Terry picked up the phone and quickly dialed the Private Client Services rep, Mark, and got his
voicemail. Terry’s message was brief and direct – "This is Terry Boyd returning your call. I appreciate your quick response to my request for those documents. They arrived on Monday. Thank you for offering to explore how you could help me in my role as trustee. I have been using XXX Services for over 20 years and will be staying with them. I am not a prospect or future client. Thanks Again." Click

Did Terry do Mark a favor?

Was Terry short or abrupt?

If Terry is a man would you answer the question above differently than if Terry is a woman?

If it were you leaving that message how many times or ways would you say "Good Bye?" Thanks again, have a good week, keep up the good work, good bye?

Tactfully and clearly stating your full and true message in a direct manner is a skill that will help you be productive. Your productivity is aided by curtailing endless pursuits by customer service people, sales people, or people who will ask you to do something you don’t want to or won’t do.

Agree?

Disagree?

Where could use such direct, firm, and truthful communication?

David Allen advocates the weekly review – and he’s had a book on the NYT best seller list for a couple of years. However, for some of us the Hagerty Review might be a better way to review our work and plan for future success.

The Hagerty Review has us stop and look at what’s going on in our work and realm of responsibilities. Then we summarize it in a report. This report is sent to our manager and retained, of course, for our own reference. The very slick (and smart) thing about sending it to our manager is that it involves him or her in our success while keeping us on our path to success.

Since we at the Productivity Cafe like to be streamlined and standardized like lean operations of Toyota manufacturing, there is a standard report form to the Hagerty Weekly Review. Here are the elements of the report.

• Progress I made this week.
• Professional goals involved in my work this week.
• Obstacles I encountered this week and how I over came them.
• I could use help from [insert manager's name] to:
• Priorities for next week (top 3-5)
• A co-worker or someone who positively impacted my work this week

That’s it. Simple and to the point the Hagerty Review will help you and your manager keep on track. Create a document with just these categories. Name it: My Weekly Review Blank Form. Complete it during your CEO time each Friday. Send it to your boss, save a copy, review it on Monday and when you’re writing your annual review.

From a psychological motivation point of view, simply committing to this summary each week will heighten your awareness of how you’re spending your time and the results you’re moving toward or achieving. You will stay on course toward the goals you’ve set because you keep your eye on them. Yes, it is still difficult to stop and take stock of your activities. Yet, the payoff is manyfold. When will you have your next CEO time and try the Hagerty Review?

Do you recognize the time that you’re motoring along ‘doing your job’ and you lose track of time because you’re enjoying it so much? You’re using your skills, knowledge and experience to make things happen. You clearly see the path that you’re on and the destination you’re moving toward with a project, thought, communication or other activity. You forget to eat until someone invites you to join them for lunch. You use your dnd (do not disturb) button on your phone and enjoy gaining momentum as you get in the zone of the thing that your mind is doing.

What part of your job causes this focus and pleasure?

How can you do more of that?

This an especially pressing question if you don’t enjoy the whole ‘package’ of going to work. Focus on those things that are easy to get wrapped up doing and do one of two things, or do both. Design an evolution of your job to include more of the things you passionately enjoy. Propose it to your manager. NOTE: when presenting it to your manager focus on what the benefit are for him, the team, and the company. Sure, this is your dream job, or moving toward your dream job, but that should be a small justification for your proposal to her.

Second, look around your company and other companies for positions that ‘require’ more of what your favorite functions are. If you like leadership positions such as project management or meeting facilitation, look for positions that have a lot of that activity.

Why do you do what you do? Why wouldn’t you do it a more streamlined a.k.a. productive way? One of the fun moments when I’m working with a client one-on-one is when I ask, "Why do you do it that way?" and they answer, "Because I never thought of that option!"

Since I’m an outsider I am constantly viewing things through my lenses. Given that my point of view is trained in efficiency, some lean principles, simplicity, and effectiveness…. I’m always looking for ways to eliminate waste, create systems, and improve processes.

For example, Rich had all the files related to establishing his business right in his desk. The company has been up and running for 4+ years. Those documents are no longer accessed regularly so I asked him, "Rich, why do you keep these close you when you rarely use them anymore?" Rich said, "Well, they’ve always been there since I started the company and I just didn’t think about moving them into farther reaches since we’re in full swing." The files related to the incorporation of the business and ongoing legal documents are now in a credenza on the other side of his office. The result: Rich’s desk now has room for files related to the things that he does daily and weekly.

So the question is: Why wouldn’t you invite an outsider with fresh perspective to ask, "How about modifying how you do things?"

Sending you bold wishes for an enjoyable long weekend as we celebrate Independence Day in the States. Having traveled to 49 other countries, I still love ours the best and realize how fortunate that by good luck and surely nothing I did I was born in the land of opportunity. I’m counting my many blessing and advantages.

May this weekend be filled with good food, R&R, and fun-loving companions for you!

Millions of dollars of time are invested in meetings. Bad meetings mean lots of wasted money. Bad meetings mean diminished morale. Is this problem worse than email domination? I’m not sure but it’s up there on the list of things that ruin people’s work day.

It’s seldom that I review my consulting work with you. Today is one of those rare days. That’s because this is a vivid situation that I’d like to share with you and explore over a number of articles here. I’m passionate about stopping waste and especially passionate about stopping waste of such a limited and precious resource as time.

Let’s start with the characteristics of bad meetings. There are lots of them. Here are my top 5:

• No agenda
• An agenda that isn’t followed
• Starting late and running late
• One person dominating the meeting
• Making everyone hear material again while a latecomer is briefed
• Lack of follow-through (I know, this is #6 but I couldn’t pick any to leave off)

What’s on your list?

Here’s the calculation. This organization has between 6,000 and 7,000 employees. If we can save each one from a badly-run one-hour meeting once a week the savings for the company is in the range of $2,750,000 per year. If we can save them from two one-hour meetings, well, this is an urgently needed improvement.

Going beyond the value of the time saved will be increased productivity. While people are out of meetings they’ll actually be getting their work done. And, not having to prepare for wasteful meeting frees up even more time and lightens the workload burden.

And best of all, these employees will be happier. Happy employees mean productive employees. Morale will get a boost when employees feel heard, feel like they’re contributing, and determine their time is applied satisfactorily (rather than wasted in some meetings).

It’s curious that well run, well prepared meetings seem to be the exception rather than the rule. How is it in the company where you work? Comment below so we can start talking about this meeting culture.