system

Productivity Coaching, Time Management Consulting and Leadership Coaching for business and nonprofits - get your most important work done. Collaborating with leaders and their teams to become more strategic, focused and productive. Leadership and Board Coaching, Strategic Planning Facilitation, Productivity Coaching and Time Management Consulting, Professional Speaker.

Productivity Coach, Productivity Consultant, Leadership Coach, Time Management Coach, Business Consulting, personal productivity, time management, nonprofit, board coach, collaboration, strategic planning, facilitation, change management, leading productive teams, project planning, board development, volunteer engagement, association management, workplace productivity, executive director.

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system Tag

01 Oct How To Stop Reinventing the Wheel

Posted at 15:04h in Productivity, Tips for Easier Living 0 Comments

Some people love systems, while others resist them. Have you ever asked yourself why you have a system in place? We utilize them so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every single day.

Most people strive for efficiency. This helps clear time for the tasks that need to be done, while still leaving room for the things we want to do. A useful tool for increasing our efficiency is a well-designed system.

What do you have a system for?

Getting ready for bed
Getting dressed in the morning
Paying bills
Establishing children’s bedtimes

These everyday tasks involve numerous steps, yet we perform them so frequently that they become routine. Initially, we need to think through the process, but after repeating it enough times, it becomes automatic. This is the process of learning and integrating new systems and methods.

What systems would be beneficial for you to develop, practice, and execute often enough to become second nature? Here are a few of my favorites:

Planning Today’s Work

I review my calendar, check my emails for anything new, and look at my task list for high-priority items. Then, I assess how much time I have available for work.
Based on this, I determine my tasks for the day. Sometimes I jot them down on a sticky note; other times, I work directly from my task list. It’s perfectly fine if it varies from day to day.
What helps me the most is having a curated list of priorities to focus on each day. I strive to include only the work I can realistically complete. On days when I do this, I am often amazed by how much I accomplish.

New Client Onboarding

I open my master Getting Started document and customize it with the specific needs of the client. I then save the document with the client’s name.
Next, I open an email and use a pre-written template saved in my signature. I update the email with the client’s name, start dates, and materials needed, and add a personalized greeting. I attach the Getting Started document.
I enter the client’s email address, hit send, and I’m done! This entire process takes just five minutes. I’m a bit embarrassed to share how quickly I can do this—I want my clients to feel special. Most of the time, the effort lies in the personalization.

Weekly Meal Planning

I keep a running grocery list. Whenever I use an item up or get close to finishing it, I add it to the list.
Before heading to the store (or ordering groceries), I plan what I’ll cook or eat for the week.
1. My breakfasts tend to be repetitive. As long as I have eggs, fruit, and the ingredients for oatmeal and granola, I’m set.
2. For lunch, I prefer leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. I also keep tuna fish packets, salad ingredients, and sliced turkey breast on hand—this is usually all I need.
3. I enjoy cooking dinner a few nights a week as it helps me make healthier choices and serves as a great creative outlet. First, I look at my calendar to determine how many nights I can realistically cook. Then, I select recipes accordingly—usually around three. I try not to overdo it to avoid wasting food. I browse my collection of recipes (which I often change) saved in a three-ring binder or flagged in a favorite cookbook and write down the necessary ingredients on my grocery list. If an item isn’t available, I can figure out a substitute on the spot.
I cook! Knowing I have ingredients for a few different meals gives me the flexibility to whip up whatever I’m in the mood for. However, I make it a priority to prepare fresh fish the same day I buy it.

From these examples, you can see that developing a system can apply to nearly anything. I bet you have numerous systems in your life that you don’t even realize.

Stop Reinventing the Wheel Consider applying this approach to the areas that challenge you. Can you identify one task that frustrates you and that you struggle to complete? Do you have a system for it? Probably not. Can you create one? Likely. If you’re having difficulty, please comment below, and I’ll be happy to share some ideas to help you get started.

Coming Soon to Audible: Productivity for How You’re Wired, print, ebook, and soon as an audio book, available on Amazon.

10 Oct Steps to Get Intentional About “Spending” Your Time

Posted at 11:50h in Envision Possibilities, Focus and Prioritize, Planning Tools, Productivity for How You're Wired, Stress Management, Time Management, Tips for Easier Living 0 Comments

In my last blog post I explained the importance of setting your goals and intentions, and we discussed why adding intentions was so important. In my book Productivity for How You’re Wired, I share 3 different models you can use to set goals and intentions based on your structure preference. You can create your own plan by following the steps below. Definitely do the first 3 steps. Steps 4 and 5 are optional based on “how you’re wired.”

Step 1: Identify Focus Areas

Focus areas are the spaces in which you want to spend the time of your life. In a financial budget you’d have areas such as home expenses, utilities, clothing, food, and entertainment. For your life’s Focus Areas these may be business/work, professional development, personal growth, self–care, family, spirituality, friends/social, volunteerism, service, activism/advocacy.

Step 2: Set Goals and/or Intentions
A few people can state their goals or intentions off the top of their heads. Most can’t.

If the answers don’t come easily to you start by developing your priorities (Step 3). Then use your priorities to back into your goals and intentions. While it goes against every rigid business planner’s process, completing your priorities first can help you see exactly what matters. Ask “what is the purpose of doing these things” (the priorities.) The answer will bring the goal or intention into focus. Keep your goals and intentions concise and clear. They cue you to remember. They do not need to include ALL the details.

Step 3: Determine Strategic Priorities
The next step is to figure out the three most important things you want to accomplish in each focus area. Your priorities should be actionable within the established time frame of your plan. The priority should identify what you will do.

Start with an action word such as plan, complete, strategize, or implement.
Be concise – provide enough detail so you understand what want to do, but not so much you can’t easily grasp the action.
When identifying your priorities, it is often helpful to prime the pump by ask yourself questions such as these:
- What project, task or action is critical to my success/my organization’s success?
- What do I want to accomplish?
- What would I be disappointed with if I didn’t achieve?
- What do I need to do to be who I want to be?

Step 4: Create your Mission/Purpose/Success Statement

This is your WHY, your driver, what motivates you in work and/or life. If you know your WHY, add it now. If not, it often comes into focus as you complete the rest of the map. This step is optional. Add it if it supports you. Your statement should inspire you:

Use words that will reinforce what is important to you.
Define what success means to you.

Step 5: Plan your Quarterly Tactics

If you thrive in high structure and you’re excited about having a full–blown, step–by–step quarterly plan, this last section is for you. However, if the thought of doing this last step sounds dreadful, you’re best to skip it.

Think the project through.
Now put the project elements in order. Consider what steps must come before the others. You’ll probably identify a couple of things you are missing. Add those in.
Estimate the time you’ll expect to spend on this element. A good rule of thumb is to double your time estimate.
Now plug the elements into your quarterly plan.

Start thinking about what matters to you. Use a template from the book or design your own. What’s most important is that you take a bit of time to identify how you want to “spend” your time.

This is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of my new book Productivity for How You’re Wired available on Amazon. Worksheets and online templates are included via the time tools link discussed in the book.

19 Jun Spend Your Time On What Really Matters

Posted at 16:41h in Envision Success, Focus and Prioritize, Planning Tools, Productivity for How You're Wired, Time Management, Tips for Easier Living 0 Comments

In my last post I introduced you to the Productivity Flow Framework featured in section 2 of my new book Productivity for How You’re Wired. Today we move to Chapter 7 where we explore the first concept of the framework – setting your goals and intentions. Remember, the reason we do this is to clarify and commit to priorities – those things that take time yet YOU deem as most important.

Many of my clients struggle to set priorities. When asked they simply aren’t sure about what is and isn’t important. Setting goals and intentions helps you clarify what is important – namely those things you want to achieve. Goals have a specific outcome. Intentions are more general and reflect how you wish to live. We look at how and why to integrate both into your plan.

Why Intentions and Not Just Goals?

Goals are useful in some cases. They just aren’t applicable for everything. Considering intentions (how you want to live) expands the value of this exercise.

Goals

A goal has a specific outcome:

Make profits over six figures this year.
Complete the team on–boarding program by June.
Lose four pounds a month each month this year

The business world embraces the acronym SMART to define the best practices of goal setting.

SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ATTAINABLE
REALISTIC
TIME–BOUND

A benefit of measurable goals is that they help define achievement. If you know you want to make $100K for a period of time, then you also know when you have attained that benchmark. This takes a bit of pressure off the workaholic, type A, never-enough driver. It helps them to know it’s actually okay to slow down. Goals are great for certain aspects of your work and life. They’re just not the complete picture.

Intentions

An intention clarifies how you wish to live.

I work smart and give great service.
I live a healthy, happy life.
I give my best self to my family.
I continue to learn so I can help other leaders grow.

Intentions speak to your inner-self and bring meaning to the things you do. They can be aspirational, motivating you without the pressure of measurement. Intentions help you find success as defined by you.

Consider SMART intentions:

SOUL–FOCUSED
MEANINGFUL
ASPIRATIONAL
REASONABLE
TRANSFORMATIVE

Goals AND Intentions

Most people have both goals and intentions. To focus on one and not the other is addressing just a portion of what is important.

My clients tell me they need help figuring out how to get all their work done. In reality, work is only part of the challenge. Many say they would like to take time off without worry, spend more quality time with their families, and even have a bit of time for themselves. As you work through identifying your own goals and intentions, you may want to consider more than work. Remember, a key reason to improve productivity is to have a full and better life.

Success On Your Own Terms

When people think of success, most think dollars. However, when they clarify what success means to them, they typically find they are seeking something more holistic. The money part is more the vehicle to get to the life they want.

Do you want to have time to take care of the kids or an aging family member and still have a career? What if you want to travel and still have your work? What if your success is defined by having time to give back to your community?

Success is not always about the money. Being intentional about what matters in the big picture of life helps keep you from falling into the trap of letting others define success for you.

This is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of my new book Productivity for How You’re Wired available on Amazon. Worksheets and online templates are included via the time tools link discussed in the book.

15 May How to Get Into Productivity Flow

Posted at 17:59h in Envision Success, Focus and Prioritize, Planning Tools, Productivity for How You're Wired, Time Management, Tips for Easier Living 0 Comments

Today’s post summarizes Section 2 of my new book Productivity for How You’re Wired. I will provide more detail in future posts but we’ll start here – with the 30,000 foot view.

The Productivity Flow Framework provides you with tools and context to help you achieve your goals and intentions and become your most productive, successful, fulfilled self.

It is strategic. You are creating your process to work more effectively.
It is a framework. It provides you context to work within.
It flows from tool to tool. Everything impacts everything else, and helps you find flow in work and life.
It is customizable to your structure preference and productivity style. It reflects you.

Think of it as a picture frame. It holds the picture. The picture is you.

Goals and Intention Setting

We identify goals and intentions to clarify what is truly important. If you aren’t clear, or if too many things matter, you end up spreading yourself so thin that you are on that proverbial treadmill and it is only with luck the right work gets done.

By taking the time to clarify and create your own strategic plan, you are laying the foundation for doing the work that improves your quality of work and your quality of life.

Time Mapping

A time map helps you create a vision of how you want to spend your time. Think of this like a vision board where you are creating a picture of something you aspire to, or a budget for how you want to use your time.

It helps paint a vision of what you want your life to look like.
It helps you take the time to think through, and plug in, the various priorities you’ve identified in your goal and intention setting exercise.
It helps you see if your expectations are realistic.

Essential Structures

Boundaries come to life as Essential Structures; what you need to say YES to and what you need to say NO to to be your best self. The Time Map gives us clues and from it we are able to create a concrete list of

Winning Conditions – the nonnegotiable choices you make that you want to become habits
Guardrails – the things you must say no to in order to do the kind of work you want to do and be the person you want to be.

Task Prioritization

This tool is more tactical and directly impacts your day-to-day work. The central concept to take away from this section is the importance of sequentially prioritizing your work based on your goals, intentions, and essential structures. Most to-do list tools organize tasks by day or date. This is different. Organizing tasks by priority ensures you are doing the right things at the right time.

Weekly and Daily Planning

Weekly and Daily planning makes being productive much easier. You can function without planning; however, without a plan, you can’t maximize your time or be focused and strategic, and you won’t ever be sure you are successful.

Planning helps you use your time for the things that have the greatest payoff — your high-value work.
Planning ensures you are set up to use your time to act on the things you’ve deemed most important.
Planning gives you benchmarks to reach so when you aren’t working you can actually relax.

The Productivity Flow Framework helps you build a solid foundation. And with this foundation you can delve into the tactics that will help bring your current situation into alignment with your vision for work success and a better life.

Think of the framework as you would a border of a puzzle, the frame that links everything together. Just like a puzzle, with perseverance, you’ll get the full picture. Taking responsibility for your productivity is something only you can do.

This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of my new book Productivity for How You’re Wired available on Amazon. Worksheets and online templates are included via the time tools link discussed in the book.

26 Apr Productivity That Fits How You Are Wired

Posted at 10:33h in Envision Success, Productivity 2 Comments

Have you ever wondered why that book on time management didn’t help?

What about that article espousing the top 5 things you must do each morning to have a productive day?

And how about that author who focuses on the one great thing you must do to be successful?

Have you thought “what’s wrong with me – that will never work?”

I have good news for you. Productivity is not one size fits all. These “experts” are talking about what works for them. They are sharing the secret to their success. They are not sharing the secrets to your success. They are not considering your unique needs; your brain wiring based on your life experiences, your learning style, your body-clock, or your temperament.

How can they even imagine what will work for you?

The one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty, after spending the last 20 years helping clients get more organized and be more productive, is that what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. There are many right approaches.

The secret is in actually figuring out what the best “right approach” is for you.

We look for clues:

What has worked for you in the past?
What doesn’t work for you?
When have you felt most in control?

And then we create a strategy based on those clues. And we don’t stop there. We test the strategy. I tell my clients to think of themselves as a science experiment. We test and we tweak until we end up with a “best solution” that really fits.

Meet my client Margie (not her real name!) Margie has ADD and understands the value of exercise in keeping her brain functioning optimally. She came to me wanting to create a structure so that she could get up each morning at 5 am and exercise before her work day began. She had read that this was the one best thing she could do to manage her ADD; her doctor agreed.

However, Margie didn’t fit the norm. She worked from home, she liked to work at night, and often got her most important work done in the wee hours of the morning. Margie hated mornings and hated exercise more.

I had this suspicion that exercising at 5 am wasn’t Margie’s best solution.

We discussed when she’d been successful exercising in the past (when her daughter was young and she’d drop her at preschool and exercised right after.)
We learned that having a time-driven deadline prior to exercising was helpful.
And we talked about how badly she felt about herself when she pressed the snooze button at 4:45 am and didn’t get out of bed, though she couldn’t really go back to sleep.

Alas, Margie wanted to try. So, we did. However, I asked her to try 5 different times to exercise and to track her success. This is what we learned:

Exercise Success	Time of Day to Exercise	# of workouts in one-week period
Week 1	5 am	zero
Week 2	9 am	1
Week 3	Noon	1
Week 4	4 pm	3
Week 5	7 pm	zero

Turns out 4 pm was Margie’s optimal workout time. She wanted to have dinner with her family at 6:30 pm. Working out at 4 gave her time afterwards to shower and get dinner on the table. That time-driven deadline of a 6:30 pm dinner helped motivate Margie to get started exercising at 4 pm. She found the late-afternoon break refreshing and that she actually enjoyed her workout. And the extra couple of hours sleep in the morning was really helpful all around. When the system fit it was easy to implement and easy to stick with.

One-size did not fit Margie? Does one-size fit you? Is there something you should rethink that might fit you better? Try the following 5-step process to create your best solution:

Look to the past for clues
Create an experiment with different variables
Test the variables
Assess the results
Pick your “best solution”

I’d love to hear what you learned.

22 Jan How To Improve Efficiency

Posted at 15:36h in Productivity, Productivity for Leaders, Time Management, Tips for Easier Living 0 Comments

When I think of improving efficiency I think of when I was in college and learned about the time and motion studies of the 1950’s. I envision Lucy and Ethel wrapping chocolate on the production line. And then I think that no one wants to live life with so much constraint that we are more machine than human. However, so many of my clients tell me they want to be more efficient.

I am a big fan of putting rote tasks on autopilot so that our energy can be put towards creative process and enjoying life. I am embarrassed to tell you this, (but will because perhaps it might help,) but I’m always looking at how to do things in the fewest steps.

I will exemplify this with a task we all do – emptying the dishwasher. I’ve observed many people empty the dishwasher – I do it differently. And I typically get it done in the time it takes to brew a couple cups of coffee.

I work from the bottom up so that if water spills out of something it’s not going to get anything below it wet.
I unload in groups –the silverware into my hand and then direct to the silverware drawer
I place things on the counter at the location it will be put into
I unload completely, then I put away. I’m only opening the drawer or cabinet once and I’m putting everything away at one time
And I make it a game to see how fast I can do it. It’s fast and it’s done.

I waste not a moment on something as routine as unloading a dishwasher.

Now let’s apply that to our work.

How can I process my email as efficiently as possible?
How can I keep my to-do list as streamlined as possible?
How can I make my meetings as effective as possible?

I’ve blogged about all of this and I’ve linked the above questions to those posts. What I’m addressing here however is how to create systems and processes to be most efficient, streamlined, and effective.

Creating efficient systems

Notice it – recognize the opportunity. Don’t assume you can be efficient without thinking about how to be more efficient. Awareness is the first step!
Analyze the steps. Is there a better, faster, more effective way to do something? Can you eliminate, combine, or change the order of doing something.
Do – Assess– Adjust. Try it out, practice, watch, question. Shift, try something else. Keep modifying until you get it right.
Practice and Repeat – use the system until it becomes routine and you don’t have to think about it. Watch your stopping and starting. Stick with a task until it’s done, or at least until there is a logical stopping point.

Sometimes having a productivity coach or organizing consultant helps. We work with our clients to help them develop the best ways to improve efficiency.