Is your day intentional enough?
I just had a fantastically productive day. I feel great – motivated, energised and on top of things. Writing this newsletter is my last big priority for the day, and when I tick it off I might just go home and cook a nice steak to go with a nice glass of wine, even though […]
Read MoreMake it a priority
“You had better make that a priority!” A common phrase that we hear every day in our workplace. But what does it really mean? How do we ascertain if something is a priority? What behaviours does that then drive if we do make something a priority? The word priority comes from the Latin word Prioritas […]
Read MoreOur dirty little secrets
My brother is visiting from Ireland and of course staying at our place. While we generally keep the house clean and tidy, we spent the last few days doing an extra special round of cleaning. Cupboards, the fridge, drawers, under couches and beds, shelves, blinds. Places that privately we put up with being the dirty […]
Read MoreTime to think?
A recent KPMG Global CEO survey found that 86% of global leaders struggled to find time to think about two of the most critical drivers in their businesses – disruption and innovation. In Australia, that percentage crept up to 94%. When you think about the role a leader plays in steering the organisation in the […]
Read MoreMake your outcomes visible
‘Are you outcomes-driven or are you inputs-driven?’ – This is a question I often pose during my productivity presentations and workshops. By outcomes-driven, I mean do you let the bigger picture drive how you spend your time? The significant work, the work that makes the most difference over the long term. By inputs-driven, I mean […]
Read MoreScheduling actions – hard or soft?
A common question that we hear when discussing task management in workshops is ‘When should a task be blocked out as an appointment in the calendar’? Blocking out time, or what I call ‘Hard scheduling’ is a great strategy for putting traction into your action, but if overused or misused, it can work against your […]
Read MoreA sense of perspective
At the start of each month I have a recurring priority scheduled in my task list. It reminds me that at some stage in that week, I need to sit down and get some perspective. To take some time out from doing, and spend some time thinking about my top 10 BIG priorities for the […]
Read MoreHow we waste each other’s time
While much of my time is spent helping workers to increase their personal productivity, I also see many issues with how we work together. The truth is that your behaviours affect my productivity, and my behaviours affect your productivity. Teams that do not put strategies in place to manage this will experience a sense of […]
Read MoreDo you conduct or cushion urgency?
In case you haven’t noticed, your team is probably drowning in emails, buried in meetings and struggling to deliver the critical outcomes you and the organisation need from them. Much of the work that comes their way is urgent, and they probably spend much of their week reacting to the latest crises. And while you […]
Read MoreBusy: A story we tell ourselves
Two executives bump into each other in a lift. One asks the other how she is going. She replies “Busy”. It is almost an instinctive answer that we give when asked the question. But we are all busy. I reckon that busy is the story we tell ourselves when we have not prioritised our time […]
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