How Wasteful Email Habits Can Cause a Productivity Drought
The early 2000’s brought the worst drought in recorded history, which in Sydney meant severe water restrictions. We couldn’t wash cars, water the garden, or allow the kids to play in the sprinklers on hot days. Hard as this seemed at the time, it made me change my behaviour around water wastage, and to this […]
Read MoreSand in your Shoes and Emails in your Inbox
You might recall my last newsletter was written in the sunny glow of a holiday in Europe. Well, I’m back in Sydney, with sand in my shoes and emails in my inbox! Returning home got me thinking about my ‘back-to-work’ process. I like it because it ensures I start back in a focused and productive […]
Read MoreYou get what you give
I’m in the middle of an amazing holiday in Europe, with just a few work commitments needing my focus, including this blog. Not too bad though – I’m writing this from sunny Dublin, with a good coffee in my hand! One of the things I’ve noticed over the past few weeks is how few emails […]
Read MoreThink about where you store information
We have so much information to manage these days, and it can be hard to work out where to put it all. Most of us default to keeping our emails in folders in our mailbox, and documents in folders on our computer. This is fine in most circumstances. However, it can be frustrating for your […]
Read MoreMake reply all a nuclear option
I was running a workshop recently in a large financial institution when three of the participants started talking to each other in whispers. This went on for a few minutes, and they eventually shared with the group that someone in their wider team had sent an email to the entire group of three hundred. People […]
Read MoreDo you trust your inbox?
I spoke to a friend recently, who mentioned her struggle with saving useful information and research she found online. Typically, she would come across a useful article or fact, and then not know what to do with it. I suggested doing what I do. When I come across something interesting online, I will email the […]
Read MoreDo it right the first time
Like most people with full schedules, I have lots to get done and precious little time to get it done in. I get frustrated when my time is unnecessarily wasted by other people, because the opportunity cost for me is huge. I recently bought a new laptop, visiting the brand’s flagship store to pick it […]
Read MoreGet specific when you delegate
Just the other day my partner delegated something to me, but unfortunately did not get the result she wanted. She showed me a bottle of laundry conditioner – Fluffy to be exact – and asked me to buy some when shopping for dinner. I made a note of this on my phone, so I didn’t […]
Read MoreFind a way to love your work and your job
I talked to a client recently about his workload. He was telling me his typical day on the job would start around 6.00am most mornings. With back-to-back meetings to look forward to, this was the only time he could deal with the 400-500 emails he received every day. While I hear versions of this story […]
Read MoreValue your time
I turned fifty recently. I know – hard to believe when you look at me! I reckon I’ve done OK. I’m still fit and have kept most of my hair. Some say I may be getting delusional, but I’m not sure why. Anyway, turning fifty reminded me of a sobering and somewhat shocking exercise a […]
Read More