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“It happens; incompetence is rewarded more often than not” ― Jeff Lindsay
A productivity meme is to “get it right the first time.” It’s why real productivity is more about outcomes and less about speed. However, it’s hard to be productive when the same or similar mistakes are made over and over. Does repeated incompetence frustrate you?
“Sometimes our stop-doing list needs to be bigger than our To-Do List” - Patti Digh
How effective do you manage your To-Do List? Do items reside there only for a short time before they’re actioned or is it more so a never-ending list that’s constantly growing causing frustration and even overwhelm? Did you know there’s a simple technique you can implement that will transform how you manage your To-Do List?
“Culture is what happens when the managers leave the room – doing what’s right in the absence of authority.” – Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist, Salesforce
Work cultures matter. More precisely, the values, behaviours and attitudes that underpin how people within organisations go about their day to day activities. The benefits of culture are spoken about by leaders, but are simple productivity techniques in place to make it possible?
“I do not want to waste any time. And if you are not working on important things, you are wasting time.” - Dean Kamen
Managing energy is more important than managing time (See: Is it more important to manage time or energy?). However, this doesn’t diminish the importance of managing time because the reality is both time and energy are important to our success. What’s apparent though is ineffective workers consistently demonstrate that wasting time is the proven way to fail.
“The effectiveness of work increases according to geometric progression if there are no interruptions” - Andre Maurois
Wish I was paid $1 every time I heard someone say: “I’d get more done if only I didn’t have so many interruptions!!!” What many workers don’t realise is that one-third of interruptions are typically reduced when proactive steps are taken to manage them. Can the level of interruptions be the difference between success and frustration?
“The most precious resource for business people is not their time. It's their energy. Manage it well.” Robin Sharma
Most of us are so time poor that we’re constantly trying to cram as much as we can throughout each day. We turn to time management to maximise productivity, however, it’s impossible to make more hours in the day because time is fixed. On the other hand, our level of energy isn’t fixed because it can vary. Therefore, is it more important to manage time or energy?
“If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree.” - Jim Rohn
You’re slaving away at work so why do you feel as if you’re constantly taking 1 step forward yet 2 steps backwards? Intuitively you know you should be spending 80% of your time on the key aspects of your role, but you’re so busy you can only find time for 15 – 20%. Surely there’s got to be a better way?
“Knowledge isn’t power, applied knowledge is power” — Eric Thomas
Nike’s Just Do It slogan coined in 1988 is the company’s most successful campaign. So successful it helped catapult Nike to the next level as market share soared from 18% to 43% between 1988 – 1998. What critical aspects of our lives should we apply a Just do It mindset to?
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” ― Stephen Covey
In Stephen Covey’s classic productivity books (First Things First and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People), Covey expressed the virtues of focusing on the most important work before the lesser important work and to prioritise based on importance instead of just urgency. While that might be the intent and preference for many workers, it’s not necessarily what they do. Is there a disconnect between how you work and what you want to be known for?
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” - Colin Powell
Real work or fake work, what gets most of your attention? Understanding the distinction between the two is critical to your success. How much time and resource is wasted each day on fake work?
“You see being organised is not about being perfect; it's about customising your whole world to work for you” – Source Unknown
Not everyone is naturally good at being organised. However, it’s an attribute that should be aspired to because when we’re disorganised it costs money, time or effort. How does your degree of disorganisation impact you?
“What we’ve done is offer our employees a more flexible arrangement whereby they can have an extra day off if they can demonstrate the same level of productivity in that time, without any change to their wages” – Andrew Barnes
Imagine working 4 days a week but getting paid for 5. It’d be a dream job, wouldn’t it? Well, that’s what Perpetual Guardian (a New Zealand company) just successfully trialled. Could this possible at your workplace?
“A rigid, one-size-fits-all approach usually ends up fitting no one” – Patrick Lencioni
Every time management course I ever attended expounded the virtues of an empty inbox. I must admit that’s how I operate my work email account. However, just because I manage my email that way doesn’t mean everyone who I consult to should do the same. In fact, maintaining an empty inbox should not be aspirational for everyone.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one” - Mark Twain
We’re usually distracted by what’s not done. Have you noticed a sense of relief when you clear the backlog of outstanding work? An efficient workflow is such an important part of being able to consistently work effectively. Does the way you work enable you to make progress? Or are your work methods increasing the level of overwhelm?
“Wasting time is robbing oneself” – Estonian proverb
If you’re like me then you have so many opportunities with what you do with the available hours each day and week. When I reflect on how the days roll into weeks and the weeks into months, I find it’s important not to waste time because there is so much to do and so much I want to do. Well, I have a confession to make. I don’t have much patience for people who unnecessarily waste my time. What or who are wasting your time?
“When I perform, I'm just very much just being myself” – India Arie
We have our likes, dislikes, preferences, even obsessions. Well, I’m obsessed with helping people work effectively. My passion comes from experiencing what was essentially a breakdown in 2006 caused by working relentless long hours but ineffectively. My whole world changed when I learnt that by working smarter I could be more effective in less time. I’m in a position where every week I meet workers who limit their success and job satisfaction due to the way they work. Does the way you work enable you to consistently produce your best work?
“Plan your work and work your plan” - Napoleon Hill
I knew planning and scheduling were issues faced by many workers, but never in my wildest dreams did I realise it was to this magnitude. After recently writing Your schedule doesn’t replace the need to plan so many people have bravely contacted me to share their challenges. Do you plan and schedule for success or failure?
“When leaders know how to lead great meetings, there's less time wasted and less frustration. We have more energy to do the work that matters, realize our full potential, and do great things” - Justin Rosenstein
An organisations culture is heavily influenced by those in leadership roles. How CEO’s run meetings permeate throughout the layers of the organisation. A 12-year study revealed that meetings are an even bigger issue than the business community realises. In short, CEO’s need to make meetings shorter and more effective.
“A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done” – Peter Turla
There’s a big difference between planning and scheduling. It’s not effective to do one without the other. A plan without a schedule isn’t specific enough. Whereas, a schedule without a plan is too detailed and short-term focused. Scheduling when you intend to take action doesn’t replace the need for planning. Instead, it increases it.
“What got you here won’t get you there” — Marshall Goldsmith
How we work is engrained. We default to what seems natural each day but especially so during busy periods or when pressure is at its highest. It sounds good in theory but it's not for the workers who have ineffective work methods. Are you resisting the opportunity to work smarter?
