Productivity Bahamas Style
I joke in my presentations about Productivity, Bahamas style. I use it in the context of the volume of work we deal with in today’s business world and what happens when we have a pleasurable deadline looming. Productivity Bahamas style is the ability we miraculously acquire prior to going on a holiday. It is the ability to easily determine the MUST be done before you leave tasks and activities and isolate those that can wait until your return. But what if we applied it every day? When working with clients I often hear of processes that staff do a certain …
Things aren’t always what they seem.
I recently worked with a client whose team member was about to head off on maternity leave. Whilst many organisations might question the “benefit” of investing in an employee who will be out of the business for an extended period of time, this organisation realised that the value of ensuring she had the skills she needed to perform her job effective in the months prior to her leave. The benefits being, she would be happier, less likely to be absent because of stress, would be more engaged would provide a thorough and comprehensive handover to her replacement she would talk …
Constructive Communication
I was interviewed on breakfast television about managing email when I was asked an interesting question. It wasn’t scripted or planned and, in fact, I’d never been asked that question before. “How do you know if the tone of your email is correct?” the interviewer asked. I paused for a moment before answering “if you are asking yourself that question, it’s probably a sign that you should be having a conversation instead.” After the interview, I reflected on the question. In business today we have become so email focussed. Whether it is to “cover” us from being told off or …
Workplace Productivity
The speed and scale at which data is sent and received means workers are literally drowning in data that needs processing. Even discarding irrelevant information, such as reply all emails requires time and decision making. A 2012 McKinsey Global Institute report, The Workplace Evolution1 found an opportunity lies in better utilising the technology organizations already possess. The report identified, the average interaction worker spends around 28% of their workweek managing email and almost 20% looking for information internally or interacting with colleagues to get assistance with specific tasks. Clearly, the answer to workplace productivity DOESN’T lie in adding more. In …
Time for Thinking
There are points where organizations tend to take time to reflect on the past and the future. Traditionally these are at the end of the calendar and/or fiscal year. But reality is, regular thinking time is great for productivity. Management guru Peter Drucker once said “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection, will come even more effective action.” In a world of 24/7 ON, we often make the time to reflect and observe our experiences, decisions and interactions. We are too busy moving onto the next item on our to do list. It’s very easy to be …
Who says ideas don’t come cheap?
The iconic Nike swish symbol is said to have cost only US$35 yet it’s contemporary concept has delivered value globally for years for the brand. Whilst this is a rare example, I believe most organisations expect that to achieve spectacular results requires significant investment. Depending on the circumstances and the outcome you are seeking, that may be true, but in many cases ideas can and DO come cheap, it’s just human nature is that we tend to overlook the obvious. When working with clients, one of the early things I show them is how to leverage ‘Find and Select’ in …
Is it necessary?
Ever had one of those days or weeks where meetings and appointments just seem to be one after the other? Regardless of whether someone is taking minutes or notes, there is often no time to reflect on what happened and your actions items. It can seem like you have no time to get any actual work done! The default timing for meetings, particularly face to face, has traditionally been an hour. Rather than schedule or participate in a regular meeting, if it is in your control it is worthwhile considering: Is the meeting necessary? If it is, could a mode …
Get Out of the Forest!
If you’ve ever gotten frustrated when madly looking for or trying to do something, only to find that when someone else does it, they find it or do it easily, you know what I mean!! It often isn’t until we ask someone else to look at something that we are exposed to a different point of view. One generally without the emotional attachment normally associated with a looming deadline. One of the simplest ways move out of that “stuck” place is to connect with colleagues. Recently I was working with a client who had a specific challenge with an Excel …
Ask for Help
I started a conversation with Sarah, a woman I was sitting next to at an event last week. She told me a little about her job and the fact that she loved to help others but didn’t like to receive or ask for help back. When I asked her why, she said it was because it didn’t feel right to take from others. I asked her how it felt when she gave someone help. She said, it feels wonderful. It makes me feel like I am contributing and am needed. It’s like giving a gift. It was something I could relate …
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 …
