Jason Womack

When You Ask Good Questions.

Today’s video - just about 3 minutes long - is about the keys to getting and maintaining momentum on important projects.

And, it all comes from a saying:

Hindsight is 20/20

If you’re not including a Debrief session, you’re missing a major improvement opportunity.

In fact, 3 years ago the debrief process led us to build a unique program...

You see, 36 months ago you asked us for virtual, personal one-on-one productivity coaching.

Clients in America, Italy, the UK and Japan said they wanted information they could access and use on their own time - not only when I arrived onsite for a corporate seminar. THAT is why we founded the Get Momentum Leadership Academy.

In the video (here) you will learn the 3 prompts that I have learned to answer to over the past 19 years of helping leaders like you debrief the week to make progress on your most important priorities.

Click here to watch today’s video.

What you can use technology for?

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:

Learn what you can use technology for.

So, this week I published a podcast on JUST that topic.

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.

 

That way you're doing...how's it going?

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.

Do the work that will get you there. Here's a way I'm framing it for one of our premium www.GetMomentum.com members:

This is a way of changing your rhythms.

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?"

When you're all grown up

"I'm waiting until things are just right."

"Pretty soon, I'm going to start the project."

"Once I have things under control here, then I'll get going."

You and I have both heard those kinds of statements. Sometimes it's a friend, other times a co-worker. Maybe even YOU have said something like that.

Making Things Possible

Yesterday, I spoke at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, California. Yes, that Facebook. When I arrived on campus, this is what I saw:

The energy immediately increased. Suddenly, I was feeling proud/scared/excited/nervous ... All in waves, all in the moment.

Of course, I posted the picture of me speaking at Facebook ON Facebook. (Wouldn't you?) And, immediately I received a private message from someone in my network:

"Jason, you're so lucky!!! Good luck at Facebook."

Here's the deal, luck happened; it doesn't happen. You see, I wouldn't ever walk in to a situation and think, "I hope I get lucky." No, not me. I will - however - look back and say to myself or admit to anyone, "Wow, that just happened!"

Creating Luck

You see, looking back it's easy to see where opportunity meets preparation. So, looking to the future I suppose there are just two questions:

1. What do you need to prepare?
2. Where is the next opportunity waiting?

Now What?

When I walked toward the Field of Dreams (the name of the room I presented in) I realized I was in for something special:

80 copies, at the ready. It's when the energy doubled-down. I felt like I was walking on clouds. I called @JodiWomack and said, "Game On!"

What's Your More?

Now is the time. Your time. Your turn. You have the opportunity to step up and in to something AMazing. As in AM.

As in: I am...

Go, make some luck.

Want to know how? Here...

Mise en place

Mise en place (French pronunciation: [mi za ‘plas])

It's a French phrase that means to routinely and habitually arrange the ingredients and tools needed for cooking. 

Now, there’s a chance that you’re reading this on an elevator or on your commute and thinking, 

“What has gotten into Jason?! He wants to be a chef now?”  

Here’s the part that’s easy to miss, mise en place is so much more than diced up garlic and onions.  Mise en place is a way to describe the single most important trait of top performers: their habits. 

I remember working in my parent's restaurant in Lagunitas, California called, "Le Printemps;" my step-dad taught me to "never put fire to pan until everything was lined up..." 

Every chef in this Netflix show has an unrelenting commitment to standards, routines and habits. They are devoutly adherent to mise en place. 

They call mise en place a “way of life” and say that it’s the art of slowing things down in order to speed up. When was the last time you brought that much attention to your work? 

Continue reading here...

Would you want to have to be "motivated?"

I don’t think you’re trying to achieve work-life balance.

I don’t think you want to be more productive, so you can produce more.

No…I believe you’re looking for momentum. You want to feel engaged, get more done every day, and still have overflow at the end of the day and week so you can do more of what you were put here on the planet to do. 

I wrote about this in a bit more depth over here...

A Form That Changed My Meetings (for the Better)

CLICK HERE  to download a sample MEETING agenda that I’ve used for more than 2 years…

A Form That Changed My Meetings (for the Better)

If you’re a leader in a large company, if you own a small business, if you are a volunteer in a non-profit organization, you attend meetings. 

Meetings may be among American business leaders’ biggest “time sucks” every day...

According to a survey by Atlassian, most C-level executives spend almost 20 hours a week in meetings.

Imagine if ½ of EVERY day was spent sitting in a room, or on the phone, or across from someone via video, talking about what you need to be doing (but, not doing a lot of it). According to that study, more than 40% of attendees claim that meetings are most significant time waster of their day.

But, don’t just go by the research. Instead, start a tracking exercise. For the next 5 days, keep track of the number of minutes you spend in meetings (on the phone, via video, or in a conference room). Next to each number (of minutes) give the meeting a binary score:

+ = that was a productive meeting

- = that was NOT a productive meeting

No “kinda,” no “some of it.” You want straight-up YES or NO.

At the end of a week (or, 20 meetings, whichever happens first) give me a call and we’ll debrief your meetings for 15 minutes. (Yes, we’re going to have a meeting…about meetings.)

Now, if you’re too busy to call, but you do the tracking, let me share with you one of the most POWERFUL meeting tools I’ve ever created. You see, every month we meet with dozens of Get Momentum members from around the world. Now, if you’ve ever scheduled multiple 1:1 meetings in one week, you know how stressful that can be.

Well, we took the stress out of it by asking each person to fill out an Agenda prior to us meeting. 

CLICK HERE  to download a sample MEETING agenda that I’ve used for more than 2 years…

What is it you ALWAYS have time for?

What are the things you always have time for?

• How come you always seem to have time to work on a project that is due tomorrow?
• How come you have time to fill up an “almost empty” gas tank?
• How come you have time to pay that extra fee because you missed a payment deadline?

On a scale of 1-10, how busy would you say you are?

• 1: No busy-ness here.
• 5: Waves of stress, but manageable.
• 10: I haven’t had time to sleep, and am pretty much in “anxiety-mode” 24/7

If you know you need to change things up a bit, attend a class I’m teaching on Time Management. You can register for right here.

If you want more time, you've got to sign up for this course.

Could you work with your spouse?

Do you have a VISION for the future you’re stepping in to? 

Are you gaining #momentum as you achieve on your goals, your objectives and your dreams?

I’m not asking if you’re looking to be motivated; I’m wondering if you ARE motivated. Sure the difference is subtle; but, it’s important to distinguish between “needing to be” and “being” motivated. My question is “WHO” motivates you?

No, not in a Tony-Robbins kind of way. I mean a friend, a family member, a partner, a mentor, a boss…Who is out there who is pulling you toward your next level, your next version, your next vision of what could be?

It’s funny to watch people react when we share with them “what we do for a life.” I don’t call it a “living,” because it’s more than that.

More than two decades ago, I sat next to a girl in a college history class. We chatted about the professor, we shared some notes back and forth, we both passed the class. Now, we’re writing books, running companies, and changing the world. She IS the YIN to my yang.

I write all about it right here.

Do you have everything you need to captivate excite and motivate your audience?

You’ve been assigned a new project at work, or perhaps you volunteer for a local not-for-profit organization. Either way, you have some important phone calls to make, or you have a meeting coming up, or - maybe - they’ve asked you to lead a workshop next month. As you sit down to think through the “presentation” you’ll make (on the phone, face to face, or from the stage) you find yourself thinking, “Am I ready for this?"

This month at Get Momentum we’ve published the information and activities you need to be a better, more effective presenter.

Be Seen as a Leader

Do you talk to clients on the phone?

Do you manage meetings with small groups of people?

Do you ever “take the stage” and present in front of large groups?

If you have something to share, and an audience to share it with, you need to improve your presentation skills.

In fact, research from Harvard Business School shows that leaders who develop certain mindset-based techniques as they prepare for discussions, meetings or presentations are more likely to be viewed as having “expertise, competence, and commitment” and “someone others want to follow."

It may be vital to your personal and professional success to be able to present your ideas proactively.

People make snap decisions about your quality based on how confident you present yourself.

I have a short quiz that will help you focus on improving your presentations.

Click here to take the quiz.

Whether you’re talking to a someone important on the phone, leading a team meeting, or standing on stage, getting better will have a big impact on your career…and your life.