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Productivity Makes Rain – No-Cost Marketing During A Downturn

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Issue

Whether productivity drives new business.

Rule

Clients use and refer professionals they know will be the most responsive, effective, and efficient – all components of productivity. This is especially true during business slow downs.

Application

Productivity drives new business because it increases your responsiveness, effectiveness, and efficiency in the following ways.

Responsiveness

Clients use and refer professionals who are responsive. Responsiveness is something more than, ”I’ll take a look at it A.S.A.P.” It’s a substantive communication that informs the recipient, e.g., ”I’ve reviewed the materials you sent and advise you to…” To be more responsive you must increase your focus by reducing distractions and interruptions. This allows you to spend more time producing meaningful responses for your clients. Here are several specific suggestions that will reduce your distractions and interruptions:

1. Turn New E-mail Notifications Off. E-mail is the boon and bane of modern productivity. It’s a vital communication channel, but it never stops coming! Allowing yourself to be constantly interrupted and distracted every time a new e-mail arrives in your Inbox is the equivalent of having the mail person enter your office every two minutes to drop things on your desk. It’s killing your productivity. Turning off the new email notice allows you to remain focused on the matter in front of you. Here are the steps:

  • In Outlook*, click on Tools, then Options.
  • On the Preferences Tab, select E-mail Options.
  • Click on Advanced E-mail Options.
  • Under “When new items arrive in my Inbox,” uncheck:
    1. Play a sound.
    2. Briefly change the mouse cursor.
    3. Display a new e-mail desktop alert.
  • Click on OK, OK, OK.

* Other e-mail programs have similar steps to turn off the new e-mail notification.

Check your Inbox several times an hour to stay abreast of what’s arriving and needs your attention.

2. Face Away From the Door. Most office configurations have the desk chair facing the door. Given today’s open door policies, this is hugely distracting because your attention is constantly directed towards any motion passing in the hallway. Re-arrange your office so you are not facing the door. By doing so, you will reduce those unnecessary interruptions. This works in two ways. Your eye doesn’t catch the movement and the people passing by see you are working.

3. Silence Your Handheld Device. We have become enslaved to our PDAs. One of the greatest self-imposed distractions we create is having the various notification sounds and vibrations set to the “on” position. There is nothing worse than having one of those notifications erupting right in the middle of a conversation or during a concentrated work moment. Do yourself and others a favor, turn most, if not all, of those notifications off and check the device at regular intervals – to see what needs attending.

Effectiveness

Clients use and refer professionals who get things done. Effectiveness is the measure of that ability. You can increase your effectiveness by developing a workflow system that helps you better manage and act on your e-mail and other tasks. Suggestions include:

1. Disciplined Triaging. The way you triage your incoming stuff, electronic and physical, is a terrific place to increase productivity. Most people handle things in a fairly ad hoc manner, dealing with them as they arrive. Ad hoc triaging is very ineffective and distracting. Instead, place the newly arrived items in a predetermined location a designated inbox. That way you can periodically work through what’s there in a concerted manner. Your e-mail Inbox already does that for you with e-mail. Now, you can do the same with a physical inbox. The corollary for this tip is to make decisions when triaging instead of deferring them. This applies to items in both your physical and electronic inboxes. The vast majority of people defer decisions while looking through their workload; i.e., “I’ll deal with that later” or “I’ll handle that later.” That’s activity without productivity; nothing is being accomplished, but time is being spent cycling through the work. The better behavior is to decide specifically what needs to be done, who owns the next action item, and when you need to be reminded about it again. Then you can move that matter to a staging area (away from your designated work area) to be reviewed when the “reminder” date you set for it arrives.

2. Schedule Small Blocks of Open Time Just Before and Just After Meetings. You or your assistant can take better control of your schedule. Start and end times in calendaring software can generally be changed incrementally, so don’t schedule things back to back. Leave 5 to 15 minutes before and after meetings open so you can debrief on the prior meeting and prepare for the upcoming one. By jotting down some final notes about the meeting you just left, you not only memorialize the details about that meeting, you also enter the next meeting with a clear mind ready to focus on the subject at hand.

3. CC Yourself on Every E-mail You Send. There are two benefits here. First, you are announcing to the recipient that you are actively tracking this item on your end. You will be surprised at how many people you work with rely on you to remind them of the work you have given them. By copying yourself on the original e-mail, they will take note of your new tracking system and will likely respond in kind by doing the work without the need for an additional reminder.

Second, and more importantly, by copying yourself on e-mails you send to others, you can triage them properly when they arrive back in your e-mail inbox. This works better than periodically searching through your Sent folder because the Sent folder contains numerous e-mails that don’t require further attention, which makes doing so unnecessarily time-consuming.

Efficiency

Clients use and refer professionals who produce results in an efficient manner. When you control your workflow, instead of being controlled by it, you are more efficient. Not only does more get done, it gets done at a reduced cost to your client. Look for small ways to increase your efficiency so the aggregate effect is high. For example:

1. Open Next/Previous Item in E-mail. Most Outlook* users use their Inbox as a collection spot through which they rummage for important items. Many leave the Reading Pane on to assist in this methodology. The result is a ping-pong type of activity with the user bouncing from one e-mail to the next searching for the next action item. As noted above, this results in a lot of activity without much productivity and a lot of deferred decision making. By turning off the Reading Pane (View, Reading Pane, Off) and replacing it with an Open the Next Item or Open the Previous Item setting, you can work through each e-mail as you first open it. The result is you are deciding what to do with each e-mail as you go, deleting the trash, filing away the archival and reference materials, and leaving just the work in the Inbox. Here are the settings:

  • Click on Tools, then Options, and select the E-mail Options button in the first tab (Preferences) area.
  • At the top right of that box is a drop-down menu; click on the down-arrow and select either Open Next Item or Open Previous Item depending on whether you (a) read your e-mail from the top down (Open Next Item) or (b) read your e-mail from the bottom up (Open Previous Item).
  • Select OK and OK.

* Other e-mail programs have similar steps.

2. Physical Inbox/Outbox Placement. If you have a designated inbox and outbox, chances are you have them placed right on the corner of your desk or somewhere very nearby. If you don’t have a designated inbox and/or outbox, chances are your desk top or chair serves those functions. Either way, the result is that people coming in to place things in or take things out of them are causing you a fair amount of unnecessary interruption and distraction.

First, make sure you have specifically designated areas for things coming in (the inbox) and things going out (the outbox). Second, place them at the end of the credenza/bookcase nearest your door or somewhere similar. It will make access to them easy for everyone and greatly reduce the level of interruption/distraction you suffer when someone is using them. Moreover, you can spot-check it on your way in and out of your workspace.

3. One Subject Per E-mail. One of the mistakes we make with e-mail is trying to cram too much into each one. Since they’re free to send and receive, place just one subject into each e-mail. That allows the recipient(s) to focus on one thing at a time. Moreover, details about one matter won’t get confused with details about another matter. Part of effective communication is clarity. Adopting the one subject per e-mail rule communicates much more clearly and will enhance efficiency.

Conclusion

During economic downturns, productivity is an especially valuable tool in retaining existing clients, in producing new work from them, and in securing highly valuable referrals. Implementing the suggestions above will help you increase productivity and develop more business.

The Ebb & Flow of Balance

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

One recurring theme we all face is balancing the demands of their career with those of our personal lives. These are often juxtaposed against each other, leaving a Hobson’s choice. Because each situation is unique, it is cavalier to suggest a list of pre-packaged solutions. Instead, this article will frame an alternative conceptual paradigm and provide some day-to-day coping methods within this new context.

Paradigm At Issue

Though this may be obvious to many of you, the premise of balance is too simplistic to describe the working world in the third millennium. That is, to balance something, pros and cons must be determined. Good must be offset against bad, and rarely is work categorized as good.

And that’s the rub. Work shouldn’t have to be bad. In fact, given the amount of effort that it takes to develop a career, work should be a positive factor in your life whenever possible.

Moreover, as your career continues to develop, what is important to you professionally and personally will change. Therefore, you will constantly be reassessing what a balanced lifestyle means. Thus, the work versus personal dichotomy never ceases.

The paradigm is simply inadequate.

And A River Runs Through It

Now consider a flowing river. Its rate depends on gradient, its current on topography. The steeper the hill or narrower the path, the faster the river flows. The larger the rocks or more ragged the riverbed, the choppier the water. Wide, slow areas are tranquil. Steep, boulder-strewn stretches are a cacophony of sound and water.

Life flows in much the same way. There are periods of high activity, as well as miles of reflective opportunity, and who knows what awaits us around the next bend.

Navigating this constantly changing environment requires some forethought and perspective management. Life is a long-term proposition and proper alignment should always be a primary objective. Several factors play into managing your alignment, including your familial situation, your career goals, your workload, and any civic and other non-professional obligations you have undertaken. If you focus on where you want to be 100 yards down stream and initiate the steps you need to align yourself with that goal, you will find greater satisfaction in your life.

Fine Tuning

Staying attuned to your immediate situation always facilitates obtaining longer term objectives. Here are several ways to maintain satisfaction on a day-to-day basis.

  • Mandatory Personal Time. The very first thing that gets lost in our hectic worlds is time for ourselves. This is not necessarily time to ourselves, rather it’s time for ourselves. Time to do whatever you choose. Start small – during one hour every week, do something you want to do. Spend it alone, spend it with your spouse or your child or children, spend it with a friend, even spend it with man’s best friend. Don’t give that hour away. If you find you need more, schedule another hour, and so on until you find the right mix. You’ll likely be more productive during your other hours knowing that your personal one is coming soon.
  • Manage Your Technology. Don’t let technology dictate your time. If you don’t know how to use it effectively and efficiently, then make time to learn how. Every hour you spend learning technology will return several fold to you when utilizing it. Similarly, if you’re a whiz at, but overwhelmed with technology, remember the single most important fact about any modern technology is the OFF button.
  • Quiet Time. Remember naptime in pre-school? This is probably the single greatest self-help tool ever invented. Whether you nap, meditate, or just sit quietly for a few minutes, find a solitary place (and many places will do) and take a quick 10-minute break. Close your eyes; let the stresses of the day wash out of you, relax and re-energize. Then get on with it.
  • Define Your Space. Experts disagree about whether it’s better to segregate your professional and personal lives or integrate them. Try one method, but do it intentionally. Drive your lifestyle; don’t let others or circumstance drive it for you. At least if you’re at the helm you can steer the ship.

Throughout your professional career, you will be pressed to make time allocation decisions. The frantic pace of the world is not likely to slow any time soon, so never forget that career/personal satisfaction is an important objective. Implement some simple processes to protect yours!

Getting More Done – Increased Productivity Through Better Processes

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

No matter how many hours you work, it’s the productive ones that matter. In addition to the attendant financial rewards, more production generally means better performance for the individual. The goal, then, is to get more done.

There are three ways to increase the productivity: (1) improved skills, (2) increased leverage of others, and (3) better use of the hours you’re working. The first and second come with experience. The third will immediately produce results in hours gained. Since this is the legal industry, let’s look at this in tenths:

0.1 (hours) x 5 (days/week) x 45 (workweeks/year) = 24 extra productive hours

In other words, if you can improve your productivity by six minutes per day, you will do 24 more hours of work per year. That’s three full days!

Here are ways to gain more productive hours in the day, six minutes at a time.

Managing E-mail

The killer application that ushered in the Internet era can be a huge time sink. To gain valuable minutes throughout the day, fine-tune your use of e-mail by taking the following steps.

  • Turn off new message notifications. These notifications are a huge distraction because they create internal noise: “What am I missing?” or “Oh, not another thing to do!” Or worse, you instantly stop to look at the new message and lose focus on whatever else you’re doing. E-mail is an asynchronous communication tool. You do not need to know every time a message hits your inbox. It isn’t going anywhere! Simply triage your e-mail regularly (twice an hour or so) to stay abreast of what’s happening.
  • Remove your work address from personal lists. Keep your inbox tidy and uncluttered to reduce the time wasted culling through it. Get rid of automatic feeds about the local weather report, the special of the day at your favorite online retailer, and the scores in the day’s sports events.
  • Get off unnecessary professional and interoffice lists. These also represent a distraction from your work. Draft a polite, professional e-mail to the list manager asking to be removed if it’s not imperative that you receive certain e-mails. Likewise, unsubscribe from e-publications you don’t read. Most professional purveyors provide a simple Unsubscribe mechanism for this. Take advantage of it. You can always re-subscribe.
  • Spot review your inbox from home. Yes, you’re working away from the office after hours, but this is the new professional landscape. If you can quickly reply to simple requests and handle just a few small items in the evening, they’ll be on someone else’s desk—and not yours—in the morning.

Sequestering

It’s not just for juries, you know. The idea is to find a place or process that provides you with uninterrupted time to get top-priority work done. This doesn’t mean holing up all day, or leaving the country. You’re looking for a defined period each day or week—say one to two hours—when you are able to focus on the tasks of highest concern. Here are some specifics.

  • Privatize your office. Close your door and put your phone on “Do Not Disturb.” If people continue to interrupt you, put a DND sign on your door. You can make it light—“Great Mind at Work, Please Don’t Knock” or “Out to Work, Back at X:XX O’Clock” —but make it clear.
  • Establish a secondary workplace. If your firm has a library, go there. If the firm or office building has a small conference or caucus room, go there. Even an empty office will do. Take only the things you’re going to work on, and sit down and do them.
  • Try some one-hour telecommuting. Consider coming in late or going home early to gain quiet work time one day a week. But remember, if you’re going to do this, you must genuinely commit to getting the work done. Any temptation to dally will undermine your objective of increasing performance, so be very careful.
  • Learn how to say, “No.” Inevitably, you will still be hunted down or interrupted on many occasions. This is when it is imperative that you politely but unmistakably explain that you’re not currently available and you’ll get back to the person posthaste when you are. It’s an opportunity to retrain those you work with—you are enlisting their help to increase your productivity.

Upgrade Your Work Space

There are a number of things you can do to improve the productivity of your physical work space. Most are very simple to implement, but each will pay a large productivity dividend.

  • Do not face the door. Reposition your desk so you are not facing the open door. The problem with facing the door is that you tend to look up whenever someone passes by. That’s a mini-interruption and it’s completely unnecessary. Worse, the person walking by may catch you eye and stop to chat!
  • Identify a designated work area. Pick one area – your desktop, your computer table, the desk return – as your designated work area. This area should be devoid of ALL other working materials. Each file and pile in the vicinity of your designated work area is another distraction – “Oh, I’ve got to do that.” and “Oh, I’ve got to do that too!” Keep the designated work area free of those self-inflicted distractions.
  • Create a filing system for open projects. Most people use the stacks and piles model for keeping track of what needs to be done. These seemingly innocuous papers are either neatly or not-so-neatly scattered about the office. A well organized filing system is easy to maintain and a much more efficient workflow method. Every minute spent digging around in the piles is a lost minute of productivity.

Implementing some or all of these suggestions will definitely increase your productivity. Better productivity will improve your effectiveness and sense of accomplishment. In turn, your increased accomplishment will produce greater career satisfaction.