Posts Tagged ‘Busy’

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Exchange Non-Essentials

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Dave Weber - CEO/President

This is part 3 of a 12 part series I call the 12 X’s of Leadership

For the last 23 years, one of the most frequently requested training programs I have conducted is an advanced time management and personal organization workshop entitled “I’m Spread So Thin You Can See Through Me”. In this amazing course I literally teach people how they can learn to manage every detail of their life and never have anything fall through the cracks.

Tens of thousands have participated in it and I typically ask attendees why they sign up and come. Without a close second, “It is because of the title.” they say.

Can you identify with it? Most certainly do.

It seems these days there are more demands on our time, energy, and effort than ever before. I mean think about it…Are you busier right now than ever? Most people answer with a resounding “YES—I’M DYING HERE!”

It seems we have more meetings, emails, commitments, and to-do’s than ever before and not only is the volume greater, but everything seems to be “the most important thing.”

Stress and burnout are at all time highs and it seems that everyone is trying to do more with less, faster, cheaper, safer, and better. The result is a world full of folks who are living on the ragged edge.

Sleep is more difficult to attain because we have trouble turning our minds off. Then if we do fall asleep, better pray that you don’t wake up at 3:00am, because if you do, you will not be able to fall back asleep as the mental to–do list starts racing through your mind as you think about all your commitments.

We have got to learn to purge, or as I call it here — Exchange Non-Essentials. In his best selling book, Good to Great, author Jim Collins introduced a principle that has truly entered into the mainstream of society:

“Don’t let the good things rob you of the best things.”

There are many good things in which to be involved. Special projects at work, committees at church, environmental efforts, social causes, the list goes on and on…these are all GOOD things. But if they are interfering with the BEST things (time with family or friends, your health and well-being, whatever you determine is the BEST), then you would be wise to purge them from your life.

Yes, it hurts. Yes, it is tough to do. But in hindsight you will be so glad you Exchanged Non-Essentials.

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Good and Bad News about Managing Your Time

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Many — if not most of us — wake up with this first conscious thought: “Let me survive another day!” At the end of a long, interrupt-ridden, deadline-driven day, we might collapse with this final waking thought: “Whew! I survived another day.”

With our myriad of professional and personal to-do’s, we’re busier than ever? We struggle daily to manage the things we have to do, get where we have to be, and handle the volume of information we have to absorb and use. There must be a better way!

Well there is — and there is both good news and bad news about it.

The bad news: You cannot manage your time! “Time management” is an oxymoron, like the terms “jumbo shrimp” or “pretty ugly”. We already have all the time there is: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The good news: There are only three critical time management habits, and you are already doing them. Realize that it takes about 21 days to modify a habit – even if it feels uncomfortable for awhile. But change can be worth the temporary discomfort if it improves your life. Consider this definition of insanity: doing things the same way you have always done them and expect different results. So, why not make slight or incremental changes to your old time management habits and get better results?

Here’s your first habit. You already refer daily to a calendar. You might have two, four, even six of them. Modify your habit so that only one master calendar runs your life and contains only information about where you physically need to be at a specific time and place. Do not put down all those to-do’s on the calendar —- only “be there’s”.

Now, for your second habit. You write down to-do’s. On what? Sticky notes, legal pads, scraps of paper — anything you can find. Modify your habit so that you use a series of 31 to-do lists. Why? Because 90% of the things you need to do, you will do within the next 30 days. Have a to-do list for each day that goes out 30 days. Keep a separate “don’t forget” list for tasks beyond 30 days, and plug them in to the appropriate date when they get within your 30-day to-do window.

Finally, your third habit. You already take notes during meetings, conversations, and phone calls. What do you do with those notes? You put them either in a file or on top one of the many piles on your desk or workplace. These piles are stressors and distractors, even if they are visual reminders of stuff you’ve collected. Modify this habit by setting up a filing system (e.g., a drawer with a series of A-to-Z hanging folders that allow you to file this information alphabetically, either by the person’s name, the person’s company or organization, or the topic of your interaction). You will naturally tend to file information in one of these three ways based on how you are “wired”.

As you can see, by modifying your current habits only slightly — using calendars, writing down to-do’s, and taking notes — you improve your ability to plan your day (and future days), focus on goals, keep commitments, track details, prioritize, retrieve information, reduce stress, and manage your life.

The best part about this process is that you can apply these habit modification techniques to any time management tool you currently use, whether it’s a paper planner, PDA (BlackBerry, iPhone, or Palm device), or computer based software. All these tools feature calendars, daily to-do or task lists, and places to write or enter notes. Modifying your habits can vastly improve your productivity.

Let me close with an analogy. The horse that wins the Kentucky Derby has to outrun the other horses by how much? Just milliseconds. But the winning horse’s prize money exceeds the others’ by how much? Thousands, even millions, of dollars. Here, the difference in productivity (prize money for the first-place finish) far exceeds the difference in performance (milliseconds).

When you improve your current time management habits just incrementally, your productivity results will improve exponentially!

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Remembering Not To Forget in 2010 – Part 2

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Referring back to my last post about missing an appointment…what should I have done better? What can you do to prevent yourself from being in the same, awful position?

First, no matter what, write it down! Whether you have your calendar with you or not, write it on something. A napkin, a receipt, even your hand – anything! And if you have to, write it more than once! If you can put it in your date book or type it in your cell phone or blackberry, the act of writing it or typing it anywhere, on anything, will create a deeper memory of the experience. Your brain has to process not only the information, but the physical act of logging that thought somewhere outside of your head. The more you commit the information to more areas (locations) of your memory, the better the chance that you won’t forget it.

Second, tell somebody! I should have told my wife and kids what the new time for my appointment was and asked them to remind me to write it down when we get home. Create a chorus of people who can reinforce the new piece of information. Could you just imagine us driving home with my kids repeatedly singing a jingle to the beat of their latest pop or rap idle, “dad’s new appoint is at noon not at 3 – oh yea!”. Avail yourself of more memory capacity by having other people help you remember stuff.

Candidly, I’ve heard other people refer to their memory lapses as “sometimers disease”, or “intellectual interludes”, or even call them “brain farts”. Anyone know what I’m talking about?

Lastly, send yourself a voice message, an email or text message. Use the technologies available to all of us and protect yourself. You may find this a little desperate or over the top, but we’re talking about preserving precious opportunities here! Regardless of our profession, we’re in very competitive businesses, and missing an appointment can be a deal-breaker.

Think about it – what feels more ridiculous? Sending yourself a text message so you won’t forget something important or getting that phone call that says you missed your really important appointment? Texting yourself may be embarrassing, but missing the appointment is exponentially more embarrassing and potentially very expensive! If you can’t use either of the two previous suggestions, protect yourself and use all of your memory aid devices and tools to help you be more efficient.

Though we’re all human and will never be perfect, we must do everything possible to keep ourselves at the top of our game, for our business partners and customers we serve, as well as, for the family we protect and provide for.

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Remembering Not To Forget in 2010 – Part 1

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

In the middle of a very busy day last week, I got a phone call from a friend regarding a potential client they had referred me to meet with. Sounding very bewildered she said, “I just got a phone call that you missed your appointment with the customer I referred you to today?” (This is the place where you insert every form of “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” “I blew it!” or any of those other responses that may also involve a few choice words. You know what they are.)

“I don’t believe it, you’re right. Can I get in my car right now and still get in to see them?” I asked her – with desperation in my voice. She said she’d call them and call me right back. As I waited to hear the fate of my appointment, I used the time to berate myself for my HUGE mistake. I was really hard on myself. My berating was deep and powerful.

Now, rewinding to the night before. I was out with my family, and my friend called to say that my appointment time for the next day had been changed to an earlier time. I said fine … I can make it at noon instead of 3 o’clock. Then I hung up and went back to the family. Are you seeing the mistakes yet?

Back to the moment of my dilemma, my friend gets back to me to say that I can go at my original time of 3 o’clock. Whew! Yes! This time I’ll be early – early enough to do my best groveling! After apologizing about 30 more times for my stupidity (this doesn’t make her look good either!), she says not to worry. Regardless, I still felt horrible! Over and over she says it was just a mistake and that things happen. We’ve known each other for a long time and she knows I’m nowhere near irresponsible. She also explained how she defended my blunder to the young assistant she spoke with, by explaining that when they are over 40 they will understand how these things happen. Gotta love having people like that on your side!

Yes, we are all human – but these kinds of mistakes often don’t turn out so well. Too often, you do what I did and your chance with that client is gone. The old adage is still true — you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Missing the appointment does not bode well for making a good impression.

So, what should I have done better? What can you do to prevent yourself from being in the same, awful position?

Find Part 2 Here.

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Shortcuts Make Your Phone Easier

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Every day, more and more people are making the switch from a normal cell phone to a smartphone.  The RIM BlackBerry still holds the top spot in total smartphone users with the Apple iPhone pulling up a close second.  Are these devices actually making our lives easier, or do we get frustrated because simple tasks take too many steps?  Here are a few shortcuts that might make using that smartphone of yours just a little easier.

RIM BlackBerry Tips:

  • When you are reading an email or an online article and would like to scroll faster than the wheel can spin, just tap the Space Bar to move a whole page down at a time.  To go back up, Shift + Space Bar moves you a whole page up at a time.  If you are at the bottom and want to go to the top, press the “T” key to move your cursor to the top of the page.
  • Since we are speeding up email.  When you are finished reading a message and would like to read the next one, press the “N” key to switch to the next message.  Want to go backwards? Just press the “P” key to go to the previous message.
  • Need accents or special characters?  Just hold down the letter that needs the accent and roll the Trackball/Trackwheel to scroll through the available marks.
  • Typing an email in a hurry?  Double tap the space bar at the end of a sentence to insert a period and be ready to type the next sentence with a capital letter.
  • If you are typing with just one hand, instead of pressing the shift key and then a letter to make it capital, just hold the letter for a second and it turns capital automatically.

Apple iPhone Tips:

  • If you need those accents or special characters, just hold down the letter that needs the accent and a pop-up appears with the available options.
  • Speed up your emails by tapping the Space key twice to insert a period and start off the next sentence with a capital letter.
  • Find yourself at the bottom of your email list, a website, or an email?  Just tap the clock at the top of the screen to scroll all the way back up to the top.
  • If you want to insert different punctuation in your email or note, instead of tapping on the “.?123″ button, using the punctuation, then tapping on the “ABC” button to resume typing…just tap and hold the “.?123″ button and slide your finger over to the punctuation you want and let go.  This will insert that punctuation and automatically return you to the standard keyboard.
  • Typing in an email address and wish that “.com” button was there?  Well, it is…it’s just hiding.  Tap and hold the ” . ” button and you will get a pop-up with the common “.com, .net, .edu, and .org” options.

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