Love Scott's ideas, and you should follow him - great ideas to boost your productivity and networking skills
http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-you-walk-out-of-room-how-does-it.html
Showing posts with label productivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label productivity. Show all posts
Friday, August 21, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Make 2009 Your Most Productive Year Ever!
Each year we start the year thinking about our goals, our job, our health, all the ‘new’ routines and commitments we make to ourself to make this our best year yet… but two weeks into January all our planning and resolution goes out the window! You can make this your best year ever by applying some of these simple ideas (and print this article, keep it handy and re-read to keep you on track).
Make a date. Make time in your schedule to find a quiet, comfortable location to set your goals. I spend a morning at my favourite local cafe in January every year to review my goals and set new ones for the year ahead. Find a local restaurant or café and spend time doing the same – support your local businesses.
Take five. Create five categories for which to set goals: physical, educational, spiritual, financial, and relational. By setting goals for each of these areas of your life, you will be taking a balanced approach and not neglecting any important aspects of your life.
Use it or lose it! I recently read – people who spend a thousand dollars or more each year on their personal development will increase their business by 20 percent. Read more books, attend Chamber of Commerce or industry workshops, attend a business card exchanges, listen to CDs in your car, do online courses or enrol at college or university. Keep your brain active.
Make time. Eliminate time-robbers from your day – make a list of all the things you do that rob you of your time, such as watching too much TV, running errands inefficiently, checking and responding to your email too often, making long phone calls, waiting in traffic and even other people. Focus on controlling your time – organising your day efficiently and getting rid of the things in your life that are not a high priority.
Out of sight, out of mind. Remove your in-tray from your desk or get rid of it all together if you can! Keep it out of sight so the contents don’t distract you and so that people don’t drop new items into it without you noticing.
Unplug. Schedule one TV-free night each week. Switch off the TV and instead listen to your favorite music, play a board or card game, read a book, enjoy a quiet meal by candle light (alone or with someone whose company you love), go on a date in one of your local restaurants or soak in a bath. Start being aware of your television viewing habits and make a point of only watching programs that you truly enjoy and stop wasting precious time in front of the TV.
Manage your reading. Create a reading file and put it in your briefcase. If you don’t already have one, start a reading file and carry it with you on your way home. You can get through a surprising amount of reading while on public transport to and from work and while waiting in a line.
Find a mentor. When you identify the person you believe would be a suitable mentor, spend some time watching them in action. Ask around to find out what other people’s opinion of your chosen mentor are and find out all you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.
Schedule email time. Email messages popping into your inbox all day long can be an enormous distraction, particularly if your email is set to alert you every time new mail arrives. To check in on your emails and respond to them as they arrive not only distracts you from whatever tasks or projects you are working on but can rob you of an entire day, responding to other people’s needs while your own are neglected. Schedule a couple or a few times each day to check and respond to emails rather than constantly looking-in on your inbox or being bounced there by your email program with every new message.
Your signature. Use your email program to create an email signature block that will automatically attach to all of your outgoing messages; it’s a little like an email letterhead. It saves you the effort of including your contact information every time and brings a professional touch to your communications. You might simply include your name, business name, contact details and website or you might also include a sentence or two about your business, a special promotion you are running with a link to your website, or even a favourite funny or inspirational quote.
Spring clean. Schedule time to clean out your email regularly, once a month should be enough to keep you on top of it. Empty your deleted items and any unnecessary sent items, and go through any completed project or task folders and ensure that anything you are keeping is essential to your records. Cleaning out your email will ensure you are managing your email files and disk space effectively.
Set up systems. When using filing cabinets, decide how you will allocate your space to make it easiest to locate your files: for example, rather than mixing all your files together you might decide to keep current customer files in one drawer and potential customer files and marketing information in a separate drawer, or you might choose to store current projects in one drawer and research and reference information in another, or you might decide to file everything in alphabetical order – you get the idea – look at the type of files you have and decide how to logically divide them into categories. Then, label the front of each drawer with the type of files it contains.
Choose to be amazing! It’s as simple as making a commitment to yourself every morning that you will have an amazing day. Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal – we only get one performance, so let’s give it our best!
Neen James, MBA is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate educator, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://www.neenjames.com
Make a date. Make time in your schedule to find a quiet, comfortable location to set your goals. I spend a morning at my favourite local cafe in January every year to review my goals and set new ones for the year ahead. Find a local restaurant or café and spend time doing the same – support your local businesses.
Take five. Create five categories for which to set goals: physical, educational, spiritual, financial, and relational. By setting goals for each of these areas of your life, you will be taking a balanced approach and not neglecting any important aspects of your life.
Use it or lose it! I recently read – people who spend a thousand dollars or more each year on their personal development will increase their business by 20 percent. Read more books, attend Chamber of Commerce or industry workshops, attend a business card exchanges, listen to CDs in your car, do online courses or enrol at college or university. Keep your brain active.
Make time. Eliminate time-robbers from your day – make a list of all the things you do that rob you of your time, such as watching too much TV, running errands inefficiently, checking and responding to your email too often, making long phone calls, waiting in traffic and even other people. Focus on controlling your time – organising your day efficiently and getting rid of the things in your life that are not a high priority.
Out of sight, out of mind. Remove your in-tray from your desk or get rid of it all together if you can! Keep it out of sight so the contents don’t distract you and so that people don’t drop new items into it without you noticing.
Unplug. Schedule one TV-free night each week. Switch off the TV and instead listen to your favorite music, play a board or card game, read a book, enjoy a quiet meal by candle light (alone or with someone whose company you love), go on a date in one of your local restaurants or soak in a bath. Start being aware of your television viewing habits and make a point of only watching programs that you truly enjoy and stop wasting precious time in front of the TV.
Manage your reading. Create a reading file and put it in your briefcase. If you don’t already have one, start a reading file and carry it with you on your way home. You can get through a surprising amount of reading while on public transport to and from work and while waiting in a line.
Find a mentor. When you identify the person you believe would be a suitable mentor, spend some time watching them in action. Ask around to find out what other people’s opinion of your chosen mentor are and find out all you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.
Schedule email time. Email messages popping into your inbox all day long can be an enormous distraction, particularly if your email is set to alert you every time new mail arrives. To check in on your emails and respond to them as they arrive not only distracts you from whatever tasks or projects you are working on but can rob you of an entire day, responding to other people’s needs while your own are neglected. Schedule a couple or a few times each day to check and respond to emails rather than constantly looking-in on your inbox or being bounced there by your email program with every new message.
Your signature. Use your email program to create an email signature block that will automatically attach to all of your outgoing messages; it’s a little like an email letterhead. It saves you the effort of including your contact information every time and brings a professional touch to your communications. You might simply include your name, business name, contact details and website or you might also include a sentence or two about your business, a special promotion you are running with a link to your website, or even a favourite funny or inspirational quote.
Spring clean. Schedule time to clean out your email regularly, once a month should be enough to keep you on top of it. Empty your deleted items and any unnecessary sent items, and go through any completed project or task folders and ensure that anything you are keeping is essential to your records. Cleaning out your email will ensure you are managing your email files and disk space effectively.
Set up systems. When using filing cabinets, decide how you will allocate your space to make it easiest to locate your files: for example, rather than mixing all your files together you might decide to keep current customer files in one drawer and potential customer files and marketing information in a separate drawer, or you might choose to store current projects in one drawer and research and reference information in another, or you might decide to file everything in alphabetical order – you get the idea – look at the type of files you have and decide how to logically divide them into categories. Then, label the front of each drawer with the type of files it contains.
Choose to be amazing! It’s as simple as making a commitment to yourself every morning that you will have an amazing day. Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal – we only get one performance, so let’s give it our best!
Neen James, MBA is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate educator, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://www.neenjames.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
Productivity: Why do women have 12+ pairs of black shoes?
I recently read a query from a journalist asking this very question and it made me laugh. I thought you might enjoy my response to him:
To understand this question you must first realize that shoes mean many things to women. Here is what I believe based on my research (and personal experience):
Shoes will always make you feel good when you aren’t feeling fabulous. (Don't you agree ladies!)Shoes always fit (regardless of what your weight is).
Shoes are like trophies collected by women and remind us of certain events and celebrations.
Shoes will make (or break) an outfit.
Shoes represent how a woman is feeling i.e. stilettos are strong and powerful, Mary Jane are comfortable and practical while still stylish, ballet flats are ‘run around’ type shoes that are always in style, sneakers are energetic, flip flops feel casual.
Shoes have a real purpose (while still looking fabulous, women choose their shoes depending on their day, meetings, presentations, running around)
Now 12 pairs of black shoes…. I have many, many more than 12 pairs (and I suspect my clients and readers do too). That is because we need the ‘right shoe’ for every occasion, some of those occasions include:
1. Black pump – every day wear to the office.
2. Black stiletto – goes with everything especially at night.
3. Black Mary Jane – has a heel but more comfortable and can be worn all day.
4. Black ballet flat – as mentioned above, practical and great for errands.
5. Black sneakers – not as hideous as white sneakers, practical and still kind of good looking.
6. Black kitten heel – a little heel without too much height.
7. Black pump with pattern – shows a bit of personality and great for many occasions.
8. Black pump with detail (hardware, bows, zippers etc) – same answer to question 7.
9. Black stain pump – evening shoe
10. Black diamante pump – see answer to 9.
11. Black flip flops – casual, great for the beach or spa.
12. Black boot – goes with everything.
13. Black heeled boot – see 12 and add a little height
…. You get the idea, so we do need all 12+ pairs, because each shoe makes us feel fabulous, meets a certain requirement and helps us change our outfits (the same clothes can look completely different with a different shoe).
Now ladies, which black shoes are you going to wear to your next networking event?
To understand this question you must first realize that shoes mean many things to women. Here is what I believe based on my research (and personal experience):
Shoes will always make you feel good when you aren’t feeling fabulous. (Don't you agree ladies!)Shoes always fit (regardless of what your weight is).
Shoes are like trophies collected by women and remind us of certain events and celebrations.
Shoes will make (or break) an outfit.
Shoes represent how a woman is feeling i.e. stilettos are strong and powerful, Mary Jane are comfortable and practical while still stylish, ballet flats are ‘run around’ type shoes that are always in style, sneakers are energetic, flip flops feel casual.
Shoes have a real purpose (while still looking fabulous, women choose their shoes depending on their day, meetings, presentations, running around)
Now 12 pairs of black shoes…. I have many, many more than 12 pairs (and I suspect my clients and readers do too). That is because we need the ‘right shoe’ for every occasion, some of those occasions include:
1. Black pump – every day wear to the office.
2. Black stiletto – goes with everything especially at night.
3. Black Mary Jane – has a heel but more comfortable and can be worn all day.
4. Black ballet flat – as mentioned above, practical and great for errands.
5. Black sneakers – not as hideous as white sneakers, practical and still kind of good looking.
6. Black kitten heel – a little heel without too much height.
7. Black pump with pattern – shows a bit of personality and great for many occasions.
8. Black pump with detail (hardware, bows, zippers etc) – same answer to question 7.
9. Black stain pump – evening shoe
10. Black diamante pump – see answer to 9.
11. Black flip flops – casual, great for the beach or spa.
12. Black boot – goes with everything.
13. Black heeled boot – see 12 and add a little height
…. You get the idea, so we do need all 12+ pairs, because each shoe makes us feel fabulous, meets a certain requirement and helps us change our outfits (the same clothes can look completely different with a different shoe).
Now ladies, which black shoes are you going to wear to your next networking event?
Friday, September 5, 2008
Productivity: How to find a great mentor
The right mentor relationships will help you accelerate your career, increase your self-development and improve your relationships. Investing time in finding a suitable mentor will help you save time also. Try these strategies.
Decide to focus where you need help– examine your life and determine if you want help with your career or your health or your relationships. When you know the area you want to focus on you can then begin searching for a suitable mentor.
Investigate top performers in your industry – if you want to find a career mentor, find out who are the experts in the field of expertise you want to develop. Then seek them out.
Find out where your role models hang out – check out networks, industry events and conferences to watch out for potential mentors. Spend time watching the people in the room and make note of anyone who stands out and has the ‘presence’ you are looking for.
Investigate official mentoring programs – many organisations now have internal mentoring programs you can become a part of. If your company doesn’t have one, can you start one? If you are interested in a mentoring program with Neen check out her ‘Stiletto Mentoring Program’ at http://www.neenjames.com/
Select the mentor – when you find the person you believe would be suitable, spend some time watching them in action. Ask to go attend a presentation with them or ask if you can spend a “day in the life of” them and watch what they do.
Ask others opinion of your selected mentor – when you have chosen someone, ask around to find out what you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.
Approach the selected mentor – phone them or make an appointment to see them. Advise them why you want to meet and schedule time. This is an important step in the process so you can show them you respect their time and you are committed to doing the right thing.
Have an agenda – when you meet with your prospective mentor, have an outline of what you would like to discuss. Your agenda should include why you want them to mentor you, how long it is for and what you hope to gain during that time. If they agree to mentor you, you can then work out how you can also support them.
Set up an agreement – if you both decide to proceed, set up an agreement with guidelines for timeframe, contact boundaries and a full honesty policy.
Fulfil your mentee commitments – always turn up to meetings prepared, always complete any assignments or tasks given to you from your mentor and always look for opportunities to support your mentor.
A good mentor can change your life and increase your productivity, help you achieve your goals faster and accelerate your potential – find a great mentor today!
Decide to focus where you need help– examine your life and determine if you want help with your career or your health or your relationships. When you know the area you want to focus on you can then begin searching for a suitable mentor.
Investigate top performers in your industry – if you want to find a career mentor, find out who are the experts in the field of expertise you want to develop. Then seek them out.
Find out where your role models hang out – check out networks, industry events and conferences to watch out for potential mentors. Spend time watching the people in the room and make note of anyone who stands out and has the ‘presence’ you are looking for.
Investigate official mentoring programs – many organisations now have internal mentoring programs you can become a part of. If your company doesn’t have one, can you start one? If you are interested in a mentoring program with Neen check out her ‘Stiletto Mentoring Program’ at http://www.neenjames.com/
Select the mentor – when you find the person you believe would be suitable, spend some time watching them in action. Ask to go attend a presentation with them or ask if you can spend a “day in the life of” them and watch what they do.
Ask others opinion of your selected mentor – when you have chosen someone, ask around to find out what you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.
Approach the selected mentor – phone them or make an appointment to see them. Advise them why you want to meet and schedule time. This is an important step in the process so you can show them you respect their time and you are committed to doing the right thing.
Have an agenda – when you meet with your prospective mentor, have an outline of what you would like to discuss. Your agenda should include why you want them to mentor you, how long it is for and what you hope to gain during that time. If they agree to mentor you, you can then work out how you can also support them.
Set up an agreement – if you both decide to proceed, set up an agreement with guidelines for timeframe, contact boundaries and a full honesty policy.
Fulfil your mentee commitments – always turn up to meetings prepared, always complete any assignments or tasks given to you from your mentor and always look for opportunities to support your mentor.
A good mentor can change your life and increase your productivity, help you achieve your goals faster and accelerate your potential – find a great mentor today!
Productivity: How to find a great mentor
The right mentor relationships will help you accelerate your career, increase your self-development and improve your relationships. Investing time in finding a suitable mentor will help you save time also. Try these strategies.
Decide to focus where you need help– examine your life and determine if you want help with your career or your health or your relationships. When you know the area you want to focus on you can then begin searching for a suitable mentor.
Investigate top performers in your industry – if you want to find a career mentor, find out who are the experts in the field of expertise you want to develop. Then seek them out.
Find out where your role models hang out – check out networks, industry events and conferences to watch out for potential mentors. Spend time watching the people in the room and make note of anyone who stands out and has the ‘presence’ you are looking for.
Investigate official mentoring programs – many organisations now have internal mentoring programs you can become a part of. If your company doesn’t have one, can you start one? If you are interested in a mentoring program with Neen check out her ‘Stiletto Mentoring Program’ at www.neenjames.com
Select the mentor – when you find the person you believe would be suitable, spend some time watching them in action. Ask to go attend a presentation with them or ask if you can spend a “day in the life of” them and watch what they do.
Ask others opinion of your selected mentor – when you have chosen someone, ask around to find out what you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.
Approach the selected mentor – phone them or make an appointment to see them. Advise them why you want to meet and schedule time. This is an important step in the process so you can show them you respect their time and you are committed to dong the right thing.
Have an agenda – when you meet with your prospective mentor, have an outline of what you would like to discuss. Your agenda should include why you want them to mentor you, how long it is for and what you hope to gain during that time. If they agree to mentor you, you can then work out how you can also support them.
Set up an agreement – if you both decide to proceed, set up an agreement with guidelines for timeframe, contact boundaries and a full honesty policy.
Fulfil your mentee commitments – always turn up to meetings prepared, always complete any assignments or tasks given to you from your mentor and always look for opportunities to support your mentor.
A good mentor can change your life and increase your productivity, help you achieve your goals faster and accelerate your potential – find a great mentor today!
Decide to focus where you need help– examine your life and determine if you want help with your career or your health or your relationships. When you know the area you want to focus on you can then begin searching for a suitable mentor.
Investigate top performers in your industry – if you want to find a career mentor, find out who are the experts in the field of expertise you want to develop. Then seek them out.
Find out where your role models hang out – check out networks, industry events and conferences to watch out for potential mentors. Spend time watching the people in the room and make note of anyone who stands out and has the ‘presence’ you are looking for.
Investigate official mentoring programs – many organisations now have internal mentoring programs you can become a part of. If your company doesn’t have one, can you start one? If you are interested in a mentoring program with Neen check out her ‘Stiletto Mentoring Program’ at www.neenjames.com
Select the mentor – when you find the person you believe would be suitable, spend some time watching them in action. Ask to go attend a presentation with them or ask if you can spend a “day in the life of” them and watch what they do.
Ask others opinion of your selected mentor – when you have chosen someone, ask around to find out what you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.
Approach the selected mentor – phone them or make an appointment to see them. Advise them why you want to meet and schedule time. This is an important step in the process so you can show them you respect their time and you are committed to dong the right thing.
Have an agenda – when you meet with your prospective mentor, have an outline of what you would like to discuss. Your agenda should include why you want them to mentor you, how long it is for and what you hope to gain during that time. If they agree to mentor you, you can then work out how you can also support them.
Set up an agreement – if you both decide to proceed, set up an agreement with guidelines for timeframe, contact boundaries and a full honesty policy.
Fulfil your mentee commitments – always turn up to meetings prepared, always complete any assignments or tasks given to you from your mentor and always look for opportunities to support your mentor.
A good mentor can change your life and increase your productivity, help you achieve your goals faster and accelerate your potential – find a great mentor today!
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