Energy-Driven Task List

I'm a heavy Instagram guy. I love connecting with people from around the world who aren't in my "regular circle." I hear different perspectives on issues, see interesting places, and learn a lot. A number of these folks talk about energy...our personal energy.

Not Sure At First
I'll be honest. Some of this energy talk is a bit much for me to accept. I understand there is more to it than I have learned. But, come on...

And then...a close friend brought up the notion of energy, and how we directly apply it to our work. Yes, I've heard the old message that says "do the toughest work...or most boring work...or most interesting work...when you feel fresh" conversation....but which is it?

Back to my friend, who knows I live and die with Wunderlist. Next thing I knew the whole energy dialogue was framed up in terms of my task list. Whoa! 

Energy driven task list?

"Say that again,"I said. 

Opportunistic with my Energy
That exchange shifted how I think about my work, and my work day. Instead of labeling myself as a morning person, or a night owl, or whatever is in-between; I now view the times when I have a surge of energy as opportunities to destroy my task list.

When my energy is high, I capitalize on it and roar through my list. When my energy is low, I don't beat myself up for not feeling just right at my previously scheduled time to "have energy."

Genius? Maybe not.
Incredibly effective? Oh, yes.

How About You
How do you maximize your effectiveness each day, without the leadership guilt trip that "you should be doing so much more right now?" As my Instagram friends will tell you...tune into your own energy...and make it work for you.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Remote Leader Life

There is a lot of content out there about remote worker life. Lots of questions too...

...how do you stay connected to your employees?
...how do you ensure productivity remains high?
...how do you extend your on-site corporate culture to your distributed team?

The list could go on and on, right? 

Wait, What?
One of the groups that I rarely see mentioned, and to which I belong, is remote leadership. 

For more than twenty years I drove to a specific location for my "work." It was familiar, routine, comfortable, and was what I thought "work" was supposed to look like.

Until it didn't look that way any longer.

Suddenly I didn't have a place to go to; but instead, was 100% virtual. Whoa. What just happened here? 

Where are all of the conference rooms? 
Where are all of the wasted moments spent walking between meetings?
Where are all of the people interrupting me?

Hidden Opportunities
Staying connected to colleagues, team members, and clients is a real challenge. Keeping an open mind relative to video technology, for me, has been crucial. Seeing people...not just hearing them on a conference call...is so powerful. Get over your hang-ups and embrace it.

Consider the dramatic drop in interruptions as a gift to you from your coworkers. Take full advantage of the time you have and go for it. Attack your to do list, and feel how satisfying it can be when you own your day vs. your day owning you.

Lastly, use the flexibility you have in your schedule to stay connected to humanity. 

When I know I have a few hours where I won't need to be on the phone, I head for a local coffee shop. I'm still head down with my work, but I'm around other humans. That energizes me and helps me feel much less isolated.

How About You
Perhaps the lesson in all of this if finding the proper balance. Remote life isn't for everyone; nor should everyone be stuck commuting to and from an office that does not support a healthy work environment.

I feel incredibly blessed to have successfully made the transition from office only...to a healthy mix of virtual, corporate office, and the great big off-site world. Is remote work part of your world?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

I Grind Harder Than You

I've spent lots of time over the years pushing myself. 

that ridiculous "inbox zero" goal...

the perceived need to be the first one in the office and the last to leave...

the email sessions over the weekend to stay on top of every single thing in the universe...

and worst of all, the guilt that comes from actually giving myself some down time.

What is Wrong With Me
Maybe it comes with age...er...not being an up and comer anymore? Maybe it's a new lens that we are blessed with when we cross the halfway mark (yes, I'm over 50). Or, maybe it's just that I'm thinking about my whole self, and how taking care of my whole self actually makes me a better member of my organization?

How is this post any different than the ones that talk about work / life balance and taking care of yourself?

Well, it's not about everyone else like those other posts. This one is about me.

Slowly Figuring It Out
Over the last year or so, I've finally started to distance myself from "work guilt" and have completely moved away from the odd concept of "work / life balance."

First, the guilt. 

Understanding that my entire life is not defined by the work I do (although I am extremely proud of what we're doing at Kinetix); and, that the success we are having can not be the only thing that represents who I am.

My family, my faith, my friends and my health are also huge parts of who I am. Recognizing that those pieces also deserve my "time" has been an important and positive shift for me.

Now, that balance fallacy.

For a long time I've struggled to let go of trying to balance my work life and personal life. Not necessarily in the way you might think though. The realization that has finally come is to fully embrace that notion that my life includes both my work and personal lives throughout every day.

I may need to spend a night (or several) working on a proposal, catching up on work tasks or prepping for a busy day. The weekend might provide the only time I can focus on important follow up items.

I also may need to spend part of a day addressing other pressing issues in my life that are not work related...but they are "me" related.

My whole self. 

It comes down to balancing my whole life, not trying to compartmentalize the many facets of who I am into nice little buckets and time slots on my calendar.

Life balance.

How About You
Have you gotten caught up in the mindset of hyper-productivity is the only true productivity? I was there for many years. Now, I embrace all of the parts of my life and I feel stronger and more effective than ever. I wish it hadn't taken so long to get here.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Do You See Them?

This week is one of my favorites of the year. Why? It's the week of our annual meeting at Kinetix. We bring all of our employees together from across the country to our corporate office in Atlanta for training, team-building, and celebration of an incredibly successful year.

Moments
One of the best parts of the week each year is the series of individual moments I have with our team. Quiet sidebar conversations about work, life, career aspirations, or challenges happening right then.

It is a privilege to have these moments actually. They are important to the team members who are kind enough to value my opinion; and they are important to me because the team trusts me enough to be involved in what's happening in their world.

That's not just "work." That's trust, and respect, and how it should be.

Seeing Them
During our company photo shoot I was chatting with one of the other executives here, and they said to me...

"...just look at our group...we have an unbelievable team of people here now...I'm not just saying it...

they truly are incredible..."

That's powerful.

...and that's one of the things I love about being a member of the leadership team here at Kinetix. 

Our employees are not FTEs, or staff, or commodities. 

They are people, who work hard, have good values, and add to our culture far beyond their performance of 18% productivity growth. 

They are people who we have the privilege to have on the team.

How About You
How do you see the members of your team? Are they replaceable, or maybe simply a seat that needs to be filled? Or, are they much more than that?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Share Your Hacks!

We all have little tips and tricks that improve our productivity (or at least we think they do!) I'd love to learn some of your great ideas so I can get the most out of my day.

Here are a few of my simple hacks...please share yours!

New Contact
- immediately grab their photo from their Linkedin profile and add it to their contact information on your phone

To Do Items
- keep Wunderlist open at all times and add a new item in real time (no post-it notes, it's 2016!)

Status of Work
- add very brief notes to your task list app, dated each time, to keep track of how things are coming along

Meetings / Projects
- keep Evernote open at all times, and as issues/tasks come up, drop those items into the corresponding folder so you have your meeting notes ready to go and don't have to try and remember all of the issues at the last minute

Pictures
- take a screen shot of your boarding pass when you check in on your phone (in case you can't pull up your phone signal at the airport)
- always take a pic of where you parked at the airport (next to the sign that shows your level and location)

How About You
What do you do to make your work life easier? Do you still use the same approach that worked during Ronald Reagan's first term; or, have you come up with a fantastic new approach?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Wonders At Your Feet

There are times when we believe we have built the perfect team. We convince ourselves that once those final few pieces fall into place all will be right in our world of work. We so desperately want things to be smooth and steady.

But that's not how work happens.

So Much To Do
For any of you that have glanced at my blog over the years you know I am a big fan of lists. When I say lists, I mean digital lists. (Post it notes and stacks of paper are so 1985.) The upside of using lists for everything in your life means you're super organized. The downside is that you can feel pretty overwhelmed at times.

Don't let the lists become your world. They are a tool...they are not the boss of you! They are a system to help you keep your priorities moving in the right direction. They are an asset, so stop thinking about them as a daily liability.

Teams Are Stronger Than You Think
When we realize some of our team members are struggling, and combine that with our never ending task list we can feel like throwing in the towel.

However, all is not lost. Nor is the road ahead as bumpy as we may think. Challenge yourself to do the following:

- identify and recognize the strong players on your team and what they've done to overcome adversity, rise up and meet challenges, and push themselves to a new level

- summarize the huge amount of work that you and your team have completed in the last six months

- push those who are lagging behind very, very hard

You Are Stronger Than You Think Too
Some days the cumulative weight of pressure at work can bring us to our knees. But today is not one of those days. 

Your focus, commitment to world-class work, and unwavering intolerance for anything less than exceptional performance  has helped you get this far, and it will power you ahead into the future.

Do not lose sight of the impact you have on the workplace, or on the lives of those around you.

How About You
Are you looking at the days ahead with a sense of loathing; or, have you decided to take a look around and appreciate the wonders that have been lurking just beneath the surface? Now is the time to keep pushing, and to keep making the difference you make every day.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Second Flame

I’m tossing a challenge out today. I think you’re up for it. It involves focus, commitment, energy, and desire. It will mean more than just being a good team player, or coach, or leader. It will mean sacrificing your time…almost all of it…to do one thing.

Win.

You…Today

Today we’re all about being busy. Really? Everyone is busy. What is your first reaction when you hear someone complaining about being busy? Do you think they can’t manage their workload effectively? Maybe they don’t understand how to protect time on their calendar to do their work, instead of being stuck in meetings all day. Or the classic, that they are in fact busy but never actually get any work done. There is a huge difference between busy and productive.

Busy…for the sake of busy…is failure.

The Challenge

Before I get to the challenge, it is important to clarify that you must be motivated to be the best you can be in your job. Not pretty good…not giving it your best shot…not using a bunch of lame excuses as to why things didn’t work out quite the way you hoped.

You must be absolutely committed. 

If you’re still with me, and I hope you are…here’s my challenge:

You and I will go all out in our work for the next 90 days. We will push ourselves, we will rely on each other for motivation, we will hold each other accountable, we will do whatever it takes...

…and we will win.

Let’s face it. Non-stop, clear the decks sacrifice is not sustainable forever. We will need to recharge our batteries. By committing to a 90 day onslaught we will be able to totally commit, and at at the same time know we will have a chance to catch our breath before too long.

How About You

It’s time to do more that get a second wind this fall. It’s time for a second flame! I’m fired up about having a kick-ass 90 day sprint. Are you up for it?

Let’s win!

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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My Most Productive Day...and a Fail

Recently I was at a surprise retirement party for a colleague. After we all yelled "surprise!" and the battle to keep the tears from falling was well underway, I settled into a conversation with a new member of our organization about the nature of work.

Productivity
Our talk ran the gamut of shared experiences in cities we had both worked and/or lived in. But then quickly moved to how we get work done, and how the world of work has changed in such a way that being at work actually limits our ability to accomplish our work.

We both realized that the physical act of being in our workplace, more often than not, limits our ability to truly be productive. This got me thinking about all sorts of issues: 

- Why I spend so much time at work if I know I could use some of that time differently and be much more productive?;

- Why corporate culture equates long hours sitting in a room in a building (my office), with being a great leader and dedicated employee?

- Why I haven't been more assertive in taking charge of this (despite encouraging my team to spend time away from the office getting their work done!)?

Coffee, Wifi, and Solitude
As our conversation went a bit deeper I tried to remember what I would consider my most productive day ever. It didn't take long. I was in Baltimore on business, but my schedule was a bit odd. I had a Tuesday evening meeting, and then no formal commitments until Thursday.

Oh the guilt! I certainly couldn't fly back to Florida for one day, so I realized I needed to get myself organized to try to make the most out of an "open" day in between my scheduled meetings.

...and it was the most productive day of my life...

Enter The Daily Grind along Baltimore's waterfront. A terrific coffee shop that has good wifi and plenty of seating. I know what you're thinking..."Jay, have you ever heard of Starbucks?"  

The real issue here is that during my six hours of uninterrupted, focused time I accomplished more than I have on any other day in my work history. 

The real issue here is that I didn't seize the moment and build a completely different approach to my work, despite knowing this made sense for me.

The real issue here is that I quickly fell back into the trap that long hours in a room filled with interruptions equals  good leadership.

How About You
Do you know something makes perfect sense but the pressure around you in the workplace is holding you back from taking action? Why do we continue to do that to ourselves and our teams? Maybe we're the generation of leaders that will finally break the pre-technology notion that sitting in meeting rooms all day is the best way to get things done?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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Determined to Fail...and Win

I've been trying a bunch of social media strategies. If you were to ask my team how things are going, they would more than likely respond by saying "...with which approach?...it feels like we have a new one every week!"

That's probably not the answer I was hoping for, but I'll have to admit it's an honest one.

Try, Learn, Toss

Despite my somewhat assertive style on going social, there is a saving grace in my approach. My team is expected to try new things, learn from that experience, and toss the strategies that don't work to the wayside.

For me, that is much easier said than done. I love trying new approaches and waiting to see if they get any traction. But I need to know when they're not working, and make sure my team doesn't waste any valuable time on something that is bound to fail.

Personal Productivity

I've been experimenting with my own work as well. Recently I've fallen in love with Evernote. I've fallen in and out of love with iMExchange2...and am beginning to fall for Wunderlist. As my work moves farther away from my personal computer and is based almost exclusively around my iPad, these apps are becoming much more than convenient...they are essential tools for business.

How About You
I'm not sure if this "try everything in site" philosophy is going to pay off or not. But I do know that I refuse to remain on the sidelines while the world is roaring by with great new approaches, apps, and systems all designed to help me and my team be more effective.

What are you doing on your quest to fail...and win?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Where Is The Accountability?

Sometimes I feel we've all gotten a bit soft in today's world. It's so easy to turn away, claim we need a bit more documentation, or to simply ignore the situation until it is so polluted that the decision you should have made months ago is now pathetically obvious (and nearly risk-free.)

But at what cost?

It's Okay To Get Involved

What happens in our organizations when we as HR leaders identify issues but do nothing about them? Here's a short list:

- Low morale

- Decreased productivity

- Bad turnover

- Poor quality work product or service
- A spot on the "Worst Places to Work" list

How About You
Where are you on this issue HR? Do feel more comfortable waiting for people to come to you with full documentation of every little issue that has ever occurred before you act?

Or, do you go get the information you need so you can actually contribute and support all of those great employees that are watching and waiting for someone to take action?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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