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The amazing tools at your fingertips
I was running late for tennis doubles the other day, stuck in traffic and feeling mildly frustrated. I was going to call my mate Nick, but that felt like overkill as I was just a couple of minutes away, and I knew they could warm up without me. A quick text would be better, but […]
Read MoreGet out of your IN and into your OUT
If you have been following my posts you’ve probably heard me talk about getting in control of your Inbox. Just a few times! While there are many facets of productivity that I have explored over the years, I keep coming back to this powerful productivity strategy. And here’s why. In Smart Work I outlined a productivity framework […]
Read MoreHow to Measure Workplace Urgency
This week’s post is a little different. I’ll be sharing a video recording with you of a coaching session I recently participated in with my friend and colleague, Stacey Barr. Stacey is a Performance Measure Specialist, Creator of PuMP and Author of Prove IT! and Practice Performance Measurement, about measuring workplace urgency. You can find […]
Read MoreBack to vinyl
I’m a massive music fan and recount my childhood and life through the classics that I grew up listening to during the seventies, eighties and beyond. I get energy from listening to music, and often escape there when I need to recharge. I left my record collection behind in Ireland when I came to Australia in 1993. On a trip back […]
Read MoreMake more time for engaging conversations
Much of my time is spent helping people manage their email more efficiently. But, as I’ve said many times before, the point of this work is not just to help people get their inboxes under control. It is to help them get their heads out of their inboxes and into more important and strategic work. […]
Read MoreFolding Time
I’m a member of a community of experts called Thought Leaders. One of the community leaders in the US, Janine (Neen) James teaches about the power of attention. Her book, ‘Folding Time’ is a great read. Neen reckons effective people learn to manage time. But those who are truly at the top of their game […]
Read MoreTurn intentions into behaviours
I once read that culture is a set of collective beliefs and behaviours. In organisations, the productivity culture is influenced by the behaviours of the people within the organisation, especially senior managers. Staff see how managers and leaders operate and tend to copy these behaviours. The behaviours then become the norm. For instance, if an organisation has a meeting-heavy culture, it is […]
Read MoreHow visibility can influence your culture
I recently visited Launceston to spend a day with a local management team. I stayed in a very cool new hotel – Peppers Silo Hotel. As the name suggests, it is an old converted grain silo, and I loved it! I had dinner in the hotel restaurant and was blown away by the way the kitchen worked. I have worked in restaurant kitchens in […]
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 MoreIdentify your stumbling blocks
Have you ever tried to adopt a new system, habit or behaviour, only to revert to old ways after a few weeks? Every now and then, I see this happen for clients who are trying to implement the Smart Work system. In the days after a Smart Work workshop or conference presentation they have great […]
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