Correct, Perfect, Enhance
Ever read an email and wondered why or what? Why was it sent and what, if anything, are you supposed to do? Before email existed, we used to write letters and memorandums (memos). Aside from the facsimile machine (fax), letters and memos were the main way we communicated or confirmed things in writing. Letters were laboured over. Spelling mistakes corrected, grammar was perfected, and the clarity of the message was enhanced before it was sent out. Today email is the primary method of written communication in business. It’s ease of use has both it’s good and bad points but applying …
The 4-Hour Work Week’s Concepts
Whilst Tim Ferris’ The 4 Hour Workweek book got people talking about building a business in which you work only 4 hours a week, the four steps in the book can easily be applied to help improve productivity and workflow in any business. Step 1 of the 4 Hour Work Week is D for Definition. In the context of an owner, manager or team member in any business, defining where we are going and what we need to do is important. Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland quote of “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get …
Reflection
The end of the year is a brilliant time to step back from the day to day and reflect on the year, both from a personal and a team perspective. For me, it’s a time to do 3 things: Recognise What are my top 2-3 things I’ve achieved, what are my top 2-3 things that I didn’t achieve and what are my 2-3 learnings for 2019? RemindRemind myself of the effort and work I’ve put in and the forward movement I’ve made in the past twelve months. RewardReward myself for my efforts. Whether it’s buying coffee or lunch, or a …
Time to update?
Awhile ago, I was in a meeting with an executive of a company whose product requires an investment of around $100,000 per sale. I’d conducted interviews with various managers in the organisation about the productivity challenges the organisation faced and the common theme that was coming up was a compatibility issue as a result of their software being so old, they couldn’t open documentation they received from customers in a newer format. It was frustrating for them to have to ask customers to resend the documents in an older format to make it easier. The executive’s thoughts were, it wasn’t …
Holding ourselves accountable
I’m am regularly surprised by comments from staff in organisations I work with when it comes to learning and development. For some, the opportunity to learn new skills that may benefit them and make life easier is something they grab with both hands. For others it is an opportunity to complain. Complain about how the organisation never provides opportunities to learn the things they want to learn, or changes processes or technology without consulting them. Those who recognise the opportunity for what it is, AN OPPORTUNITY are prepared to hold themselves accountable. They are generally excited about the learning and …
There’s No Such Thing as a Dumb Question!
When I present at conferences or in-house professional development events, I regularly get a sheepish hand raised and the phrase “this is probably a dumb question…” spoken as the precursor to a question. When I hear this, two things immediately come to mind. The first is recognition of the huge leap of courage the individual has taken to ask the question, and the second is, the trust they feel in the moment that I may be able to answer it. When I respond, I always reassure the person that it is not a dumb question, and that it is likely …
Time Out
Time out is a strategy traditionally used when a child has done something wrong. It’s designed to encourage them to think about what they have done and contemplate why it was wrong. But it’s also a great strategy to use in business to refocus and encourage connection and collaboration within teams. In a lot of the sessions I facilitate in-house with organisations we don’t use technology when we cover technology related topics. Sounds strange that a technology productivity program doesn’t require participants to be hands on with the technology they are learning doesn’t it? The programs I deliver are interactive …
Fear
Yesterday I worked with a group of women in a range of roles in an organisation. Some were quite skilled with technology using it every day, others were not. Some had spent time with me before and a few hadn’t. I found out later that one of those that hadn’t worked with me before was anxious and fearful about the program she was participating in. Why? Her past experiences with technology had made her feel out of her depth and scared. I encouraged her not to feel overwhelmed, but to simply pick and choose the elements she needed and just …
Productivity Planning
Udemy.com’s 2018 Workplace Distraction Report (P9) suggest companies need to plan and drive training staff beyond basic functionality so employees can work smarter during their already busy days. The report suggests “…companies need to provide guidance on staying efficient and focused…” in the modern workplace. What are your strategies to avoid distraction for yourself and your team and how effective is it? Donna Hanson works with organizations and their teams to increase productivity with technology so they can back to things that matter. Follow Donna on LinkedIn or subscribe to her YouTube channel for regular productivity insights. www.donnahanson.com …
Maybe it’s time we stop thinking technology alone is the key to productivity
Businesses look with hope when new software is released. Could this be the ONE? Software that truly delivers the turn-key productivity solution every organization dreams of? As a veteran of over twenty years in both business and adult education and training, I think it’s time to let go of the mystical belief that software on its own will magically improve organizational productivity. Technology is the mechanism by which corporate data is stored and categorized, but the productivity power lies in HOW an organization chooses to leverage it. Increased productivity doesn’t automatically happen simply by containerising data into a central location. …
