Jason Womack

Looking to increase workplace productivity?

My friend and colleague, Brenda Spandrio, writes some great articles on productivity, organization and time management for The Examiner series. The one that came out recently is all about distractions and focus and productivity...right up my alley of interests!  

http://www.examiner.com/x-40620-LA-Productivity-and-Organizing-Examiner~y2010m5d31-Declutter-your-office-to-minimize-distractions-and-increase-workplace-productivity?cid=examiner-email

I really like the messaging below, where Brenda talks about the fear involved in the decision-making process. Just last week, working with a client in Menlo Park, CA, we addressed the issue of collecting/identifying more to do than can be done. 

On one side, it is attractive to have a LOT of stuff around...makes me feel like I'm busy, like I have a lot to do! 

On the other hand, there is something to being able to clarify the "one thing" I need to focus on to completion. What do you think about the links below?

“Why decluttering makes sense in tough economic times” and “Five ways it takes ‘guts’ to be productive”-- Fear keeps us from taking the kind of action that is required for making decisions. But decluttering makes sense as we exercise control over our office environment because the bottom line is that productivity takes courage to make choices and move forward.

Where, what, and how do YOU call home?

I've been on the road quite a bit lately...the business leaders I am coaching have been busy, busier than ever. Also, I have been talking about the book (The Promise Doctrine) and the importance of keeping our word - in life and at work - in the US and in Europe.
The month of May:
1-2: Camping and racing at the Wildflower Triathlon
3: home...
4-6: Dallas, TX
7-9: Raleigh, NC
10-12: New York City, NY
13-14: Dallas, TX
15: home...
16: New York City, NY
17-21: London, UK
22-23: Brussels, Belgium
24: home...
25-28: San Francisco, CA
29-31: Novato, CA

Because of that I have kinda redefined what it means for me to "be home." It is more of a feeling of being AT home. So, I stay in familiar hotels (Marriott) and I invite friends and colleagues to go out for runs, coffee or dinner. I spend a portion of each day taking care of my body, my spirit, and my mind. I take it easy when I can, and work really, really diligently when it is time.
Sure, I have a few routines, and I try to mimic the ones I would be doing if I were actually in Ojai. Oh, and probably the most important thing about this lifestyle: I make the most of BEING home. Every morning I wake up there is a huge gift, and...I make a point to acknowledge that.
So, the big question: How do YOU define being home? Comment away...

Jason W. Womack
The Womack Company

805.640.6401

www.WomackCompany.com

www.ThePromiseGuide.com

What I've learned (5 things), living half-a-lifetime on the road

In a year, I usually travel (by plane) just over 100,000 miles. Add a few more thousand by car (and a few hundred by bike!) and that's why I consider myself a road-warrior.
Warrior, however, kinda has a meaning that there's difficulty there. And, in the past ten years of doing this, nothing has been insurmountable! Of course, there have been some delayed (and cancelled) flights, a "misplaced" bag from time to time, a flat tire while driving the rental car, and that one trip where I accidentally drove an hour in the wrong direction (before GPS on a phone!). In that time, here are some things I've learned:

* Be nice. Today, I met a woman sitting on the tile floor, working on her computer. Offering to get her in to the Admiral's Club, she said thanks and promised to pass the favor on.
* Be ready. I've got: PowerBars, an extra camera battery, a book (on my Kindle) and some thank you cards. Oh, I also travel with the files I need for my presentations on a thumb USB drive...in my wallet!
* Be honest. I wouldn't dare count the number of times I have packed a suitcase, but I still run into the "overpack" problem. I still need to remind me of just how much (or little) I WILL be able to do on any given trip.
* Be open. I've met some amazing (non famous) people by simply making eye contact, saying hello, and asking this question: "What has inspired you lately...like, in the past year?"
* (last one) Be a little bit crazy. Every now and then, an opportunity that doesn't make sense shows up...a fork in the road, if you will when it happens, from time to time, consider it. See a show. Go to a game. Eat at that restaurant. Visit the museum. Support the weekend 5K or 1/2 marathon event.
Those are some of my learnings...will you share one of yours?

My visit to the Musee Herge - near Brussels, Belgium

On the morning Saturday, 22 May 2010, I got on a train at Brussels Midi Sud toward Louvain-la-Neuve - a year-long dream was coming true! Please read to the end to read about my take-away...

I've been a fan of Tintin the adventurer and reporter born of the imagination and creativity of Herge (Georges Remi) quite some time ago. As an 8, 9, 10-year-old I used to sit on the floor of the Lagunitas Public Library and imagined I was on the moon, under the sea, or in the mountains of the Himalayas. I'm sure I read them over, and over, and over again. I've got a few here at home, and re-read them from time to time...

So, a year or so ago, when I heard there was a museum all about Herge and Tintin (and more!), I knew I had to go; it was just a matter of time. Well, the opportunity arose! You see, I had this work schedule:

Monday: Seminar in New York City

Wednesday: Seminar in London, England

So, I looked into an airline ticket: LAX-JFK-LHR-LAX...grand total: USD $2,130.00

Then, I looked into another ticket: LAX-JFK-LHR and then return from Brussels to LAX. Ready for this? USD $938.00!

Reminding myself where to look... (part 1 of 2)

Earlier this week I was in London, and whenever I am there I make a point to see as much of the city as I can...and, it is easiest to do via the "Tube" and on foot. As all the readers of this blog know, I do carry my camera "just about" everywhere I go (I have it here, while dining in an outdoor cafe in Brussels, Belgium, as I type up this post) and I make a point to capture things that slow me down enough to notice them.

In seminars, I tell a story which theorizes one way our habits form. Studying the "meeting" of experience and memory, we know that one way to create a habit out of something is to blend the action with a high level of emotion. Want to do something new, consistently? Do it a few times with a high level of emotional amplitude. (When I placed 1st in my age-group at the Pt. Mugu Naval Base triathlon years ago, it changed the way I train, race, and focus...)

Here's my ah-ha: 

Until something is an unconscious habit...it's not.

Years ago, I was playing catch with some friends. Well, my buddy threw the baseball over my head, and without really pausing I ran to follow it across the street. (I was always short...and, always fast!)

I don't completely remember what came first...the screech of the tires, the blaring horn, the yelling from my friends, or the crying, but I almost got hit by that car. Now, up to then, I promise you that I heard that warning from Mom, "Look both ways..." Nowadays, it's on cruise-control. My "habit" of looking both ways, often twice, has stuck with me since that summer day.
 
So, when I get to London, and I see the gentle reminder to "look left," I always smile...grateful for the little bit of extra support. It's like the universe is out there saying, "Hey Jason, keep on paying attention."

Now I'm going move from reminders painted on the street, to the reminders painted in my mind. When I choose to move on/toward a goal, I start hearing, seeing, and feeling the experiences that will ultimately come my way. The long term goals - the client meeting, the next book, the upcoming trip, the triathlon race in July - all require constant reinforcement. It is very important that I put up a sign (actually more than one) as these are emotion-based memories I'm forming, they are significant, timely, and longer-term works in progress.

Some of the things I've done, to get the reminders in...

• I write "why I am working tomorrow" on the bathroom mirror (with a white-board pen) of every hotel I check in to. As I'm brushing my teeth at night, and shaving that next morning, I imagine the reason coming true in amazing and powerful ways;
•  I write it out... When I set my goals for the book my dad and I wrote together (about the power of keeping our promises) I focused on getting 4,000 copies of our book into people's hands this year. I added, "Some of those people could change the world." (I hope that for this Father's Day my dad and I get called to talk publicly about the "power of keeping our promises.")
•  I have made a PowerPoint slide-show - this after reading the book The Dream Manager, recommended to me by a client - of 50 goals/dreams/hopes/things to do (I'm supposed to have a 100... I'm working on it!) and I'm looking at that each day. To up the ante, I have found pictures that I have taken that go along with each goal. It lets me know that I'm "close" and that I will be able to get there.

Ok, your turn, how do you remind yourself where to look?

Dimensions of development - ability, engagement and aspiration

Many of the company leaders we coach are as focused as ever on the "retention" aspect of their human capital. Recognizing the absolute power of an engaged and aspirational workforce can be considered the life and blood of a successful organization.

It is one thing to be big, be known, and attract talent; the ability to engage, retain and GROW that "new hire" may be the most significant aspect of a sustainable organization. What would it take for you to surround yourself with those kinds of people? And, more importantly, what would be the effect of spending time with the world's most engaged?

Here is what is on the wall at the Olympic Training Center, in Colorado Springs, CO...

While I was there years ago I got to speak with two Olympic hopefulls - since then, I have coached a gold medalist, run with another medalist, and read countless pages in books about elite training and performance. In my seminars, I coach participants in many of mindset of a focused athlete. We talk about the power of purpose, the reason for setting large goals, and the importance of reflection, achievement and mentoring along the way.

As you finish reading this, and are about to move on to your next "performance," ask yourself: "What will it take to give what I'm about to do 100% of my attention for the next short block of time?"

Listen for the answer.

And, should you choose, leave your answer as a comment so I can suggest a book, video, or website with potentially useful information for you.

The (current) secret of your success

If you had to write it on a napkin, what would you say your secret to success really is? Some of the replies I have heard lately include:

* being productive - start the day with a plan, and stick to it
* networks - it's not who you know, it's who they know
* customer service - take care of those who take care of you
* leadership - people want to follow people they trust

"The secret to (my) success: Ask."

Yup, that's it! I know I don't know as much as the group I spend time with. Collectively, they are the ones that I turn to for ideas, advice, and a gentle (from time to time) nudge in a new direction. Oftentimes, it is that bit of wind beneath the sail that makes the difference we need to experience the next level.

Consider your next jump. Whether you're thinking of changing things up in your personal life or your professional life, take some of your precious focus and set it on where you're going. In the book The Dream Manger (wrote about it on my blog) the author recommends the following experiment:

Write a list of 100 things you'd like to do.

Sound easy? Then, add a challenge: Write out the goal and find a picture that goes along with it. Put the words next to the pictures, and look through the "inventory" once a day...for 31 days (in a row). As you go along, ask the people you know for ideas, advice, and gentle nudges.

Oh, email or call after the 31 days (in a row) and I'll send you a copy of my book! (Good for the first 25 people who do it!)

How much (content) are you putting in?

Recently, I worked with a client to reign in the areas of focus she was maintaining. It seems that there was a cycle of putting "too much" (her words, not mine) stuff in - in her mind, on her desk, in the email and voice mail inboxes, even web pages to view "later" - and then stressing through late nights and weekends to get back to clarity.

Then, while on my way home last week, I saw this:

* For the next 5 hours, track your use of focus (not time) in 30-minute segments.

This may be the time for us ALL to change our lenses. Maybe it's in the air; or, it could be the spring months...what I know right now is that clarity is the theme of most conversations I'm participating in. It's quite stunning, sitting down with established leaders of successful divisions, companies, and organizations, and engage in discussions that address:

Goal Setting that incorporates work, life and the community
Clarity that encompasses deliverables, contribution and strategy
Focus that engages action, acknowledgment and sustainability

Whenever we work together, I encourage our clients to study first what the habits and routines are that they already have in motion...then, we address those that aren't as time-effective as they could be.

*What would you do with an extra 20 minutes of time to focus every day?

Read a book a second time through...better than the first.

Re-reading certain sections of "The Dream Manager" by Matthew Kelly really gave me some good things to think about for this next stretch of 10 days and 4 cities - presenting 5 seminars...
I first "met" the author when I accomplished one of MY dreams: To ride the CA coastline. One day of the 350+ mile ride, I listened to his book, "The Seven Levels of Intimacy." It was a life-changer. Now, reflecting on this book about "managing" dreams, I'm even more a fan. Mr. Kelly has a way of writing that is candid, significant and action-oriented.
A couple key ideas I wrote down:
+ Move toward active engagement
+ Experiment by changing one behavior at a time
+ If you knew how to succeed, would you do it?
+ Chose and chase your promises
+ the key: Awareness (of self AND others' motivators)

It DOES take a village!

Loved this collage at a Starbucks in Raleigh. What a way to bring the community together, and introduce each other to their neighbors.
I've often wondered what might happen if stores/boutiques did to a community spotlight on locals - would people go in, and bring their friends in, to support the place that supports them?