The Productivity Pro® Blog by Laura Stack - Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive

When you promise someone you will complete a task by a certain timeframe, do you do it?  Or does the deadline slip past once again, with you muttering to yourself, “Stupid! What is wrong with you?”  Now you aren’t able to focus on anything, always aware of this dark cloud hanging over your head.  Guilt sucks the energy right out of you!  Instead, decide today that you are going to be a person of your word.  Are you reliable?  Can people count on you to do what you say you’re going to do?  Do you have integrity and keep the deadlines you promise?  What’s others’ perception of you?  Do you live out what you affirm?  Do you do what you complain about in others?  What things do people "jokingly" say about you and your behavior?  Seek to control yourself.  If you say to yourself, "I probably shouldn’t be doing this right now," you’re probably right.  If you’re honest with yourself, how many hours could you save every day by being more disciplined?  And could you leave the office earlier with that saved time?  If tomorrow, you arrived at work and didn’t get a cup of coffee…didn’t get on the Internet…didn’t talk to your friend…didn’t get your new blog postings…didn’t get sucked into email for 90 minutes…what could you use that energy on instead that will made you proud and give you a boost of satisfaction for the entire day?  When you finally complete the task you’ve been putting off, the freedom from the stress it was causing you is its own reward.  Good things begin to flow into the space the negative guilt used to occupy.  You’re no longer paralyzed, and you get your energy back.

I’m quoted in the Alabama Press-Register in an article by Kaija Wilkinson called "Express Yourself," discussing productivity in office cublicles or "workstations" as they are called today.  She discusses how neat they should be, configuration, use of personal items, and design.  Pretty good article.  I come across as a bit of a neat freak, so I wanted to provide some additional commentary on why I think it’s a good idea to maintain a neat workstation.

Order is your ability to sort, filter, and process information effectively. It’s also your ability to FIND what you want, when you want it. It’s how tidy your work areas look, inside and out.

I believe a messy office is a career detriment. I can’t tell you how many negative comments I hear, such as, “Joan’s office and her work are so sloppy.” People equate messy desks with messy work. Not fair, I know, but perception is reality. My HR clients have flat-out told me: “I’d promote someone with a tidy office over someone with a messy office any day.”

A seminar participant wrote, “My time management abilities are fair but could certainly be better. I interface with several agencies and outside individuals on a daily basis, which tends to keep me moving from issue-to-issue. With a little more organization, I could be more productive.”

Some people try to justify their disorganization by appearing as if they are disorganized on purpose. They say things like, “I have a great system. I just let things go and if it’s really important, someone will call about it.” Others tell me they have no choice but to be disorganized. One woman told me in defense, “But I’m CREATIVE, you see. Creative people are naturally disorganized.” I wouldn’t necessarily agree. I’ve known many creative, right-brained people who were highly organized; they simply had to learn different systems. You don’t have to be creative and disorganized, if you are willing to learn and the pain is bad enough.

Let’s make another important distinction: “Neat” does not necessarily equal “organized.” Let’s say, for example, that someone you care about is coming to your home or office, and your desk or dining room table is so full (and has been for so long) that you don’t even remember what the surface looks like. You sweep your arm across the surface, dumping all the contents into a container, throwing it under the bed or in the closet. You have “neat,” yes, but do you have “organized”? Of course not. You could be a neat, disorganized person. Or you can be organized and not neat, but you will experience several problems.

An organized office:

·        Saves time. In my experience, the average professional spends at least 30 minutes a day just looking for things. Many people work longer hours to compensate for this wasted time.

·        Allows you to focus. When you are surrounded by clutter, it’s difficult to concentrate on the task before you. Most people have 1-2 weeks of work on their desks right now, assuming they didn’t get anything else to do today.

Allows others to find things in your office. It’s frustrating for coworkers to locate items in your office when you go on vacation or stay home sick.

·        Lowers your stress levels. People with a cluttered office report having anxiety, and being overwhelmed and frustrated. Your environment directly affects your moods, attitudes, and emotions. Stress-related illnesses cost the U.S. $300 billion per year.

·        Distills the important from the unimportant. Without a system, you will deal with large amounts of extraneous material. Just as we only wear a small percentage of our clothes, we only use a small percentage of information that crosses our desks.

·        Could possibly help in career progression. I hear many negative comments about messy desks.  People tend to equate sloppy desks with sloppy work. Not entirely fair, I know, but that’s the reality. My HR clients have flat-out told me: “I’d promote someone with a tidy office over someone with a messy office any day.”

An organized desk sends this important message to other people: I’ve got it together. Visualize your desk in your mind. What does it “say” to others? That you are overwhelmed by work? That you are disorganized and therefore not too competent? That you obviously have trouble making decisions, since you can’t decide what to do with anything? The next time someone walks over to your cluttered desk and makes a “joke” about the mess, you might want to listen. Regardless of what excuses you offer, your desk says a great deal. Your newly organized desk will now say that you are professional, competent, decisive, efficient, productive, and in control. No matter what you’ve seen on coffee cups, a clean desk is NOT the sign of an empty mind.

I enjoyed this post about how to be more productive with your Crackberry, I mean Blackberry.

Especially true is Nakagawa’s comment, "…the people who are the most productive don’t seem to have them." 

I’m sure you have your beefs about Blackberry usage in your organization (or by your spouse, for that matter).  If you were king or queen of the world, what "rules" would you create about Blackberry usage?  In addition to the 10 the author lists, I’ll add the following from personal experience:

1.  Do not pretend you are listening to someone by brainlessly mumbling "uh-huh" while you are answering an email on your Crackberry.

2.  Pay attention to the presenter during training sessions rather than using the time as your personal Crackberry play time.

3.  Use codes in the subject line when emailing, so Crackberry recipients can get your message without having to open it: "Do you know what the June budget figure is for professional services? END"  (AR = Action Required, END = End of message, LONG = read later etc.)

4.  Set your Crackberry to delete your email off the server when you delete it from your handheld (so you don’t have to do it twice).

5.  Turn your Crackberry off when you are standing in line for the Matterhorn at Disney World with your poor children tugging at your arm.

What are your rules?

A reporter asked an interesting question today: How do you know if you’re spending too much time surfing eBay?  While I’m all for saving time on Internet shopping and having things delivered, instead of driving around town to ten places trying to find the same item, you don’t want to cross the line into an addiction.  An addiction?  That’s right.  How many hours a day would you have to devote to something before it would be labeled an addiction?  Television watching?  Gambling?  Drinking?  eBay surfing?  As with anything, it can get out of hand.  So I told the reporter I’d have her readers ask themselves these questions:

·        Do you spend more time on the computer surfing eBay listings than you do with your significant other and children?

·        How would you feel if your spouse could see the listings you’re viewing?

·        Are you purchasing items in private or on a separate credit card, so no one knows what you’re buying?  Are buying things you are embarrassed to tell your spouse about or that are causing financial strain?

·        You don’t leave the house any more to go shopping, because you can find anything you need on eBay?

·        Can you spend an evening with your partner without thinking about whether someone has responded to your eBay seller inquiry?

·        Does your heart beat faster when you see a message waiting for you in your inbox from a certain eBay stores?

Tell your partner you’re sorry you’ve been so unavailable, and make steps to change. Don’t let the anonymity of technology let you cross boundaries you wouldn’t in person. Force yourself to buy things in cash, so your credit card purchases don’t become unmanageable.  Make a list of things you need to buy, and get out and about to meet real people in real situations.  The delivery costs can add up quickly, so only buy unique items you can’t find anywhere else, only when there is a legitimate occasion.

A reader just turned me on to Allan Engelhardt’s October post called "The 3/2 Rule of Productivity."   Wonderful.  Fascinating research with data showing the more employees your company has, the less productive each person is.  Basically, in terms of profit per employee, when you triple the number of employees, you halve their productivity (the 3/2 Rule).  Allan supposes the causes could include self-selection, relationship friction, a shared vision, and the ability (or lack thereof) to collaborate.  If I could toss in my two cents, from what I hear employees of large corporations complaining to me about, it’s:

* a huge volume of email to deal with and some moron replying to all with a 50-person distribution list and 100 spams each day

* meetings that run on and on with no purpose and no apparent outcome

* interruptions by co-workers who have nothing better to do than waste their time

* waiting…and waiting…and waiting…for an answer from someone who was supposed to deliver it days ago, and now the poor worker has to implement reminder systems just to babysit the lazy butt

* work arounds for IT departments that only allow a laughingly-small amount of storage space for pst files

* several layers of bureaucracy to dig through to get the slightest irregular expenditure approved.

What else?  Please add to my list or tell me I’m not on target.

In the December edition of my monthly newsletter, I posed the question "I’d love to hear from the men on this one, but at least in my circle, why does it seem that the woman is the social, family, and child coordinator in the family?"  I heard back from three men, who basically agreed with me.  Are there any men out there who arrange the kids’ playdates, handle school arrangements, schedule with couple friends, or otherwise act as the family coordinator?  Women, does your husband help you with these tasks?

When I introduced my fiancée to my Aunt (34 years ago, we’ve married a long time ago) I mentioned that she was "quiet". My Aunt said, "There is only room for one mouth in a couple, and you are the one that talks, so it’s alright." In your situation, you may be the more social of the two.

But I think you would really enjoy reading what The FLYlady has to say. So, I refer you to www.flylady.com. Ask to read her emails for awhile, and you’ll find a resource for a variety of things.

Keep up the good work.

John Hawley, Montrose, PA

Because that’s your job!  I’m kidding but only sort of.  Hundreds of years of culture have engrained this "fact".  It’s in our DNA.  Men go to work and women take care of the home, which includes being responsible for the social arrangements, etc.  Another example…who organizes a wedding?  The mother of the bride of course.  The men just write the checks.  Ask anyone who has a daughter.  Also, how many times have you heard a husband say "I’ll have to check with the boss?"

If course I’m not saying this is this right.  It’s not even just.  But that pretty much is the way it is. You even alluded to one of the answers in your column when you stated that it helps if one person is the primary keeper of the schedule.  In our house it also works because my wife (a stay at home mom and wife) is the extrovert, I’m the introvert so it comes much more natural for her.  She even needs the social interaction more than I do.  Although I enjoy our outings and get-togethers, I would probably be just as happy with a good cigar (on the deck since I’m not allowed to smoke them in the house) and a glass of amber liquid.  Fortunately, this all works pretty well.  We’ve been married for 33 years and have two grandkids to dote over.

Thanks for a great column.  Enjoy your holidays.

Michael J Hammel, PMP

Laura:

Your question about why women are the social organizers in families is also interesting; the simple answer is that men and women are different. I once heard it said that if you and your spouse are exactly the same, then one of you is superfluous.  Other than this flippant answer, I really do not know, but will be interested in hearing what you find out from your clients.

Regards,

Jim Rairdon, DM, FLMI

I wrote recently about an article from the Christian Science Monitor, in which a reporter interviewed me about "Extreme Jobs," people who work 80+ hour workweeks. I received an email from someone who read my post, miffed that I could judge someone, as "I did not know her." Of course I don’t know her and can’t judge her personally…I’m sure she’s a very nice person, gives to the poor, and rescues puppies…and the only thing I (and anyone else for that matter) can observe is behavior. Working seven days a week, 11 hours a day (not including time at home working) is workaholism, pure and simple (heck, even God rested on the seventh day). It’s been studied, researched, and rehashed, and just because it’s been re-titled an “extreme job” doesn’t mean it’s anything new. It’s not my research, but a very well-documented body of facts on the addiction. If you have any doubts as to whether you exhibit workaholic tendencies, a good place to start is reading Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics, Their Partners and Children, and the Clinicians Who Treat them“by psychotherapist Bryan Robinson. Workaholism, Robinson says, is “an obsessive-compulsive disorder that manifests itself through self-imposed demands, an inability to regulate work habits, and an over-indulgence in work, to the exclusion of most other life activities.” Just like alcohol consumes the alcoholic, work consumes the workaholic. Robert J. Filewich, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and director for the Center for Behavior Therapy in White Plains, N.Y., puts it this way: “Workaholics get their sense of worth, value, and importance from work. The clearest indication of workaholism, he argues, is simply the inability to turn work off (in this case, being on call 24-hours a day for the rest of your life). The ironic thing is the note I received talked about how successful this person was because she is so *rich* and *successful.* To recover from workaholism, you have to challenge the social acceptance – even society’s encouragement – of these common phrases: “Look how productive you’re being. You are accomplishing great things.” “You need to earn a living, after all, to clothe your children.” “The economy is bad, and it sure isn’t easy in competitive times like these.” “After all, you possess that strong work ethic your father instilled in you. Hard work is good for you, and you’re not about to become a slacker.” “You just love your work; it is your hobby, in fact, and you’re doing great things for people. You’re having so much fun that it just doesn’t feel like work.” Yeah, yeah, the rationalizations abound. Is there incongruence in these words or simply denial? This workaholic syndrome is socially sanctioned, and in many cases, it’s revered and rewarded. Robinson calls workaholism “the best-dressed problem of the 20th century.” Tony Schwartz, author of What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America (Bantam Books, 1995), said, “Any culture inevitably pulls people toward its norms. Ours elevates those who work relentlessly and disdains those who are more laid-back. Those who embrace long hours and devotion to the workplace not only earn a special place in the ranks of the company, but they also frequently earn more money, which translates into even more approval in our culture.” Here are a few of the common workaholic traits from research: Perfectionism: one who never feels like the work is “good enough,” and labors long and hard to create optimal results. Time commitment: the amount of time one devotes to work; workaholics are so time-committed to their jobs that they tend to put less effort into spouse and family, friend, and leisure activities. Job involvement: one who devotes himself or herself wholeheartedly to productive projects and prefers to make constructive uses of time; may even define job-unrelated tasks as working activities because workaholics often blur the distinction between business and pleasure. Stress: workaholics experience higher levels of stress than other individuals and can experience (but successfully ignore) continual physical effects of stress on their bodies. Unfortunately, workaholism has severe consequences; to name just a few: When studying the children of self-described workaholics, researchers found significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety for these children than those of non-workaholic parents. A survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers cited preoccupation with work as one of the top four causes of divorce. Workaholics evidence more destructive behavior: more alcohol abuse, more extramarital affairs, and more stress-related illnesses. Start by admitting you have a problem and join a local chapter of Workaholics Anonymous. WA is “a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problems and recover from workaholism.” To find a support group in your area, contact Workaholics Anonymous, World Service Organization, P.O. Box 289, Menlo Park, CA 94026-0289 or call (510) 273-9253. But hey, the positive news is if you need an emergency gift basket for a client at 3:00 a.m., just call LeGourmet Gift Baskets in Castle Rock, CO, because they answer the phone 24 hours a day and will take your call.

Ahhhh…what a wonderful Thanksgiving break.  I hope you enjoyed the long holiday weekend!  Rested, ate, played…and made some progress.  Not just maintained the status quo or existing systems, but you made progress.  Yes, it’s important to maintain your systems: food is prepared, the house is cleaned, dishes are washed, bills are paid, etc.  But nothing is gained with those activities; there is no forward momentum.  Those things are done simply to keep you from sliding backward.  You got out all the nice china for Thanksgiving dinner.  You washed it.  You ate on it.  You washed it.  You put it away.  Back to the same place you were before.  Yes, of course you have wonderful memories with your family and relaxed a bit.  But your situation is the same.  Tidying up the living room is maintenance.  Cleaning and conditioning the leather furniture is progress.  So, did you make any progress?  Did you take the time to organize an area that was a mess before?  Decide to get a family photo taken?  Go through your kids’ playroom and give away a bunch of stuff they never play with?  Map out the organization project in your garage?  NOW your condition is improved, and your situation is different.  You have made progress.  When our guests had left and everything was back in order (maintained), we were back to "normal," which is square one.  Then we got our holiday shopping done.  Then we wrapped the gifts.  Then we rearranged some work-out equipment in the basement to make room for some new storage shelving.  Some people skip the maintenance and go directly to progress tasks, which can be okay too, unless you’re like me and feel a bit unsettled when surrounded by clutter or incompletions.  So get everything back in order as quickly as possible, so you have time for new projects.  To experience forward momentum, don’t think "done"…think "get back to normal" and then "NEXT." 

I’ve been on vacation from my blog while on vacation in Hawaii (Big Island).  It was the first time in five years my husband and I took a vacation, sans kids, for more than a few days.  We were gone eight wonderful days, and it really stretched my mind and rested my soul.

First off, I the leisurely pace of Hawaii is of coure much different than the snap-snap hustle bustle of Denver.  Relaxation was the mantra, which was usually wonderful, except when practiced by employees who are supposed to be in customer service roles.  It took over an hour for the bellman to retrieve our luggage!  Instead of taking our rental car, we would take nice long walks to the Starbucks down the road from our hotel. Here’s a picture of the beautiful Birds of Paradise lining the walkway:

We stayed at a beautiful property: The Hilton Waikoloa Village.  The property is so large that they operate boat taxis and a tram to shuttle people around.  This turned out to be a big timewaster.  I was trying to match the pace of the locals, but it was still frustrating when the boat I was on flooded and I was stuck for 15 minutes.  Or when one of the trams broke down…while I was on it…and we had to wait 20 minutes for the system to be re-set.  The transportation was so unpredictable that often it took 15 minutes just for the next boat or tram.  So we took to walking.  It was a 10-minute hike from our tower back to the lobby, but we figured we’d at least get some exercise and see the property rather than just sit there waiting.  I couldn’t believe all the people who just *sat* there! I guess it’s relaxing for some people, but I still couldn’t stand waiting—wasting time—no matter where I was.

Last, I was really worried about being able to run my business.  I promised my husband I would check in at the office only once a day, early in the morning, as I preach to my audiences.  Turns out it wasn’t hard to follow my own advice.  Hawaii was four hours earlier than my internal clock, so I was bright-eyed and bushy tailed, ready to go…at 3:00 a.m.  It took several days for my body to adjust and stop being ready for bed at 8:30 p.m.!  So while my hubby was still sleeping soundly, I would log on and check my email and voicemail and be done and ready for adventure by the time he woke up.  It’s amazing how unimportant some things seemed in Hawaii…things that I might have jumped on right away while in the office…I just told people I was in Hawaii and would handle it when I got back.  Everyone understood and told me to enjoy myself.

Hmmm…with cell phones these days…who would know you *weren’t* on vacation?

I received an email from a reader today asking what *is* productivity.  While that’s a perfectly legitimate question, I thought I’d post a definition, just in case others wanted a understanding of how to measure productivity.  Some people just *know* intuitively whether they’ve had a productive day and don’t need to measure it.  And while there are different methods and views on productivity measurement (white collar, manufacturing, farm, economic, etc.), I use the following as my working definition of white collar business productivity (my niche):

The efficiency with which goods and services are produced,

as measured by the value of the output produced (result)

per person,

per hour,

divided by the unit of inputs used to produce it (hours).

Or—simply— a measurement of output per hours worked.

For example, if two people completed the same task (output), and one person took two hours and the second person took four hours, the first person would be more productive than the second. Indeed, one person could work an eight-hour day, and the second person could work a twelve-hour day, and the first person could be more productive than the second.  Productivity doesn’t measure how many hours we work; it measures what we were able to create in that time.  If you’re surfing the Internet all day, you won’t be productive, regardless of how many hours you work.

How do YOU measure your productivity, or if not measured, how do you just KNOW when you’ve had a productive day?