Latest "Time management" Posts
April 27, 2021
Once vaccine numbers rise to the point that people will make the back to work transition, we’ll face a dilemma not seen since the pandemic sent millions of workers home. After more than a year of working remotely, seeing only our families and members of our bubbles, and living entirely online, it’s going to be a huge lift to adjust to in-person interactions once again.
Unlike the jarring, bewildering start of the pandemic, however, we will be able to prepare. Now is the time to start making the back to work transition plans (if you haven’t started already). With a lot of preparation, reasonable expectations, and clear communication, you and your team can weather this next phase of work as gracefully as possible.
Set the stage for a back to work transition
Communication needs to begin long before the in-person back-to-work date. Videoconference with your people to prepare them for what is coming, such as phased work weeks and modified schedules, so they can begin to coordinate their own personal lives.
It’s also a good idea to be crystal clear about precautions and contingency plans, both to allay employees’ fears and to avoid surprises. Are there new cleaning and disinfecting procedures? How should an employee report a possible COVID-19 infection? Will employees be required to stay home if they come in contact with someone who has been infected? Brainstorm every possibility you can think of — even if it seems unlikely — and build your plan. Make sure every employee has access to that back to work transition plan for reference and peace of mind.
Celebrate the return to work!
The first day back at work should be a very big deal! We are all far less socialized than we were in January or February 2020 — even the extroverts among us are out of practice. That’s one of the reasons why the in-person start date should be lighthearted and free of to-do lists.
The other is that you and your colleagues have pulled off what seemed to be impossible, and that effort should be respected and rewarded. Decorate the office. Hire a food truck. Have contests. Organize networking events so people can reconnect in smaller groups. Make it a celebratory atmosphere so there is less pressure all around.
Check in
If you’re in a leadership or employee retention position, such as a manager, HR specialist, or CEO, make the back to work transition a priority, and have one-on-one check-ins with your colleagues. Put their mental well-being first by working with their needs, adjusting schedules as necessary, and heading off any other challenges.
Take care of yourself
Leaders will need to take extra care with their own health. Complaining down might be tempting, but avoid it by putting self-care on your daily must-do list. Eat well, exercise daily, sleep well, and meditate. Ask for support from your mentor, or, if you don’t have one, consider hiring a coach who can help you navigate this transition period. To take care of others, you first need to take care of yourself.
Remember: Put people first during this hectic period. Plan for the unexpected and expect hiccups. With a bit of grace and a lot of understanding, you and your colleagues can rediscover the connection that comes from working as a team.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Business, Time management, COVID, Business Etiquette, Communication and tagged back to work, back to work transition, return to office, return to office after COVID, employers, HR Manager
January 19, 2021
I was grounded, like so many other frequent flyers, for the duration of 2020. The upshot? More time for my already voracious reading habit. My five top reads helped me refocus and rebuild when the rest of the world seemed to be falling apart. I hope you find inspiration in them, too.
The Leader’s Checklist: 15 Mission-Critical Principles.
Author Michael Useem is a professor at the Wharton School of Business who has mined crucial events throughout history (the American Civil War and the rapid failure of AIG shortly before the Great Recession, for example) to determine how and why great leaders succeed. He distilled these lessons into 15 short lessons that I find fascinating. As a result, I now regularly reference Useem’s checklist to ensure I’m following the right path in my own leadership journey.
Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Business.
This might be the most influential book I read all year! I find myself turning again and again to Kindra Hall’s storytelling tips and strategies. Hall makes the point that our ability to communicate effectively and persuasively hinges on our ability to connect with our audiences. Storytelling is the way to make it happen. This book is engaging, smart, and an impactful read for anyone, from sales representatives to marketing execs to people who want to improve their public speaking or writing skills.
Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life. How appropriate that this was written by a person named Jim Kwik! If you’re looking to do more in our increasingly fast-paced, time-strapped world, you’ll love the “3 Ms” Kwik outlines in his book. I may not have the ability to read a book three times faster than normal, as Kwik promises, but I love the empowering feel of his advice.
Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time.
Bill McGowan is a consultant and correspondent who teaches people how to deliver their messages quickly and with maximum impact. As someone who regularly speaks in front of large audiences, I’m always on the lookout for advice on how to improve my skills — and McGowan truly delivers. His “principles of persuasion” are a must-read for anyone and can be used in your everyday life.
Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success.
The last of my five top reads assists those of us in leadership roles. We have an obligation to do our best — and that involves ensuring the success of others. LearnLoft CEO John Eades makes the case that rapidly changing technology and organizations require a different type of leadership. One that is based on carefully encouraging others while keeping an eye on long-term goals. His book gave me a chance to examine and hone my own leadership style.
How about you? What books got you through 2020 and have inspired you to shoot for success in 2021? Have you read any of my five top reads? I’d love to hear your recommendations — I read a book a week, so your suggestion has a good shot at winding up in my must-read list!
#leadership #books #reading #technology #advice #audience #pitching #presenting
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Posted by Margaret Page in Entrepreneur, StartUp, Business, Personal development, Time management, Self Care in challenging times, Uncategorized
December 29, 2020
I love the promise of a New Year’s resolution, but let’s face facts: Most people abandon theirs by Jan. 19. That’s not even three weeks of trying to change! After years of personal goal setting and coaching clients through overcoming obstacles, I’ve found that most resolutions fail for a very simple reason.
We just don’t plan for being human.
We have a fantasy that, through sheer force of willpower, we’ll be able to tackle our resolutions no matter what life throws at us. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case. When we need to accomplish something difficult, many of us shoot for perfection rather than progress — and that’s a surefire way to sabotage ourselves.
This year, don’t just set a resolution. Make a sensible to plan to achieve progress you can build on. By this time next year, you’ll be amazed at what you’ve managed to accomplish.
Go for standards rather than goals.
A goal is something you reach and then try to top. For example, let’s say I want to bill $3,000 worth of business each week. Once I reach that goal, I immediately set the number higher.
A standard is a habit that becomes part of who you are. My standards include sending one thank-you card a day and writing down three things I’m grateful for.
Goals are great for helping us feel like we’re improving, but it’s better to set standards that will serve you well over time (and now that we’re home more and have fewer distractions, it’s a great time to lock new standards in).
Focus on the short term.
The world is moving too quickly to plan very far ahead. Who knows what technology and our day-to-day lives might be like in five years? Instead of making a long-term plan, set your sights on the next 30, 60, and 90 days and get clear on what you’d like to achieve. How would you like to feel at the end of the month? What changes would you like to see at the end of the season?
Set strategies.
There will be good days and bad days as you improve yourself — even good weeks and bad weeks. You’ll handle hurdles more easily if you set a hiccup-proof strategy to reach your desired outcome.
Let’s say you want to lose 20 pounds. Most people go on drastic diets with high failure rates, and those who succeed often gain the weight back within a year. What would happen if, instead of focusing on the scale, you chose to enjoy eating healthfully? What kind of pleasure would you get from selecting new recipes out of a plant-based cookbook, for example, or having freshly pressed juices delivered to your door? You might not get the payoff of losing a lot of weight in a short period of time, but you’ll build sustainable strategies that will lead to gradual (and lasting) change.
Are you making a resolution for 2021? What are they? I’d love to hear about the changes you’re planning for yourself.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Christmas, Personal development, Time management, Uncategorized and tagged new year, Time management, Happy new year, new year's resolutions, goals, strategies, self improvement
March 31, 2020
After a meeting in Denver a couple of weeks ago, I took a flight back home to Canada and immediately went into self-imposed isolation. I went into my alone time with a gung-ho attitude and made lists of everything I would like to accomplish. I was ready!
My birthday was a few days into my isolation period, so my daughter and grandsons left a beautiful Black Forest cake on my doorstep. As I smiled and waved at them through my front-door window, I noticed the youngest’s eyes filled with tears.
It broke my heart.
When I was growing up, we were constantly bombarded with the threat of nuclear war — but we still went to school, played with our friends, and visited our relatives. As I looked at my grandson, the enormity of our current situation hit me and I felt his sense of unease about the future.
I know you’re used to receiving emails from me about how to boost your confidence and your business. But right now, I’m focused on ways I can support you. The truth is, none of us know what will happen next. But what I do know is that this current moment isn’t about discovering new and better ways to make money. It’s not about opportunities to build our brands. It’s about the preciousness of life.
So I’d like to ask you: How are you coping with this period of isolation? Through my work, I’ve learned that most of us can be broken into two groups — those who crave certainty and those who thrive on variety. With that in mind, here are a couple of tips to help you stay positive.
If you feel like your world is heading out of control
The only thing we can change in this moment is ourselves. If you’re missing the order and routine of your pre-coronavirus existence, create new rituals!
I’m using this time to introduce habits that will serve me long after the danger from this illness has passed. I’ll be perfectly honest: It has been a bit difficult to create a lock-down routine and stick with it. But if there has been a blessing from all of this, it’s the gift of time. I get up every morning and recommit to my plan for setting improved standards.
Maybe you never had time for breakfast before, or maybe your sleep hygiene hasn’t been up to par. This is your chance to practice self-care while introducing order.
If you are climbing the walls
Make a list of things you want to try, write them down on slips of paper, put them in a bowl and pull one out every time you feel unsettled. I have been re-learning the Rubik’s cube — something I used to be able to do in my sleep — and trust me, that occupies plenty of time. I also mastered this cups routine. Now, I’m tackling some choreography! I’ve also been planting spring greens, a gentle reminder that life continues to grow and thrive.
Take care. Be gentle with yourself. (I’m refusing to beat myself up for eating that Black Forest cake by myself.) Please reach out if you need help. We’ll pull through this together and be wiser for it.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Personal development, Time management, Self Care in challenging times and tagged gratitude, #selfcare #selfquarantine, Self-Isolation, Coping skills
March 19, 2020
These are strange, uncertain times — so many of us are practicing self-isolation in our homes and are cut off from regular contact with friends, relatives, and colleagues.
But this period also presents an unprecedented opportunity!
Instead of seeing your time at home as a jail sentence, it’s time to get creative. If we use our time wisely we can emerge from this pandemic smarter, prepared, and with a new appreciation for life.
Here are 30 ways you can use this time to enrich your mind, heart, and home.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Personal development, Time management, Self Care in challenging times, Uncategorized and tagged #selfcare #selfquarantine
March 17, 2020
After presenting a workshop recently, an audience member asked me how I achieve work-life balance.
I hated to disappoint him, but the truth is that I don’t.
We’re taught that work-life balance is the optimum outcome — a perfect mix of hard work and play, with as much opportunity to rest and recharge as to absorb ourselves in the tasks that will propel us up the ladder.
I don’t know about you, but that model has never worked for me. And honestly, I don’t want it to! I no longer strive for balance. I go for flow.
You know what flow feels like: You’re completely enthralled with whatever you’re doing, whether it’s writing a report or playing with your kids. You’re present in the moment. Time doesn’t stop, but you’re no longer aware of it.
I found that when I focused on balance I became preoccupied with what I needed to do next to maintain equilibrium. My world was a black-and-white series of tasks. When I’m in flow, my world lights up in Technicolor.
So how do you get to this seemingly magic state? By doing less, not more.
Know where your time goes
You’ll never get in flow if you don’t know where your time goes, so begin by tracking your time for a week. How much time do you spend with your family and friends? How much time you spend working? How about the time you spend doing things you don’t want to do? How many hours are spent working on projects that bring you a sense of accomplishment? You can use an online time tracking service like Toggl or Harvest, or you can simply use a spreadsheet or a good old pen and paper. The important thing is to be honest. If you spend two hours a night watching “Seinfeld” reruns, mark it down.
Determine how you want to feel
Knowing your desired outcome is key to making good decisions about your time. Do you want to spend more time with your friends or create more space for building your business? Which of your interests are hobbies and which bring you real fulfillment? Which areas of your career serve your goals and which are pure busywork? You’ll need to understand what you want out of your life before you take the next step.
Ruthlessly edit your time
Take your tracked time and look at it with a critical eye, keeping your desired outcomes in mind. Categorize your time using these questions:
- What can I give up?
- What can I eliminate?
- What can I delegate?
- What routine tasks must I do every day?
Here are a few examples from my own life.
Give Up
I used to wash my hair every day, then take about 45 minutes blow drying it and styling it. I decided to see what would happen if I gave up that daily process and instead did it every third day. Not only do I save 90 minutes over the course of two days, but my stylist says my hair has never been healthier.
Eliminate
I quit watching live TV years ago. I was spending hours on it, sitting through the same commercials over and over again, and wondering where my time went. If I watch TV at all now, I use a streaming service that dispenses with commercials altogether so I can make the most efficient use of my time.
Delegate
I recently hired a cook to drop off healthy meals once a week because I was finding it difficult to do so myself. The cook receives employment doing something she loves, and I find more time to do the things I’m passionate about. Thanks to social media and services like Postmates, you can quickly find someone to help you with just about any errand or time-consuming task that doesn’t fit your priorities right now.
Routine
Exercise is non-negotiable for me because it keeps me mentally and physically fit. Your non-negotiable might include reading your child a story before bed every night or enjoying a cup of coffee by yourself in the morning. Whatever your non-negotiables are, make them a routine so the actions that bring you the most health and happiness are part of your everyday life.
Find Your Flow
Once you have gone through the process of giving up, eliminating, delegating, and making priorities routine, you’ll discover that you’re left with the activities that really spark your senses and challenge you in meaningful ways. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t course correct. Every time you want to add a new project or hobby, go through the editing process again. The goal is to find the right rhythm for you, not to struggle to balance competing interests.
How do you feel when you’re in flow rather than trying to find the perfect work-life balance? What are the strategies you use to find it? I’m interested in hearing what works for you, so please let me know in the comments below.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Personal development, Women, Time management and tagged Time management, work-life balance, routine, delegate, Find your flow
