Published on April 9th, 2009
photo by lrargerich
“Meetings are indispensable, if you don’t want to do anything.”
–John Kenneth Galbraith
I, like many people, am not a big fan of meetings. They can be disruptive to the flow of work during the course of the day, often contain information that could have been communicated more effectively, and lack actionable items.
That being said, I recognize that meetings are a necessary evil. I believe there are lots of times when scheduling a meeting is appropriate. For example, I really enjoy brainstorming sessions which generate a lot of creative ideas, or a discussion that helps a person develop.
Running smooth meetings is an art form which takes experience and practice. I also submit, that it’s an art form to be a good meeting participant. In either case, it’s important to show appreciation for the time that others are sharing with you. It’s also everyone’s obligation to contribute and help conclude the meeting as quickly as possible. read on »
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Published on April 8th, 2009
Over the last year or so, I have tried to find better ways to organize all of my digital “stuff.” I must admit, I tend to be a digital packrat. Therefore, I need tools that allow me to store lots of data and have great search capabilities so that I can find it all later. Additionally, I use 3 computers on a regular basis, so having my data readily accessible on all of them is important for my work. Finally, iPhone integration is a nice feature for me as I continue to use it for an increasing amount of work.
Several people recently have asked me to share some of my favorite digital tools. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites for storing my digital “stuff.” I use all 3 on a daily basis for capturing and storing all my digital data. The nice thing is they are all free! (although paid upgrades are also available. read on »
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Published on March 27th, 2009
photo by Martin Kingsley
“If email had been around before the telephone was invented people would have said “hey, forget email – with this new telephone invention I can actually talk to people.”
—anonymous
Much has been written on how to be more effective using email. We all complain about email overload and how unproductive it makes us. Yet we continue to leave our email client open while trying to focus, setup complex archiving solutions, and use it as our filing and to-do system. There has to be a simpler way.
A key in changing how we use email, is to address a couple of the root causes: checking email too often, storing every email we receive, and writing poor messages. The more you continue to do these things, the more you will multiply your email woes.
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Published on March 25th, 2009
photo by Jacob Bøtter
“Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.”
— John Maxwell
A key piece of personal growth is consistently taking the time to reflect on your experiences and interactions with people. Reflection time is the best opportunity to put everything into perspective, assess where you are at in life, and to consider how events have impacted you. Additionally, it allows you to think about how you have impacted others including family, friends, and co-workers. I suggest that a lack of discipline to review the events of the day is a leading cause of stress, conflict, and eventual burnout.
The only “rule” when reflecting is to be honest with yourself. If you don’t acknowledge where you could have done better, then the exercise won’t provide anything to grow from. You have to be willing to look at yourself in a different light and use the time as an opportunity to celebrate your triumphs and commit to avoiding mistakes in the future.
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Published on March 11th, 2009
photo by laffy4k
I never thought of myself as a “creative thinker,” I mean that’s for artists, writers, and musicians…you know, “creative types.” However, do you have to be a painter in order to be creative? By writing a novel am I suddenly more creative? Surely, there is no room in the business world for creativity.
I’ve started to realize, without creative thinking there is no innovation. Steve Wozniak (designed the first Apple computer,) Jeff Bezos (of Amazon.com fame,) and Larry Page/Sergey Brin (founders of Google.com) are all very creative thinkers who helped revolutionize the computing industry in one way or another. They are known to be constantly thinking about the “next great thing,” always exploring new options, and are considered “offbeat” in many ways.
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Published on March 6th, 2009
photo by zhurnaly
“The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started. “
— Dawson Trotman
Sometimes one of the hardest steps to take is the first. It’s especially true when it comes to completing a tough work assignment. If you are faced with a daunting task or an uncomfortable conversation, do you find it difficult to take that first step? Do you sometimes feel you can’t start on a task because you lack all the facts or haven’t engaged the right people? Conversely, do you suffer from analysis paralysis, caused by having so much information you can’t make any decisions on what to do?
Sometimes you need to tell yourself to just start. In the Getting Things Done (or GTD) world, this is defining the next physical action you need to take to complete the project. It could be sending an email, making a mindmap, or simply jotting down some ideas. The point is, just start working on the project.
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Published on March 5th, 2009
photo by poolie
One of the keys to personal change is increasing your awareness. This is true whether you are trying to change a bad habit, develop a new skill, or connecting with people. In all cases you have to be aware of how you are feeling, what you are thinking, and be able to adapt to changes in your environment.
I have an ongoing addiction to soda. I have been trying to kick the habit for some time now. I can go long periods of time without one, but invariably I always go back to my dark master, Dr. Pepper. Thankfully, I am down to one a day, but I really want to kick the habit as the health benefits, in my mind, are enormous.
Over the last few weeks I have started to take note of when and why I crave a Dr. Pepper. It’s usually in the morning, right after my coffee. I’ve knocked off a couple of tasks and want to keep the momentum going. Dr. Pepper gives me a nice jolt due to the high sugar and caffeine content. Another contributing factor is I enjoy the walk from my office to the break room. I pass by all the members of my team and really enjoy taking 5 minutes to to check in with everyone. It breaks up the morning for me a little bit.
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