Image Credit: Email by Dennis Skley via CC 2.0
I have a fundamentally different philosophy to email management than most people I know. Like anytime I differ from the mainstream, I'm often asked 'why' by many people. This manifesto is my answer.
My disruption: my new daughter
Despite our best intentions, life has a tendency to get in the way of executing our carefully designed plans. This type of disruption might come from any direction (personal, professional, health, etc) but the impacts will likely be felt in every aspect of your life.
Disruptions don't just happen to the unlucky few; they happen to everyone. If you find yourself disrupted, here are five steps you need to take minimize the negative affects on your goals.
Image Credit: Image by Unsplash used under CC0 Public Domain
I don't think obsession is not too strong of a word.
Hi, I'm Mitch and I obsess over my task capture system.
I have gone through many different types of capture systems during my career. Some have been a better fit for me and I've stuck with them longer. Others were more of a passing productivity fling and quickly abandoned.
Today, I will describe the current capture system that I use everyday. This system is what I use to manage all of my professional and personal tasks and ideas.
Image Credit: "Art of Transportation" by Staffan Scherz via CC by 2.0
Previously we talked about why you need to get yourself a reliable capture system if you want to be a credible, trusted leader in your organization.
The idea of "capture" is the process of taking things from your mind (thoughts, reminders, tasks, etc.) and storing them somewhere that is reliable, searchable, and always available.
Today we are going to look at what happens to your mind when you don't have a capture system, and the 5 elements you need to have in your own system.
A few weeks ago, I discussed an issue in our organization with Bob who is one of the key operational leaders in our team. After briefly discussing the situation, he told me that he was on top of it and would come back to me in a few days with potential solutions.
As we parted ways, I put the issue out of my and moved off towards my next meeting. Why was I free to stop worrying about the problem and if Bob would return to me with excuses instead of results? Because Bob had earned my trust on several previous occasions. When Bob says he'll do something, he follows through on that commitment. I was sure that in this case, like others situations in the past, he would deliver.
Image Credit: Superman Card Game by Whitman (1978) - Green Kryptonite by Mark Anderson via CC by 2.0
In my opinion, Superman is one of the most insanely powerful comic book super heroes. Basically, he's invincible. Since he cannot be beat, Superman comics tended to be very dull comics. It's like watching Real Madrid demolish a 5 year old soccer (football) team in a scrimmage. There is no drama because there is no suspense about who's going to win the battle with Superman.
Image Credit: 51/365 The Snooze Button by ellaluna via CC by 2.0
Today's post will be unique. Instead of offering tips and techniques for developing your leadership skills, I will describe an example of one of my daily practices. This morning habit has helped me progress towards my professional and personal goals. Perhaps you can take parts of my routine to help you on your journey of becoming a better leader.
The past few weeks have been difficult at my day job. Many operational and management issues have hit at the same time and I find myself reacting and managing several large problems and unplanned deliveries simultaneously. The effect of these issues is that I'm not performing at a high level any longer. Without consciously realizing it, I've slipped into a mode of being reactive, and delivering things "just-in-time". In short, I'm surviving but not thriving.
I am a big fan of instrumental soundtracks that I can listen to as background music while working. If you look at some of my favorites soundtracks (exceptional works like The Rock, Inception, or Gladiator) they are most likely composed by Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer is amazing, and one of the the most prolific composers in movie-making today. He is in his late 50s and already has 100+ titles to his credit (and shows no signs of slowing down). And not only is Zimmer producing a lot, most of them are of exceptional quality, either nominated for or winning many awards.
During the course of the workday, some people's needs naturally have a higher priority than others. For example, if my boss comes up to me and says, "Mitch, I need the updated project report by 11:00 tomorrow" then I will make sure I listen to that request and ensure I deliver the needed report on time.
However, what happens when my boss is standing in a noisy crowd of people around me and I can't hear her request? Or worse yet, what if there are so many people in the crowd that I don't even notice my boss is standing there, asking for something?
I tell you what happens: my boss is upset that I didn't deliver.
Do yourself and your co-workers a favor. Before you schedule your next meeting, spend a few minutes to write an agenda in the invitation for that meeting. Just because Outlook, Notes, and Google Calendar (or your preferred calendar app) will let you schedule a meeting without anything in the notes field, doesn't mean it is okay to do so.
It sounds deceptively simple, but by spending 3 - 5 minutes writing out an agenda you are doing several things that will make your meetings more productive.
