This is it, the first work day of 2010. “Get Organized” makes the top 10 list of New Years Resolutions every year. Is it on your list? I am not a fan of resolutions because they are usually to big, too vague, and have little accountability. What I am a fan of, and think you will find useful, are a limited number of guidelines. Use these guidelines to determine whether the things you’re doing will contribute to your peak performance in 2010.

1. Did you eat well?
   Food is the energy you need to perform. It must be constantly ingested (don’t skip breakfast) and of high quality (whole foods, little process, no white sugar, syrups or flour)
2. Did you plan?
   A weekly plan that includes a review of the last week is unmatched in setting you up for peak performance. Plan in alignment with your priorities then work the plan.
3. Simplify.
   Get rid of excess possessions, activities on your schedule, and responsibilities. Focus on your core responsibilities and roles. Ask yourself, “Is this vital or just nice?”
4. Learn.
   At the pace of information expansion and work today, if you aren’t learning new things, you are missing opportunities and actually getting behind. Pick something to read, a skill to enhance, and a conversation to have with someone who knows more than you about a topic (they don’t have to be a world expert). Be curious.

Drake was a little irritated with my suggestions to help him claim some time for personal activities. He resisted my ideas by justifying why he does what he does – even though what he does wastes a meaningful amount of time. “I’m a smart guy,” he says.
My reply, “All of my clients are smart – and in many cases brilliant. And, they’re not experts at productivity and neither are you.” This was a little like an athlete expecting to be world-class at golf, billiards, and hockey. Impossible.
You or Drake being great at one thing doesn’t mean you will be great at another. Since you’re reading this blog on productivity I will project that you’re not advice adverse. Nonetheless I want to urge you to stop for a few minutes and examine what tips & suggestions you’ve tossed out or read right over because it doesn’t fit you. Take a second look. Try one thing before you write it off. Try another. Be open.

Some of the folks that backtrack and reconsider suggestions previous rejected have said things like
• Wow, that was easy.
• I waited long enough to try this. It’s so useful I’m glad I didn’t wait longer.
• Hey, I’m getting good at this. I’m going after your job soon!
For you smart people out there – leverage productivity coaching and implement then practice. You’ll soon have another hour per day for yourself!

Who would have thought that leaving a voicemail would impact your reputation?! This morning Kim @ Bike Virginia commented that my message was the easiest for her deal with because I left my name and number twice at the end of the message. Kim takes care of the customer experience and handles loads of calls every day. That my message elicited a comment prompts me to get back online and share the experience with you.

When you are asking someone to help you, make it as easy as possible for them and you’re more likely to be at the front of the line. Duh! I know. And, I’ve seen people that seem to want to be right more than they want to have their problem solved. They’re demanding, sometime rude, and sometime just missing a couple of bits that would help them reach their real goal – getting help. Sometime the caller (we) don’t realize the customer experience person doesn’t have all the background we do and they need to be filled in – calmly. And trust me, if you’re asking for help, unless you’re the boss, and even if you’re the customer, others can make things tough – drawing out the process, requiring extra steps, putting you on hold just because they need to calm down or think that you need to calm down.

Regarding the voicemail example, which is also addressed in another post here: Good Voicemail Messages Matter. When you give the full details for your call you leave a good impression. You build your brand to be what you want it to be. And, you’re more likely to get the results that you want. A little planning trick many people use is: jot on a piece of paper:

• Your goal for the call
• Supporting point 1
• Supporting point 2
• Supporting point 3 (max)
• What you’re going to ask the listener to do – be specific

This little trick also avoids hanging up, snapping your fingers and thinking, “Oh man, I forgot to mention…..”

Having this record also gives you confidence that you made the first call, what you said in case they miss something on their end, and allows you to move on.

Give it a try – let us know how it works!

When you're communicating via voice mail there is one thing that you can do to make the communication most effective – be complete and clear. For those of you saying, "No kidding," know that this message is prompted by recent messages I've received, voicemails, that just make me nuts on one hand and make me feel like I can be responsive on the other. The bad messages, "Hey, it's me, please give me a call," and "Hi Susan, its Terry, give me a call."

Here's what's missing:

• the full name of the person
  
• their phone number
• what I can do for them
• how urgently they need a call back
• and, if I don't know them, how they got my name

So here are some good messages:

"It's Steve Frank calling about the agreement you said you would send yesterday. I haven't received it. Please give me an update. Again, it's Steve Frank and my number is 416-622-6222 that's 416-622-6222."

"Hi Susan, its Bobby Allen, we met at the Keeping It Real event last week. I have an opportunity for you to write an article for our internal company newsletter. The deadline is in 2 weeks so I need to know if you're interested within the next day. You can reach me, Bobby Allen, at: 919-911-9111, to repeat, my number is 
919-911-9111. "

Have you received any 'remarkable' voicemail messages lately? We'd love to read about them so leave a comment below.

If you have many checking accounts it's a good time for you to consider streamlining this part of your life. Elaine writes that she has 4 checkbooks and uses different accounts for different things. As a streamliner I am almost speechless as I think about how complicated that must make things. Some complexities that come to mind:

• That means Elaine has to move money from one account to another just to keep the balances high enough to use the accounts.
• Elaine gets 4 statements every month.
• Each account should be reconciled every month (I doubt she does that but I can't bring myself to ask).
• I imagine promotional pieces come from each bank stuffing her mailbox frequently.
• What if she is spending money that is supposed to come out of a checking account that she does not have the checkbook for at the moment?
• She has to keep straight which account is for what types of expenses.

That all adds up to headache to me.

To streamline I suggest an alternative. First Elaine can simply move all her funds to her favorite bank and close 3 of the accounts. That bank might have the most locations close to her, offer free money card transactions, have the easiest download center online, and possibly all these features.

If she needs to track expenses by category the manual method is to put a code in the check register as she writes check. Periodically she tallies expenses by code.

The computer method is to download transactions to money management software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money, code the transactions to relevant categories, and enjoy the simplicity of automation totaling expenses by category. The great thing about the computer method is that the computer remembers how expenses from a particular vendor are categorized and automatically enters them next time she visits the vendor.

If you have multiple checking accounts please share the reasoning behind keeping them in a comment below. If you're going to close some accounts now, let us know that too.

If you are procrastinating there are a few steps you can take to get the ball

rolling and to achieve your goals. Here are some of the steps that worked on a recent bout with procrastination of my own.

1. Recognize that you’re procrastinating.
2. Narrow the thing you’re avoiding as much as possible.
3. Prepare as if you’re not putting things off.
4. When you stall, tell someone.
5. Follow their advice.
6. Report back to your someone.

Let me tell you story of my procrastination as it followed these steps.

I recognized that I was procrastinating because my desk is super organized, follow-up to almost everything pending is complete, I keep making trips to the kitchen for a snack, and I was not picking up the phone to find out the information I need (my goal).

I narrowed all the possible things that I was avoiding to one phone call. The goal of that phone call was to uncover the next step that I have to take with Dad’s estate. I know this is the thing that I was avoiding because almost everything else I need to do is done. I was happy to chat with my sister, my business Mastermind group, and almost everyone. I tidied my storage room, my notebooks, my computer, my kitchen (the curse of working at home), and my closet. I’d put getting the answers on the back burner while a presentation deadline loomed even though I might have been able to achieve both deadlines. After the other deadline past I was free to work on the estate question. I put it off for 10 days.

Finally I prepared as if I wasn’t putting off this phone call. I reviewed a teleseminar focused on the topic of the question. I made a list of the 6 specific segments of this question that needed clarification. I was really scared by this because it seemed so obtuse and like asking these questions was going to lead to a multitude of related tasks. I was sitting here with all the documentation in front of me 100% prepared to make the call.

I picked up the phone and dialed… a business friend (notice I justified the call by calling it business). This was a major stall move! After I checked in on an issue she’s wrestled with for the last week I did it. I said, “I need you to hold me accountable to making a call about Dad’s Estate.” And then, the tide turned. By asking LM to hold me accountable I had given myself the push to take the action I’d been avoiding and to make the call. I didn’t want to have to report that I was continuing to procrastinate. I was on my way to actually making the call (though with dread).

I picked up the phone and dialed – the people with the estate answers this time. Whayland said he couldn’t help me. My mind screamed, “Oh no, I knew this was going to be painful.” Wayland transferred me to Chuck. Twenty two minutes later I hung up the phone with my answers, confidence, and elation. It turned out these guys really did have the answers and it wasn’t going to require talking to a half-dozen people. The answers they gave me are manageable. The complexity I anticipated was 50 times what it actually is. And my procrastination is no more.

Of course I called LM immediately and told her the good news.

Now I have new, doable things on my ToDo list and can keep moving forward on Dad’s estate.

What have you been avoiding doing?

Why don’t you identify exactly what you’re avoiding and try telling someone about it. Be brave after you tell them about it and say, “Would you hold me accountable?” Feel free to offer a prize or penalty for yourself (whichever motivates you more). Watch and feel how your mindset changes once you’ve made your issue public. Override the procrastination and get that big thing done!

You’ve probably heard of Lean Manufacturing – a process improvement system at Toyota. Yvette Clay, Certified Professional Organizer at LivingOrder.com wrote this article and it was presented to me by Lorie Marrero former owner of LivingOrder and current creator of The Clutter Diet. I’ve had this article over a year – and the principles have staying power. I think you’ll find value in it.

The other day I was discussing a friend’s workplace with him – he is a machinist at Sanmina.  They are required to follow the 5S (Lean Manufacturing) methodology in keeping their workspaces organized and clean.  A lot of the information below is geared towards manufacturing environments, but the principals it may be used in almost any application.  I found it to be very interesting!

5S (methodology)

5S is a reference to a list of five Japanese words which ’start’ with S. This list is a mnemonic for a methodology that is often incorrectly characterized as “standardized cleanup”, however it is much more than cleanup. 5S is a philosophy and a way of organizing and managing the workspace by eliminating waste.

What is 5S?

The key targets of 5S are workplace morale and efficiency. The assertion of 5S is that by assigning everything a location time is not wasted by looking for things. Additionally, it is quickly obvious when something is missing from its designated location. 5S advocates believe that the benefits of this methodology come from deciding what should be kept, where it should be kept, and how it should be stored. This decision making process should lead to a dialog which can build a clear understanding between employees of how work should be done. It also instills ownership of the process in each employee. As a result, it is often executed in tandem with standard work which standardizes the processes in which the items organized in 5S are used.

The 5S’s are:

Seiri (整理): tidiness, organization. Refers to the practice of sorting through all the tools, materials, etc., in the work area and keeping only essential items. Everything else is stored or discarded. This leads to fewer hazards and less clutter to interfere with productive work.

Seiton (整頓): orderliness. Focuses on the need for an orderly workplace. “Orderly” in this sense means arranging the tools and equipment in an order that promotes work flow. Tools and equipment should be kept where they will be used, and the process should be ordered in a manner that eliminates extra motion.

Seiso (清掃): systemized cleanliness. Indicates the need to keep the workplace clean as well as neat. Cleaning in Japanese companies is a daily activity. At the end of each shift, the work area is cleaned up and everything is restored to its place. The key point is that maintaining cleanliness should be part of the daily work – not an occasional activity initiated when things get too messy.

Seiketsu (清潔): standards. This refers to standardized work practices. It refers to more than standardized cleanliness (otherwise this would mean essentially the same as “systemized cleanliness”). This means operating in a consistent and standardized fashion. Everyone knows exactly what his or her responsibilities are.

Shitsuke (躾): sustaining discipline. Refers to maintaining standards. Once the previous 4S’s have been established they become the new way to operate. Maintain the focus on this new way of operating, and do not allow a gradual decline back to the old ways of operating.

We’ll look into Lean for the Office more in coming months.

The Smead Corporation has developed a ‘must visit’ website for those who want to get more organized. Of course selling their terrific products is the impetus behind the website. And, they’ve put a lot of good information there while they’re at it. (I get nothing from them for saying these nice things.)

My favorite feature is the calculator -  because it makes the downside of disorganization vivid. That makes the upside of organization equally vivid. Try it now. 

Most companies that bring me in justify the cost with a Return on Investment that is less than one month. Often it’s a matter of a couple of weeks. That means the ROI to you learning productivity skills is also high.

You might like the personalized solution that is at My Organiomics. You’re asked a few questions then specific solutions, centered on Smead Products, are offered. Even if you aren’t attracted to some of the Smead products you might get a good idea for how to tweak your own supplies or system.

Look also at the Hot Topics offerings. The articles by Audrey Thomas of OrganizedAudrey.com are particularly well written and focused on the fundamentals. As I always say, doing the fundamentals very well over and over pays big dividends. Ask Tiger Woods or Michael Phelps – they stroke and swing to big payoffs.

Are you listening, really listening when you’re in a meeting? If you are, you’re one of 30% of the people who listen in a meeting – including 1 on 1 with your significant other.
You will be engaged if you really listen. Like this photo you link with others when you’re engaged. Successful people share the trait of really listening. Those folks are successful in business and in relationships.

How do you know if you’re listening? Here are a few of ways:

• You don’t have any distractions such as a cell phone, a blackberry, or computer active.
• You make eye contact with the speaker most of the time.
• You ask questions that summarize what you heard and confirm that you understand what the speaker is meaning to say. The speaker responds saying you’re on target perhaps replying, “Exactly.”

Take a minute and think of times you haven’t been heard. This is the ‘other side of the coin’ and usually more personal and impactful. This is what you don’t want to do or have done to you:

• Multitask with the conversation being one of the things your attention is spread across
• Have a side conversation during a main conversation
• Look away from the other person most of the time
• Interrupt to say what popped into your mind
• Ask the person to repeat what they just said more than once

Think you’re a good listener? Ask your spouse, boy/girlfriend, kids, co-workers. The impact of honest answers is worth the risk of asking.

Do you get more solicitations for donations than you can stand? Are trees felled to simply support charitable organizations’ solicitation initiative which means junk mail to you? I have to say I admire how thoroughly many not-for-profits understand direct marketing – they know how many times to mail to you per month, what to say in those letters, when to include a self-addressed-stamped envelope or comment that your stamp will help support finding a cure for (fill in the blank) and a whole barrel of other things to get money into their bank account for their worthy causes. And, enough is enough.

As many of you readers know, my Dad passed away early this year. Putting a change of address at his post office has resulting in more solicitations per week than I used to get per year. I am the most persistent junk-mail reductionist you’ll ever meet. And I’ve found a new step to take.

First a reminder: Step 1 to stop junk mail is Opt-Out and the Direct Marketing association website. Here’s the first article on that here at the PCafe: Stop Junk Mail.

To stop the stuff coming to Dad I have a two action approach.

#1 – Open the solicitation. Cut out the portion of the letter that contains his (your) address. Put a bright post-it on requesting that this address be removed from the charity’s lists – all lists – and that you are Opting Out. Use the enclosed envelope (even if you have to put your own stamp on it) and send in your request.

#2 – Go to the charity’s website. Today I did the Alzheimer’s Association.
Find the ‘contact us’ button and click on it.
At the bottom of the page find the privacy policy link. Click on it.
Read until you find the section on mailing to you. At Alzheimer’s Association it said the following:

Your choice

We respect your privacy and recognize that you may wish to limit the ways in which we contact you. Simply send an e-mail to info@alz.org with the following information:

• To remove your name from mailing lists shared with other organizations, please provide your full name, mailing address and a sentence requesting removal.
  
• To remove your name from the Alzheimer’s Association postal mailing list, please provide your full name, mailing address and a sentence requesting suppression of your personal information in our files.
  

To review or correct your personal information with the Alzheimer’s Association, please provide your name and a sentence requesting a review or a correction.

Then, follow their instructions.

Be sure to put "Opt Out" in the subject line of an email.
Then, cross your fingers.