The Productivity Book E-Book

Michael Brecht

• Herausgeber: Doodle AG
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 219

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

At Doodle, we understand that productivity isn't how much you're doing, it's how much you get done. So, we spoke to 30 productivity and time management experts to figure out just how they do it. The result: The Doodle Productivity Book! It can't make more hours in the day. But, it will show you how to get the most out of the time you do have, so you can work smarter, and not harder. Filled with personal stories, insightful anecdotes and sound advice, this book is a fresh examination of the habits that shape us—and how others have managed to break free of them. Inside the Productivity Book you'll find: • Productivity tools & trends • Time management tips • Health & lifestyle advice • How to structure the perfect productivity day

Leseprobe

The Productivity Book: 30 Professionals Talk

About Time Management

By Michael Brecht

Copyright © 2015 Doodle AG, Zurich

Productivity, Time Management, Efficiency,

Tools & Tips, Professionalism, Business

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without written permission from its publisher.

Published by Doodle AG, Zurich

Werdstr. 21

CH – 8021 Zurich

Switzerland

Adr. -Nr. 465678

Produced in Berlin, Germany by AKM3 GmbH

Book design: Daniel Tackmann, Amanda Labelle

Editorial: Peter Brooks-Sharpe, Mark Thompson, and Sara Cunningham

Cover design: Olivia Schultz

Project management: Martin Grahl

Communications liaison: Brandon Watts

Copyright © 2015 Doodle AG, Zurich

All rights reserved.

eBook ISBN: 978-3-9524534-0-7

Table of Contents

Foreword

Laura Stack

Graham Allcott

Sarah Prout

Jon Petz

Cathy Sexton

Joshua Zerkel

Lori Vande Krol

Andrea Feinberg

Jill Duffy

Mick Hawes

Natalie M. Houston

Kathryn McKinnon

Mandy McEwen

Tara Rodden Robinson

Justine Santaniello

Laura Leist

Neen James

Sheila Hawkins

Shari McGuire

Audrey Thomas

Mike Vardy

Claire Burge

Suzi Dafnis

Heather Morgan Shott

Helene Segura

Lois Kennedy

Marissa Brassfield

Michael Sliwinski

Whitney Hassan

Jason Womack

Afterword

About the Author

Foreword

When it was founded in Zurich in 2007 by two Swiss engineers, no one could have anticipated what would become of their invention. Now one of the major digital applications of our time, millions of people around the world love using Doodle.

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved. Whether it’s for personal or business use, Doodle connects people in a totally unique way. That‘s a great thing in itself. Now, users in New York, New Delhi, Helsinki and Dakar can benefit from easy scheduling with each other—wherever they are. It’s nothing short of amazing.

But, it‘s no accident, either. Over the years we’ve listened with open ears to our customers’ needs. Doodle works so well because we understand what productivity means to them. As a result, each week our team receives dozens of thank you messages from happy users everywhere. They always tell us the same thing: how useful the application is, and how much time it saves. It never gets old!

With this book, we wanted to go one step further. We wanted to understand productivity from the point of view of the experts—how they start their day, approach challenges and achieve a consistently high output. Naturally, we also wanted to explore the technologies and tools used by the go-to guys for major global businesses and organizations. In short: We asked 30 experts from around the world to clear some space in their schedules, and share their best kept secrets.

The results can be found here. The Doodle Productivity Book takes us through a day in the life of these incredible individuals—from sunrise to sunset. But it also explores more nuanced points, such as what brought them to productivity, as well as their predictions for the future of the industry. So in addition to great tips and fantastic advice, we hope the reader will also gain a more complete image of productivity and time management.

We’d like to warmly thank all of our interviewees for inviting us into their personal productivity world! We’re extremely grateful for your openness and your willingness to share. No matter whether managing family life, finding the time to pursue personal goals or meeting corporate deadlines—we can all benefit from a better understanding of how to use our time.

Our thanks also go to the many people who helped in the production of this productivity book. Martin Grahl for managing the project; Matthias Suter for setting up the digital side; Olivia Schultz, Daniel Tackmann, and Amanda Labelle for creating a fantastic design; Brandon Watts for collecting all the content over the past weeks; and the editorial work by Peter Brooks-Sharpe, Mark Thompson, and Sara Cunningham. And finally, to the awesome Doodle Team—you guys rock!

Laura Stack

“I’m better known by my company name, The Productivity Pro. For 25 years I’ve been helping professionals and leaders boost productivity, increase results, and save time. I served as President of the National Speakers Association. I’m also the author of seven books. My latest ‘Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time’ is soon to be released.”

Where do you live?

Denver, Colorado.

Are you married? Do you have kids?

I’m married to the wonderful John Stack and we have three wonderful children.

How do you begin your morning?

When I’m not traveling or speaking, my two and a half hour morning routine looks something like this:

Get up at 6 a.m. (no snoozing); toss up the sheets and comforter on my half of the bed, being careful not to disturb hubby (making the bed is a remnant of my military upbringing—it feels great to succeed at something right away); make sure my first son is in the shower; let the dog out; feed the cats; make coffee and eat a light breakfast; take a few steps around the house and tidy up; talk with my second son, make him breakfast, and get him off to the shower; read news; process email box and reprioritize task list if necessary; talk with my first son and make him breakfast; see boys off to school; pray; change to workout clothes; exercise with husband for 30 minutes; get myself ready for the day; and start work at 8:30 a.m. with the first high-priority item on my list.

This morning routine keeps the ball rolling and sets me up for a productive day! The routine helps me track time, start my day with a sense of accomplishment and generally makes life easier. It‘s like driving a train instead of a car. Because it‘s on tracks—like your routine—the train handles all the turns all on its own, without your active participation most of the time. Once you start your train, all you have to do is control your speed, watch for obstacles, and hit the brakes when necessary.

What time of the day do you enjoy most?

I function best from 9:30–11 a.m., so I do my critical thinking tasks then.

What do you do to stay productive throughout the day?

For one thing, I make sure I always work while I travel. I work on the plane and I work in the hotel room at night rather than watch television. I often hire a car service to take me to and from the airport (it’s in my standard speaking contract), so I can use that hour to catch up on work. When I have unexpected downtime, I read for work or do other tasks that are easily dropped when things pick up. Otherwise, I don’t have to “stay productive” as such—since I have so many things to do I’m constantly busy. When I’m home, I do usually have a cut-off time in the evening so I can spend time with my family, and I try to take weekends and always take my vacations (even though I sneak calls back to the office or check emails sometimes).

Evening organization: How do you prepare for tomorrow?

I always plan my schedule and to-do list. I NEVER watch television. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy your favorite show, but don’t let it dominate your evenings. Have you ever spent hours in front of the tube and barely even realized it? You can’t get a single one of those precious minutes back, and chances are that in a week you won’t even remember what you watched. That’s a bad sign! See if you can turn it off for a week. You don’t even have to spend the extra time doing something particularly productive, just something different. Read a book. Talk to your family. Organize a drawer or two. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel and how much you can get done in the evening.

What do you need to have in your life?

My family. Everything else is icing on the cake.

Are you usually early or late to appointments?

I am invariably early, unless something unforeseen and out of my control puts me behind schedule. As someone who speaks to large groups on how to manage their time, I‘m used to people walking into seminars late (that’s often why they sign up). Admittedly, they don‘t bother me as much as they do others. There are always a few latecomers, and it amuses me to watch their expressions as they slink in at the back, tails between their legs. Their coworkers always tease them unmercifully for being late—to a time management class, of all things!

If nothing else, being early gets you the first choice of everything: The best seats in the house, the nicest snacks, the best swag and plenty of time to relax and enjoy them. You have extra time to read and work. You don‘t have to sweat about whether you left on time or not ... you get the picture. The best thing, though, is that you look competent and dependable.

Red or white wine?

Neither. Vodka, preferably Titos.

Mountain or beach vacation?

Beach, preferably Maui.

Summer or winter?

Summer

(funny, since I live in Colorado).

Window or aisle seat?

Aisle.

Which job would you choose if you weren’t doing what you do now?

I would be the COO or CAO of a major corporation.

How did you become interested in productivity?

I was born into a military family. My father is a retired colonel who taught at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where I grew up. I quickly learned the principles of discipline, order, structure, work ethic and preparation. Productivity served me well in college where I earned my MBA by age 21—the youngest person to do so at that time. After joining the corporate world, I soon realized that wasteful practices and unproductivity were rampant in the business arena and instead made it my goal to help people achieve maximum results in minimum time. So I founded The Productivity Pro in 1992 and have been obsessed with productivity and performance ever since.

What projects are you involved in?

I produce my own weekly blog and newsletter, and I have regular columns in The Business Journals, The Huffington Post, LinkedIn, salesforce.com and in the iPad magazines Productivity and Time Management. Occasionally, I also provide guest blogs for organizations like CEO Briefings and the American Society for Training and Development. I give 80–100 presentations a year, mostly in the U.S., for various associations and organizations. I’ve worked for nearly 1000 clients during my 25 years in the business, and since 2004 I have written a new book every two years.

How many meetings do you normally have each week?

Traditional face-to-face meetings are rare for me since I generally speak to large groups when I travel, and my team meetings are usually informal lunches or happy hours. Most of my employees are contractors located all over the country, so we use email. The bulk of my meetings are conference calls with clients or prospects as I prepare for an upcoming speaking event.

What’s the most recent adjustment that you’ve made to your personal productivity routine?

Hmmm. My eldest child is now at college, so my personal routine has changed as a result, at least when I’m home. My boys are teenagers now in high school, so I don’t spend as much time making sure they’re up and out. The evenings are a little less hectic than when they were younger. However, they have more activities and aren’t driving yet, so I have lots of windshield time. Otherwise, the increasing ease of working while traveling, due to new technology, has made my life easier. I’ve also begun delegating more work to my virtual team in recent years.

Do you follow specific time management techniques to organize your day?

Spend as much time planning your life as you do your money. Schedule time for yourself, your loved ones and your work. Make sure you aren’t at the bottom of your to-do list. Have fun. Volunteer. Spend time with friends. Exercise. Careful scheduling will always serve you well. Get in the habit of keeping a daily and master to-do list—blocking out time for important activities and keeping appointments with yourself. Always know what to do next. As you refine your skills over time, you’ll waste less and less time. But, you don’t always have to be “doing” something.

What are some of your favorite productivity tips & apps?

Obviously, I love Doodle! I use it to schedule client conference calls and I talk about it in my presentations! Other apps I like:

TripIt. I use this for plane, hotel, directions and ground transportation. Simply forward your confirmation emails and TripIt automatically populates your digital itineraries. It also means I can access all my details on my phone as I’m walking through the airport.

Evernote. Sync content from the cloud to your desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. When I see an article I like online, I simply right-click, clip the page, file it in a Notebook and tag it for easy searching. I drag large PDF documents into new Notes to read on upcoming business trips. I use Evernote in conjunction with my Livescribe Smartpen, so my handwritten notes from meetings and conference calls sync through Wi-Fi to my online account. I can listen to recordings right before meetings to refresh my memory.

TouchDown. Microsoft Outlook users can sync their data to their phones, which is really handy, except the native apps require them to tap multiple icons to access different modules. Instead, I use the TouchDown ActiveSync Exchange client. This allows me to click ONE icon to access my Email, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes, as well as handle Out of Office and Rule settings.

Square. My smartphone is a portable credit card processing machine. Using a small scanner that plugs into the earphone jack, I can accept payments for things like book sales and speaking fees. I slide the card through the scanner, enter the dollar amount and ask the buyer to sign with a fingertip. The buyer can enter an email address to receive a receipt.

Yelp. Business travel is much more fun when you know where to eat in unfamiliar cities. Yelp tells me what’s nearby, shows me the menu, the rankings from other patrons and the cost.

Your main challenge to stay organized is …

Organization isn’t a challenge for me.

Do you measure your productivity? If so, what’s your metric?

I was just mentioning to one of my team members that I’ve never used a strategic plan in my 25 years in business. I’m very good at keeping track of my jobs with the help of my team and scheduling software, and typically I can see, just by looking back on my day, week or month how productive I’ve been and what I need to change. I have a lot of energy, and my productivity practices ensure I get a lot done.

“I think the key is to put your time into what you care about.”

Do you feel like time is speeding up?

Not really as I’ve always had the tendency to operate at warp speed. I think the key is to put your time into what you care about. You‘ve heard the saying, „If it‘s worth doing, it‘s worth doing well.“ If you believe something is worth doing—a job, a work of art, a marriage, a hobby, parenthood—then give it all you can and aim for the stars. That said, be cautious in selecting what to lavish your energy on in the first place ... and if it all goes wrong, reassess whether it‘s worth your effort to fix it. Not everything is worth your time and energy. Some things, like parenthood, definitely are; others you can exit without hurting yourself.

In what ways has your perception of time changed as you’ve grown older?

I’m aware of how fleeting it is. I’ve become more appreciative of the fact that we all have the exact same amount of time, and that we need to make the most efficient use of it. My goal is to do so in a way that ensures a good work/life balance, where the mental and physical health that arises from taking care of yourself on your time off feeds back into your working life, increasing productivity there as well.

While I have little to regret and love where I am in life today—a successful 25-year career as a professional speaker and a happily married mother of three children—if I were 21 again and knew what I know now, I‘d face the world with a slightly different mindset. Just about any of us would, I suspect. We all have things we know now that we wish we‘d known then.

“You have lots of time, so don’t let your ego burn you out.”

Specifically, I’d slow down a little. Your drive will definitely get you places, but enjoy the scenery along the way. A moment spent appreciating the deep blue of a spring sky won‘t ruin your schedule, and it might help you by calming your mind and focusing your thoughts. Taking your time can ensure you avoid mistakes that would hinder you even more. You have the perseverance, stamina and talent to get where you want to go soon enough. You don’t need to hurry toward some unknown goal. You have lots of time, so don’t let your ego burn you out.

How do you cope with time constraints? Which ones do you really dislike?

I do what’s most important first. My family has been a continual source of joy to me, and I couldn‘t do what I do without their love and support. Don‘t let work divide you from important people or damage your relationships with your spouse, children, extended family or friends. You need time to socialize and enjoy life. Put time in your calendar for them and schedule around it.

What do you think the next productivity trend will be?

The rate of technological change will continue to speed up, I think. I expect to see our communications technology continue to converge toward single devices. Already, smartphones are also email readers, MP3 players, data hotspots, game platforms and more. At a social level, I believe that management and the rank and file will also continue their trend toward convergence. While team productivity will continue to be important, individual productivity will increase by leaps and bounds as our work-related technology continues to advance.

I suspect organizations and companies will become less centralized, since modern technology no longer requires everyone to gather in the office. According to the 2014 American Time Use Survey, people work an average of 23 percent from home, up from less than 20 percent last year. Virtual offices and remote workers have already become common. I feel that to a certain extent, autonomy will increase as technological and social factors make it less necessary for people to work in closely bound teams. However, we have not reached that point yet, and may not for quite some time.

Graham Allcott

“I’m the author of the international bestseller ‘How to be a Productivity Ninja.’ My company, Think Productive, helps people working for some of the world’s leading organizations to overcome information overload and experience productive momentum in their jobs. I’m also the founder of an international volunteering organization.”

Where do you live?

Brighton, England. It’s a hippy seaside town and when the sun’s out there’s nowhere better in the world.

Are you married? Do you have kids?

Married, one kid, one cat.

How do you begin your morning?

Honestly? I don’t really have a morning routine, nor do I pretend to. Almost every productivity person I’ve heard interviewed gives a long answer about how they crush up kale and make smoothies, meditate, exercise and so on. I don’t believe most of them. I go through phases and every day is slightly different. That’s not to say it’s all chaotic and I definitely run a quick mile round the park most mornings, but I hate the idea that people feel like a failure by 7:30 a.m. if they’ve not followed some elaborate routine!

What time of the day do you enjoy most?

About 10 a.m. After the first cup of tea before I get tired. I generally spend that time in my garden office with the internet and phone turned off!

What do you do to stay productive throughout the day?

I break my days up between working from home and working from the office. I also have an assistant who helps me with email and diary management. That’s a massive help in terms of the mental bandwidth it frees up. And, most importantly, I try to stay on course by using a daily to-do list. I have a huge master actions list and a huge projects list, but my daily to-do list is what keeps me focused and prevents me from becoming sidetracked.

Evening organization: How do you prepare for tomorrow?

Try to forget about work! I’m pretty good at switching off. Wine, books, YouTube, growing vegetables, playing with my son (he’s usually still awake when I get home), having dinner with my wife. I don’t write tomorrow’s to-do list at the end of the day—it’s usually in my master actions list already. And my brain doesn’t do good quality thinking at the end of a full-on day in the office.

What do you need to have in your life?

I’m not big on possessions, so for me it’s memorable experiences, love, purpose, friends, family, football … and time for wine.

Are you usually early or late to appointments?

Late—or more likely cutting it fine. Never more than a few minutes early. I hate waste, so wasting time by being early is a pain.

Red or white wine?

I used to say white before touring the vineyards in Adelaide: their Shiraz is amazing!

Mountain or beach vacation?

Beach. To get some sunshine and warmth and escape the UK’s colder months.

Summer or winter?

As you can tell from the above answer, I despise the winter!

Window or aisle seat?

Window seat plus sleeping pills and I’m set.

Which job would you choose if you weren’t doing what you do now?

I used to say I’d be a musician, but now I say founder or director of a social enterprise or nonprofit. That’s the world I came from before I got into productivity. I miss it, but I know I’ll go back to it one day.

How did you become interested in productivity?

I was bad at it! I was good at leadership, which got me by in my early career, but when I went from being a chief executive to being a freelance consultant I suddenly realized I couldn’t rely on other people to do the completer-finisher part of the work. So I became obsessed with books and blogs. The influential ones for me were Getting Things Done and 7 Habits. From there, I started to develop my own approach and began teaching other people as part of my consultancy work. And so, Think Productive was born!

What projects are you involved in?

My main one is my company, Think Productive. We teach productivity to people in organizations across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Western Europe. So, that keeps me busy!

Outside of that, I’m on the board of a homelessness charity. We also have a 2-year-old son at home, and I’m gearing up to write another book—number four!

How many meetings do you normally have each week?

We have a 15 minute daily huddle meeting. This cuts out the need for lots of long ones. I probably do no more than a couple of hours of normal meetings a week, which means that when you DO meet you focus on making those meetings great. Meetings CAN be wonderfully productive.

“One of the most significant things I learnt … was the importance of constraints.”

What’s the most recent adjustment that you’ve made to your personal productivity routine?

Well, in 2013 I conducted a year of extreme productivity experiments. Each month I did something to mess with my productivity—a month checking my email only on Fridays, a month working an hour a day but seven days a week, a month making decisions by dice and so on. The idea was to experiment with extremities and learn from them.

One of the most significant things I learnt throughout the year was the importance of constraints. The biggest change to my routine off the back of that has been working mornings at home and then afternoons in the office. That way I strike the balance between creation and collaboration, and ensure that some of my best-quality attention is spent offline and away from distractions.

Do you follow specific time management techniques to organize your day?

I focus on managing my attention instead of managing time.

What are some of your favorite productivity tips & apps?

At the moment Nozbe is my app of choice. For me apps have a downside too—people regularly switch to avoid doing the real work!

“I deliberately make myself a late adopter of new technology.”

In eight or nine years I’ve only used three places to keep my “second brain”: Outlook Tasks, then Toodledo (both of which are still perfectly good tools!) and then for the last couple of years, Nozbe.

I deliberately make myself a late adopter of new technology, which means when I switch to something I know it will work! Away from list apps, we run our business finances through Xero. It’s great having a complete financial picture of the business accessible on my phone. I’m a big fan of Headspace for meditation, MapMyRun for fitness and SleepCycle is possibly the coolest alarm clock I’ve ever had! I genuinely use Doodle a lot, too. We even recommend it in some of the Think Productive workshops.

Your main challenge to stay organized is …

The fact that it doesn’t come naturally to me. The way around this is to create a good weekly review. I have a good weekly checklist that I run through every Friday with my assistant. Those two hours of sorting through and thinking ahead to the next two or three weeks keeps me sane.

“The ultimate measures for me are profits in the business and the impact I make in the world through various charities and social enterprises.”

Do you measure your productivity? If so, what’s your metric?

To be completely honest, I don’t pay this a lot of attention. As a company we’re doing some evaluation work with universities to measure the effects of our productivity training, but for me I just know I work more efficiently, get more done and feel better when I drink my own Kool-Aid! The ultimate measures for me are profits in the business and the impact I make in the world through various charities and social enterprises.

Do you feel like time is speeding up?

Yes. And you just made me think about death again. Next!

In what ways has your perception of time changed as you’ve grown older?

I think about my own mortality more than I ever have, and I presume this will get worse. It all goes so fast! In general I think I’ve chilled out a lot. In my twenties I thought I had to change the world before I was 30. The consequence of this was that I began to ignore friends and family and concentrate on work too much. I feel like I’m slowly getting better at balancing things.