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While I can’t claim to be the most perfect model of productivity every day of my life, I do have an entire cadre of tools I call upon so that I can get stuff done. And not just stuff, important stuff!
For me, productivity starts with setting the intention. For example, when I committed to writing this piece for colabears.com, I set the intention to do it. I put it onto my personal device where I keep lists of all my important action items. In my case, this is a BlackBerry. Others may prefer a pad of paper. The point is, the commitment is made and appropriate reminders about deadlines are set.
I set aside time on my calendar specifically to write this piece, amply padding it so that I have room for emergencies that might come up and would still be able to make my deadline. I lock myself away in my office with a sign on my door that says “On deadline, please do not disturb. Thanks.” I do not answer phones or check email. I focus completely on the task at hand.
Another important consideration is the working environment. I like a place with lots of light and attractive décor. In my office, I have my sea shell and fossil collections, antique furniture, my grandfather’s desk from his law practice, beautiful art on the walls, my vision board and plenty of photos of family, friends and my cats. This is a pleasant place for me to be and to work and, therefore, I am more productive here.
Here are some great tips I have learned along the way. One is to set a kitchen timer in your office for 15 or 30 minutes so that you focus on something you really need to do, but may dread doing. This way, you are focusing on it for a finite period of time and getting work on it accomplished. This is a good way to get that book you have been meaning to write, actually written. There are online versions of timers you can set on your computer, like www.e.ggtimer.com or www.online-stopwatch.com, as well.
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The Power of Six
Another is called the Power of Six. The story behind it goes something like this: A man was running a large company and trying to figure out why it was losing money and his employees were being so unproductive. He called in a consultant who told him he had a solution. The business owner explained he didn’t have much money to pay and the consultant said “You can just pay me what you think my advice it worth once you see the results.”
The consultant told him to have each employee use the Power of Six. Each of them creates a list of six action items to accomplish out of their myriad “to do” lists, focusing on the six most important activities and those that would bring revenues to the company or save it money. They could not add any new items to the bottom of the list until the one at the top had been accomplished.
The business owner decided to give it a try. Within a few months, his company had completely turned around and was making money hand over fist. The employees were productive and happy to be contributing to the company’s bottom line. A year later, the consultant got something in the mail from the business owner: A check for $100,000. The business owner’s note said that the Power of Six was the best advice he had ever received.
While I do not always follow the Power of Six religiously, I do use it and, yes, it is highly effective. Try
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these tips and let me know what you think – I would love to hear yours!
Beth McRae
Beth McRae oversees The McRae Agency with over 20 years in the public relations and marketing communications industries. She has represented clients such as Google, KB Home, Red Bull, Tiffany & Co. and Sunny Delight. She is also the creator of Build Some Buzz, a website dedicated to entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses by building marketing buzz.
Beth has a history of community involvement and board leadership in San Diego, San Francisco and Phoenix. She recently chaired the 50th Anniversary of the Heart Ball, which benefits the American Heart Association. She was previously appointed to the Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women and is a graduate of Valley Leadership, a Phoenix-based leadership training program. She is one of the founders of Las Palomas, a women’s organization dedicated to raising money and awareness of smaller women’s and children’s charities. Las Palomas puts on numerous events annually and has raised well over a million dollars for non profits in just a few years.
She earned a bachelor of science in journalism, with an emphasis in public relations and advertising, and a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from Texas Christian University where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Sigma Pi. She has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.
Buzz-Building Guru and Author
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