SuperCompetent E-Book

Laura Stack

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 362

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

To be successful in the business world and reach your full potential in life, it's not enough to be simply competent. Our modern, super-competitive world is full of opportunities for the go-getter, but to take advantage of them, it's essential to become "SuperCompetent." The SuperCompetent person is one that companies fight to get, fight to keep, nurture as team players, and see as future leaders in their business growth. But SuperCompetence isn't something you're born with-it's something that you can learn, no matter where your strengths lie or what industry you work in. In SuperCompetent, productivity expert Laura Stack identifies the behaviors that build leadership skills, boost organizational efficiency, and blast high potential producers to the top of their fields. With Stack's Six Keys, you'll be able to consistently improve your performance, develop the confidence that will propel you forward, and achieve breakthrough results in your career. * Activity: The value and importance you place on your tasks and priorities * Availability: The ability to master your schedule and protect your time * Attention: The capacity to focus intently and concentrate on critical activities * Accessibility: The skill to organize your workflow and quickly find information * Accountability: The extent to which you assume personal responsibility for your actions and outcomes * Attitude: The intensity of your motivation, drive, and proactiveness With worksheets and quizzes that help you evaluate your performance at every stage, and invaluable resources for further information, you'll be able to integrate the Six Keys of SuperCompetence into your daily, weekly, and lifetime business practices. From the sales floor to the conference room, from board meetings to informal networking events, SuperCompetent enables you to build your focus, manage your resources, and maximize your ability to deliver at every level.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise

Also by Laura Stack

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

THE SUPERCOMPETENT ASSESSMENT

PART 1 - SuperCompetent Key 1: Activity

CHAPTER 1 - What’s It All About, Alfie?

Know What Makes You Tick

Luke, It’s Your Destiny

Stay Focused on Your Mission

How Do You Know When You’re Being Productive?

Do You Plan Your Day?

Do You Have Written Goals?

Grab Your Dreams by the Horns and Get Going!

CHAPTER 2 - Why the Heck Are We Doing It This Way?!?

Be a Must-Have Person

Revisit Your Objectives

Know Your Job Inside and Out

Practice Purposeful Abandonment

Specify the Appropriate Detail Level

Reevaluate Your Productivity Habits

Rattle the Cage!

CHAPTER 3 - Greater Living Through Technology

Schlimmbesserung, Anyone?

Schlimmbesserung!

Schlimmbesserung!

Where Does the Time Go?

Take Back Your Time

CHAPTER 4 - All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull . . . Something

Take a Break Before You Break

Guilt Starts with a G for Garbage

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (in the Summer Sun)

Quit Banging Your Head Against the Wall

Rest, for Goodness Sake!

CHAPTER 5 - My To-Do List Has 117 Things on It!

Eliminate To-Do List Anxiety

This Task Is Dying a Slow Death on My To-Do List

Handling Low-Priority Items

Taming the To-Do Tyranny

SUMMARY: ACTIVITY

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ACTIVITY

PART 2 - SuperCompetent Key 2: Availability

CHAPTER 6 - You Want It WHEN?

No Isn’t a Four-Letter Word

Break Habits, Build Systems

Refuse to Let Yourself Be Overwhelmed

CHAPTER 7 - YOU! Off My Planet!

The Six Ds of Interruptions

Divert Those Diversions

CHAPTER 8 - Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Let Some Tasks Go

Train Someone

Know Your Limits

Gasp! You Could Be the Problem

Create Your Outsource Team

This Looks Like a Job for . . . Superman’s Sidekick!

CHAPTER 9 - Savvy Scheduling Secrets

Take Control of Your Scheduling Online

Block Out Time to Work

Keep Your Calendar Up to Date

Sorry, My Schedule Is Full Until March 2139

CHAPTER 10 - Stop the Meeting Madness!

Refuse Face-to-Face Meetings When Unnecessary

Cancel Meetings

Limit Attendees

Multiply Your Hands

Avoid Meetings on Fridays

Distribute Your Agenda Early

Set Your Meeting’s Length Yourself

Use Online Scheduling for Outside Parties

Allow Enough Breaks

Be Considerate of Those in Other Time Zones

Strike a Balance on Scheduling

Immediately Inform the Meeting Leader of Conflicts

Confirm Everything

Journal Your Meeting Notes

Scheduling Meetings

Develop Effective Teleconferencing Guidelines

Sorry, He’s in a Meeting

SUMMARY: AVAILABILITY

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: AVAILABILITY

PART 3 - SuperCompetent Key 3: Attention

CHAPTER 11 - Don’t Open That!

Control the Reflex

Take Back Everyday Activities

Schlimmbesserung Revisited

CHAPTER 12 - eBay and Yahoo! and YouTube, Oh My!

It Starts at Home with the Television

How Now, Technogeek?

CHAPTER 13 - The Harder I Work, the Behinder I Get!

Multitasked to Overwhelmed

If You Think It, Ink It

Metacognition: Get Above It All

Stop the Self-Sabotage

CHAPTER 14 - Socializing for Success

Separate Your Business and Personal Lives

Get Into a Regular Social Media Routine

Embrace Third-Party Applications to Automate Manual Processes

Decide What You’re Trying to Do

Connect, Listen, and Contribute

Back to Work, You!

CHAPTER 15 - BlackBerry/ CrackBerry

No Nosing in on Family Time

Call Your Doctor Immediately If You Develop Antisocial Tendencies

Do Not Drive or Operate Heavy Machinery

Break the Addiction

SUMMARY: ATTENTION

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ATTENTION

PART 4 - SuperCompetent Key 4: Accessibility

CHAPTER 16 - I Know I Have a System Around Here Somewhere . . .

Paper Planners

Desktop Software

Web-Based Applications

Handheld Devices Are Tying My Hands

The Solution—a Hybrid Method!

Find a System That Works for You

CHAPTER 17 - Um, What Was I Supposed to Do Today?

Things to Do

Appointments and Meetings

Prime Your Productivity

CHAPTER 18 - You’re the Boss, Not Your Inbox!

Best Practices for E-mail Organization

Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude

CHAPTER 19 - We Don’t Need No Steenking Rolodexes!

Contact Information: What Is Your Name Again?

History: Where Were You, and What Did You Say?

Where’s That Card Again . . . ?

CHAPTER 20 - On the Road Again . . .

The Plane Is My Mobile Office

Pack Efficiently

Don’t Check Your Briefcase or Laptop

Have a Plan Before Your Trip

Embrace the Smart Phone (in Moderation)

Use a Jump/Thumb Drive, Just in Case

Simplify with a Docking Station

Access Your Computer Remotely

Load Up a Phone Card

Pick Up an Extra Set of Chargers and Connectors

Use the Latest Tools and Technology

Get EVDO

Get Personal Broadband

Carry a Pocket Folder or Portfolio

Finish One Trip Before Starting the Next

Spending Money Means Saving Time

Preparation Is the Key to . . . Preparedness

A Second Saved Is a Second Earned

SUMMARY: ACCESSIBILITY

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ACCESSIBILITY

PART 5 - SuperCompetent Key 5: Accountability

CHAPTER 21 - Accept the Credit When It’s Due—and the Blame, Too

Master the Necessary Knowledge

Fine-Tune Your Behavior

Get Feedback

Hone Your Ethics

Conquer OCSMD

So . . . Are You Off Your Butt Yet?

CHAPTER 22 - The Squeaky Wheel . . . Makes Things Better

Create a Process to Simplify the Task

Complete the Task in Less Time

Focus, Focus, Focus

Don’t Forget About Technology

Try to Change the Scope

Streamline Your Life

CHAPTER 23 - Crack That Whip!

Procrastination: Can We Talk About This Later?

The Early Bird Gets the Worm; the Tardy Bird Gets . . . Eaten Alive

Find a Reasonable Work-Life Balance

Working on Mundane Tasks and Not-Fun Things

Put Perfection in Its Place

Give Yourself a Deadline

Just Do It!

CHAPTER 24 - Let’s Get On With It!

Successful Decision-Making Tools

Slippery Activities

Get a Move On!

CHAPTER 25 - Tweaking Time Wasters

The 80/20 Principle

The Two Pains

Keys to Productivity

Time Wasters to Watch Out For

Always Running, Always Running Behind

SUMMARY: ACCOUNTABILITY

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ACCOUNTABILITY

PART 6 - SuperCompetent Key 6: Attitude

CHAPTER 26 - If You Stew in Your Own Juices, You’ll End Up Overcooked

Get a Grip

Give Yourself a Break from the World

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

What Do You Mean I’m Not In Charge of the World?

CHAPTER 27 - Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever Give In

The Qualities of Perseverance

Practice Does Make Perfect

When the Going Gets Tough . . .

CHAPTER 28 - Monkey See, Monkey Do

Unleash Your Creativity

Refuse to Accept the Status Quo

Take Calculated Risks

Resistance to Change

CHAPTER 29 - Why Can’t You Just Read My Mind?

I’m Okay, You’re Okay?

Dealing with Difficult Personalities

The 12 Dysfunctional Productivity Personalities

Focusing on Teamwork

Play Nice

CHAPTER 30 - Hello There, Pollyanna!

Perky Is as Perky Does

SUMMARY: ATTITUDE

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ATTITUDE

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX - Popular Productivity Blogs

INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Praise for SuperCompetent

“The Productivity Pro, Laura Stack, should be known as the Productivity Doctor. This book is like a medical clinic for those seeking to become more productive. I know it has helped me, but more importantly, the remedies offered by Laura have benefited the people I coach in my professional life. These people keep asking, ‘Jeff, how do you know how to solve my productivity problems?’ My secret weapon . . . this book.”

—Jeff Bettinger, Director Talent Development, Fluor Corporation

“This content-rich book is a must read for even those who thought they were productive. Laura Stack delivers specific strategies that will definitely boost your performance and productivity. Her relevant ideas will take you beyond good to SuperCompetent. This book will change how you think about yourself, your time, your use of technology, and your time with others.”

—Lisa Ford, Author of a number one selling training series, How to Give Exceptional Customer Service

“Ask executives which employees are most valuable to the organization, and they will almost invariably respond, ‘The people whom I can point to a problem or opportunity and know that they will get the job done every single time.’ These are the SuperCompetent people—who are in control of their work—not the other way around. Laura Stack teaches us how to stress less, get much more done, and have more fun while doing it. Reading this book will make a positive impact in your work and your life. Fabulous!”

—Joe Calloway, Author, Becoming a Category of One

“Laura is a master at her craft and offers innovative ideas on how to squeeze the most out of our daily lives. Productivity is more than just staying busy; it’s about achieving success and significance in everything you do. She unlocks the secrets to how we can all do more, be more, and have more each and every day.”

—Dr. Nido Qubein, President, High Point University; Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Co.

“Laura Stack knows how to get things done and in short order! Her latest book offers a great work-life-mind balance, which is the key to going from good to great on a personal basis. Read this book and soar.”

—Tim Sanders, Author, Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends

“HEY YOU! That’s right, you, the person wondering if a book about being SuperCompetent is worth the investment or has any relevance to your life, career, or company. Haven’t you heard? Simply being competent is for wannabes. The heroes actively manage their performance and productivity to achieve the results they want and need. Isn’t that you . . . or at least the you that you want to be? SuperCompetent is that rare book that combines ideas you can implement immediately with thoughtful truths to keep you focused on what is really important. So what are you waiting for? Buy this book. Study and apply its lessons. And, give yourself an edge in your career and your life.”

—Randy G. Pennington, Author, Results Rule! Build a Culture That Blows the Competition Away

“Every CEO should make this required reading for every employee. After 20 years of turning around the results of companies, I only wish I had this on my recommended reading list for clients earlier. Uncommon sense that will turn any organization into a Thank-God-It’s-Monday Results Rule workplace!”

—Roxanne Emmerich, CEO, The Emmerich Group, Inc.; Author, Thank God It’s Monday!

“Become more aerodynamic. That’s what Laura Stack helps her reader to do with her tremendously practical book SuperCompetent. Consider the racing industry. In all of its various forms—cars, bikes, humans, horses—the principle of aerodynamics rules. Some of the smallest design changes can elevate performance monumentally. In my work with high-performing, high-potential leaders, I have found time and again that increasing effectiveness is almost singularly hinged upon decreasing interference. Simple? Perhaps. Easy? Not so much. Effective? Without a doubt. Using Laura’s Six Keys, a leader can identify, diagnose, and understand specific sources of interference. Using the numerous practical tips Laura provides with each of those Six Keys, a leader can then work ruthlessly to reduce each source to perform at his or her productive best.”

—Catherine Stewart, SPHR, High-Potential Program Developer and Manager

Also by Laura Stack

Leave the Office Earlier: How to Do More in Less Time and Feel Great About It (2004)

Find More Time: How to Get Things Done at Home, Organize Your Life, and Feel Great About It (2006)

The Exhaustion Cure: Up Your Energy from Low to Go in 21 Days (2008)

Copyright © 2010 by Laura Stack. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Stack, Laura.

SuperCompetent : the six keys to perform at your productive best / Laura Stack.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-470-59915-0 (cloth) ISBN 978-0-470-87579-7 (ebk) ISBN 978-0-470-87581-0 (ebk) ISBN 978-0-470-87582-7 (ebk)

1. Employees—Attitudes. 2. Self-management (Psychology) 3. Labor productivity—Psychological aspects. 4. Performance. 5. Success—Psychological aspects. I. Title.

HF5548.8.S687 2010

650.1—dc22

2010027045

To my SuperCompetent son, Johnny Stack, who always gives his best and goes over and above. Your creativity and intelligence inspire me.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

One can’t be SuperCompetent without the help of a lot of people. My thanks go to my husband, John Stack, for his love and unfailing support. I couldn’t ask for a better life and business partner. To my children Meagan, Johnny, and James: you are the inspiration for all I do. I’m grateful for your understanding as I spend countless hours in front of the computer and for your prodding to get me away from the computer.

My life is made easier by my amazing mother-in-law, Eileen Stack, who blesses me with the gift of time, helping me and our family in countless ways. My personal assistant and office manager, Becca Fletcher, is the PROductivity PROtégé and my right-hand woman. They both go over and above the call of duty to keep life running smoothly, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without you both.

The National Speakers Association (NSA), of which I will be national president in 2011-2012, has provided me with a wealth of resources and a fellowship of speaking colleagues, many of whom have become close friends (and wrote endorsements for this book). Through you I have found an extended family.

My thanks go to Matt Holt, publisher, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., for believing in me and bringing me on board. My appreciation goes to my editor, Dan Ambrosio, whose insights always improve my work. Thanks for partnering with me to create a great manuscript.

My literary agent and friend, Robert Shepard, stands firmly by my side on our fourth book together. Thank you for your continued tutelage. I rest easy under the umbrella of your wisdom, which allows me to focus on writing and know all else is covered.

I am grateful to my angel mentor Dianna Booher, CSP, CPAE, for her love, patience, and guidance. Blessed is the person who is suddenly faced with a question or dilemma and can pick up the phone and get an answer. Your presence gives my life peace.

In addition, my gratitude goes to the many thousands of seminar participants I’ve met over the years, for sharing your success stories with me and validating these concepts. I am humbled by the gift of your time and attention and privileged to be able to help you in some small way. My thanks also goes to my corporate clients, who recognize the significance of this material in helping high potentials reach their goals and your companies succeed. Thank you for your confidence and partnership.

To my best friend, Darla Sanborn (and her husband Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE—who wrote the foreword to this book), for reminding me to play, breathe, walk, smile, love, laugh, and have fun. I thank God for the gift of you both in my life.

Most importantly, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, for blessing me with the above people and for showering upon me the many gifts in my life.