Jason Womack

It sure is easy to say yes, isn’t it? (Article published on Biznik...)

I wrote an article after someone in a seminar asked, "Why do people say yes to so many things and then get stressed out about how much there is to do?

The article I published last week was featured over on Biznik. Here's the link...

Who's on your team, to give you a hand? [includes a VIDEO: 1:55]

How are the people around you, supporting you as you make progress?

On your way from "here" to "there," chances are high that other people are going to come along the way to give you a hand (or get in your way!). Taking time now to build them - before you need your team! - is a very important part of improving your productivity and workflow.

Now that you have seen this video, what advice do YOU have for building a team?

An easy way to "think" BIGGER is to "be" smaller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Way back in April 2010, a mentor and friend of mine emailed me to confirm that he was joining a group of people self-described as: "Generally, we are a group of adventurous hikers and go from top to bottom to top in one day."

This was in reference to hiking the Grand Canyon!

So, some 6 months later, we did just that (you can see the map at the bottom of this post) last Friday. This picture was taken of me and my friend at about 200 yards. At this point, we'd been hiking about 2 hours, and had about 8 more hours to go!

I labeled this post the way I did because this is what happened over the time I was in the canyon. I realized how small I was, how big the canyon walls are, and how big I "could" be thinking, if I let myself. Below, you'll see that my Garmin kept up with us "almost" the entire time...oh well. 

Hey, if you're interested we're going again this year, and there is ALWAYS room for someone else! Let me know if you're interested, asap!

FBR (Friday Book Review): My Life In Leadership, by Frances Hesselbein

To achieve greatness:

Start where you are,

Use what you have,

Do what you can.

- Arthur Ashe

 

 

Title: My Life In Leadership

Author: Frances Hesselbein Web site / blog

How I got the book: Mrs. Hesselbein gave me a copy (and signed it!) when we met in NYC last week.

How long it took to read: 90 minutes / 3 reading sessions

Read cover-to-cover: YES / no

Favorite quotes (Page # and line):
8. And when do we make the great discovery that leadership is a journey, not a destination?

27. Embrace the Defining Moment (chapter title)

39. Defining Yourself With the Power of No (chapter title, again!)

44. Without the Power of No, the mission of the organization can become obscured by initiatives and programs that do little more than add clutter.

46. The lesson of no is not negative; it is powerful and positive.

81. Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do.

98. Part of learning is getting feedback.

123. Popularity is not leadership. Results are.

212: ...you have only one question. If we do this, will it further the mission?

My Take Away:

 

Frances Hesselbein shares her life stories in an approachable and comfortable way. Never once did I get the feeling she "preaches" to her audience. Especially when I sat in her office for a 30 minute conversation (she writes about these short conversations on page 199), I felt like she was present and with me for the entire time. After sharing some time together, I was so inspired by some of the comments she shared, and questions she asked, that I immediately began to take action.

I think that's the one thing anyone reading this book could be compelled to do. Within 7 days of meeting her, I had set up a 4-session presentation series at a local high school to talk about my career path, and entrepreneurship as an "option" while planning for summer, college and beyond. It wasn't that Mrs. Hesselbein "told" me to go and do this kind of work, she described the work that she's doing, listened to the work that I've done in schools, universities and coporations over the years and encouraged me to continue sharing with audiences worldwide.

My "big idea" from reading this book: The essence of leadership is presence.

6 Changes I Made to Improve My Productivity on Airplanes

In 2010, I took +120 flights. I’ve arrived to airports early (earlier than necessary) with too much luggage (checked in London and Zurich) and too much food (after 6 hours in the air, half-eaten sandwiches still in a bag).

Over the past 10 years of this travel pace and lifestyle, here are some of the things I’ve learned:

1. Charge it…all
Save yourself time (and possibly money): Create a checklist of “power” equipment you travel with. Review that list right before you fall asleep the night before you leave home, and make sure you’ve got them charging. I have ONE place in my home office where everything gets plugged in to, and it’s on the same counter as my keys and wallet. Here’s an idea: charge everything you’re going to need, and put it all next to your car keys so you make sure to pack it in your carry on before driving to the airport. (Oh, I do the same thing in the hotel room the night before traveling back home!)

2. Pack Cards, Envelopes and Stamps
You probably know, I write at least one thank you or greeting card each and every day. Between the time the gate agent closes the aircraft door, and the plane is over 10,000 feet off the ground (ie: time I’m not reading my kindle, on my laptop or watching a TED.com talk on my iPad!) I can generally write 2-4 cards. (Oh, and it’s usually a great conversation starter with the person sitting next to me!)

3. Bring a complete meal
The airplane “might” have food. Because Jodi’s a vegetarian (and life is just better when we travel together) we always pack a complete meal or two. Sure the short trip are usually ok, I have a Balance bar or somethin’ and a bag of nuts from Trader Joe’s. The long-haul (for me, anything more than 5 hours) I’ve got to have more. A sandwich, a salad, a bottle of water…you get it! I do buy all of this inside the terminal at each airport (love JFK, terminal 8!) just ’cause it’s easier. Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but easier…

4. Have a business card handy
Spend 1-12 hours sitting next to me on a plane, and I’m bound to meet you. Sometimes it’s a short, “Hi there…heading out or going home?” But, many times it turns into a longer conversation. Whenever I meet new people, I’m listening for the kinds of things they are interested in, and how I can learn and gain from that conversation. If they recommend a book, a Web site or a speaker, I like to follow up with them after I’ve taken some actions. Bring a business card, met someone and build your professional network.

5. Pen(s) and a note pad
So, I’m a fast typist (oh, 40-50 words a minute) but sometimes my most productive work sessions have come from “splashing ink.” This is what I call brainstorming, mindmapping or idea-ating. I travel with a medium sized Moleskine journal, and it’s always out while I’m flying…Just in case I need to write something down.

6. Exit Row Aisle
The “mega-tip” here is: Drink more water. I flew on over 120 flights last year alone, that’s a lot of time, next to a lot of people. One of the ways I believe I stay healthy is by drinking a LOT of water while I fly. Having a seat in the exit row, on the aisle, makes it SO easy to get up when I have to go to the “loo.”

 

 

BONUS #1: Buy extra charging cords, that “stay” in your luggage/carry on luggage. Keep one plugged in at home, and the other one always travels with you.

BONUS #2: Bose headphones … they make the difference on the flights (or hotel room) where there is a “screamer” next to you!

• OK, it’s your turn. What travel tip did I miss? Let’s get four more and make this a David Letterman “Top 10″ list!

What if, I mean really WHAT IF, we actually worked together?

Did you hear the story about Sara Tucholsky when she hit the home run for Western Oregon in a softball game? If you did, then you know what the title of this post means. If you haven't, take 7 minutes and watch this video.

This year is the year of community. Our focus here at The Womack Company is to bring you information and experiences that make it possible for your best to get better. That's our starting point, that we did and are doing the best we know how, with what we currently have. Sure in the future we might make some different decisions, but the ones we've made and the ones we're making are just that...

So, as you're looking to build yourself up as a leader, as a manager and as a community member, remember to keep this in mind:

Together...we go further.

With a timer, and inspiration - it won't take much longer

Are you reading this post at your desk? Or, on a smartphone?

If you're at your desk, look around...or, switch over to your email inbox (and then come back!). Chances are there is SOMEthing around you that is gonna need a few more minutes of your attention to get it done. Want to move on more...faster? Get a timer.

I know it doesn't sound or look like a sophisticated time management tool, but I have found a simply kitchen timer to be one of the best things people can add to their "Workflow Management" systems. You see, over the years I have found that most people's attention span is about half their age...in minutes.

So, looking out over a room full of professionals, I figure I have anywhere from 14-25 minutes (give or take) that I can expect them to focus on one aspect of our seminars. To be honest, it's usually much, much less. Think about it, when was the last time you had a 14 minute run where only worked on "one" thing? How about this example, "Have you ever been reading a book, and when you get to the bottom of the page you just finished you actually have NO idea of what you just read?"

That's attention span!

So, here's something you could try. Buy a timer, and put it on your desk. Then, pick a mini-project or series of tasks. Set the timer (yeah, try half your age in minutes to run that test) and get to work. See if you can make the whole way through!

Tell ya what, for the first 5 of you who do this, and make it through the entire timed event, email me...I'll send ya something from our library!

FBR (Friday Book Review): Drive, by Daniel Pink

Title: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Author: Daniel H. Pink
Web site / Videos / Twitter

How I got the book: Amazon.com

How long it took to read: 170 minutes / 4 reading sessions

Read cover-to-cover: yes / NO

Favorite quotes (Page # and line):

28: As Frey writes, “Intrinsic motivation is of great importance for all economic activities. It is inconceivable that people are motivated solely or even mainly by external incentives.”

51: Goals may cause systematic problems for organizations to do narrowed focus, unethical behavior, increased risk taking, decreased cooperation, and decreased intrinsic motivation. Use care when applying goals in your organization.

64: Offer a rationale for why the task is necessary. A job that’s not inherently interesting can become more meaningful, and therefore more engaging, if it’s part of a larger purpose.

*67: First, consider nontangible rewards. Praise and feedback are much less corrosive than cash and trophies. In fact, in Deci’s original experiments, and in his subsequent analysis of other studies, he found that “positive feedback can have an enhancing effect on intrinsic motivation.”

78: Type I behavior is made, not born. These behavioral patterns aren’t fixed traits. They are proclivities that emerge from circumstance, experience, and context.

79: Type I’s almost always outperform Type X’s in the long run. Intrinsically motivated people usually achieve more than their reward-seeking counterparts. Alas, that’s not always true in the short term.

104: Whatever your place in the birth order, consider what it’s like to be the third child in a family. You don’t get a say in choosing the people around you. They’re there when you arrive. Worse, one or two of them might not be so glad to see you.

133: In other words, in America alone, one hundred boomers turn sixty every thirteen minutes.

159: Remember that deliberate practice has one objective: to improve performance.

 

My Take Away: What does drive us, really, to want to engage, improve and be our best? This is what Dan and I talked about a while back (video here). In his book, written in 3 parts, he outlines some of the things that might surprise you about motivation.

So, in the comments below: What's YOUR motivation? (The first question I asked Dan in the interview!)

 

PS: If you haven’t yet, I HIGHLY recommend you watch this video.

It's time to "M.O.V.E." on - the newsletter edition

Over 150 people responded to our "request for help" last newsletter!!!

Here was the setup, and the ask. Below, you'll see what 3 people won, and what the most common responses were!

4 areas to consider as you M.O.V.E. in to 2011...

 

1. M = motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic)

2. O = opportunities

3. V = visualization

4. E = ??? (wait until you see the surprise below!!!)

 

1. M = motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic)

Intrinsic motivation relates to our needs, our hopes and our desires. Identify what is important to you and those around you to lead and work effectively and succeed.

 

Extrinsic motivation relates to the results of our work and focus. Be careful, research shows extrinsic motivation may in fact be less motivating. (I will share a conversation with Daniel Pink, author of the book Drive, during the next Mastering Workplace Performance Online program.)

 

2. O = opportunities

Opportunity is here and there, whether we acknowledge and act on it is another matter. Here is a link to an article published in Training Magazine (based in New York City) on ways to build and find opportunities.

 

3. V = visualization

Visualize what "there" will look, sound and feel like. Use all three of your learning and working styles to align goals.

 

a. Visual: See it around you. Write your goals on paper or in your electronic calendar. Put up pictures of your goals. Even consider setting your screen saver on your computer monitor a picture of your goal.

 

b. Auditory: Talk about it, and listen for it. Check out audio books, download podcasts and attend conferences and lectures. When you identify where you're moving to, listen for new ways to get there.

 

c: Kinesthetic: Touch it, sense it, get it and do it. Those of us who learn by doing need to know what it feels like - and what it will feel like - to move in the direction of our goals.

4. E = ???

 

And, now it's your turn! Press reply, and let us know what you think E could stand for. We're going to pick 3 answers, publish them on Jason's blog AND send a Productivity Pack.

 

WHAT A GREAT newsletter that was!

 

 

 

 

PS: There's still room to join the Mastering Workplace Performance Online course! Click here...

We chose three people to send the pack to:

"Thank yous" go to:

Laura B. - Kansas City, MO

Devasia K. - Washington DC

Brian G. - Parsippany, NJ

And, up there you can see, by size of the word, what responses we got. We took all 157 responses, and typed them into Wordle.net. Kinda fun...