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Laura Stack’s Top Thirty Best Practices for Scheduling Your Day and Setting Appointments

Posted on 08/06/2008 by ·
Top Thirty Best Practices for Scheduling Your Day and Setting Appointments

1. Determine if you really need to meet in person. How many times have you attended a meeting and asked yourself, “Why am I here?” Hopefully, you’ve started protecting your time from every person who wants a piece of it. If my clients want to meet in person, I charge a consulting fee. For telephone calls, no charge. Ninety percent of the time, a conference call will suffice. Extra travel time and expenses are involved when meeting in person, so avoid it unless dialogue and brainstorming are required. 2. Have meeting requests and responses go to your delegate, not to you. Don’t wade through all the responses; that’s why you have an assistant (if you do). Under Tools, Options, Delegates, select “Send meeting requests and responses only to my delegates, not to me.” Brilliant. 3. Create … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity ·

Closing The Loops

Posted on 08/01/2008 by ·

Today we feature guest columnist Monica Ricci.  If you enjoy this article, I recommend you subscribe to her blog's feed: Monica Ricci's Your Life: Organized.  Closing The Loops Several months ago, a thought whizzed through my head and it was "Life is a series of getting things out and putting them away."  This is what I call "closing the loops". If you think of a loop, maybe you picture a circle or an oval. All smooooth and sexy, the curves... of a loop will never hurt you and the curvy shape is easy on your eyes. No, there's nothing about a closed loop that hurts! Now, contrast a nice smooth, wonderful closed loop with an open loop. Open loops are all those little things unfinished that you left for yourself to deal with "later". The remnants of breakfast from this morning that you never … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , ,

Three indecisiveness phrases, and when (not) to use them – Matthew Cornell

Posted on 07/30/2008 by ·

Today I'm pleased to feature a guest blogger and fellow productivity consultant, Matthew Cornell.  He has interviewed me in the past and featured me on his blog.  I've been following his good work and musings on productivity and wholeheartedly recommend you subscribe to his feed. by Matthew Cornell: Three Indecisiveness Phrases: I'd like to tell you about three phrases you and I use that actually mean the opposite, and, when used improperly, hurt productivity and weaken your mind (Gasp!) Fear not, I'll also share the only times they are OK to use. And I'll start with a biggie. "Let me think about it" This is a classic in being indecisive. Situation: Have you ever been asked for something or had an offer made to you and you answered "Let me think about it"? Typically what this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

6 Ways to Balance Evening Commitments With Family Life

Posted on 07/28/2008 by ·

Today we have a treat: a guest post by my colleague and fellow productivity blogger Mike St. Pierre.  He writes an excellent blog called The Daily Saint.  I highly recommend you check it out and subscribe to his feed. All teachers can relate to THE FINAL WEEK.  It's that week when your seniors graduate and then some.  There is usually a parents reception, Baccalaureate celebration and often a sports banquet- all of which occur at night.  So how do you balance this with seeing the little ones at home or that spouse that misses you? Practice the two night rule.  I discovered years ago that when I am away from my family for two straight evening commitments, I wouldn't see my kids for nearly three days.  This is difficult because it puts a lot of pressure on my wife and of course the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity · Tagged: , , , ,

Time is Money: the Sales Professional, the Clock, and the Pocketbook

Posted on 07/24/2008 by ·

Time is money.  Guess which group of people utters this phrase most frequently?  Commissioned salespeople.  Hands down.  It’s almost a rite of passage that you can’t be a salesperson unless you rinse and repeat daily.  Salespeople know how to turn time into money: spend a majority of time on selling activity, namely generating leads, business development, and follow-up.  Simple.  What makes it so hard?  All the non-selling activities that need to be done.  I believe many salespeople have lost sight of the value of their time.  They run for coffee, socialize with friends, check the latest blog postings, schedule personal appointments, surf the web…all which tends to increase when a sale is made…as if now they can relax a bit.  As a salesperson, if you really want to get clear about if the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

How to Set Up an Effective Office Space in Your Home

Posted on 07/22/2008 by ·

I’ve worked full-time from my home since 1992 and can’t imagine doing it any other way. Whether you work full time out of your home, occasionally telecommute, catch up on work in the evening, or run a household, you need some sort of dedicated “office” space in your home. Offices can serve as the family computer center, a place to do paperwork, and the occasional work-at-home office. The first big question is where to locate your home office. Until the last few years, most builders didn’t catch on to the popularity of a built-in home office. If you have a computer, you probably need more than an antique writing desk in the living room. But if you only use your “office” to pay bills, write letters, and return phone calls, you can get away with a corner of the kitchen. In most homes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Be a Productivity Role Model

Posted on 07/15/2008 by ·
Be a Productivity Role Model

Have you ever taken an honest look at how you are perceived around the office?  Your behavior, attitude, and reputation play a huge role in how you interact with coworkers and subordinates.  Others may listen to you because of your job title, but if that's the only reason, you have a serious problem on your hands. I’m not talking about superficial issues like dressing well or keeping a tidy office.  It goes deeper than that—to your attitude towards work and your attitude towards personal productivity. Do you have a reputation of exceptional organization, follow-up, and time management?  Or do people dread sending you an e-mail, because they know there’s a slim chance that they’ll ever hear back? Is your desk a black hole, where papers and requests go in, but never come … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Clear the clutter to free your emotional energy and liberate your past

Posted on 07/08/2008 by ·

Look around you, at work and home. Do you feel overjoyed or annoyed? Your environment affects your moods, attitudes, emotions, and energy level. What things sap your energy? You need to figure out ways to reduce, eliminate, or change your environment, so that it lifts you up rather than brings you down. These tidbits might help. 1. Clear the clutter. This requires effort and can be time-consuming, but the real reason people dread clearing clutter is emotional attachment -- and because you no idea how to organize what you keep. Focus first on the areas of the home that are most important to your health and vitality, especially the bedroom. 2. Thin out the incoming stream. We all have a constant stream of mail and new possessions coming into our lives. If you don't develop a regular habit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Co-workers, meetings, and inefficiency: the big energy bandits in the workplace

Posted on 07/03/2008 by ·

The workplace is full of energy drains, even for people who work at home. You get caught up in the routine, and lo and behold, hours have passed -- and you've expended precious energy without much return. If this sounds like your work life, maybe you ought to try a few of these prescriptions. 1. Speak up when you have too much on your plate.  If you're overworked, you'll eventually hit a point where your personal energy falls to nil and nothing gets done. Do what you can to streamline your work processes, negotiate deadline extensions, simplify your tasks, and delegate in order to get things done. 2. Be unavailable. That's right. When someone says, "Do you have a minute?" it's okay to say, "Not right now." You don't have to be rude or impolite, but you do have to be honest. Get over … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Your purpose and values guide your productivity

Posted on 07/01/2008 by ·

Are you following your mission in life, or do you feel disconnected from what you want to do, believe in, and value? Are other people defining who you are? The more your time is organized around your values, the more energy you gain from your activities. Here are a few ideas that can help you stay "on flow." 1. Figure out who you want to be and what you want to do.  Many of us ignore our dreams in the interest of providing for our families, or because we think we don't deserve them -- but all that does is leave us unhappy and listless. If this describes you, spend some time deciding what you want to do and be. 2. Take a good, long look at your career choices. Are you happy? Do you find your work fulfilling? Or are you just going through the motions to pay the bills? If the answer to the … [Read more...]

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