I’m on a bit of the productivity roll at the moment. Admittedly, I’m always looking for ways to streamline my workflow and become more efficient in the way work.
So I really resonated with this productivity chart from Funders and Founders.
You can print out a bigger version here.
It features the 80/20 Rule, of which I’m a big fan. The other strategies I’m particularly fond of include:
* No meetings unless they are decisive
There is nothing more frustrating than talking for hours without achieving a definite outcome. To avoid suffering from “death by meeting”, start each meeting by determining how long it’s going to take and what decisions you want to make by the end of it.
* Start an “Idea Dump” book for genius ideas you can’t work on right now
I love this – and it’s a must. I used to write down all of my ideas, but they were never collated in one spot. So I would have ideas on post-it notes, notebooks, Evernote, on the notes function in my phone – all over the place! I needed a better system because whenever I went to look for the bright idea I had come up with I was constantly searching in multiple places.
Centralise your ideas. After a while, you’ll also see a clear pattern in the kinds of ideas you generate. This is useful because it can be a signal for you on what you should spend your time on.
* If you can’t understand what an email asks, don’t answer
I totally agree with the premise behind this strategy. However, I typically DO answer. I simply state: “I don’t understand what you’re asking from me.”
Too often, people rush off hurried emails without thinking about what they want to achieve. As a result, there is no structure to the email and they’re not clear about what they’re asking for. When I respond in this way it forces the sender to articulate clearly exactly what they want from me. In some cases, it’s obvious that they don’t actually know – and I never get a return email.
* If you have a mind block, make a mind map
I love mind-mapping. It helps me spew out the contents of my brain. It’s like the process of emptying a drawer full of stuff – except that you do it on a whiteboard or on a sheet of paper. The act of mind-mapping means that you draw connections between certain projects and tasks, so it’s like rearranging the contents of that drawer into neat little Kikki-K containers. You always feel more satisfied at the end!
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