February 2016, we will lead an online course at Get Momentum titled: Be More Productive With Technology.
Ha! I can almost read your mind...
In fact, if I could see you right now, you might have a smirk on your face.
For many of the people I start working with they think/feel/believe that technology and productivity are - in fact - two words that DO NOT go together. Then, after working together they realize that when approached appropriately and when addressed accurately, perhaps the BEST thing you can do to regain time, stress less, and be a better leader is:
In less than 30 minutes, I'll give you some things to think about that will absolutely save you time, make you more efficient, and put you in the driver's seat of being much, much more productive using the tools you already have access to. And, of course, members of Get Momentum get SO MUCH MORE as not only do we spend an entire month on this topic, we also have published TWO Bonus Courses, one each on the iPhone/iPad and Productivity as well as tips to use Microsoft® Outlook® better. (To see just 6 of our bonus courses, check the picture below.)
If you listen to podcasts - via Stitcher or via iTunes - just click here.
One way to think about this week: Thanks, Happy-Giving!
During the winter of 2007, over a breakfast of oatmeal (him) and pancakes (me) I sat down with Jim - a mentor of mine - for one of our quarterly breakfast meetings. Jim asked me a question that I’ve still been answering almost every day.
When was the last time you ended a meeting with someone KNOWING that that conversation had the potential to change everything?
He asked, “Jason, what’s your gratitude plan for your business?"
I had a business plan. A financial plan. A marketing plan. I even had a “hire-a-freelancer” plan! I had a customer care plan, as well as a product development plan. But…a “gratitude” plan?
As a social psychologist, I study interconnectedness. I write down hypotheses and then I go do my research. I read studies, I interview experts, I find information and statistics that prove (or disprove) what I set out to find. Well, this one discussion almost 9 years ago was one of the most “interdisciplinary” ones I’ve come across.
Here’s that question, and I invite YOU to answer it:
Tomorrow will be my 5th day with clients here in Washington DC. This is the second week this fall of Monday - Friday work doing what I love. I'd do it 20 days a month, if I could.
The opportunity to "meet you where you are, and grow from there" is the gift that I have hoped to receive for over 9 years.
In fact, about 10 years ago - working for another consultancy - one of the principals actually told me that it wasn't possible to work this much. That I could not do it. And, for goodness sake, there was no way to line up 5 days of work in one week!
(It's funny, seems they forgot I was a high school teach before that. I worked for more than 165 students a day, 20+ days a month for ten months, and then I usually did some work during summer school as well!)
Well, I'm living proof that anything is possible, if you put your mind to it.
Possible. Not free. But, with a little extra effort and a whole lot of focus, we have been able to create something that we only dreamed of before.
How do we do it?
The same way I coach my clients and teach in my workshops.
Seriously, give yourself an intentional week. Starting this Sunday night, I want you to consider the magic 37 hours of the week.
37/168
These are "about" the number of hours most folks actually have to get things lined up for themselves, connect with their loved ones, do those things they most enjoy. These are the hours you have to "be" you, so you can get back to those other hours during the week to "do" you.
Here's how I'm coaching the recently promoted manager I just started coaching. We will work together over the next 6 months working on what I observed him doing two days this week.
For 11 hours on Monday and 12 hours today, I was within earshot of most of his time. (There were a couple of confidential meetings I waited outside the room for.)
I got to see it all. We ate together. We talked about his roles. We ran together at the end of the day. We shared stories. I watched every move I saw his staff make. And now, I'm preparing his "portfolio."
Activity one is going to be a very important awareness-building exercise. Quite simply, I need for us to be very aware (and objective) of his 37 hours each week.
How about you? Are you willing and able to do this kind of "honesty checking?"
“So busy” you reply; all you can think of is how much pressure you’re under.
Another typical day in the life of getting things done.
Have you ended a day recently where everything on your to-do list didn’t get finished? When our day-to-day productivity depends on teamwork, collaboration and group-effort, it’s important to remember the importance of “influence.”
Yes, you have a lot to do. Maybe you even think there’s TOO much you have to do; and, as a result, you’re NOT going to be able to get to everything you think is important. Furthermore, you’ve probably convinced yourself you don’t have enough time. But that’s not the problem…
It is possible to work smarter and achieve more. This is especially true when you’re working with a group of people also interested in getting important things done.
You can start a day with a plan to be more productive and achieve success by using just a few tactics to get more done. The good news, it’s easy to get started. The bad news, the moment you start working your “ecosystem” is stacked against you!
Every day, there are people around you who are going to help you stay focused on your goal OR pull you out of focus.
When you’re always “busy” and running in “response mode,” it’s easy to get frustrated.
How does your network influence you?
A client is dealing with something you can’t imagine;
a coworker is not responding to you;
a vendor is under unseen pressure; or
a friend just got hit with some life challenge.
Through the day-to-day life we all lead, it’s easy to forget that other people are just as busy - or even busier - than we are! If getting things done for you requires cooperation and teamwork with others, it helps if you practice perspective.
Thinking from this angle will help you save time, save money and make it easier to get more of the right things done. When you change your mind, you can change how productive you feel. And, the better you feel, the easier it is to get more done. Momentum is circular that way.
3 ways to change how your network influences your productivity:
1. Think in a place you won’t be interrupted for 30 minutes.
Reserve a conference room, or find a quiet(er) corner of a cafe. Go there with a pen and a journal to think deeply about a big, long-term project. You’ll get more quality work done in a shorter amount of time if you protect yourself from interruptions by (1) other people, (2) your own workspace and (3) your technology.
There are two reasons to do this:
(A) you just may be interrupted fewer times during that work session, and (B) you just might interrupt those you work around a bit less!
One of the most significant impediments to getting things done during the day is the constant “task-switching” people have to do going from one interruption to the next.
2. Meet a mentor and talk about what’s real.
A coach, a therapist, a sponsor…you need someone you can talk to in confidence. Hearing another point of view on your problems can give you a fresh perspective, relieve some stress and produce new solutions. Also, when you take the time to think through your situation(s) from another perspective, you’ll realize that there are ways to see how OTHER people are managing their unique issues.
Of all ways to take on the “other” perspective, this can often be the fastest and most impactful one there is. When we get to share what we’re thinking, and then have that reflected back AND processed by someone who knows us well, we can see more than we had seen before.
It’s all routine: how, where, and when we think. So, change it up. Write the name of a project on a note card, get a pen, and go for a 15-minute walk outside. When you get 5 minutes away, stop and write down what you’ve thought of about the project. Then, return to your desk. Changing your location changes your perspective.
Stimulating your brain with a fresh supply of oxygen can give you the creative boost to notice what was right there, but just needed a “perspective check-in” to access.
Of course you’re busy. Change things up and get ideas to work smarter and better. Now that’s a way to create momentum.
Get started and keeping moving to get your most important things done, feel more productive and work better together.
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