Posted by Jan Wencel on Thu, Aug 19, 2010
A virtual organizing session Monday with one of my favorite entrepreneur clients, Lennie Rose, started with a confession. She told me she was "flagging herself to death."
As we scrolled together through her email inbox, I saw the hefty evidence behind her gloomy statement. We found a brighter story when we dug a little deeper.
Email Inbox Assessment
Lennie was not alone in storing loads of other items in her inbox than just newly received mail. Items (some opened, others not) requiring action and candidates for future reference were the two most popular kind.
There was also a pattern of half processed email. You know, where you open it...think, ugh, I don't want to deal with this right now...and then move onto the next email?
There were lots of unwanted emails. Subscriptions to newsletters she didn't read. Updates from social media sites galore. And, of course, unsolicited junk mail.
And then there were the flags. Lots of them. Some of them indicating tasks to complete. While most identifying email gold--the thoughtful notes from friends and fans, the interesting person/blog/product she'll want to find when the time is right.
Healthier Email Habits
The first inbox habit she decided to institute was to stop using the inbox to store reference items. (Many folks go further and decide action items go elsewhere, too.) The process of moving things to reference was made easier since she uses X1 to find things.
The second habit was to unsubscribe to things no longer valuable, to add repeat junk offenders to her blocked email list, and to permanently delete those she's too exhausted to unsubscribe from but doesn't want to ever see again. (Pressing shift while hitting delete in Outlook will do this automatically.)
The third habit was to process email all the way to the end. That meant if she opened it, then she needed to follow through all the way to the end...moving it to a reference folder, deleting it (yes, like most people, there were many emails clouding the inbox that simply needed to be deleted), scheduling it on her calendar, or leaving it in the inbox to indicate action needed.
What email habits do you want to shed? Or which are the ones you want to embrace?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Wed, Jul 14, 2010
I spent time with the acupuncturist this weekend; hence, this post to remind me about the importance of ergonomics and activity at the workplace.
Increase Productivity Through Ergonomics
According to Ergotron, research over the past 20 years has consistently shown that workstations adjusted to fit the user can result in an 18% productivity increase. (Multi-display configurations result in another lift.) But what is the right fit for you? Go here to generate an illustrated guideline (like we have pictured) specific to your situation.
Increase Productivity Through Activity
If you’ve been stuck at your desk all day (be it ergonomically set up or not), stand up. This simple act tells your brain it’s time to be awake and act alert. This quick burst of activity improves concentration by bathing the brain with oxygen and activating stress-relieving chemicals.
One client of mine was so keen on standing up more, she used recurring phone alarms to prompt her movement, and she asked her company to install equipment so she could sit or stand while computing.
What changes or habits do you need/have your made to make your time at the office more productive and more comfortable?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Wed, Jun 23, 2010
Monday I participated in a tele-class with Michael Bungay of Box of Crayons. I was most interested in a Maestro confernce call demo (you can create private breakout sessions during the calls), but there were other juicy bits to learn from the session.
Michael's mission is to cut down busy work so you can carve out more time for creating your best work. His manifesto spells out seven ways to get there. Here's my favorite of the seven:
"Say Yes--Slowly
"Much has been written about the importance of being able to say "no," and it's very true. Until you learn how to say no, stuff will keep rolling down the hill and end up on your plate.
"But, the truth is, it's difficult to say no in most organizations. We're all nice, polite people. We've got it into our heads that success lays in saying yes. (And, ideally, with enthusiasm!) Surely it's a career-limiting move to get a reputation as being someone who says no?
"So, don't say no. Rather, master the art of saying yes slowly.
"Rather than making yes your default response, ask some questions--I'd suggest at least three--before you make a decision. Here are some for a starter:
- "Why are you asking me?
- Who else have you considered for this?
- What exactly would I need to do?
- When you say "urgent," what does that mean?
- If I could only do part of this, what part would I do?
- How does this fit with my current project load?
- How does this fit with our weekly/monthly/annual goals?"
What questions can you ask to slow down your busy work? How can you use this advice to be a more productive you?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Tue, Jun 15, 2010
An attorney in Chicago asked Life Contained to be his business organizer with the goals of increasing office productivity and moments of life. Following are a few of the brave decisions he made to streamline workflow, declutter the inbox, and to take less work home:
Make better use of administrative assistant via weekly meetings that she runs and deferring internal mail. She's happier. He's happier. Because they both feel more in control.
Use time management tools instead of brain. Create calendar appointments for project work. Schedule two hours of daily focus time (email off; IM off; door shut; phone screened). Use a combination of Outlook Calendar and Tasks to know what to do when.
Build upon things that work. Like most of our Chicago productivity clients, there were loads of things working. We found ways to squeeze even more from them. Continue to reap the rewards of email while lessening dependence on it by turning off notifications and batch processing. Increase the amount of time in Outlook's Calendar View (instead of Email View!) by changing the default to open there and committing to flipping there when finished processing email.
His efforts to change work habits results in a lighter briefcase and clearer mind going home each night. Are there things you need to change to make similar gains?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Mon, Apr 26, 2010
Last week at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference I thanked industry legend, Barbara Hemphill--Taming the Paper Tiger at Work author, for writing the statement: "Clutter is postponed decisions."
Simple, yet profound, this phrase is one I almost always include in my productivity training sessions.
When you thoughtfully examine the items cluttering your desk and office, I suspect you'll arrive in agreement with the sentiment--many items represent a postponed decision or action.
So why not make today the day you start changing your procrastination habit? Following are two questions to ask to make that happen:
What can I do in the next 15 to 20 minutes to move this forward? From The Now Habit author, Dr. Neil Fiore, this question propels many into action. No need to wait until you have enough time to complete the project. Do something now to prime the pump and maintain a forward motion.
By the end of the day, what do I want to accomplish in order to feel good about it? If you can make a habit of asking yourself this question, you'll make a habit of getting the critical stuff done. Use this daily empowerment form to capture your ideas in the morning...and to confirm they're getting checked off in the afternoon.
What questions do you use to prevent procrastination?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Wed, Mar 24, 2010
Because being assertive so often delivers improved personal productivity, I'm back again with the fifth post in a series reviewing Dr. Manuel Smith's 1970 book, When I Say No, I Feel Guilty. You'll find dialog and quotes from the book.
Negative Assertion
"As I began to teach non assertive people in nonclinical settings how to cope, it became glaringly apparent that many of us have the same difficulty in coping with our errors in everyday life...and few of us can change our beliefs that errors are wrong (we are guilty) simply by thinking about it.
"How then do you cope assertively with your errors? In the simplest manner, you verbally cope with your errors as if they are exactly that, no more or no less--errors are just errors. In the terminology of systematic assertion, you assertively accept those things that are negative about yourself.
"Although it may seem paradoxical at first glance, those of us who cannot cope assertively with criticism also seem incapable of coping with compliments."
Following are three situations from the book to further explain:
"Assume you have agreed to leave an information file on your desk at work so a fellow employee could use it over the weekend. On Monday morning, the friend approaches you and asks where the file was on Saturday. You remember that the file was locked up on Friday night and not left on your desk. What can you say?
"Oh, my God! I forgot to leave it on my desk! What an incredibly stupid thing to do! What are you going to do now?
"You didn't do to well in...(criticism)
"You're right. I wasn't too smart in the way I handled that, was I?
"...when you are genuinely complimented on your choice of clothes and you feel they suit you well, you might reply: 'Thank you. I think it looks nice on me too.' (Agreeing with the truth.)"
Please share situations where acknowledging a negative or a truth helped you get things done and come out ahead.
Posted by Jan Wencel on Fri, Mar 19, 2010
For all you When I Say No, I Feel Guilty fans, I offer another Dr. Manuel Smith's assertiveness tip. I've included direct quotes and dialog from the book hoping you'll enjoy it as much as I have.
Fogging
"In teaching people to cope with manipulative criticism from other people, I instruct them not to deny any criticism (that's simply responding in kind), not to get defensive, and not to counterattack with criticism of their own...I suggested that as a rule of thumb, they might learn faster by verbally replying to manipulative criticism as if they were a 'fog bank.' I have used other labels...to describe this assertive skill when it is used in everyday situations to cope with manipulative logic, argument, guilt- and anxiety-inducing statements. (1) We can agree with any truth in statements people use to criticize us (AGREEING WITH THE TRUTH) (2) We can agree with any possible truth in statements people use to criticize us (AGREEING WITH THE ODDS) (3) We can agree with the general truth in logical statements that people use to manipulate us (AGREEING IN PRINCIPLE).
"Critic: I see you are dressed in your usual sloppy manner.
Learner: That's right. I am dressed in my usual way.
Critic: Those pants! They look like you stole them off the Goodwill rack without pressing them.
Learner: They are a bit wrinkled, aren't they.
Critic: Wrinkled is the understatement of the week. They are positively dreadful.
Learner: You're probably right. They do look a bit worse for wear.
"As you can see in this training dialog, the practice of FOGGING does several things. First it forces the learner to listen to exactly what the critic says...It teaches the novice to be a good listener, to listen to what is actually being said--not to read minds--by the critic instead of interpreting what is said to conform to the novice's own self-doubts and insecurities, what we all secretly feel or think. In addition, it forces the learner to think in terms of probabilities--what he would be willing to bet money on, not in absolutes, in yes or no, blacks or whites, 100 per cent or zero."
Do you have a habit of being defensive? Do you know someone in your life who would be floored by your fogging?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Tue, Mar 16, 2010
Back again with the third assertiveness tip from Dr. Manuel Smith and his 1970s book, When I Say No, I Feel Guilty. Following are quotes and dialog from the book to teach a lesson on self disclosure.
SELF-DISCLOSURE
"Assertively disclosing information about yourself--how you think, feel, and react to the other person's free information--allows the social communication to flow both ways. Without self-disclosure, the following up of free information would make a conversation very stilted, giving the impression that you are playing the role of an interrogator or district attorney, or simply prying into the other person's life without sharing any of your own experience.
"PETE: What did you do today? Anything spectacular?
JEAN: No, I just studied all day. [Note: Jean...gave free information that she was studying. Pete could then ask: (1) What does she usually do when not studying. (2) What sort of exciting things have happened to her lately, (3) What is she studying for, and (4) Why was she studying at this particular time.]
PETE: What are you studying for?
JEAN: Shakespearean literature and biology of reproduction. [Note: Pete could respond to Jean's statement in two ways: (1) Impersonal, or (2) Oriented toward her personal interests. The first would be a response such as 'Tell me about Shakespearean drama.' The second would be more personally oriented, i.e., 'How did you become interested in Shakespeare?']
PETE: Gee, I like theater. What a combination, Shakespeare and reproduction! How come you're interested in Shakespearean drama?
JEAN: My mother was a drama major in college before she met my father. I guess I picked it up from her.
PETE: My family never had any acting talent. How do you feel about your mother giving up acting? I think it would be neat to have someone close to you who knew all the Broadway and Hollywood people.
"Disclosing private information about ourselves to other people is a very effective assertive skill, not only in social conversations but also when there is conflict between yourself and another person." Smith adds the lack of eye-to-eye contact is a very common avoidance technique.
The next time you have a conversation where you want to be more assertive, let it flow both ways. Look the other person in the eye, and really put yourself in the conversation.
What habits can you change to become more assertive?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Wed, Feb 24, 2010
When I reached out to a fellow productivity trainer, Casey Moore, to ask about her favorite assertiveness training book, she referred me to the seminal piece When I Say No, I Feel Guilty by Manuel Smith.
Mr. Smith offers six systematic assertiveness skills you can start using today to harness a more assertive posture. This is the first in a series to showcase descriptions and dialogue examples taken from the book. (The 1970s references should give you a chuckle.)
BROKEN RECORD
"One of the most important aspects of being verbally assertive is to be persistent and to keep saying what you want over and over again without getting angry, irritated, or loud. In using broken record...don't give up after you hear your first 'no'...[and don't be] deterred by anything the other person may say...keep saying in a calm, repetitive voice what you want to say until the other person accedes to your request or agrees to a compromise.
"SALESMAN: You do want your children to learn faster, don't you?
CARLO: I understand, but I'm not interested in buying.
SALESMAN: Your wife would want her children to have them.
CARLO: I understand, but I am not interested.
SALESMAN: It's awful hot out here, do you mind if I come in for a drink of water?
CARLO: I understand, but I am not interested.
SALESMAN: You don't understand or you would want to buy these for your children.
CARLO: I understand how you feel, but I'm not interested.
"[With] stereotyped dialogues like this one...[you can learn to] change this compulsive habit of answering any question or responding to any statement... This habit is based upon our belief that when someone talks to us, we 'should' have an answer and 'should' respond specifically to whatever the other person says."
What situations have you encountered of late where refraining from response and using the broken record technique might have delivered a better outcome? Who can you test using this method?
Posted by Jan Wencel on Tue, Feb 23, 2010
When you’re experiencing time pressure, you should ask yourself two questions: 1) Should I really be doing this activity? 2) If so, how can I do it more efficiently?
Let’s see how this might play out when applied to the activity of conducting searches on the Internet.
First off: should I really be doing this activity? We all know the Internet can consume time at a staggering rate. Many of us default to searching the Internet & checking email messages because it provides a delightful distraction from the work we may not want to complete. For the purposes of this exercise, however, let’s assume the search activity is not only necessary, but planned with a start & finish time on the calendar.
Okay, so now how do we make searching more efficient? You probably have learned to include more terms to yield better results, but there’s so much more you can do. Let’s review a few of the advanced search tips Google provides to see how to take your searching skills to a higher level.USE OPERATORS
Operators are symbols representing set processes to be performed. You likely already use the operator “ ” when you’re looking for an exact phrase. Did you know there are over 30 more operators Google recognizes? Following are a few:
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Operator
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Process to be performed
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Example
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[word] site:[url]
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Search within only one website
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wine glasses site:www.apartmenttherapy.com
(Search ApartmentTherapy site for wine glass references)
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[word] date:[#]
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Search only a range of months (3, 6 or 12)
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“lasalle bank” chicago
date:3
(Find references with both the phrase LaSalle Bank & Chicago)
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[#] % of [#]
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Calculates percentage of number
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45% of 39
(Calculate 45% of 39)
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filetype:[ext]
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Search for only particular file types (pdf, xls, ppt, doc, etc.)
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2007 west virginia football schedule filetype:pdf
(Find PDF of 2007 WV football schedule)
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[Shipping Code]
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Report activity on package shipped via UPS/USPS/FedEx
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“999999999999”
(Report latest info on FedEx package)
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[word] -[word]
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Search for results with first word, but don’t return results if second word is present
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chicago baseball -cubs -sox (Find results for Chicago Baseball but not results that have the word Sox or Cubs in them)
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DOWNLOAD A GOOGLE CHEAT SHEET
Until you commit these search efficiency techniques to memory, download this cheat sheet covering some of the tips in this newsletter plus many more. (Isn’t Google just the best?!)MORE SEARCH TIPS
Thanks to Jeri Dansky, an organizer & blogger extraordinaire, who directed us to her seven internet research recommendations in response to this post. What techniques do you use?