by Gus G. Sentementes demonstrates the absolute need for communities to have such support to grow the local economy, and continue providing positive opportunities.

Your thoughts?

Save 5-10 minutes a DAY using your BlackBerry

Yes, I’m one of those guys who reads the instructions to the toys/technology I purchase and use. The may seem slight, but combined over a day, these kinds of speedkeys really, REALLY make it worth it!

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/support/blackberry101/tips/blackberry9000.jsp

PS: If you use Microsoft Outlook, ya GOTTA see http://www.OutlookDashboard.com !!!

3 ways to use “Building Your Personal Excellence”

Jason's 70-minute CD, "Building Your Personal Excellence," gives you 11 more valuable workplace performance and personal excellence perspectives. Here are three ways to use this CD and more than your money’s worth right away:

1. Listen to it. Each track is less than 9 minutes long (we did that on purpose). For example, “Debrief your projects, events and the week” is just over 5 minutes and gives you solid advice on how to learn from this week, and go into next week prepared and ready to succeed.

2. Copy it to your iPod (mp3 player). From time to time, you’ll arrive on time to a meeting, and no one else will. (There’s a tip on that on the CD!) When that happens, listen to a track one more time, get an idea, and implement it when you get back to your desk.

3. Pick a track, and ask your team to listen to it before the next staff meeting. Tip #5 is all about “Getting control of your Workflow.” What if your entire team listened to that track, and discussed it for just a few minutes at the next staff meeting. This audio CD is full of ideas you can use right away…

Contact us today to order your copy: info at womackcompany dot com

3 Things to Track for a more productive day

The content of this post is based on my upcoming book (January 2012): Your Best Just Got Better: Think Bigger, Work Smarter, Make More.

In one of the chapters in the section “Work Smarter,” I write about the significance of Tracking…being aware of what you do during the day, so you can do it more effectively/efficiently.

There are three things I would recommend you start tracking during your work day. Start by picking just one of these, for the next week. At the end of 5 days (yes, another Five Day Experiment!) you can Identify any areas that need more (or less) attention. If you can make the Webinar, I’ll talk for a bit about each one of these. If not, I’ll give some hints below.

1. Interruptions
2. Daily Goal/Focus Area
3. What went well?

 

1. Interruptions

I remember seeing a USA Today survey chart that showed just how many times Knowledge Workers are interrupted each day: over 100. I also have read that in a 24 hour period, we might have 20 or even 30 THOUSAND thoughts go through (in, over, out, on…) our mind. Just imagine trying to get things done if what you’re really doing is managing interruptions – from both the outside AND the inside! For the next five days, keep a running tally of the TOPICS that interrupt you. (Yes, the topics…not the people.)

To read the rest of this post, click here...