Being a leader in today’s world comes with many challenges. Among those challenges is the never-ending request from employees, clients, family and friends for your time, input, and attention.  Eliminating interruptions (and distractions) is a key fundamental from The ASCEND Method™ that ensures you are able to lead the growth and innovation you are most excited about as a leader, while continuing to meet the day to day needs of those who matter most to your business and your life.

The productivity fundamental of eliminating distractions and interruptions will more easily fall into place if you have already implemented strategies to support the previous principles from The ASCEND Method™ (Advocating for self, Simplifying your focus, Communicating boundaries).  As you continue taking the reins on your environment and calendar, you will undoubtedly begin seeing the ROI of self-discipline and self-management. 

Interruptions and Distractions

First things first, distractions and interruptions are not synonymous.  Distractions are internally driven; most often we distract ourselves!  We allow the “shiny objects” to grab our attention even when we know the importance or urgency of the task at hand.  Our thoughts are often what pull us away from our own work, which means we have a lot of control over the elimination of distractions.  

When I work from home, for example, I often close the blinds because I know how easily I will be (visually) distracted by neighborhood and street activity.  A client of mine has adopted the habit of starting her day with a “brain dump” in her paper planner, in an effort to proactively capture any errant thought or reminder that is likely to pop into her mind later that day, as she settles into her workday.

Interruptions, by contrast, are externally driven.  Typically it is other people or technology creating interruptions throughout the day.  According to a recent study, knowledge/desk workers experience interruptions every three minutes. It is nearly impossible to achieve productivity in 3 minute increments! Once you begin identifying the people or prompts that most frequently interrupt you, the more successfully you can preemptively eliminate them and create greater opportunities to focus and produce!. 

Project: Elimination

Begin with curiosity.  Spend a few days at work and at home playing the role of observer.  I have challenged many clients to have a sticky note next to their computer where they tally the number of times they are interrupted or distracted while working from their desk.  Figure out the ratio of self distraction to external interruptions.  With this new-found awareness, you can now implement an action plan.  Once you have a greater sense of awareness, there are many tactics to minimize what is drawing you away from your focused work.

Maximizing Impact

Below are three key strategies to become a more focused leader while maximizing your impact:

Turn off notifications.  You most likely do not need notifications enabled for all of your apps, nor do you need them active on your phone AND watch AND computer AND tablet! Notifications are always the pre-set default because software and app companies want to keep pulling you into their product.  It really is on you to take that extra step and turn off notifications wherever and whenever possible.  If you didn’t have the bubble or the pop-up, would you actually forget that you had an inbox?  Of course not!  This is a great example of where we have conditioned ourselves to be reactive. This is a very easy place to flip the script and be proactive.  Without the notifications, you choose when you are going to seek out the information you need, instead of allowing the messages to find you at all moments of the day.

Work Offline.  If you are a desk/knowledge worker, your computer is likely essential to 80% of your tasks, but often you can get those things completed without always being connected to the  internet.  Look for opportunities to disconnect for small periods of time, so the outside world doesn’t have access to you via your inbox, social media, and/or breaking news alerts.  Are there parts of your day where you can turn off your wifi to create a helpful barrier?  Building this habit can contribute to staying singularly focused and can easily eliminate the reflex of accessing information on a whim. Both Microsoft and Google have a feature allowing you to work offline to prevent incoming messages to lead you astray.  With the click of a button, you can cut your access to the internet and others access to you for specific periods of time so that you are staying fully focused.

Be Available, not Overly Accessible.  Leaders often feel the pull to be “just a call or a wall away” at any moment for their team.  The reality is, you do not have to have a 24/7 open door policy to be a supportive and caring leader.  As a leader, you can set up designated times each day or week when you are fully available to your team and balance those times with other blocks of protected time when you are unavailable.  This is an example of setting healthy boundaries in a workplace.  By modeling this behavior, you will empower the team to minimize their own interruptions.  Ideally, this can become part of the workplace culture; Cultivating work relationships and respecting the importance of deep work time.

If your team or organization needs a reset to enhance focus and contain the interruptions, reach out to explore a customized training to maximize the final quarter of the year! 

The key lies in creating a culture of trust and independence. You can begin by reflecting on your current delegation strategies and how you have developed your organization’s R&Rs (Roles & Responsibilities). Are you truly cultivating a sense of responsibility and self-sufficiency within your team, or are there simply stopgap solutions in place to bridge the gap during your time away? Preparing your team  is crucial to truly disconnect and be present with your loved ones. It is also a critical step in building a succession plan, to ensure you are building a business and a legacy that will last long after you have set off into the sunset!

Strategic Delegation

Evaluate how tasks are assigned and managed within your team. Ensure that your team members are not just familiar with tasks but are fully capable of handling crucial operations independently and confidently. This can be achieved through the following action steps:

• Documentation: From systems and processes to procedures and best practices, make sure these are well-documented and accessible to your trusted advisors or senior team members, regardless of who executes these steps presently.

• Empower Your Team: Encourage team members to take on greater leadership roles as early in their tenure with your company as possible.. This empowerment allows them to demonstrate their capabilities and readiness to lead.

• Define Priorities: Clearly distinguish between what’s urgent, important, and what is a true emergency. Have proactive discussions about these categories to minimize unnecessary interruptions, not only while you are away for travel or family time, but also during the day to day operation of the business.

John C. Maxwell in Leadershift reminds us, “It’s wonderful when the people help their leader, but it’s even more wonderful when the leader helps the people.” By setting your team up for success, you’re not just stepping away; you’re stepping up your leadership.

Building Trust and Confidence

The goal is for you to be able to detach completely, feeling secure in the knowledge that your team can handle the day-to-day operations. This requires building a deep-seated trust that fosters confidence among your team members. They should know that the company can not only survive but thrive in your absence. As Andrew Carnegie said, “It marks a big step in your development when you come to realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could do alone.”

Communication and Boundaries

Before you turn on your “OOO” auto-responder, be sure to take these important steps:

• Set Communication Guidelines: Define what warrants a check-in and establish boundaries for these communications. Consider designating a specific time early in the morning or a single point of contact at the office to streamline communication. Decide ahead of time what communication tool is to be used.Eliminate the need to check multiple tools each day or else you will spend far more time than you realize making sure you have not missed anything.

• Trust But Verify: Trust your team’s abilities but also ensure they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in your absence. This balance between trust and responsibility is crucial. Have 1:1 conversations prior to your time away to reinforce agreed upon roles and responsibilities, whether temporary or ongoing. 

Leadership: Making Everyone Better

Stepping back to let others lead not only helps alleviate personal burnout but also strengthens your team’s ability to manage without your constant presence. As Maxwell further suggests in his Leadershift book, shifting from making your team happy to helping them grow is essential. By letting go, you allow your team the space to develop and demonstrate their leadership, which in turn enhances the entire organization.

This summer, as you plan your time off, embrace the liberating power of letting go. Prepare your team, set the right processes in place, and watch as they lead in ways that might surprise you. It’s the best gift you can give to yourself and to those you lead. 

Ready to transform your leadership and see how effective letting go can be? Let’s work together to help you prepare for a summer of growth—for both you and your team.

Does your ability to focus now feel like it is on a merry-go-round? Where it seems like every three minutes there’s a tap on your shoulder or a ‘ping’ from your device? Wait, hold on. I have a Slack notification. 

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.  Studies show that workers are interrupted between four to twelve times an hour. And it really is just as disruptive as it feels. The impact of interruptions totally kills your momentum. 

I’m here to help us both defeat the ultimate office gremlin: interruptions.

Problem #1:

Open Office: The Ultimate Oxymoron

Remember walls and doors? Those weren’t so bad. But now, gone are the days of walls and defined personal space. We’re now in the era of the open office. In theory, open offices should feel inclusive and collaborative. Yet, one mighty “con” outweighs so much of the good intended with the open working environment; the lack of physical boundaries.

Solution, Anyone?

All hope is not lost! If you don’t have a door to shut out the world, how about headphones as your “Do Not Disturb” sign? Leadership, listen up: think about offering flex workspaces. Let your team choose a quiet corner or even a cozy coffee shop when they need to hunker down. And for those chatty afternoons? Designate communal zones where collaboration is king and noise is welcomed.

Problem #2:

Tech Overload: More Pings Than a Submarine Sonar

Slack, Teams, Zoom, Gmail, Texts, Notifications, they never end! They’re like those pesky mosquitos on a summer night. They buzz, distract, and always, ALWAYS demand immediate attention. 

Ready for a Tech Timeout?

Let’s build a new habit and eliminate the reflex to instantly reply. That email can wait. Your team on Slack just may figure it out on their own, if you wait 30 minutes before responding.  Please, mute those pesky notifications! Then delete some apps off your phone [I’m looking at you, Facebook and Instagram] because many of you know aimless scrolling can be irresistible, albeit illogical. 

Pro tip: carve out dedicated chunks of time throughout the day to PROCESS your digital world, not just skim the surface and constantly “CHECK” for new information. Ready for a timeout?

Problem #3:

Team Talk: The Overwhelm of Over-Communication

Ever feel you’re drowning in a digital ocean of Slack messages, emails, and endless meeting invites? We all crave clear channels of communication, but sometimes too much communication feels like you’re drowning in communication.

Clear the Communication Clutter

Here is a novel idea: set expectations. Is every message an emergency? Likely not. Establish some response-time ground rules amongst the internal  team. Proactively discuss with clients and/or vendors when they can reasonably expect to hear back from you when communicating via email. As for meetings? Let’s make them count. No more meetings about meetings, please. If possible, consider implementing this meeting best practice: No Agenda, No Attenda!   

Problem #4:

Distractions vs Interruptions: The Inner and Outer Demons

Doom scrolling, we’ve all done it. Usually before bed, at meals, in between emails or meetings. It’s addictive and distracting. We often doom scroll or chase rabbit holes when we should be doing other things like errands, projects, or updating that spreadsheet. That’s your inner distraction gremlin taking over your executive functions. And when we have the internal distractions under control, the external interruptions pounce from every direction, pulling your  attention away from the task at hand. 

Here’s Your Game Plan

Tailor your workspace. Close those extra tabs, set your phone on ‘snooze’, and maybe even craft a cute little sign for your desk that politely asks for focus time. Know when you’re most vulnerable to distractions and plan accordingly. Also, give yourself the gift of working offline from  time to time, especially when deep concentration and flow is needed.

Unlock Uninterrupted Excellence in the Workplace

Stepping into the office shouldn’t feel like navigating a storm of ceaseless distractions. Envision it as charting a course through calm waters, every movement intentional and synchronized. With a sprinkle of innovation, heart-to-heart conversations with coworkers and clients, and a dash of introspection, we can sail smoothly, avoiding the choppy waves of interruptions. Ready to share your navigational secrets? I’m on deck and listening. Together, let’s master the art of undisturbed productivity!

Just kidding!

We all know the sinking feeling of workplace overwhelm. A never-ending to-do list, difficult clients, along with family obligations–it never ends. But, work doesn’t have to feel like a punishment day in and day out.

 Let’s explore why workplace overwhelm happens and how we can kick it to the curb.

Why Do We Procrastinate?

Welcome to Procrastination Nation—a magical place where tomorrow seems like the perfect day for productivity. But have you ever wondered why? Are we just inherently lazy or is there something deeper lurking beneath?

How Procrastination Leads to Overwhelm

Procrastination is the entry ticket to the reactive world—a dimension where you’re always on the defensive, always putting out fires. This is the opposite, of course, to a proactive approach, where you plan, you execute, and you get (almost) everything done.

The Why Behind Procrastination

Perfectionism: The Silent Killer

Procrastination often starts with the other “P word,” Perfectionism. Ever tell yourself, “I’ll start when I know I can do it perfectly?” Spoiler alert: Perfection doesn’t exist. The only “perfect” time is NOW.  You likely will not feel motivated or inspired until you are already in the act of writing, creating, or doing the work. 

The Wrong Environment

There may not be a perfect time or perfect place, but there are more ideal, conducive environments for achieving productivity. Comfortable temperatures, water and supplies within an arm’s reach, and good lighting are all great elements of a productive environment. While some people prefer to work at a desk, others don’t mind creating on the couch. Take a moment to really assess the spaces and places from which you work, and identify what helps and hinders your workflow.

Fear: The Ultimate Procrastination Tool

We fear not just failure but also the scary starting point. “What if I mess up?” is the anthem here. This is where the silent killer starts to move in–perfectionism. Your first draft might not be your favorite, but no one said you had to stop at one.

Blank page syndrome can scare you away from crafting that email, creating that presentation, or writing your next blog post. If you’re afraid of “messing up” or performing poorly, give yourself some extra time &/or multiple working sessions to really create what you know you are capable of producing. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

The Entrepreneurial Trap

Did you know procrastination is even more rampant among entrepreneurs? They’re always chasing the next big idea, often forgetting about the project in front of them. We often call that “Shiny Object Syndrome.”  Keep a running list of all the “big ideas” you want to chase after.   They’ll still be there once you’ve finished what you must get done today. 

Brain Overwhelm

Do you wake up and immediately check your email? Sometimes at 3:00 AM? Guilty as charged! Whether you’re checking your email, managing social media notifications, or catching up on missed text messages, our brains are bombarded from the moment we wake up, and the deluge of information doesn’t stop until our head hits the pillow at night. Consider what sources of information are overloading you each day, and start setting some boundaries and limit your access.

Decision Paralysis

Overwhelm turns your decision-making into a slo-mo horror film—you see the problem, but you can’t move. The best way to avoid this demon all together is to structure your day so that you’re making your most important decisions in the morning, or whatever time of day your brain power is at its peak.  

The Urgency Illusion

Have you heard the saying, “When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority”? Translation: everything does not need to be done right now. Not every task is a true emergency.  What creates this illusion in our mind? Mainly heightened emotions and our brain perceiving a pattern of being rushed. Remember, you are in control of your brain, not the other way around. Focus on setting deadlines, acting with intention, and pausing long enough to celebrate milestones and achievements (even the small ones). 

Busy ≠ Productive

We can’t stand when someone says, “I’m so busy.” Who isn’t busy?! Yet, it’s such an easy trap to get stuck in. Being “busy” can look like answering non-urgent emails while that big project gathers dust. Or cleaning out your junk drawer when you have a major deadline approaching swiftly. It’s a classic procrastination move. Check yourself throughout the day and week by asking yourself, “Is this task directly connected to my bigger goals or is it just an easy win?” 

Feeling stuck in the loop of procrastination and overwhelm? Break free and turn your work life around! Recognize, reset, and redefine your approach to productivity. Let’s create tailored strategies and support together. Take the first step now!

Solutions

How can we fight the 3-headed monster that is perfectionism, procrastination, and overwhelm in the workplace? Let’s take a look at our favorite strategies to battle this beast!

Know Your Enemy

Know thyself. We can be our own worst enemy without even fully realizing it. Are you procrastinating because you’re bored, scared, or both? Knowing is half the battle.  Get to the root cause to find a cure.  Once you’ve identified your enemy, you’ll be able to target the weaknesses and experience success! 

Constraints Are Your Friend

Deadlines aren’t just for clients. Setting deadlines and scheduling your work like you would a client’s work is one of the best ways to ensure you’re meeting your standards and accomplishing what you need to prioritize. Every morning, give yourself 15-20 minutes to acclimate and mentally center yourself for the day’s top priorities. 

Create Your Own Haven

Creating a space that suits you best is going to be your #1 tool for killing procrastination. For some people, that might look like setting up the home office in a space separate from the family kitchen. For others, it may be a favorite coffee shop at a corner table. Wherever you work best, find it and work in your ideal environment to encourage not just work but exceptional work.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals Are the Smart Choice

Be Specific, make it Measurable, ensure it’s Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. With these S.M.A.R.T goals in mind you can achieve any goal you set your mind to. Yes, even with something as simple as finally putting away the laundry.

Change Your Mindset & Make a Plan

If you thought procrastination was your greatest enemy, think again. It’s actually your mindset. If you think it’s impossible, it will be. So break it down until it looks ridiculously achievable. Even if that means Step 1 starts with, “Write Step 1.”   Don’t just brainstorm—map it out, visually. There are numerous studies that show crossing things off your list creates a positive adrenaline boost to your brain to keep your motivation chugging along. 

The 10-30 Rule

The 10-30 Rule is a simple mantra for those of us who struggle with completing tasks. 30 extra seconds or 10 extra steps, which will you choose? If you’re still struggling with this concept, consider reading the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy which outlines the idea that small steps compounded over time will help you achieve the life you’re proud to be living. 

Accountability: Your Secret Weapon

Disappointing someone is one of the worst feelings ever. Yet, when used appropriately it can become your greatest weapon to fight against procrastination. We’re more committed to promises made to others. Find an accountability partner and stick to the plan and the commitments you share with them. 

Find the Joy

Joy is what makes life worth living! Finding joy in your every day can help make your to-do list feel better. From listening to your favorite playlist to making your favorite craft coffee mid-day, find creative and easy ways to insert some joy into your day. Every completed task brings you closer to a productive day. Re-frame the experience and find joy in it.

Embark on Your Journey to Peak Productivity

It’s time to embrace a more fulfilling and productive work life! Dive into personalized strategies and support tailored just for you. Don’t just dream about peak productivity, make it a reality. Begin your journey today! Learn how you can reach your Peak Productivity with our help. Your future self will thank you!

Something about this concept has always rubbed me the wrong way.

Just like the unrealistic magazine images of perfectly organized closets (no one’s clothes are that crisply hung or has every hanger spaced out exactly 1-inch apart!) and sparkling clean kitchen counters (do any of you have functioning kitchens with nothing sitting on top of your countertops?), the term work-life balance immediately makes me feel I have failed before I have even joined the game.

Balance implies to most of us an equal distribution of our time, attention, and energy between all parts of life; a 50/50 split between the “working” part of our life and the “living” part of our life. Last time I checked, we are all living while working, and a lot of the personal responsibilities of life feels like work!

As professionals, leaders &/or business owners, most of us can access just about everything we need to complete our professional responsibilities from the palm of our hand or from the laptop that never leaves our side. While this “convenience” allows for flexibility in where, when, and how we work, it also creates the opportunity (and sometimes expectation) to always be accessible, to always be producing, to always have some percentage of our focus and attention on work and getting things done.

Let’s be honest: work-life balance is a concept of the past.

Creating Your Ideal Work-Life Integration

When I work with clients and train groups/teams, I specifically talk about creating manageable and sustainable work-life integration.  In my mind, integration is the most realistic description of the way we live our lives. More often than not, we weave in and out of working time blocks and personal time blocks. Most days, we tackle professional to-do items as well as family or household tasks.  At any given time, we are pushing forward workplace initiatives and personal projects. When we try to isolate or separate one part of our lives from another, it typically creates conflict and struggle rather than clarity or convenience.

Whether you prefer to call it integration or balance, there are a few initial steps to take to ensure you are proactively creating the professional and personal life you desire. 

Take a big picture view.

Whether you are planning your day, week, or month, be sure you are identifying both professional and personal dates, events, and deadlines that are important and need to be prioritized.  The week of a holiday or family member’s birthday is an ideal week to schedule fewer client meetings, eliminate travel, and/or decline optional invitations for happy hours or non-vital networking events. A tool like the Full Focus Planner is a great way to build this proactive habit.

Define your own boundaries and constraints.

There is a difference between expecting yourself or team members to work within unrealistic constraints (ex: no personal phone calls between 9:00-5:00) and working/living with no boundaries or constraints. Using a visual representation of your day, create as many “pieces of the pie” or building blocks to fill out the 24 hours, then determine which (and how many) of those pieces will be devoted to work tasks, parenting tasks, self-care activities, etc.  Break out of the confines of an 8-hour work day, and step into the mindset that the quality of your work is what matters.  Some of us need long periods of time to dig in, focus, and find our flow. Others do their best work in shorter spurts and with rotating focus from work to personal back to work.  Give yourself permission to work in a cadence that matches your needs.

Find the intersections.

I used to experience extreme guilt if I ran a quick, personal errand while driving from the office to a client meeting, even though it was on the way and saving me time in the grand scheme of my day. Guess who was to blame for that guilt? Me, myself, and I. No one else was making a judgment. It was previous programming from being a public school employee, where it was unacceptable to do anything personal during working hours.  It took me a few years to reprogram my system and to recognize that taking advantage of those conveniences was a “perk” of integrating my work and life. Now, I look for intersections whenever possible. If I am on a roll making work phone calls, I throw in a few personal calls while I am “in the flow” utilizing my communication skills.  If it’s a quiet Saturday morning at home and the kids are paying at the neighbors, I clean out my inbox for an early weekend win.

Lead By Example  

If you are the owner or leader of an organization, I strongly encourage you to embrace the concept of  work-life integration. Show your team members you trust in them by giving them the autonomy to prioritize their professional tasks and responsibilities along with their personal and family needs.  Be intentional and talk about how you integrate your roles and responsibilities, communicate your own boundaries and constraints, and celebrate your team when they find intersections that allow them to work smart versus hard.  Let them know and see you don’t live a life that is perfectly balanced, and explore ways you can create a workplace culture that promotes integration so that everyone can experience a double win, in work and in life.

“No one can do it as well as I can.”

Do those words sound familiar?  I’ll be the first to admit I have been guilty of “hoarding” tasks due to my over-inflated ego and perfectionistic tendencies as a business owner and leader.  Delegating tasks often sounds like a great idea and a simple solution in theory, but put it into action and leaders quickly realize there is actually an art to successful delegation.  While it does take effort, practice, and strategy, I can tell you with full confidence that mastering the art of delegation will provide an incredible ROI to your business.

I once heard that a leader’s role (and goal) is to become a multiplier – someone who measures their own success based upon the number of team members’ successes and the productivity of others.  I couldn’t agree more.  Delegation is one of the most important ways a leader can give his/her people a “hand-up,” providing team members the opportunity and the support to take on new responsibilities, try new tasks, and find success by stretching beyond their existing abilities.

If you are a leader navigating the challenges of delegation, here are three key benefits to focus upon as you ride the ups and downs of the process.

Delegation enables leaders to prioritize workload and maximize resources.

Have you ever stopped and analyzed all of the tasks you complete in a given week? Some of those tasks are in your “zone of genius” – tasks that tap into your unique skills and strengths.  Yet a large portion of your weekly tasks are likely outside of that zone. They are either tasks you are good at, but do not really enjoy or excel at, or they are tasks you dislike and also struggle with.  Chances are, you have team members or can find outside resources, who could take on those later categories and complete the tasks with greater ease and efficiency…because they fall into THEIR zone of genius. Ask yourself these questions and see what you discover:

• What tasks am I uniquely qualified to complete? 
• What tasks do I dislike but complete with competency?
• What tasks do you dislike and struggle with? 
• What tasks do your team members enjoy and complete with ease & efficiency?

Delegation facilitates empowerment and development of the team.

As John Maxwell says, “A leader is great not because of his/her power, but because of his/her ability to empower others.”  When you, as a leader, take on that challenge to be a multiplier, delegating tasks becomes an opportunity versus an obstacle.  The first step to take is to begin having conversations with your team members to learn what skills they want to learn/improve/master, where they feel they already excel, and in what areas professionally they want to grow and stretch. Then take a look at that list of your tasks you created (see above) and identify tasks for which you can begin to train them.  Create a reasonable timeline for the team member to learn and practice, and also consider that they may also have ideas regarding how to do things differently to get a similar (or better) result!  It is safe to say, this process will also stretch and improve your own skills in the areas of communication, teaching and mentoring.  

Delegation creates a Culture of Contribution.

Most people work not solely for the money, but also because they want to be part of a community where they can contribute to something bigger than what they can accomplish alone.  As a leader, are you looking for opportunities to pull together team members for collaboration, brainstorming, and group problem-solving?  Or, are you trying to “protect” your team from the struggles and challenges you &/or the business are facing?  

Consider working towards the creation of a culture of contribution, where delegation is an invitation to co-create amongst your team. Whenever possible, verbalize how individual and group tasks/projects are connected to the bigger company vision and are impacting the “why” of the business.  Set the example for your team and normalize asking for help.  Explore how delegation can maximize the differences and bring together the various perspectives and experiences of your employees.

Maybe it is true that no one can do it the same way as you, but it is also true that there are multiple ways to achieve the same result.  Consider if now is the time for you to level up your leadership through the use of delegation.

I have read countless articles and studies which demonstrate the fact that a majority of knowledge workers – and their organizations- truly do and can continue to benefit from the hybrid work model.  In my own informal collection of data, I can vouch that most professionals with whom I’ve spoken personally report having experienced increased productivity levels, better work-life balance and an overall improvement in their mental health and general happiness.  

What I want to bring attention to, beyond these above-mentioned common benefits [which the press has been so focused upon] is a potential benefit I do not believe is being talked about enough.  As a former educator turned productivity coach, I believe we have the opportunity to take these “lessons learned” from the pandemic – when we discovered that employees, team members, and leaders were able to work collaboratively and successfully from a wide variety of settings – and begin treating each employee as the unique, one-of-a-kind individual they are!  Embracing the hybrid work model has the potential to encourage employers to begin learning about their employees’ individualized needs, circumstances, and strengths, and to provide the work environment and working conditions that suit the individual best and that support each individual in achieving their peak performance levels and reaching their fullest potential as a contributing team member.

From Classroom to Boardroom

Having spent the first 10+ years of my professional life working in the field of special education (my Master’s degree is in speech language pathology), I devoted a significant amount of my time, energy, and resources advocating for students who learned differently, had unique communication strengths & needs, and who deserved and required a more customized learning environment in order to grow into their fullest potential as a child and a learner.  

The workplace is really no different! Every organization is made up of unique individuals who have different needs when it comes to the workplace environment.

• Some employees crave social opportunities, while others need solitude.

• Some team members benefit from noise and high levels of activity; some need little to no visual or auditory stimulation.

• Some professionals work best with long periods of uninterrupted, deep work time, and others need to work in short and frequent bursts of productive time.

I am not the first to say this, but it is worth repeating to encourage every leader to begin to recognize this truth: If the pandemic taught us anything about the workforce, it is that most people can and will get their work done, regardless of place and time and especially when there is flexibility and choice in these two factors.

Hybrid Hesitation

The hesitant and uncertain leaders with whom I speak regarding the hybrid model typically share concerns about three key factors:

• Reduced /limited communication
• Interference with team collaboration
• Employee accountability

Looking closely at worker performance in 2020 and 2021, it cannot be denied that the technology tools & the ingenuity of employees proved the point that these “obstacles” can and have been overcome.

• Statistics show that employees are actually more productive working from home. The same studies show that hours worked, number of meetings, and other activity metrics have increased.
• At least 50% of employers believe remote work reduces absenteeism.
• 32.2% of managers agree that productivity has increased after the 2020 remote work shift.
• Turnover reduces by 50% when employees have access to a remote work option.
• Between reduced commute times, fewer absences/sick leave, reduced turnover, and increased productivity, employers stand to save roughly $11,000 annually per employee.

I believe a leader’s hesitation comes from a place of uncertainty and the desire to return to “the way things were.” Yet I also believe leaders know there is no “return” and a new normal is the only way forward.

Communication is Key

Like the majority of workplace challenges, the solution can be found if we begin with the goal of communication.  Rather than relying on studies & outside statistics, or group surveys with anonymous input, I encourage leaders to begin having personal conversations with their employees.  Go deeper beyond the standard questions of “How many days a week are you willing to commute to work?” or “Do you feel more or less productive when working remotely?” 

Be willing to ask the harder and more intimate questions and to receive the honest truth from team members regarding what challenges they face when working outside the home and what distractions they must overcome when working from home. Ask questions including:

• What do you need in your workplace setting to focus best?
• What is the ideal setting that allows you to fully tap into your creativity?
• What time of day do you hit your stride?
• What challenges you the most about being in the office & with coworkers?
• How can your managers create positive accountability when you are working remotely?    

The most important question to ask next is to be posed to you and your fellow leaders in the organization:

How can my organization define a hybrid model that meets the needs of our people, fosters employee engagement & retention, and maximizes productivity and performance?

The answer is within your people & your leaders, if you are willing to do the work to uncover it.  Remember, Hybrid is IN….don’t miss OUT!

Contact us for support in creating a winning hybrid model for your organization!

Are you among the many who has spent countless hours looking for the one tool that could DO IT ALL; the singular planner that could magically transform a crazy-busy schedule into an organized- orderly life?  

Honestly, isn’t that a bit much to ask of some hardbound pages filled with lines and dates?

In all seriousness, the paper planner industry continues to boom in this digital era.  In 2022, the market share for paper planners was estimated at $1.02 billion!  That tells me that a large number of professionals and productivity-seeking individuals are seeking a manual method to manage their time and tasks. And I would venture to say many of those millions of people, spending billions of dollars, are still looking for something perfect that will work alongside their smartphone, google calendar, outlook tools and all the other technology they have adopted.

The Hybrid Method for Task Management

During my 15+ years working as a time management coach, I have never gone fully digital when it comes to calendar and task management.  I call my current style hybrid, meaning I use both digital and paper tools to manage my time, tasks, projects and priorities.  Once I realized that perfect doesn’t exist in any area of life, including the paper or digital planner worlds, I began trying several different tools and techniques as a way of conducting my own research for my clients.   

What I was really looking for was a system that could help me achieve focus each day; a tool that would allow me to prioritize my tasks from my never-ending, ever-growing To-Do List; a methodology that would grow with me as my business, family, and life continued to expand and uplevel. I was looking for a powerful trifecta! 

I finally discovered the Full Focus Planner – which became my solution – in 2019. Five years later, I am still as big a fan and an even bigger advocate than I was then. Thanks to two of my mastermind partners (shout out to Claire K & Rachel M) who were using Full Focus, I became intrigued.  Honestly, I felt a little FOMO. Afterall, I was the productivity expert amongst the group and felt like I should have been familiar with the tool if they were! 

Once I ordered my first planner, I decided to research the creators and the company behind the tool (I am a Fact-Finder, for all you Kolbe assessment fans). This is when I realized I had hit the jackpot. The Full Focus Planner was not just a paper tool.  It was a system as well as a methodology! The almost-perfect trifecta I was looking for!

Why It Works

Why does the Full Focus Planner and system work so well for me and when I am coaching high-performers? Let me count – and share -the ways!

• Full Focus is really a methodology. The planner is one tool that helps me execute the system, but it builds habits and routines much more valuable than simply keeping a paper planner by my side.

• Speaking of habits/routines, the planner provides a template for creating start up and ramp down routines both on a personal/self-care level and at the professional/workplace level. How I start and end each day has a multiplier effect and this tool has strengthened my discipline in this area in a very positive way. 

•  The planner covers 90 days at a time – which is a very reasonable amount of time for which to set concrete goals and identify specific actions for implementation. If you know/like the 90-day year method, this is very similar.

• The planner encourages celebrating the wins and acknowledging progress as part of the quarterly, monthly, and weekly goal setting process. I absolutely love the positive mindset this instills.

• The Big 3: This concept is woven throughout the tool and is a big player in the Full Focus methodology. Simply put, the tool guides me to select 3 top priorities for each week and for each day. This daily/weekly habit strengthens the brain’s ability to focus, to zero in on a smaller amount of high leverage activities and to become less distracted by the low value “busy work.”

I could add several more items to this list, but these are definitely at the top of my list.

So, stop looking for perfection and start looking for a system that will fit your needs. I’m certainly a bit biased at this point, but I’d venture to say the Full Focus system is a great place to start. What do you think?  Get your Full Focus Planner here!  Then check out my 2023 Full Focus Workshop Series to join a group of like-minded high performers who are committed to being fully focused this year. You can also connect with me here to work together & find your almost-perfect formula for success!

The frustration comes from knowing how important time away from work is; for the mind, body, and soul. As a productivity coach, I have first-hand experience with the fact that to reach PEAK productivity, individuals must take time away from the daily hustle and grind. 

Think about the famous athletes of our time: Tom Brady, Lebron James, Serena Williams, Christian Pulisic. Every successful, professional athlete knows that he/she must strategically plan out and balance competition days with training days and rest days.  Athletes know each of these three types of days are critical to optimal performance and to becoming stronger and more skilled. Professionals, however, tend to de-prioritize the importance &/or need for rest days.  COVID, along with today’s technology , has made working from home not simply a convenience but an expectation for most, resulting in very blurry lines between work time, family time and downtime.  

AMERICA’S OBSESSION WITH BUSY 

In the 1800s, leisure was the true indicator of wealth and status.  Over the years, however, Americans have become so impressed with “busyness” that it is now often equated to self-worth.  By telling others we are “so busy” and working long hours, we are implicitly suggesting that we are sought after, making an effort to enhance our perceived status in the world.

Additionally, a lot of entrepreneurs also grapple with the fear that no one else can do the work the way they do it, and also worry that being OOO (out of office) may result in missing an important opportunity.  Business owners also admit to feeling guilty about leaving work behind that their team then has to tackle on their own.  

The real issue, in my opinion, is the mindset about taking time off versus any actual loss of productivity, opportunity, or sales. 

The benefits to taking time off are endless.  Research confirms that chronic stress can alter the brain’s structure and bring on anxiety and depression. Research also shows that taking time away from work increases feelings of calm and relieves stress, which allows the body and mind to heal in ways that it couldn’t if it were under constant pressure. 

Every 90 days, human beings begin to lose focus and interest & excitement levels wane.  This is the ideal interval to pause and push the reset button, for both mental and physical well being.  When things start to become monotonous, it’s easy for leaders & employees to become uninterested and unmotivated.  Time off will lead to more satisfied, productive individuals. I can confirm that through my own experiences as well as those of many of my coaching clients.

WHEN THE BEST IDEAS COME THROUGH

The best and most creative ideas are birthed when professionals and entrepreneurs are NOT engaged in work tasks.  Read that again!  The brain literally needs “space” to formulate ideas & think outside the box. We have all experienced this; in the shower, in the car, on a hike, during a run – this is when those moments of brilliance strike!  Just as a watched pot never boils, a stressed, taxed brain never ideates well. 

Do you have your next day off, week’s vacation, or weekend get-away planned? For the sake of productivity, make it happen!

* Feeling overwhelmed by your long list of to dos & your over-booked calendar ? Let’s talk. My clients make the dream of time off a reality for themselves & their team.

I am here to tell you that saying “no” can be a positive experience, can be the better answer, and that peak performers actually use no as a way to boost their productivity. 

Michael Hyatt said, “The secret to reducing overwhelm is to do less, not more.”  In order to make a significant impact, you honestly have to say no to many things…even things you find fun, easy, and interesting.  When you focus on fewer things, you more quickly master them and you perform them with excellence. You remember the saying, “jack of all trades, master of none,” right?  Using the world “no” can help lead you to greater productivity and mastery, leaving the mark on the world and those around you that you desire. 

Saying no really is the ultimate productivity hack!  

Think about your week so far; what have you said ”yes” to already that you really didn’t want or need to add to your plate?  Being a “yes man” or “yes woman” creates a vicious cycle – you likely will become frustrated by your obligations even though you were the one who said yes to them in the first place!

Why do you say “yes” in most circumstances?

• You don’t want to seem rude, selfish, unhelpful, or unsupportive?
• You don’t want to tarnish or strain relationships?
• You may need help from the person in the future?
• You were taught to put others before yourself?
• You feel obligated because of a past event or experience, and you said yes last time?
• You’ve always done it this way, so you didn’t even think to question it?

We think of yes and no as equal and opposite, right?  I would argue that while they are opposite, they are not necessarily equal in terms of the weight that they carry.  When you say “no”….you are saying “no” to one option, but when you say “yes”…you are saying no to every other option.  Think about it from an economist’s perspective. Tim Harford said, “Every time we say yes to a request, we are also saying no to anything else we might accomplish with that time.”  Once you have committed to something, you have already decided how that future block of time will be spent.  In other words, saying “no” saves you time in the future.  It’s like earning a time credit! Saying “yes” costs you time in the future.  That’s a time debt!  No is a decision. Yes is a responsibility.

While Saying No is sometimes a luxury or a choice only the privileged and already successful have because they have money and power to fall back upon, think of it also as a strategy that can lead you to greater levels of success and power.  Say “no” to distractions…say “no” to good ideas so you can focus on the great ideas.

So, how do you capitalize on the power of NO?  Start asking, is this task/role necessary?  Practice how to say no in advance.  Stop telling yourself you have to explain your decision; “no” is a 1-word response!  Work on “no” becoming more of a default than yes.  “Yes” must be strategic.

Peter Drucker said, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” What should you not be doing at all?  My challenge to you is to think about one area of your life where you can say “no” to create more time.  Enjoy the freedom, opportunities and increased productivity that comes with powerfully saying ‘no!”