Systems create freedom – clutter causes captivity

According to the Wall Street Journal the average US Executive wastes 6 weeks per year searching for missing information on messy desks, that is nearly an hour a day! It is estimated this is costing employers between $4000 – $8,125 per employee each year – yikes!

To increase your productivity at work (and home) you need to organize and systemize.

It’s not about shuffling papers, making bigger piles or doing the occasional ‘spring clean’. Getting organized is very leveraged – clean once, use often!

Take a quick sneak peek at your desk right now… what signals does it send to your co-workers? Do you look organized, professional … in control? … OR… do you look like a hot mess? Your workspace is an unconscious message to your team about how organized and systemized you are on a daily basis.

To get great ideas on this topic we turned to our favorite fabulous professional organizer Laurie Palau from simply b organized for great advice:

• Make use of vertical wall space – hanging inboxes for important folders are clears up valuable desk space allowing you to work in a clean and undistracted workspace.

• Separate action or reference to items that come across your desk.  i.e. a report you need to work on, place it in your action file, however if it’s a report you need to keep because you need to refer to it later, belongs in the reference file.
• Store papers vertically as opposed to as a pile on your desk.  It allows for easy referencing and reduces the chances of something important being misplaced.
• Create an electronic filing system eliminating unnecessary clutter on your desk. Added bonus: it takes a fraction of the time to locate electronic documents as opposed to sorting through piles of papers.

We would add that investing 15 minutes organizing your workspace today will make you feel more productive.

Quick 15 minute clean: Set your alarm… ready, set go – In 15 minutes create a system for incoming paper, consider introducing step file holders for visual recognition, remove all unnecessary stationery from your desk top and throw away all trash.  Voila… it only takes 15 minutes to create a system and will save you hours each day!

Here are some additional statistics to scare you into getting organized:

• 1 in 11 American households rents self-storage space spending an average of $1,000 per year in rent. Did you know the self-storage industry is a $154 Billion dollar per year industry – crazy!
• The US Department of Energy reports that 25% of people with 2-car garages have so much stuff there isn’t room to park their cars!

• 30% of people have lost an important document due to a messy desk.
• 47%of people state that disorganization commonly leads to lost time.
• 16% say that disorganization leads to meeting tardiness.
• 14% say that a messy desk leads to a missed deadline.
• People spend 6 minutes on average each day looking for their keys!

Getting organized is about creating small systems that will allow you to have massive impact. What is one system you could create today that would help you feel more organized, save you time… and potentially save you money!

Now that’s productive!

PS. For more ideas on how to get more organized check out Laurie’s blog and great resources – click here

The old style productivity or time management programs will teach you how to arrange all the activities you have in systems including calendars, task lists, folders… and while this is all good information … it is flawed! Productivity is not about addition; it’s about deletion!

It’s not about adding more to your already full plate, it’s about deleting activities from your plate.

Say no … often!

We need to say NO often … and over and over again.  Clients from around the world, struggle with this powerful word. People want to be seen as ‘team players’ and feel if they say ‘no’ they might offend someone.

No is a full sentence.

No doesn’t require explanation.

No means no.

I love ‘no’. I think it is a great word to become your friend if you want to sound more productive.

Of course the power of no is all in your delivery (tone, inflection and facial expressions).

We all know we don’t have time to do everything; we only have time to do what matters.

To allow you to achieve what matters consider these strategies to help incorporate ‘no’ into your language:

Just say ‘no’ - no doesn’t require an explanation. You can still gracefully decline an invitation for a social event or a meeting request on the condition that you do it with kindness and don’t go into a long-winded explanation.  If you can’t attend an event simply say ‘thank you for kindly thinking of me’ – that’s it – nothing else required.

Ask yourself a simple question ‘is this the best use of my time right now’? This simple but effective question will allow you to discontinue working on something and refocus on what matters.

Deletion might mean delegation – You might also like to ask yourself ‘am I the best person to be working on this?’ Are you investing time in activities that could potentially be delegated or outsourced to others that could help you achieve your goals?

Deletion is a choice (just like addition) however some of the most productive people I know do less… not more! What can you choose to delete today?

We would love to hear your thoughts and your ideas. Share them with us on our blog.

Now that’s productive!

PS. For more ideas on how to productively delegate – click here

‘Luck may or may not be on your side BUT action is 100% within your control’ says Sally Hogshead in Radical Careering.

Sally is so right! As the author of Fascinate she is a brilliant speaker and this quote got me thinking… we need to spend less energy talking about what COULD or SHOULD be done… and just get on with it! Productivity is about all the small choices you make on a daily basis.

It’s not about luck – it’s about taking action.

Get uncomfortable

If you find yourself in a ‘comfort zone’ at work or in your personal life it is time to take action to change it up; increase your activity, focus on your health or do something that takes you outside your comfort zone. I recently hired a personal trainer (holy guacamole batman… boy is that uncomfortable) – ha ha – before I even leave the studio my body is uncomfortable but I know that the discomfort means I am making progress – where do you need to get uncomfortable?

Start small win big

Focus your attention on the small daily decisions that are affecting your action. Concentrate on completing activities within 15 minute increments i.e. answer email, go for a quick walk, call a client to thank them for their business or have a face to face conversation with someone you care about. Your small daily decisions will help you achieve massive results!  What small decisions could you make daily that would give you massive returns?

Don’t talk… just do it

Nike’s ad agency Weiden & Kennedy and a group of their employees was onto something in 1988 when they created this simple but memorable slogan ‘just do it’. We need to take this to heart– less talk, more action. If you want to increase your productivity just do it, if you want to reduce your email – stop sending so many, if you want to get healthy – go for a walk! Productivity is not about talking, it is about taking action. What can you ‘just start’ this week to get you closer to your goals?

When people tell me I am ‘so lucky’ I smile … I know it is not luck that achieves goals it is action.  All the action heroes I admire (especially Wonder Woman) took action… what action can you take today?

We would love to hear your thoughts and your ideas. Share them with us on our blog.

Now that’s productive!

As busy women we are constantly juggling our work, home and community commitments. Here are some quick ways to save time this week:

• Make your reservations at your favorite lunch or dinner restaurant after 11 am each day (that is when the maitre de begins work).
• Shop early in the morning for the freshest ingredients and for the highest selection of products as shelves have been packed the night before.
• Shop late at night if you want to avoid the crowds and minimize time in the lines at checkout
• Select a dry cleaning service that does pick up and delivery. If you have to drop it off leave it on Friday afternoon for collection on Saturday as part of doing your weekly errands. Place a bag inside your wardrobe, add clothes for dry cleaning through the week and then take one bag to the dry cleaners for processing.
• Schedule 12.00 lunch dates when you are meeting people. It is the early lunch shift; you will receive better customer service and have greater table selection (this is before the 12.30 lunch rush).
• Schedule all outgoing calls in 15-minute increments. If you are calling a service and you know there will be a wait try for 11.30 am (before people begin calling in their lunch breaks) and after 2.30 pm.
• Exercise first thing in the morning (before you check your email or social media) so you won’t be distracted by any outside activities and it will be done before you start your day.
• Load the dishwasher before you go to bed so the cycle can run overnight and you can unload it when making your breakfast the next morning.
• Sort laundry in your bedroom on a weekday morning (Thursday) and take down each pile as one is completed, then by the weekend you have completed all your laundry. It helps if you fold things as they come out of the dryer so you can then put them away the next day.
• Allocate one day a week to personal beauty routines i.e. Friday morning. Turn your shower into a mini spa with everything you need to shave, moisturize your hair, apply a face treatment etc.
• Allocate 15 minutes on Sunday nights to plan your outfits for the week, hang them in a separate section of your wardrobe complete with accessories and matching shoes so you know what you need for the week.
• If you can’t do it all on Sunday, allocate 15 minutes before you go to bed at night to lay out your clothes for the next day including all underwear, shoes, accessories and clothes.
• When you get home from work empty your bag, file receipts, throw away trash and refill anything you need for the next day. Do this before you relax so you know your day is complete.
• Pay bills on one day per week. Create a manila folder for bills, choose a day to pay them, allocate 15 minutes to pay outstanding bills/invoices and only do it once a week.
• Update your budget on Saturday mornings (it is a great summary of the week and prevents overspending on a weekend)
• Always buy gas for your car when it is on a ¼ full and know the places that are on your route home so you can do it at the end of the day (instead of madly looking for somewhere on your way to a destination the next morning)

Click here for more simple and productive ideas – these will save you time each week, get you out the door easier in the mornings and allow you to relax at night and one weekends so you can spend more time with those you love… now that’s productive!

Email was originally designed to increase your communication effectiveness.  It was a tool to do your job… some days it feels like THE job. Don’t let email overwhelm you – by implementing these simple strategies you can conquer your email – get more done so you can get on with it!

Conquer in 15 minutes – invest 15 dedicated (not multi-tasking) minutes to your email in scheduled times through the day. Focus, read, action, delete!

Turn off bells, whistles and envelopes … any kind of reminder or sound – mute it immediately. These constant interruptions distract and decrease your effectiveness.

Drag and drop – did you know if you highlight an email in your inbox, you can drag it to create a new task, or a new contact, or a new calendar appointment? This simple action will save you an enormous amount of time.

Diligently Use “Out of Office”– if you are unable to respond to emails or you will be out of your office for a long period of time, set up an out of office auto responder for your email. This manages others expectations about response times.

Don’t copy the world – seriously… only send email to relevant people who will action it.  If you copy multiple people on an email, list their name within the body of the email and action required and due date. People appreciate direct approach.

Unsubscribe! Get off the lists of emails you never read or lists you don’t want to be on, try www.unsubscribe.com eliminate messages you won’t read.

Think and write in bullet points – keep sentences short and to the point. Don’t use email to create long paragraphs or criticize performance.

Always use a greeting – take time to greet in email just like you do in person, systemize this as part of your email signature and that way it is always there!

Master email functionality– invest time learning email functionality and short cuts to maximize email.

Use a visual recognition system – color code so at a glance you respond to your inbox quickly to most important first.

Use your subject line as your email body – if you can request or write in the subject line, don’t add a body – use EOM (end of message).

Remember screen size has decreased – people don’t all read emails on a computer… mostly it is on smart phones at red lights (I am sure you don’t email and drive… right). Keep your message short!

Check email 3-4 times per day … not all day!  Significant time is wasted responding to emails throughout the day, focus energy on checking and responding only 3-4 times a day, once when you start your day, after lunch then one hour before you leave your office. This will ensure you can handle important communication in a timely manner.

Delete once actioned – don’t let emails stay in your inbox, this is not your to-do list. Once actioned: delete. If you need to take action from the email, schedule time to complete the task and then delete it.

Don’t make email more important than people – if the subject of your communication requires interaction consider if it is the best format or would a short call or meeting have more impact?

Don’t get overwhelmed – get control of your email inbox today and maximize your productivity with these strategie

]]> http://neenjames.com/productivity-tip/conquer-your-email-reduce-overwhelm-and-maximize-productivity/feed/ 0 http://neenjames.com/how-to-articles/personal-productivity/to-pin-or-not-to-pin-that-is-the-question/ http://neenjames.com/how-to-articles/personal-productivity/to-pin-or-not-to-pin-that-is-the-question/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:10:02 +0000 NeenJames http://neenjames.com/?p=2240

You have heard the buzz about Pinterest… but what it is you ask and why should you care? Is it just another social media fad? Is it another productivity killer?

All great questions… the answer is yes.. and no.

Many social media sites have come and gone; some were more engaging and some silently disappeared. We believe Pinterest is here to stay.

In 2011 Time Magazine listed it as one of the top 50 websites of the year, in December 2011 there were reports it drove more referral traffic than LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+ … so yes it is worth paying attention to this new comer.  By the way, if you are marketing to women; did you know that 97% of the LIKES on this site are made by women?

Let me state for the record I LOVE Pinterest. It is a visual pin board to share what you love – that’s it…  there are many other business and personal applications and it is worth taking a look.

As my gettin’ geeky friend Gina Schreck says in this cool video – you need to ‘stay curious’ – it is worth investing 15 minutes of your time today, log in, check it out and have a play.

Check out this great article on business applications for Pinterest by Debbie Hemley.

I originally called Pinterest a productivity killer and now I retract that statement. We realize it is a productivity re-energizer, let me explain…

Pinterest allows you to escape, dream, enjoy, admire and to lose yourself in the magnificent photos and funny quotes posted on boards. Not every aspect of every day needs to be productive (yes I said that out loud) some moments are for pure enjoyment … or what we call recovery time.

Pinterest allows you to expand your creativity and to seek input from an international audience, all sharing what they love most. Previously we escaped in magazines and travel shows, now it is online for you.

Pinterest provides inspiration for friends for gifts ideas, creating food to take their home and decorating ideas. One of my girlfriends recently shared one of her visitors checked out her food pin board and made one of the desserts to share at a party in her home – how clever is that! What a lovely idea.

If you want to start using Pinterest try these ideas to help you get started:

• Get invited – this is an invitation only site – get someone to invite you.
• Set up Boards – create a selection of boards for things you enjoy, admire, places you would like to go, words and phrases you like – check out other’s boards for inspiration.
• Start pinning – it’s that simple, click on a photo you like and add it to your board.
• Add the Pin It Button to your browser – when you are on a site and see something you love you than then share it with the Pinterest community.
• Connect your social media profiles – you can add Facebook and twitter.
• Use hash tags – this works the same as twitter.
• Follow fabulous people – find your friends, find others that have similar interest to you and see what they are pinning.
• Link to your website – if you have a product, get yourself on Pinterest!

To pin or not to pin… that is a question for you to answer for yourself, we warn you … when you start you might find yourself addicted… enjoy!

If you are a woman leader who wants to accelerate your presentation skills, join us on March 13th in Philadelphia to learn the following:

• how to overcome nervous tension before you speak
• techniques to prepare a presentation in 10 minutes or less
• strategies to capture, package and deliver your ideas
• how to appeal to a global and local audience
• increasing audience engagement through interaction

Ever been in a presentation and wanted to slit your wrists because the presenter was so bad, used way too many slides and read you all the details on their slide… or is that just me? A tad bit overdramatic? Perhaps?

If you are given an opportunity to stand and present to any audience, in a meeting, at a conference, in your community – you owe it to your audience to rock that presentation. You owe it to your audience to be good, to be on point… not to kill them with your overcomplicated, busy, ugly slides!

PowerPoint when used well,  can be an awesome addition to any presentation if you follow a few simple strategies:

• Less is more, consider less words and less slides
• Use one engaging photo or graphic instead of a huge amount of text
• Simplify your slides so they support your message
• Never read to your audience, they are smart.. they know how to read.. don’t insult their intelligence
• Use no more than 6 bullet points per slide, no more than 6 words per line
• Avoid things bouncing in and out, fading in and out – it’s exhausting
• Make your font big and bold so everyone can read it

Do you ever get nervous before you speak?

Do you get butterflies when you are preparing to present?

Do you worry about your audience’s reactions when you are speaking?

If you answered yes to any of these questions maybe your center of thought is wrong! Many years ago I heard Matt Church, founder of Thought Leaders share a great model explaining the reason people get nervous is because their center of thought was wrong, they are focused on the wrong thing.  This had a huge impact on me.

Matt went on to explain that often people think all about themselves, or maybe focus on their audience when the real way to present without nervous energy is to simply be in conversation with your audience.

If you get nervous before you speak consider the following ideas:

• It’s not about you … your audience is so glad it’s you up there and not them!
• It’s not about them – your audience wants you to do well, they want to be engaged and interact with you.

Recently while speaking for one of my fabulous oil & gas clients I met with one of the leaders before the live webcast, we were discussing how she was an incredibly valuable resource within her company. Her extensive experience as an administrative professional meant she was the ‘go-to-gal’ for a variety of applications, processes and especially information!

After interviewing her we discovered her secret … it was her ability to sequence information.

She is regularly bombarded with constant requests for her time and attention and there is always someone wanting her to do something, be somewhere or have something completed.

Does this sound like you?

If you want to reduce overwhelm and increase your impact try these strategies to sequence how you respond to information daily:

• Know your 20% – what are the activities in your day that allow you to achieve 80% of your results? The Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto is famous for creating what has become known as the 80/20 rule. His discovery was 80% of Italy’s land was controlled by 20% of the population. He was then able to apply this formula to so many areas. It is especially applicable to how we choose to invest our time daily. Focus on your 20% of activities and information that will help acheive your goals.

• Know your agenda – just like every meeting needs an agenda to be productive… every person needs an agenda each day. What are the goals and objectives for your day? When you are clear about your agenda you choose which activities and requests to respond to first.

• Know Your methodology – let the people in your life know the best way to communicate with you. Are you an email girl (or guy), do you prefer phone calls or chatting face to face. Once they know your preferred style they can communicate with you in this way. Always ask people you work with ‘what is the best way to communicate with you?’ and make a note of their preference.

Sequencing is knowing the order in which things happen – you get to choose daily how you manage information and requests.

What can you do today to reduce overwhelm by sequencing information? We would love to hear your thoughts and your ideas. Share them on our blog.

Now that’s productive!

PS. If you want to increase your impact by knowing what you should implement first, check out my friend Pete Cook’s blog on Implementing an Implementation Mindset