Well, today is the last day of school for my son Finn. He starts his HSC in a few weeks, and then takes on the World. I am so excited for him. And just a little sad. Just yesterday I was walking him to kindy!
Here are three productivity lessons I hope he takes out of his schooling and into the real world. I think we can all apply them to our work.
Be seated at your desk when the bell rings (Be on time)
When I was young, the school bell was a signal for most kids to put their ciggies out and start shuffling towards their first class. I like to think that Finn and his classmates would already be sitting at their desk as the bell rang (am I just a little out of touch?). In our workplace though, I think it is critical that we turn up on time, and that means we are in the meeting room, ready to start at the appointed time.
When I was young, the school bell was a signal for most kids to put their ciggies out and start shuffling towards their first class. I like to think that Finn and his classmates would already be sitting at their desk as the bell rang (am I just a little out of touch?). In our workplace though, I think it is critical that we turn up on time, and that means we are in the meeting room, ready to start at the appointed time.
Put your phone away (Focus on the task at hand)
No phones in class. No phones when driving. There are very strict rules for teenagers around the use of phones. And for good reason. Phones cause distraction when you are trying to focus. I reckon if we put our phones away when trying to concentrate or focus, we would get more done in less time. And definitely no phones in meetings.
No phones in class. No phones when driving. There are very strict rules for teenagers around the use of phones. And for good reason. Phones cause distraction when you are trying to focus. I reckon if we put our phones away when trying to concentrate or focus, we would get more done in less time. And definitely no phones in meetings.
Pack your bag the night before (Work proactively)
Finn’s cricket coach would always tell the team to pack their bag the night before. That way, if you woke up late, you would be all set and ready to go. Such good advice. I wonder if we should attempt to work a little more proactively and a little less reactively? We often leave things until the last minute, and mostly get away with it, but sometimes we get caught out, and the quality of our work suffers.
None of this is rocket science. If we expect teenagers to do it, surely we could do it too? Good luck to Finn, and any of your kids doing the HSC in 2018.