In today’s always-on culture, distinguishing between mere busyness and genuine productivity is crucial, yet more challenging than ever. A truly productive day isn’t defined by how overloaded your schedule is, but by how effectively you manage your highest priorities, tasks, time, and energy to achieve meaningful outcomes.
When was the last time you stopped to (re)define productivity and time management on your terms, in order to thrive in your unique circumstances? If you are not sure how to start that process, consider exploring and applying The ASCEND Method™ to steer clear of a reactive and stress-filled life.
Why the ASCEND Method™?
I created The ASCEND Method™ after observing a critical need amongst leaders and their teams to achieve more with less stress and greater clarity. The method emphasizes setting a solid foundation for productivity through personal habits and boundaries, which in turn radiate outward, enhancing team dynamics and overall business success. This method is not just about managing time but about managing energy and priorities in a way that sustains both leaders and their teams long-term.
The ASCEND Method™ Defined
The ASCEND Method™ offers a systematic approach to transform everyday busyness into meaningful productivity. This method can maximize an entire team’s potential and drive collective success through six transformative steps:
- Advocate for Self
- Simplify Your Focus
- Communicate Boundaries
- Eliminate Distractions
- Navigate Priorities Proactively
- Develop Systems
The First Fundamental: Advocate for Self
Advocating for Self is the cornerstone of The ASCEND Method™ and is fundamental to every aspect of productivity and leadership. This step goes beyond mere self-care; it sets a powerful precedent that health and well-being are critical drivers of individual performance and collective achievement and success.
Strategic Self-Care as a Leader
Leadership demands resilience, clarity, and emotional intelligence and stamina, all of which are significantly bolstered by regular self-care practices. Research from an article in the National Library of Medicine [Does Self-Care Make You a Better Leader? A Multisource Study Linking Leader Self-Care to Health-Oriented Leadership, Employee Self-Care, and Health] found that leader self-care tends to go along with staff care, which in turn relates to improved employee health. Self-care is undoubtedly a determinant of healthy leadership.
Setting Cultural Norms
By prioritizing personal well-being, leaders cultivate a workplace culture that values balance and health, both essential for reducing burnout and boosting job satisfaction and employee retention. Leaders however must make their own self-care visible and truly “walk the talk.” Leaders who participate in self-care alongside their team members will likely reap the greatest rewards. The days of leading by the mantra of “do what I say, not as I do” are long gone! Programs like those at Google, focusing on mindfulness and emotional intelligence at all levels within the organization, demonstrate how well-being is integral to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment.
Self Care In Action
Leaders who model self-care not only maintain their own performance but also empower their teams to adopt similar practices. As John C. Maxwell notes, “Leaders need to be the change they wish to see.” This alignment between personal practice and professional expectations promotes a healthier, more productive workplace culture.
Self-care is as unique as each individual within a team. For some, it involves physical exercise and exertion. For others, it can be as simple as adopting breathing techniques and implementing stretch breaks throughout the day. Time in nature, meditation, prayer and gratitude practices are also amongst the self-care practices that leaders and employees find most effective and rewarding.
Embrace The ASCEND Method™
Ready to take a more proactive approach to living and leading productivity? Focus on these six strategic elements to create an environment where productivity thrives and team members grow. During these summer months especially, remember that stepping back can be the most impactful way to move forward.
Are you ready to redefine productivity and foster a high-performing team? Subscribe to the monthly blog, where each fundamental will be further explored over the next several months. Contact us to learn how The ASCEND Method™ can be customized to your personal and company needs, helping you and your team achieve not just productivity, but true personal and professional fulfillment.
Recent Comments