One of the underlying philosophies I use when I work with leaders and teams is "if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” It is important to dig into whatever the underlying cause is of the challenge and only “fix” that part that isn’t working, rather than trying to fix everything. For example, recently one of the organizations I’ve been working with thought they had a problem [...]
The secret about email is it can totally and completely derail your day! Did you know that if you check your email every 15 minutes, you'll be in your inbox 32 times in an 8 hour day? That's almost 3 hours you spend on it. (And - let's admit it - when is the last time you only spent 5 minutes answering email?) So, [...]
We've all had the experience of being interrupted, distracted and annoyed by the buzzing of a cell phone notification. Yet if you turn off notifications you're liable to miss the notification that reminds you about an important appointment! Here's a quick and easy tip to stop the annoyance but still never miss a reminder: change what notification settings. [Tweet "Don't set our phone to vibrate without [...]
"Every little NO protects your big YES." - some amazingly smart woman. (I wish I could remember who I first heard say this so I could credit her!). "I'm so busy doing things for other people, I don't accomplish MY goals." - a client "Syndi". "I don't know how to say no, without offending the other person." - overheard in line at the [...]
As you know, the SystemSavvy Consulting blog is all about success in all its forms. My posts and my programs are geared toward the entrepreneur who wants to reach career and personal goals by using the ideal systems, attitudes, and time strategies for their own life. Well, I just ran across a fabulous info-graphic (right) from SalesForce Canada that echoes everything I teach! It's [...]
Even the most productive of us can get stuck in a rut. I recently received this email from a former client Jim, who struggled with constant interruptions (don’t we all, at some point?). Jim's sales team is one of the top performing teams in his company. He's a great sales trainer, and one of the things that makes him so great is his ability [...]
Awareness * Work * Evaluation How often do you start a project only to be pulled away by people needing your attention? Earlier, I recommended following a 3 Step System to reduce distractions: Step 1 – Awareness (what distracts you and when), Step 2 – Work (how can you adjust your environment), and Step 3 – Evaluation (what is working, what isn’t). How did you do? If [...]
You CAN Control Your Distractions! How often do you start a project only to be pulled away by people needing your attention? Or, you are in the middle of a task and the phone rings? Or, one minute you are researching a new sales technique on the computer – and the next you are looking online at the latest fashions for spring? Anything that [...]
Procrastination! Distractions! Ahh . . . no matter how great you are at practicing time management strategies, sometimes even the most strategic individual falls into the deep, dark hole of procrastination. Or, possibly you are overcome with the distraction of flying "shiny objects"! Maybe you "lose" an hour on the computer updating your Facebook page. Or, possibly you decide to check email for "just a moment" and 30 minutes later you are still responding [...]
Yes - there really is an "All or Nothing Day"! Is approaching your life in an all or nothing way productive? My thought is "no". I often try to see both sides of an issue - however, I'm struggling to see the "YES" part of this question. (So if you are a proponent of All or Nothing Thinking - I urge you to post [...]
