Productivity - Getting More Done

Neen James Shares Holiday Productivity Tips with 69 News at Sunrise

2011-11-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Have-A-Massively-Productive-Last-Quarter.html?soid=1103655543174&aid=mGDiny5Mrhc

2011-08-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Have-A-Massively-Productive-Last-Quarter.html?soid=1103655543174&aid=mGDiny5Mrhc

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/How-to-be-productive-during-summer.html?soid=1103655543174&aid=s8Ztde8ZUOg

2011-07-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/How-to-be-productive-during-summer.html?soid=1103655543174&aid=s8Ztde8ZUOg

NSA UNconference Movie Trailer

2010-11-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Want to be more productive with social media?

2009-10-05T06:19:00.001-07:00

'Click the Share button to create links to this email on popular social networking and bookmarking size like Facebook, Twitter, and Digg.'

Shared via AddThis

Productivity: Do Less Not More

2009-08-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

You have often heard me say that the most productive people I know do less, not more!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog by Leo on Zen Habits (forwarded to me by my brother-in-law Stephen) Get Less Done: Stop Being Productive and Enjoy Yourself http://zenhabits.net/

Check it out:

Post written by Leo Babauta. http://zenhabits.net/

There’s too much emphasis these days on productivity, on hyperefficiency, on squeezing the most production out of every last minute.

People have forgotten how to relax. How to be lazy. How to enjoy life.

Try this: read some of the best books, magazines and blogs on productivity, and see how many will tell you how to get the most out of the time you spend waiting, how to maximize your energy, how to make use of your commute time, how to make every meeting more effective, how to get more out of your workday, how to crank out more widgets.

People are working longer hours, constantly checking their inboxes, constantly focused on Getting More Done.
But to what end?

Are we producing more in order to make more money for corporations? Or to make more money for ourselves? Or just to hold on to our jobs — jobs we might not like anyway?
It’s possible we’re trying to get more done because we love doing it — and if that’s the case, that’s wonderful. But even then, working long hours and neglecting the rest of life isn’t always the best idea. Sometimes it’s good to Get Less Done, to relax, to breathe.
Let’s take a brief look at how to do that.

The Beauty of Getting Less DoneWhile working long hours and cranking out a lot of widgets is one way to go, another is to work on important things, to create amazing things, and then to relax.

I’m not saying you should surf the web all day, or take naps all afternoon … but why not? Why not enjoy a lovely nap? Why not take a long lunch and then a siesta? Why not enjoy a good book?
I get people who ask me all the time, “What should I do on those days when I can’t seem to be productive?”

My answer: “Enjoy it!”

Sure, we need to produce sometimes, especially if we have to pay the bills, but an obsession with productivity is unhealthy. When you can’t get yourself to be productive, relax. Let go of the need to be hyperefficient. Stop feeling guilty about enjoying yourself.
But what if you can’t motivate yourself … ever? Sure, that can be a problem. But if you relax, and enjoy yourself, you’ll be happier. And if you work when you get excited, on things you’re excited about, and create amazing things, that’s motivation. Not forcing yourself to work when you don’t want to, on things you don’t want to work on — motivation is doing things you love, when you get excited.

It’s how I work every day. I work on lots of projects, on things I really care about, with people I enjoy working with. (See my guide to becoming self-employed if you’d like to do the same.)
How to RelaxIt’s funny that I’d even need a section on this topic — how to relax. It seems like it should be something we all know how to do. After all, aren’t we constantly searching for ways to be less lazy? And doesn’t it logically follow that we already know how to be lazy?
It’s possible you already have mastered the art of relaxing. And if so, congratulations. You are a Get Less Done master. All you need now, perhaps, is to let go of the guilt you might feel, and enjoy this relaxation.

But for those of you who have forgotten how to relax, you’re going to have a tougher time. Here’s a hint: don’t stress out about it. If you don’t know how to relax, it’s OK. Breathe. Take it slowly. One step at a time.

Some steps:
Take 5 minutes to go outside for a walk. Breathe the fresh air.
Give yourself more time to do things. More time means less rush.
After work, get outside, take in nature, run around if you can.
Play. Play like a child. Play with a child. Play when you work.
Give yourself a day off. Sleep. Watch TV. Eat bon bons.
At work, give yourself an hour off. Don’t try to be productive. Just have fun.
Work with someone who is exciting. Get excited about a project.
Take evenings off. Seriously, no working in the evenings.
Get a massage.
Breathe.

Step by step, learn to relax. Learn that productivity isn’t everything. Creating is great, but you don’t need to fill every second with work. When you do work, get excited, pour yourself into it, work on important, high-impact tasks … and then relax.

Well written Leo! Let's all incorporate more opportunities to relax.
—

Join me at the Innovation Philadelphia Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit

2009-08-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Creative industry types from across the world are coming to the City of Brotherly Love for Innovation Philadelphia’s second Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit on October 5-6, 2009.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a graphic or web designer, business exec, or something in between, there is sure to be something for everyone with more than 100 speakers scheduled for this year’s event. With a variety of panels and workshops, and keynote speakers such as Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert and social media guru Peter Shankman, the Summit is bringing together the best of the best from an assortment of creative industries to network, exchange ideas, and share information. I am excited to be speaking for this fabulous event and would love to see you there.

Check out www.GCECS2009.com to register and to see all the latest news about the Summit.

When you walk out of a room - how does it Change? Blog by Scott Ginsberg

2009-08-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

Check out Scott Ginsberg's fabulous blog entry today (love this guy) his blogs are great, is a fabulous speaker and he helps make the world more productive:

http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-you-walk-out-of-room-how-does-it.html

How to Use Facebook Productively

2009-06-10T04:09:00.001-07:00

Published today in the Legal Intelligencer today - enjoy these tips:
http://thelegalintelligencer.typepad.com/tli/2009/06/how-to-use-linkedin-productively.html

Make Your Conference Attendance Productive

2009-06-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

Throughout our careers we are all required to attend conferences, industry meetings, retreats, strategic off-site meetings. These events are all called different names but the idea is the same – you need to be away from your home or office for a period of time. To ensure this is a productive activity for you I have created a list of tips you can use before, during and after the conference event.

Before the Conference

Phone Ahead – a concierge is the greatest source of information for any new city or hotel. When you contact the hotel where you are staying ask several questions including:

Is there a health club or gym? Is there an additional fee for use of this facility?
Is there Internet access in your room and is this an additional charge?
Is there a hotel shuttle?
Does the hotel provide a pick up service from the airport?
Are there shops close by i.e. grocery store, coffee shop and pharmacy?
Is there a pool or spa facility available?
Is there a business centre with computers, printers and copiers?

These questions help you prepare to pack the required clothing and determine if you will travel with your laptop.

Book your transportation – if the hotel provides a complimentary shuttle service this is a great money and time saver. You will need to book this in advance. You may also like to enquire about using a limousine service (that are often not much more expensive than a local taxi). Alternatively you can arrive at the airport and take your chances with a taxi or multi-stop shuttle service.

Choose your Sessions – if you are able to see an agenda ahead of time, make a note of the break out sessions you would like to attend at the conference. Determine what your businesses needs are and where you want to invest your time. This will avoid wasting time when you arrive.

Make appointments before you arrive – if you know of others who are travelling in for the conference, make time to meet with them for drinks, meals or before the conference. Leverage all opportunities while you are at the event.

Arrange ‘Out of Office’ facilities – determine how you will handle your communication while you are away. You may nominate your Virtual Assistant handle everything for you, you may leave an ‘out of office’ auto responder on email and an extended out of office on your voicemail message. Make arrangements to educate those around you that you are not available during this time.

Change your Voicemail – leave a message on your office number and cell phone that you are not available during that time but give callers an option to be called after hours. Include the day and date you will be returning to your office. You may also leave an alternative name and number for them to call.

Pack stationery – pack a few blank envelopes to store the new business cards you will receive, take a large supply of your own business cards and also pack ‘thank you’ notes that you can use at the event.

Pack Walking Shoes – no matter how long or short the event is, you can always make time to leave your hotel or conference room to get some fresh air. You may also like to consider packing a bathing suit if there are pool facilities.

Don’t over pack – we have a tendency to pack more clothes than required. Ensure you have a combination of professional and casual clothing and footwear. Review the agenda to make note of any special or formal dress events during the conference.

Schedule 1 full day of follow up activities – before you leave for conference, make an appointment in your schedule for a whole day to action any requests you may have received at conference, follow up business cards, write correspondence and investigate any products or services you were interested in.

During the Conference

Stay healthy – drink plenty of water, make good food choices from the buffets and menus, avoid excessive sugar and alcohol, take vitamins, use the health club and get plenty of sleep. It is not unusual at these events to eat foods we don’t normally consume, get less sleep than we are used to and participate in activities that are not part of our usual routine. Keep an eye on your health to really maximise your energy while you are there.

Get out of the hotel – make time to walk outside of the hotel, visit a local restaurant or café, check out the tourist activities – ensure you are able to experience an environment outside of your hotel.

Avoid checking phone messages all day – during the day avoid the distraction of checking your cell phone in the breaks. This not only removes you from the event but also can interrupt your thinking while you are there. Check them in the afternoon and return the calls (if necessary) at the end of each day.

Paper is heavy – be aware of the amount of paper you are collecting and folders you accumulate while at conference. I recently had to pay excess baggage fees as my suitcase was 10 pounds overweight… and it was all paper!

Sit in the front row – don’t be shy. Sit up front. You are more likely to concentrate and get less distracted if you are in the front of the room.

Be fully present – in all conversations, during the sessions and during meal breaks, make sure you engage with your presenter, colleagues and new friends. Give them your full attention while you are with them.

Avoid checking your email all day – if you can’t possibly imagine not checking your email each day, do it at night before the events activities re-commence. It can be distracting and unproductive.

Write on the back of business cards – when you meet someone who gives you their card, ask them if you can make notes on the back of their card. Write notes that will jog your memory for follow up after the event (especially if it is a large conference). Sometimes it can be hard to remember all the details when we have left the hotel.

Take your business cards everywhere – whether you are in session, at a social gathering or at the local tourist attraction, while you are on conference always have your business cards with you – you never know whom you might meet.

Be memorable – when there are large groups of people gathered it could be hard to stand out in a crowd. Make sure conference attendees remember you as someone who was a great listener, fun to be with and fully present at all times.

Volunteer – one of the best ways to meet people at conference is to volunteer. You can be a greeter, help place handouts on the chairs, clean up or support a presenter. The organizers will appreciate your help and you will make great contacts this way.

Target those you want to meet – don’t be shy. Introduce yourself to anyone you want to meet at the event. If this feels uncomfortable to you, ask someone else to introduce you to the people you want to meet.

Be prepared to purchase products and services at the event – if there is a trade exhibition, make the time to review the trade stands, take advantage of discount offers and special promotions for conference attendees.

After the Conference

Make a ‘To Do’ List – you may do this on the plane or when you get home. Make a list of everything you need to do to follow up and leverage your time at conference.

Write ‘Thank You’ notes on the plane – if you have an opportunity to begin your follow up on the flight home it can be a great use of your time.

Do what you say you will do – if you made a commitment to someone at the conference make sure you follow through. This is an important aspect of any conference attendance.

Stay in touch – if you made valuable contacts during the event, make time in your schedule to stay in touch with these people. You can do this by teleconference, sending them copies of your ezine or company newsletter or simply by phoning to say Hi… or in my case … G’Day!

Attending these conferences is a huge investment in time, attention and energy. Make your next event more productive by applying these tips.

Neen James, CSP MBA, is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker and author, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s Ezine at http://www.neenjames.com

Productively Build Your Brand on Zero Budget

2009-05-21T03:28:00.001-07:00

Now is a great time to productivity invest in yourself without spending a lot of money. This month choose three activities you can begin working on to build or increase your personal brand:

Practice a great handshake – you only have 7 seconds to make a first impression. In those 7 seconds people assess your age, income, marital status and education level – in 7 seconds!

Create an email signature – include your contact information and a quote about you.

Change your voicemail monthly – have you listened to your voicemail lately? If not, try it.

Set up social media profiles – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo – there are so many choices and you simply need to invest 15 minutes per day to do this.

Create e-introductions on email for your network – make introductions for others in your network via email. Help them build their business and resources while you build a brand of being the ‘go-to’ connector.

Give one referral away every day – who will you recommend today? I believe the more you give out the more it comes back to you 10 fold! It works, try it out.

Write one thank you note every week – there are so many reasons to thank people but few people take the time to do this, it will make you more memorable.

Invite someone to a networking event with you – help them expand their network while you get to increase yours too.

Invite a potential connection for coffee – well this costs money… but not much. Coffee is a much less expensive option than lunch or dinner and can be more productive too!

Conduct a tele-coffee (this is where you make a coffee, and I make a coffee and we talk on the telephone!) I do tele-cocktails on Fridays! These take no more than 15 minutes and they are very productive!

Follow up after networking events – did you know less than 1% of people follow up? Be part of that 1% today.

Ask your network for help – reach out, you will be so glad you did. People want to help you but maybe they don’t know what you need? Choose to reach out to one person today.

Comment on discussion boards/websites – share your opinion and expertise with the world, they want to hear from you.

Start your own blog – go to www.blogger.com and set up in 5 minutes!

Ask others to promote you – be brave, you are fabulous – tell others and they will spread the word!

Never leave the house in sweats – this is a MAJOR sin – don’t do it – it kills your brand! Ensure you have one fabulous outfit for all your errands.

Wear great shoes –shoes communicate a message about you – what message are you sending to the world with your shoe choices?

Walk with great posture – back straight and head held high – face the world with a smile.

Speak in positive language only – refuse to buy into the negativity right now, in every conversation speak only in positive words.

Join a non-profit Board – giving back in your community will increase your brand and your network and feels great too!

Donate your time - give to a cause you are passionate about i.e. read at your local school, volunteer at a soup kitchen, visit aged care facilities where you live, and offer to shop for someone – there are so many people who could use your time and talents.

Create your own language – have a favourite word and use it often, mine is ‘fabulous’. What is a word you use often that people remember you by?

Invest in your personal development – study online, read journals, attend a seminar, choose to do something to build your skills and knowledge today.

Read one book per month – set a goal and switch off the TV – books will expand your mind and make great conversational topics.

Seek out a mentor – check out mentoring programs within your company and online for great resources: www.neenjames.com

Publish articles online & in your local papers and journals – go to www.ezinearticles.com and publish today (for free!). If you are knowledgeable about any topic the world needs to hear from you.

Barter your services for others – if you can’t afford a service but you have talents, offer to share your time and expertise with someone else.

Be your authentic self – you are fabulous – let others see you. This is the best way to build your personal brand. Turn up as yourself 100% of the time, people want to know you, they want to help you and they enjoy your brand.

Choose the activities today that you can implement without spending money to productivity build your brand.

Neen James, MBA is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker and author, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://www.neenjames.com

Productive Meetings; Try Coffee instead of Lunch

2009-03-21T08:53:00.003-07:00

Great article from The Glass Hammer: The Glass Hammer - http://www.theglasshammer.com/

Super Productive Connecting: Hear Neen's Interview with Thought Leader Gihan Perera

2009-03-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Recently I was interviewed by the legendary Gihan Perera as part of the Thought Leaders: Volume 3 book just released in Australia - here more about my section on Super-Connecting on this interview (39 minutes long) - enjoy: http://www.thoughtleadersblog.com/2009/03/ideas-3-interview-series-neen-james.html

How to Really Use LinkedIn - new book by Jan Vermeiren

2009-02-26T05:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com/en-buy.html

One of my collegues has written a valuable resource on the how to's of using LinkedIn. This practical resource is a requirement of every person using LinkedIn today.

More than 34 million people have a profile on LinkedIn and some connections. However the most heard questions are: why should I be on this website? How does it benefit me? And how do I get results without spending too much time?

Jan doesn't only reveal the true power of LinkedIn, but also shows a short and effective 3 step plan to get results fast. Furthermore there are advanced strategies to find new customers, a new job, suppliers, experts,...

Together with answers to the 24 most frequently asked questions, an overview of 22 little known features and a list of free tools to save time when working on LinkedIn, this makes "How to REALLY use LinkedIn" thé ultimate guide for success on LinkedIn.
To celebrate the launch there is a special package for anyone who buys the book on Amazon on March 17. More info at: www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com/en-buy.html

Is Facebook a productivity killer? Using Facebook Productively

2009-02-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

I see it all the time; my clients complain about it, has it happened to you? On a daily basis, highly intelligent adults find themselves wasting valuable time (our most precious resource) glued to their computer, accepting friend requests, instant messaging, updating status, checking out photos, commenting on things they usually wouldn’t spend time on… how do I know all this? I too was initially sucked into Facebook (FB)!

Facebook is a brilliant online social media tool that can help you reconnect with friends, colleagues and associates, deepen existing relationships, promote your business, share resources and manage your communications. I believe that Facebook can make you more productive however you need to apply these strategies to avoid the productivity trap:

Determine purpose – can you articulate why you have a FB account? Do you want to promote your business or your clients? Do you want to look cool to your teenagers? Do you want to reconnect in a cheaper, faster, more efficient way? Whatever your reason, be clear about what you want to use it for.

Go on a Facebook diet – just like you allocate a certain number of meals or calories per day, limit your time on FB. You might determine that 60 minutes per day will work for you (30 in the morning and 30 at night). I spend no more than 15 minutes in the morning and then occasionally I will check it at night. My business requires significant travel so I also enjoy FB when I am waiting at airports. Determine how many minutes per day you will invest.

Decide how many accounts you will have – recently I was part of a panel of experts on communicating with Generation X & Y for the National Speakers Association winter conference (www.mynsa.org) and we were discussing how many accounts people should have. Some of the audience wanted one for personal and one for work – that seems like too much work for me and I only have one account for the world to see – this is more productive for me in my world.

Use Positive Language – if you decide to have one account (or two accounts for that matter) always ensure your status updates, items posted and photos are all positive. If you don’t want grandma seeing those photos – don’t post them!

We don’t care what you ate for dinner – stop providing status updates on what you just ate – your ‘friends’ don’t care. Use the status updates to share a bit of yourself, your business or promote a client - that is productive. What you ate for dinner… not productive.

Create uniqueness – determine what makes you unique. I am an Aussie living in the US. It is easy for me to paste photos of Oz. With all the heart breaking, fatal fires that swept across Australia there were many photos of koalas being rescued so I was able to share those on my FB page. You can make a donation to the Australia Red Cross (www.redcross.org.au ) or the RSPCA (www.rspca.com.au ) to help the wildlife.

Repost great stories and ideas – share resources, recommended articles, photos, posts, and blog entries of your colleagues, clients and friends. It helps them and adds value to your page. Gina Rubel from Furia Rubel is very good at this – she is one of the best using Facebook (www.furiarubel.com)

Turn off sounds and online status – change your settings to remove all bells, whistles, chimes when messages come into your FB page. Also change your online status if you don’t want people instant messaging you when they can see you are online.

Clear inbox regularly – just like you read your email inbox daily, clear your FB inbox too.

Make friend suggestions – if you see someone new to FB or you connect with someone new, take a few minutes to make friend suggestions to help them expand their FB friends list too.

Comment on status updates – encourage and support other users, their posts and share them with your groups. Michael Port recently suggested a great referral program for small business using Facebook (www.bookyourselfsolid.com )

Create groups – allocate friends to groups and categories to target your communications and resource sharing.

Announce good news – when you win awards, gain new clients, make presentations, release new books, or whatever is great news for you and your business – share it in your status updates.

Post surveys – if you are doing a survey use FB as a tool. Kim Huggins (a specialist in Generation Y communications) did this recently with great results: (www.khrsolutions.com )

Facebook is a great, fun tool for personal and professional use. It is initially addictive but you can put yourself on a FB diet and boost your productivity today.

Neen James, MBA, is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how people spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps them to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker and author, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly e-zine at http://neenjames.com

Be productive in an open plan office environment

2009-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

Check out this great article from Canadian news source regarding open plan office environments and how to be more productive:

http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090114.WBtheoffice20090114111709/WBStory/WBtheoffice

How to make 2009 your most productive year ever!

2009-01-05T05:46:00.001-08:00

How to Make This Your Most Productive Year Ever

Each year we start the year thinking about our goals, our job, our health, all the ‘new’ routines and commitments we make to ourself to make this our best year yet… but two weeks into January all our planning and resolution goes out the window! You can make this your best year ever by applying some of these simple ideas (and print this article, keep it handy and re-read to keep you on track).

Make a date. Make time in your schedule to find a quiet, comfortable location to set your goals. I spend a morning at my favourite local cafe in January every year to review my goals and set new ones for the year ahead. Find a local restaurant or café and spend time doing the same – support your local businesses.

Take five. Create five categories for which to set goals: physical, educational, spiritual, financial, and relational. By setting goals for each of these areas of your life, you will be taking a balanced approach and not neglecting any important aspects of your life.

Use it or lose it! I recently read – people who spend a thousand dollars or more each year on their personal development will increase their business by 20 percent. Read more books, attend Chamber of Commerce or industry workshops, attend a business card exchanges, listen to CDs in your car, do online courses or enrol at college or university. Keep your brain active.

Make time. Eliminate time-robbers from your day – make a list of all the things you do that rob you of your time, such as watching too much TV, running errands inefficiently, checking and responding to your email too often, making long phone calls, waiting in traffic and even other people. Focus on controlling your time – organising your day efficiently and getting rid of the things in your life that are not a high priority.

Out of sight, out of mind. Remove your in-tray from your desk or get rid of it all together if you can! Keep it out of sight so the contents don’t distract you and so that people don’t drop new items into it without you noticing.

Unplug. Schedule one TV-free night each week. Switch off the TV and instead listen to your favorite music, play a board or card game, read a book, enjoy a quiet meal by candle light (alone or with someone whose company you love), go on a date in one of your local restaurants or soak in a bath. Start being aware of your television viewing habits and make a point of only watching programs that you truly enjoy and stop wasting precious time in front of the TV.

Manage your reading. Create a reading file and put it in your briefcase. If you don’t already have one, start a reading file and carry it with you on your way home. You can get through a surprising amount of reading while on public transport to and from work and while waiting in a line.

Find a mentor. When you identify the person you believe would be a suitable mentor, spend some time watching them in action. Ask around to find out what other people’s opinion of your chosen mentor are and find out all you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.

Schedule email time. Email messages popping into your inbox all day long can be an enormous distraction, particularly if your email is set to alert you every time new mail arrives. To check in on your emails and respond to them as they arrive not only distracts you from whatever tasks or projects you are working on but can rob you of an entire day, responding to other people’s needs while your own are neglected. Schedule a couple or a few times each day to check and respond to emails rather than constantly looking-in on your inbox or being bounced there by your email program with every new message.

Your signature. Use your email program to create an email signature block that will automatically attach to all of your outgoing messages; it’s a little like an email letterhead. It saves you the effort of including your contact information every time and brings a professional touch to your communications. You might simply include your name, business name, contact details and website or you might also include a sentence or two about your business, a special promotion you are running with a link to your website, or even a favourite funny or inspirational quote.

Spring clean. Schedule time to clean out your email regularly, once a month should be enough to keep you on top of it. Empty your deleted items and any unnecessary sent items, and go through any completed project or task folders and ensure that anything you are keeping is essential to your records. Cleaning out your email will ensure you are managing your email files and disk space effectively.

Set up systems. When using filing cabinets, decide how you will allocate your space to make it easiest to locate your files: for example, rather than mixing all your files together you might decide to keep current customer files in one drawer and potential customer files and marketing information in a separate drawer, or you might choose to store current projects in one drawer and research and reference information in another, or you might decide to file everything in alphabetical order – you get the idea – look at the type of files you have and decide how to logically divide them into categories. Then, label the front of each drawer with the type of files it contains.

Choose to be amazing! It’s as simple as making a commitment to yourself every morning that you will have an amazing day. Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal – we only get one performance, so let’s give it our best!

Neen James, MBA is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate educator, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://www.neenjames.com

Be Productive in Your Lunch Hour: Feel Empowered

2008-12-18T02:10:00.000-08:00

With so many responsibilities and obligations our lunch hours (or nowadays, lunch minutes) are usually filled with an enormous ‘to do’ list. Decide this year will be different. If you want to enjoy your lunch break, feel empowered and contribute to your wellbeing, there are multiple things you and try and watch your productivity and daily satisfaction increase!

Reach out – decide to use this time to catch up with a friend, invite a new client to lunch, investigate a local charity and get involved or call a family member.

Get out – enjoy the gorgeous weather, take your lunch to a park, visit a local museum, window shop for someone special in your life, or try a new café. Invest a few minutes outside so that you can remove yourself from your environment and then clear your head, it helps you get more done in the afternoon!

Work out – many people claim they don’t have time to exercise but invest in yourself and your health by spending your lunch break taking a walk or try a new class at a gym close to your office. Use the middle of the day to increase your energy and watch your afternoon energy sky rocket.

Clean out – if you decide to stay in your office during your lunch break decide to clean up your computer and sort your electronic files, delete old unnecessary emails, clear off your desk and wipe down all surfaces. Use this time to clean up and you will feel lighter and more organized for the rest of the day… and week!

Chill out – lunch breaks are designed in the middle of the day to enjoy a few moments to replenish your body and energy. Use this time to laugh with a colleague, do a yoga class, sit in the sun and take in some vitamin D, experiment by trying a new food, breathe deeply, do a yoga class or take a walk.

By applying these 5 strategies you will feel empowered each day to meet every challenge and your personal productivity will skyrocket!

Neen James, MBA is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps women to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://www.neenjames.com/

Get Productive...Start a new career

2008-12-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

Many people are currently spending alot of energy concerned about their jobs right now. If you find yourself looking for a new opportunity you can try these tips from an article I wrote that was recently published in Singapore Times.

http://www.jobsdb.com.sg/SG/EN/v6HTML/Article/JS/202/202.htm

Here are the main tips from the article:

1. Get Support.
2. It is not about you.
3.Set up a HQ (head quarters)
4. Update your resume.
5.Mind your language.
6. Stay well presented.
7.Stay motivated.

You can also view other articles for Job Seekers at:
http://www.neenjames.com/modules/smartarticle/item.php?itemid=50

Productivity - Get Help

2008-11-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

Having just returned from a 2 week trip to Australia it was confirmed to me that the best way to be productive is to get help.

While I was away my brilliant business manager, Maria Novey, ran the office, managed my email, handled all client enquiries - well she did everything,way too much to list here. It was fantastic to come back after being away (and jet lagged) to know the business was running smoothly and my clients were happy.

Many people buy into the myth that 'I have to do it all myself' or 'It is quicker to do it myself' - that is a productivity myth and a productivity killer. Yes it does take more time to explain how to do something to someone and yes it does require more trust to delegate tasks to someone else but in the longer term your productivity will increase and your peace of mind will be greater.

Today decide to get help. Increase your productivity by getting help. Seek it out. If you can't invest in an assistant recruit help from your kids, your neighbors or a colleague at work. Start small, choose a task and decide to get help. I personally promise you will be more productive.

For more tips check out www.neenjames.com

Get productive... go on vacation

2008-11-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

With only one more 'sleep' until I fly to Australia for a few weeks and I am astounding myself with how productive I can be and how much really gets done in anticipation of being away.

If you want to really accelerate your productivity, set yourself a deadline and work like crazy to make it happen. During this past 48 hours I have reached out to several outstanding business proposals, written two articles, cleared my inbox.. totally and updated several projects.

At the beginning of every year it is essential to block out vacation (holiday) time so that you can know what is ahead and plan accordingly.

I have decided not to take my laptop on this trip and trusting Maria with my email and office operations.

So do you want to be more productive before the end of the year, book a vacation, think about Thanksgiving and determine what you can do before you go away... now I have 24 hours left before getting on a 22 hour flight... now what else is on my to do list!

Managing Growth Productively

2008-10-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was invited to speak locally on how to manage growth - what a great topic to be talking about during these times!

Lauren Sullivan shared a summary of the presentation on her blog: http://auberginecafe.blogspot.com/ - check out what she wrote.

Handwritten Business "Thank you" notes: A Personal Touch

Here are a few of her tips:

1) Invest in a mentor. Either get a coach or ask someone if you can shadow them. If they can give you at least 20 minutes of their time, and they know something valuable to your personal / career growth, then that's a relationship worth building.

2) Align, Energize and Leverage. Align your values, energize what you're doing and leverage what things work well. If you're good at something you can put all your focus on it, which will not only make you extremely happy - but it will develop your niche, and then the money will flow. Outsource all the stuff you hate to do to focus on the things you need to do. You will save time and money, and enjoy life more.

3) Solve the pain. At networking events no one cares about what you do, or what your company does - they want to know how you can help them!! Tell them, and find a better way to present your business card - hold it face forward in your palm so they can read it.

4) Grow your business with current clients. It's the easiest, most effective way to earn more money. Use facts or percents that upsell your business. Manage growth as if you are already there!

5) Personalize it! Send handwritten letters, leave voicemails about interesting things that you clients would like, send them gifts, remind them that you are always there. Even go old shcool - use phone, faxes, office visits more often! For one day break away from social media to get your message across. Change email signature and voicemail every week - or every so often.

Productivity: How to use LinkedIn Productively

2008-09-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

There are many online social networking sites available to you to increase your network. One of my favourites is LinkedIn. It is predominately a professional site that is used primarily for business connections unlike other sites that are more fun and informal including Facebook and Myspace.com

If you want to increase your network, boost your productivity and develop your business you can achieve this by getting familiar with LinkedIn (LI) and using this in your everyday interactions.

Set it up – if you are not already on LI, log onto www.linkedin.com and create a free account. Take the time to create a profile for others to view then you are all set up. This is like your online resume.

Spend 15 minutes per day – when you initially set up your account, dedicate 15 minutes per day for 2 weeks to get your profile established, learn the different functionality of the site and invite others to be connected to you.

Expand your network – you can easily build an online ‘rolodex’ by inviting people you want to be connected to can help increase your network. This invitation is emailed to them and they can accept your request.

Use Outlook – LI has the ability to search your outlook contacts against those people in LI, use this facility to quickly build your connections.

Reach out – LI is a fantastic tool to reach out to previous employees or business connections you have enjoyed working with previously.

Use the search facility – if you want to find out if someone is already a user simply use the search function on your home page, type in their name and the system will advise you if they are linked. If so, you can send them an invitation to join your network.

Ask others to introduce you – LI gives you the ability to see your connection’s network so if there is someone you have wanted to meet, you can ask your direct connection to make an introduction for you.

Connect others - Many people frequently ask me to make introductions to people in my network and I am happy to make a ‘warm’ introduction for them. LI is an easy way to do this.

Break the ice – LI is an easy way to find out information about someone before you contact them and also gives you conversation topics when you do connect. You might notice they serve on a Board you are interested in or studied at a school you also attended. You can find common ground in some profiles.

Showcase your connections – LI shows the people and companies you are associated with and helps other see who you have done business with.

Collect testimonials – LI is an effective way to collect testimonials from those in your network. These are then displayed on your profile. It might take someone weeks (or months) to write a testimonial for you on their company letterhead however inviting them to provide a brief testimonial for you on LI is efficient and quick for them. I have found 99% of people I ask to do this are happy to do it.

Provide testimonials – when you have established a network of people make sure you also provide testimonials. It is a nice surprise for people to receive an unsolicitored testimonial from you in their email inbox. Once you create the testimonial it sends an email to the person asking if they want to show the testimonial on their site. I do this regularly and always get a great response from people. Quite often when you write a testimonial for someone they kindly reciprocate too.

Be a subject matter expert – there is a section of LI that allows people to ask questions, you can provide your expertise to those questions and position yourself as a SME.

Review history – LI is an informative research tool if you want to investigate someone’s history of work or college related activities. i.e. Alumni or Boards of Directors they serve on.

Announce news – provide information of case wins, publish press releases and share your good news with your network using LI.

Up to date – most people are more likely to keep their LI profile up to date when they change roles or companies (however they may not send you their new email or company information) – LI is up often more up to date.

Research tool – use LI to pose a question to selected people in your network for research. I use this frequently and people take the time to respond as it appears as an email in their inbox and allows them to provide a quick response.

Dinner dates – if you are going to be in a city on business you can notify people in your network and reconnect with them for a coffee or meal.

Increased web presence – although you may already have your own website, LI provides another opportunity for people to access information about you and also increases your search in Google.

Invest – LI allows you to grow your connections before you need them. If you find yourself looking for a new job; having an established network allows you to reach out to them when you need it.

Introduce yourself – occasionally you may see someone you have wanted to connect with that is connected to someone in your network. You might like to reach out to that person directly via LI and ask them to be connected to you.

LinkedIn is a great business tool. It requires an investment of your time to establish it and maintain it but once you begin using it you will find it can greatly increase your opportunities for connections, new business and building stronger relationships – so log on now!

Neen James, MBA, is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how women they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps women to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly e-zine at http://neenjames.com

Productive Creativity: Boost your creative skills

2008-07-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Productive Creativity

In the late 1950’s Dr Roger Sperry began his research regarding the brain, Sperry’s work (later earned him a Nobel Prize for medicine in 1980’s) proved the brain is divided into two major areas: the right and left brain. His research also identified that each of the part of the brain specializes in its own style of thinking and has different capacities.

What he discovered is the left is the basis of logical thought and the right brain is creativity.
The left brain is responsible for:
· Sequential thinking
· Sees details
· Logical cause and effect
· Uses facts
Speaks well
· Good with numbers
· Word puzzles
· Analyzes
· Names things

The right brain is responsible for:
· Insights
· Imagination
· Face Recognition
Spatial orientation
· Drama
· Metaphors
· Music
· Meditation/ Prayer
· Rap/rhyme
· Art/Colours

We want whole brain thinking.

Questions are a great technique to increase your creativity and stretch your thinking, these questions could be for clarification, probing assumptions, probing evidence and reasons, questioning viewpoints and probing consequences.

Great questions to ask
Who is this for? Who does this affect? Who else would benefit from this?
So what?
What is the story? What is the point? What exactly does this mean? What do we already know about this? What else can we assume? What would happen if we…? What other ways could we look at this? What are the pluses and minuses of…?
Where is the best place for this? Where do we want this story to go?
When is this due? When is action required?
How is this relevant? How is this important? How is this a story? How is this related to other projects/clients? How will that affect…?
Why do you think that? Why is this happening? Why is this better than…?

Ideas to increase your productive creativity:
· Be open
· Drive a different way to work
· Order an unusual meal
· Read magazines (fashion, travel, food)
· Ask more questions
· Visit an art museum
· Watch foreign films
· Travel abroad
· Be well read
· Try Neenstorming
· Surround yourself with creative people
· Take a walk

What else would you add to this list?

So today, ask yourself how can you increase your creativity at work?

Recommended resources
Eureka Ranch - http://www.eurekaranch.com/
Jumpstart your Marketing Brain – Doug Hall
Jumpstart your Business Brain – Doug Hall
10 Foundations of Motivation – Shawn Doyle

Productivty - 15 Minute Rule

2008-07-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is, ‘there are never enough hours in the day’. I disagree. We are all given the same amount of time every day. The great thing about time is that regardless of who you are, how old, how rich, how glamorous, time doesn’t care. Time doesn’t decide who it will support more. I do agree that some days we wish we had more time. Every audience I speak for tells me their favorite advice is the ’15 Minute Rule’.

Recently one of my incredibly busy clients told me she wanted to write a book. I had heard her say this so many times before and I knew she was genuine so in a slightly exasperated tone I said ‘just write the book already! All you need to do is write for 15 minutes every day’. Of course she didn’t believe me but she agreed in the January 2007 that she would write for 15 minutes every day (at least) and she did. Regardless of what was occurring within her life she carved out 15 minutes to add something to her book. I am so proud to announce that she completed that book and on 18th December 2007 she held her very first book in her hands. Ah the power of the 15 minute rule!

Create time. While we often can not find an additional hour in our day we can definitely find 15 minutes. Choose to create time.

Make time in time. Understand what activities you are currently doing that can be combined with other related activities. Some may call this multi-tasking. I prefer to think of it of cleverly using all aspects of time. If you know you have to wait for an appointment, take information you can read or a letter you can write while you wait.

Decide now. Choose that you will work on a task or activity for 15 minutes only. You will be amazed how much you can achieve in 15 minutes of concentrated activity. Our lives are so full, our attention so scattered that we don’t often apply focus for a full 15 minutes on many tasks!

Eliminate time robbers. Identify those activities that do ‘fill up’ your day. Each time you waste your time on an activity, phone call or lack of system or process, it is another 15 minutes you could be investing somewhere else.

Arrive early. One technique I use daily is to arrive 15 minutes early for appointments. This early arrival helps me to catch up on reading journals and local papers, provides time to sit and write daily thank you notes, and allows me to make a business call. As I already need to be at the meeting, arriving 15 minutes earlier is a choice I make to allow activities that don’t require my office. In your personal activities, try arriving at the gym earlier to do your abs routine or arriving to collect the kids from school as a time to sort through your mail.

Wake up. Set your alarm to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day. This will allow you to ease into your day and avoid running late first thing in the morning.

Rest well. Stay up 15 minutes longer than you normally would at night to complete some tasks that you might usually put off until the next day.

Phone free. Switch your cell phone and/or desk phone to voicemail for 15 minutes and allow your callers to leave a message while you complete an important task. Not many of us work in roles where 15 minutes is a life or death situation.

Ignore email. If you have a habit of checking your email every few minutes for any incoming messages, stop for 15 minutes. Choose to not answer an email for 15 minutes. You will definitely achieve more.

Shut the door. If you are in an office situation, shut your door for 15 minutes every day. Use this uninterrupted time to consider your strategy for the day, for the week or for the month.

Designate same time. Book the same time in your calendar each week to complete a certain task i.e. filing, paying bills, unsubscribing from junk mail, checking your online accounts, creating a report for your boss or contacting a family member.

Here is a list of things you can achieve in 15 minutes, try these:
Clear emails
Make a business phone call
Write a hand written note
Exercise
Make a healthy meal
Talk to a friend
Update your blog
Thank a colleague
Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails
Shop online
Assess your goals
Speak to a child
Send a birthday wish
Tidy your desk
File
Catch up on reading
Scan newspapers and journals
Write an article

What can you do in 15 minutes?

Neen James, MBA, is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://www.neenjames.com/

Tune into 98.1 WOGL, The Philadephia Agenda, this Sunday with Brad Segall and Neen James

2008-07-15T18:09:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce that I will be featured on 98.1 WOGL, The Philadelphia Agenda with Brad Segall this Sunday, July 20 between 6am – 7am! During the show I will provide a variety of productivity tips including how to be productive in a recession, in the summer and even at the airport! In addition, I will be sharing inside productivity secrets from my latest book, Secrets of Super Productivity.

We hope you can tune-in for this wonderful show. If you happen to miss the show, check www.neenjames.com for an audio file of my interview.

How to use LinkedIn Productively

2008-06-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Productive Phone Etiquette

2008-06-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

You may remember a time before there were cell phones…a time when communications within organizations was more controlled and within business hours. Cell phones have created an ‘open all hours’ mentality for business (and pleasure). People now assume they can reach you at all hours and we have become dependent on the flexibility they give us.

There once was a time we had to schedule, plan, co-ordinate and know our way to a meeting or luncheon. Cell phones have now become a major distractor as we use them for phone conversations, receiving email and texting. I often see people in meetings not paying attention (checking their blackberry), couples at dinner (looking under the table at their phones for text and email) and parents supposedly playing with their kids or watching them play sport (while checking their messages). It is time to master phone etiquette, be fully present in conversations and stand out in the crowd.

Just ask. When my cell phone rings the first question I ask my caller is “how can I help you today?’ This simple, but polite question ensures they get right to the point, avoids chit chat, and ensures we are not spending too much time on the phone. If the caller is in for a long chat I suggest another time we can connect. Try this simple question and see if you spend less (not more) time on your cell phone.

Be present. If you are on the phone with a caller, give them your undivided attention. Too often we proudly ‘multi-task’ and don’t fully tune into conversations. This wastes time, kills productivity and causes us to miss important facts, ask for information to be restated and we can also miss ‘reading between the lines’ in conversations. Be fully present in your cell phone conversations.

Your voicemail. Create an informative voicemail message that provides callers with information about you and when you will get back to them. You might simply include your name, business name, contact details and/or website. Where possible try to record the message yourself so your callers hear your voice when they phone, instead of an automated voice message.

Size matters. Be considerate when leaving voicemails. This is not a time to tell a long and detailed story. It is the perfect opportunity to provide the facts about why you called, what you need and when they can get back to you.

Clear out. Daily check your voicemail messages and ensure you clear out all messages and return them within 24 hours wherever possible.

Reply quickly. Because of its immediacy, people expect fast replies to their voicemails. A response within 24-hours is probably as long as most people would consider appropriate. If you are unable to answer within 24 hours ensure your outgoing message tells callers when you will get back to them.

Watch your tone. Business communications used to all share a fairly dull, formal tone of voice however voicemail is more informal and conversational. It does allow for a more casual and personal approach. Ensure you always use a greeting (‘Hi’, ‘Hello’, ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good afternoon’ are probably more common ) and a sign off (‘looking forward to hearing from you’ or ‘ have a great day’).

Don’t answer. There are times when a cell phone should be switched to silent mode or completely turned off including the movies, meetings, meals in public places, church, temple and funerals. It is also inappropriate to answer in the bathroom (not to mention unhygienic!). Voicemail is a great resource for these times when you are unable to answer your phone.

Ask permission. When you are phoning someone on their cell phone inquire if this is a good time to talk. This simple question will allow them to respond and ensure you have a productive conversation. If it is not convenient to chat they can then suggest an alternative time.

Open hours. Common etiquette used to state you should never call someone before 9.00 am and after 9.00 pm. While business may open earlier than 9.00 am, this is a good standard to adhere to. Unless your know your colleague or client is an early riser it is best to wait until 9.00 am to call and to avoid ever calling clients after 9.00 pm at night.

Out of office. Just like an email ‘Out of Office’, if you are going to be unable to respond to voicemails within your usual timeframe, this might be because you are away or you need some quiet time, advise callers when they can expect to hear from you.

Remember cells phones are a fabulous tool if used productively and with sensitivity for those around you.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://www.neenjames.com/

Productivity: Don't close a sale, open a relationship

2008-05-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

While preparing for a presentation this week I was thinking about how I had created a brand new business, reputation and profile in the US after moving from Sydney, Australia 3 years ago. I believe the 5 steps in building productive relationships are:
1. Reach Out - when I first moved here I constantly asked people who they knew, who were the 'movers and shakers' in Philadelphia that I needed to meet. People want to help you, you just need to ask.

2. Network - my whole US business was built on networking. Identify strategic alliances, groups you want to be involved with and serve and volunteer whenever you can.

3. Serve - by constantly asking the question "How can I help you" I was able to learn more about people, their businesses and what they needed. I was forever (and still am) making email introductions to people who needed to meet each other. I also served on many committees and events and currently serve on 3 Board of Directors too.

4. Follow up - do you know that less than 1% of people follow up! That is crazy! We invest so much time and energy on building new contacts, sales prospects and yet we don't invest the energy to follow up. This could include hand written notes, phone calls, coffee appoitments, sending magazine or articles to potential clients, sending them an interesting book or CD - follow up is key.

5. Persist - if you really beleive you want to be in business then you must decide to be persistent. Just because your proposal or product is important to you, it isn't necessarily importat to your potential client or connection. To stay top of mind of others you must persist, persist, persist.

Building productive relationships means you don't ever close a sale, you simply open a relationship.

Increase your Productivity: Get a Mastermind

2008-04-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

One of the secrets to my personal and career success has been the establishment of a mastermind group. Don’t know what this is? Well it is a group of like minded people who act like a Board of Directors for your personal and work life.

In Chapter 10 of Napoleon Hill’s inspirational book ‘Think and Grow Rich’, he defines the mastermind as ‘coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose’. I like this definition and believe if you want to accelerate your personal development and productivity a mastermind group will be the best investment you can make.

I deeply admire and respect the members of my mastermind group, we have been meeting now for 18 months and I have learnt so much from each of them. When I interviewed them on what they thought was important in a mastermind group they used words like:

Small
Trustworthy individuals
Honesty
Accountability
Giving and supportive
Raises the bar on your own performance
Gives you a 30 ft view of your own business
Gives you a different perspective
Allows you to see opportunities and potential you may not have seen on your own
Makes you get out of the ‘day to day’ operations
The key is the right combination of people
It is group cantered

These definitions are vital to any group that meets and I would add some additional thoughts.

Meet regularly – our group meets on the same Monday night each month for 2 hours at the same restaurant. We share dinner, good news, and career and personal highlights. This commitment is one of my most important and enjoyable appointments in my month. I look forward to seeing them each month and I make it a priority in my scheduling.

Choose a location – we meet in a central restaurant and the staff know us, they provide a private room, understand the format of our meeting and take our orders quickly, deliver drinks and food in a timely manner and allow us to finish on time by bringing the bill quickly too. Choose a quiet place that allows you to speak freely, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. Educate the event staff of your format and it will make your meeting time more productive also.

Keep it small – less than 6 people is a good number for a group like this. It allows each person to share their good news each month and also allows time for one member to be a spotlight for discussion.

Create guidelines – determine what your group will look like, act like, create an agenda and decide what is important to you. You might like to read Chapter 10 of ‘Think and Grow Rich’ for some ideas.

Decide the agenda – our group has the same format each month which makes it fun and easy to prepare. Every month we rotate the chair of the meeting, we each share our good news and highlights and then we focus our attention on one team member. That team members knows they are the month’s spotlight and they are free to share anything with us i.e. it could be a business or personal challenge, request for strategic guidance or request to brainstorm ideas. Each of the team members then listens intently to their needs and wants and looks for ways to help, promote, grow or encourage that member. It is a great formula and we each leave the meeting on a high positive note knowing we have shared with each other and also inspired each other.

Share successes – one of my favourite meetings recently was where 4 of the 5 members each had launched a new book! We all shared in the thrill and excitement of being an author (some for the first time), and everyone left feeling they could conquer the world! This is the perfect place to share the good news in your work and personal life.

Be fully present – when we meet, each person is totally engaged in the conversation, fully present and completely listening to the others. This is an essential criteria to ensure you all have the benefit of each other’s wisdom and experience.

Be 100% authentic – it is an honour to share 2 hours with this group each month as they are themselves, 100% of the time! This is a unique environment and for a mastermind to be successful one criteria needs to be that each individual is able to express themselves, their values and their beliefs in the group.

Choose wisely – when you are ready to set up a mastermind group you want to make sure you choose the right combination of people. Our group has entrepreneurs and corporate people, men and women, different ages and nationalities. This diverse group has different perspectives and experiences that benefit the whole group. Try and find a combination of people who can inspire and challenge others in the group to be their very best.

These simple but effective guidelines can help you create a powerful set of minds that will help accelerate your thinking, share your growth and rocket charge your personal success. Start looking for other members today!

Neen James is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com/

How to make your email more productive

2008-04-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

As I travel around the country I am constantly fascinated by my client’s addiction to their email. Email was a tool originally designed to help boost our productivity in the workplace but unfortunately it has become a productivity killer. Whether you check it on your laptop or your blackberry, email now takes a huge portion of your daily correspondence time. To help boost your productivity and get control of your email try these simple strategies.

Avoid answering email first thing in the morning – the first thirty minutes of each day should be spent reviewing your strategy for the day and planning how you will achieve your goals. While you can scan your email first thing, please don’t respond immediately. Spend more time on strategy than email and you will achieve your bigger goals.

Use Color coding – most email programs allow you to designate colours to individuals. This ensures when you first review your email you can see who the emails are from easily and allows you to direct your attention to the most important people first.

Drag and drop – did you know you can drag an email from your inbox and drop it into your Contacts to create a new contact or drag it into your Tasks to create a new Task. This simple but effective strategy will also help you reduce your inbox clutter.

Unsubscribe – if you are receiving emails to online information you no longer review or read, take the time to unsubscribe. Yes this takes more time initially but will help you to reduce your inbox volume allowing you to read and review only those emails you want to receive.

Use Out of Office – if you are going to be out of the office for more than 6 hours, use this facility to educate those who email you. They will automatically receive an email advising them you are away.

Invest in Spam Filters – tighten your email security by investing in spam filters that will reduce the junk mail you receive.

Keep them short – keep your reply and responses short. If your reply is going to take substantial time, book a phone conversation or meeting with someone to answer appropriately.
Write in action language – use proactive, action language in your emails causing your readers to take action.

Use an email signature – set up a rule in your email system to always send your contact information at the footer of your email. This signature could contain your postal address, phone contact numbers and something about you and your business. This assists those you send your emails to and is free promotion for you each email you forward.

Be polite – email still requires a greeting and sign off. Take a few extra moments to greet your reader and sign off too.

Turn on spell checker – don’t allow poor grammar or spelling to be a misrepresentation of you and your skills. Set up your email to automatically spell check before any email is sent.

Turn off noises – remove any bells, whistles or chimes attached to your email. Don’t be distracted each time your email is received. Reduce distraction and eliminate chimes or sounds.

Use names in email – in the body text of an email advise each person why you sent them the email and the action they need to take. Teach people around you to read your emails looking specifically for their names and the actions you need them to take.

Delete – don’t be scared to delete emails. Once you have actioned it, file it or delete it. Keep your inbox clear.

Avoid BCC – try to avoid the use of blind carbon copy. If you have something to say to someone on email ensure that those who are copied need to be copied.

Avoid FYI – make a personal promise not to send any “FYI” or For Your Information emails. Only forward emails with specific instructions to people on what is required of them and why you are sending it through. Sending FYI emails is lazy.

Avoid jokes – don’t send joke emails, chain letters or cute PowerPoint presentations around the office. Don’t waste other’s time with these types of emails, our inboxes are so full already. Be considerate and avoid sending joke emails.

Stop pressing Send/Receive – get your finger off the button! Stop constantly pressing this button to check if you have any incoming emails. Avoid the temptation and spend time actioning the email you already have.

Watch your tone – be aware that the receiver doesn’t have the benefit of hearing your voice when they receive your email. Make sure it can’t be misunderstood.

Size does matter – be aware of the size of the attachments you are forwarding with your email. Be considerate to others and minimize file size when sending.

Spend 15 minutes – spend 15 minutes per day sorting your email. Take this time to file actioned emails, forward emails to others or delete emails. Daily discipline of your email inbox will allow you to remain focussed and less overwhelmed by email.

Maintain personal and work accounts – keep two email addresses. Only allow yourself to check work email during work time and set up a separate account to check your personal emails in your personal time.

Email is a powerful communication tool when used effectively it will help you boost your productivity. Promise yourself you will start looking at your emails differently today, apply these strategies and get back some of the time you are spending on email each day.

Neen James, MBA, is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://www.neenjames.com/

Building Internal Connections: Productive Networking at Work

2008-01-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

Although there are any number of different networking groups and events you can attend, some of the best networking will occur within your organization. To build your reputation internally and understand “who’s who in the zoo” it is worth investing time to get to know the people around you. Try these suggestions to boost your internal networking skills.

Arrange a Lunchtime self-development session. Determine a topic your colleagues would be interested in, simply invite someone into your organization to give a brief presentation allowing time for questions and answers. You don’t need to pay this person; they may be an internal expert you invite. Choose someone who is an expert in their topic area. When organizing the meeting, set up the agenda so that there is time when people arrive to meet each other, allow 20 minutes for the presentation, 10 minutes for questions and a few minutes at the end to continue chatting to co-workers.

Organize a lunchtime sports team. This is a great way to build teamwork internally and also get to know people from other areas within the organization. Put up a notice or send an email asking for interested parties and then form a team i.e. basketball, football, tennis team are all fun and easy to organize. Find a park or gym close to the office you can use and set a regular time and day each week to meet. This is a great way to also get fresh air and exercise while networking. You might even like to get everyone to contribute some funds and organize team t-shirts to wear, your organization may even have some you can use!

Hold a quarterly breakfast forum and invite the CEO. Make an appointment with your CEO’s Executive Assistant and advise them you would like to invite the CEO to a quarterly breakfast where they can meet the team and also answer questions they might have. Once you get approval from the EA, book the next quarter’s date and find a suitable venue. Each person pays for their own breakfast so it doesn’t cost the company any money. Make arrangements with a café close to the office or in-house catering if you have it, and start at 7.30 and finish by 8.45. This allows people to meet, ask the CEO questions and get involved in discussions.

Seek or start a mentor program. Identify people you would like to learn from within the organization and approach them about being mentored for 6 months. If your organization already has a mentoring program, sign up and get involved
Get involved in a charity. Select a deserving charity and organize events within the company to raise money for them. Your company may already have a chosen charity, if so; invite someone from the organization to update your colleagues on suggestions of how you can help. This can be a fun way to help others and also help you get to know those you work with.

Hold a ‘brown bag’ seminar at lunchtime. Invite everyone to bring their own lunch; you can invite a speaker to provide information to the team. The topics might be relevant to them for outside life i.e. health, fitness, family or some way to add value to the people you work with. The topics can come from your colleagues – ask them for suggestions. You can hold these on a monthly basis and allow time within the agenda to meet at least two other people from other departments. Advertise it on the notice boards, email and in the bathrooms (you would be surprised how many people read information in the bathrooms).

Organize cross-function team events. Get to know other teams within the business by hosting a morning tea and asking the other team to explain what they do within the business and the challenges they face, and then you do the same. This is a great way to find about others and also share what you are working on.

Start a book club. Find a few people who are interested in similar books to you, set yourself a book to read every two months. If it is a local author, invite them to join you at one of your meetings to explain more about the book and why it was written. Most authors love to meet their readers. When you get together, chat about what you learned from the book, what your opinions are on the writing style and what you liked most about the book.

Get in a project team. Seek opportunities to work on projects within your team and with other departments. Ensure you have your manager’s permission to be involved. This is a great way to network and learn from others.

Write for the company newsletter. Offer to provide articles or updates for the internal newsletter. This is a great way to work with the production team (who are often volunteers looking for content for the newsletter).

Provide your business card to co-workers. When you meet someone from another department always offer your card. This will give them your contact information if they want to contact you again.

Make the most of getting to know those you work with, take time to learn what they do and how you can work together to achieve your goals.

Accelerate Your Career: Productivity Tips for Students

2007-12-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

If you really want to accelerate your career, these simple strategies can boost your productivity, expand your network and assist you with the positions and roles you want in your professional life.

Network … network… network – this essential relationship building practice is essential to not only build your reputation and profile but also to assist you understand industries, hear of opportunities and get word out about your expertise. This life skill will help you learn more about others, more about yourself and this is how the really great jobs get offered. Develop your network before you need it.

Seek mentors – seek out people you can learn from, find someone you admire and determine if you can be their mentee. This will really accelerate your professional career and your personal development. Learn from their wisdom and experience.

Be an exceptional presenter – get great at this skill! Any chance you get to jump on your feet and present will build your confidence; show others your skills and open doors of opportunity for you. This skill is highly valued in the business world; this will quickly put you in a leadership position.

Create a plan – build your own business plan or marketing plan (remember you are the product), and stick to your plan. Write down your goals and place them somewhere you can see them everyday.

Be authentic – be yourself 100% of the time. People want to get to know you, they value honesty and integrity – be true to yourself.

Develop time management and organizational skills – regardless of where you work these two areas are valued by all employers. Identify areas you may wish to develop and seek help building your expertise in these areas.

Learn project management skills – this includes communication, planning and budgeting. Develop this skill early in your career and watch your promotions!

Be a veracious reader – consume books on multiple topics. Enjoy them, bury yourself in them and stay up to date on current thinking. Consult the New York Times best seller list if you want inspiration.

Be a phenomenal marketer – market yourself, your programs, your company, and your skills. Be your own publicist.

Get involved – volunteer, get involved in the colleague, alumni, community, serving in your local area. Whatever you are passionate about, find a way to get involved. Volunteer whenever you can as you make great connections, learn new skills and you even identify potential mentors or job opportunities this way.

Good luck! Applying these simple but effective strategies will take you time, but investing in them all will make you a valuable asset to any organization.

2007-12-11T04:42:00.000-08:00

Productivity: How to Get Through Airport Security

My business takes me across the US and beyond most weeks and a regular part of every week is getting through the airport security line. Here are a few tips to help you make your time waiting more productive:

Print boarding passes out at home - avoid the long lines at the airport check in by printing out the boarding pass up to 24 hours before your flight. You can check your seat, change it if necessary and then print it out at home.

Get ID quickly - before I get out of my car or taxi I find my photo ID and my boarding pass and have them in my hands for the security agent the moment I meet them.

Get organized in your car or taxi - before I leave my car, rental car shuttle or taxi I pull out of my bag my laptop and toiletries bag. This way I don't have to open the bag again in the security line and I am ready and waiting to be processed.

Choose wisely - find an outfit you can wear every time you travel with minimum zips, buttons or catches that will allow you to move smoothly through the line without feeling like you are as you pass through the security sensor.

Wear socks or pantyhose - don't allow your feet to touch the floor of the airport and think about wearing some protection on your feet when you have to remove your shoes.

Choose your shoes well - find slip on type shoes that will allow you to quickly remove them before the security sensor and place them on when they have been x-rayed. Don't waste time feeling awkward trying to do up laces, zippers on boots or straps on sandals.

Minimize jewellery - find jewellery that won't set off the sensors, wear the same items each time you travel so it is one less thing you need to remove in the security line.

Ziploc only - make sure every possible gel, liquid and cream is in this bag. Save yourself time by complying with this rule to avoid bag checks and more wasted time waiting in lines.

Smile - understand these people are trying to do their jobs to keep us all safe, make their lives easier and your trip more pleasant by smiling at them and greeting them whenever you can.

Take reading material - some lines are very long at certain times in the day and times through the year. Be prepared to wait and take a book or magazine to help you pass the time. This is a great opportunity on catching up on all those journals you have been 'meaning to read'.

Apply these simple guidelines today and your next trip through security at the airport will be more productive.

Be Productive: Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays

2007-11-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

The excitement of the holidays is now upon us and it is during this time we often feel like we have more on our ‘to do’ list than there are hours in the day! A common area of stress for many people is getting our homes ready for the holidays. Working in partnership with a fantastic service, like Harmony Clean can help save you time, help you relax and also give you peace of mind.

Harmony Clean http://www.harmonyclean.com/ is about healthy home cleaning, naturally. They provide a complete, customized maid service (as regularly as needed) with caring, trained staff that are bonded and insured. Recently I interviewed Vicki Brown, one of the founders of this unique company and asked her how we could get our homes ready for the holidays. Here are several strategies we decided would help get your home ready this holiday season.

Make a holiday ‘to do’ list – include on your list the activities you want to complete at home, the activities you want to outsource and your shopping ‘to do’ list.

Book a special one time clean – if you know you have company coming, a party or a gathering of people; consider hiring the experts to clean your home from top to bottom. This will also make it easier for you to maintain during the holiday period.

Pay attention to bathrooms – these areas of your home will get significant traffic during this busy time, keep these areas clean by placing cleaning products in each room so that you can quickly wipe the counter tops, clean the shower doors and wipe down other areas. I like Shaklee products (recently endorsed on the Oprah show) that are environmentally and people friendly - http://www.shaklee.net/formhealthyhabits/

Change bed linens – it is great at night to snuggle up into flannel sheet sets. Allocate time to change over all the linens in each room. Do it all on the same day as it makes it easier to remember when they all need to be changed again.

Attend to your guest room – allocate 60 minutes to clean, tidy, dust and clean out closet space in your guest room. This is a great time of year for unexpected visitors so make sure your guest room is ready for anyone that might drop in for a visit or stay over after a meal.

Dust your baseboards – this is a great time of year to pay attention to all the areas in your home you don’t normally clean. Vacuum these areas or wipe them free of all dust, this will also help your heating system function better.

Clean lights and chandeliers – some our lights might be covered in dust and cobwebs so ask the cleaning service to spend time on these fixtures. It is worth allocating someone else to do this time consuming task.

Wipe down kitchen cabinetry – ask your cleaning service to attend to this area. If you are cleaning your own home, spend time wiping down each cabinet and pay attention to the base boards.

Allocate time to decorate – make an appointment with yourself (and recruit your family to help if you can) to sort and hang your holiday decorations. This can be a fun way to spend time with those you care about. If you don’t have any family living close by, recruit a few friends to help you, put on a few drinks and turn it into a holiday catch up.

Make an appointment with yourself to shop online – instead of spending time in stores, determine how many gifts and items you can buy online (from the comfort of your own home). You might also end up spending less money as you won’t be distracted by the other items in store.

Outsource your linens – take your table cloths, matching serviettes and any other linens you might need for your holidays, to your local dry cleaner and ask them to press them, this will save you time. You may even consider giving them to a local ironing service instead.

Polish your silver – if you have special dishes, utensils or items that you don’t use year round but want to use during the holidays, make time to sit down and polish or clean these items. You could also make this a fun activity and ask your family or friends to help you while you talk about fun memories of years past.

Research your recipe books – pull out all the relevant recipe books that you want to use and mark the recipes you will be making. Sit down in one place, in one sitting and make a list of every ingredient you are going to need for your special meal. This will prevent multiple trips to the store (or multiple orders online).

Purchase fresh flowers – these add a special touch to your home during this busy time; they create beauty and will be appreciated by those around you. You can have special holiday arrangements delivered by many companies, I like http://www.1800flowers.com/

Find your serving platters – search your pantry, your cupboards and your basement for all those large platters you like to use during the holidays. It may take time to find them, clean them and then decide which food will be displayed on which platter. I always place them all on the counter top the day of the event so I know which platters are going to be used.

Use party hire – a senior executive I spoke to recently says she simply phones the party hire store and tells them how many people she has coming for a meal and they deliver the cutlery, crockery, linens, candles and extra seats and tables she requires. She rinses off the crockery and they come and pick it all up – no cleaning, no fuss. Can you reach out to your local party hire store and see if they provide this service?

Get your groceries delivered – order your groceries online from your favourite supermarket and have them delivered to your home. For a small tip to the delivery person, you will save so much time and it also means you won’t have to carry them indoors during the cold weather.

Order your main ingredients – if you like to have a ham or turkey on the holiday table, now is the time to place your order for those items and any special order pies you might want. Search out your local farmers market or local produce store.

Use caterers – if you don’t enjoy cooking or you don’t have time, consider hiring someone to help you with the food preparation. Many stores have great pre-cooked meals now and many of them will do special catering, just ask your favourite food store.

Get help – during this busy season there are many services that can help you feel less stressed and give you more time. Consider online shopping services, personal chefs, and dry cleaners, cleaning services, flower delivery and local school children. You might be able to recruit local neighbourhood school children to help you with the many chores you need to get done. I offer to pay my neighbours to help me achieve my ‘to do’ list.

The holiday season is for enjoying with friends and family, it is not meant to be a stressful, busy time. This year decide you are going to stop trying to do it all and get help where ever you can.

Neen James is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com/

Vicki Brown is one of the founders of Harmony Clean. Harmony Clean is committed to healthy home cleaning, naturally. Their full customised, complete maid service is available weekly, biweekly or monthly. They use top quality HEPA and multi-filtration vacuums and they are fully bonded and insured. Harmony Clean’s team are caring and well trained and they guarantee satisfaction 100% of the time. Find out more and book your next special clean at http://www.harmonyclean.com/

Productivity: Stop going crazy for the holidays

2007-11-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

G'Day,

This time of year for all my American friends and clients seems to increase their stress levels and cause an amazing sense of overwhelm. I challenge you this holiday season to stop. Stop being so crazy, stop being so busy, stop trying to control everything and stop trying to make everything perfect. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are thankful for (not to resent everything we had to do to get to the Thanksgiving table).

This holiday choose to 'delete' instead of 'do'. What can you delete or delegate from your Thanksgiving 'to do' list? Can I make a few recommendations:
1. Get your lines dry cleaned... even better, have the dry cleaner pick them up and deliver them.
2. Pay a professional to clean your home for this event.
3. Buy your groceries online and have them delivered.
4. Create a simple menu that doesn't require significant time in the kitchen so you can enjoy your guests.
5. Ask your guests to help with the preparations i.e. bring a dish to share, set the table, bring flowers, make desserts.
6. Hire help for the day, ask a student or someone you know would benefit from some extra cash and hire their services for a few hours.
7. Create a 'buffet' instead of a sit down meal, take the pressure off and allow everyone to serve themselves.
8. Cook and prepare ingredients in advance so you have less pressure on the day.
9. On the day, get up a little earlier and meditate for 10 minutes. During this time take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for.
10. Enjoy - being productive is not about doing more, it is about doing less.

Find the things that energize you the most i.e. spending time with those you care about, and do more of that!

One of the secrets of Super-Productivity is to do less, not more and have fun!

Productivity tip: It's not what you do... it is what you delete

2007-10-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Recently I was in London with a friend Daz who said 'you are no productivity expert... your blog is out of date!' He was right ... in some respects. One of the biggest things I have learned in all my productivity research is that it is not what you 'do' it is absolutely what you 'delete'. Over recent weeks I have had to delete many activities from my daily routine to ensure I am maximizing my time each day. My blog had fallen down on the priority 'to do' list. Well I am back... thanks Daz for the 'gentle' reminder.

If you want to be more productive today it is simple, identify one activity you can delete! Take small steps to becoming more productive, today choose one activity you won't do on your list, delete it and then feel less burdened with so many things to do.

The most productive people I know don't do more, they do less. They choose to focus on the things that are most important and valuable to them in helping them achieve their goals.

Check out more articles on http://www.neenjames.com/

Pro-Networking: Creating Connections

2007-08-17T08:58:00.001-07:00

There are any number of different networking groups and events you could choose to attend. To make your networking more productive, it’s worth investing effort in identifying and sampling groups that look like they might suit your personal and business needs – here’s how:

Choose the network. Decide what you’re looking for from a networking group and ask around. Find out what groups are available and ask for recommendations and opinions from people you respect.

Contact the network. Phone the organiser of the group or event and ask questions such as these to help you decide whether this is a good place to invest your time.

§ What types of people attend this event?
§ What industries are represented at this event?
§ How long has it been established?
§ What three words best describe this group?
§ Is there an opportunity to promote my business?
§ Does this network have membership?
§ If so, how does it work? What does it cost?

Commit to the events. When you do find a network you enjoy, schedule the time to attend and become one of the regulars. This is a great way to establish connections with people as well as to let others get to know you.

Get involved. Volunteer to help – serving on a committee or helping with an event is a great way to get to know people: help on registration, collect business cards, offer to be the MC or help to arrange an event.

Always carry your business card. That means both in and out of business hours – even at social and sporting events; you never know when someone may need your services. Ladies, it is a good idea to keep a supply of business cards in all of your handbags while gentlemen, you may like to keep a supply in all your coat jackets.

Never hand out cards with incorrect or crossed out information. It is not professional. Information crossed out may give the appearance that you are disorganized or don’t have attention to detail. Business cards are not expensive to print and you should ensure each one you hand out is an ideal representation of you and your business.

Keep a good supply of cards. Don’t allow yourself to be in a position where you can’t give someone your card. Be aware of your stock and reorder before you get too low.

Ask for a business card. When you have met someone and had conversation ask, “May I have your card?” Always ask for their card first. Once you have received it then ask, “May I give you my card?” Don’t always assume that they will want your card. It is more polite to give it to them after they have said yes.

Ask permission. If you want to write details on someone’s card (while you are still with them) always ask, “Do you mind if I make a note on the back of you card?” Some people invest substantial money in their cards and asking this question demonstrates your respect.

Write notes to yourself. When you have finished a conversation with someone, take a moment to write something about him or her on the back of his or her card. This will help jog your memory when you contact them after the event.

After each networking event I gather all the cards I have collected and put a rubber band around them together with note to remind myself of which event I met these people at. I place the pile of cards on my laptop keyboard so I that I action them the next day. Some people invest in contact management systems, and many of them are good, however you can still establish an effective contact system using basic tools such as a business card holder and Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.

Schedule follow up time. Whenever I book a networking event into my schedule I always book another 30-minute appointment with myself for the day after the event to follow up with the organisers and the people I meet.
Send handwritten cards. I handwrite thank you cards for those people I made a real connection with. I thank them for the time we spent, for the information they gave me or acknowledge some other connection that we made. Receiving a hand written card in the mail is so unusual and personal that it delivers with it a powerful impression, far stronger than a quick email might.

Book a 20-minute coffee. If you have connected with someone at an event and you want to know more about them and their business, make an appointment with them for a 20-minute coffee. Twenty minutes is an easy appointment for most people to fit into their schedule. It indicates that you value their time and shows that you are genuine about wanting to find out more about them. When you contact them you might say, “I’d like to invite you for a 20-minute coffee so I can find out more about what you do, what day is most suitable for you?” Make sure you honour the 20-minutes. At the 20-minute mark I always stop the meeting and say, “I promised it would only take 20-minutes so thank you for your time”. At this point the person you are with is able to choose whether they want to end the meeting or continue.

Send a thank you to the event organiser. Take the time to thank the organisers of the event, let them know why you found it valuable and include your business card in the envelope. There is a lot of time and energy that goes into organising events and people appreciate you taking the time to acknowledge that.

Productivity Tip: Start Reading

2007-07-05T06:30:00.002-07:00

We all get swamped with journals, newspapers, ezines, articles and books. We all tell ourselves "oh I must read that" or "I want to read that" but we don't seem to get through the pile. Try these simple tips:

1. Create a reading file - carry it with you everywhere and read it when you are waiting in lines or for appointments.

2. Tear out articles from journals you want to read and then discard the journal.

3. Tear out newspaper articles and keep them in your reading file for future reference.

4. Buy books at airports and read it on the plane.

5. Throw away any journals or articles that have been sitting in your reading pile for more than 12 months, if you haven't read them now, you won't!

6. Unsubscribe from ezines that don't add value to you and your business.

7. Cancel journal subscriptions you never read.

8. Give your journals to other team members who might enjoy them if you are not reading them.

9. Cancel newspaper deliveries if you don't read them.

10. Set aside 15 minutes once a week to scan your reading file and discard anything you won't read and enjoy the rest!

Reading is a great way to boost your skills, get educated on a new subject and understand current trends, it should be built into your weekly routine to help you be more productive in this area. Enjoy!

How to boost your communciation skills and be more approachable

2007-07-05T06:30:00.001-07:00

How to boost your communication skills and be more approachable

For some people I meet they are not naturally outgoing or friendly and yet their role requires them to be constantly managing and leading people. Here are a few strategies you can apply to help boost your communication skills and make others feel so pleased they have met you.

Smile – this obvious gesture can not be underestimated. Not only does this exercise your face but it will make those around you feel more comfortable.

Be positive – choose to be in a good mood (even if you are not). Your role is to choose a good frame of mind and that will reflect on those around you.

Make others welcome – use language and phrases that make people pleased they decided to spend time with you. I like sentences like “I am so glad you are here”, “I am so pleased you made it”, “thank you for coming”, “it is great to see you”. All of these words should become part of your daily language.

Eye contact – look people in the eye when you meet them. People appreciate your complete attention and focus, stop what you are doing and make an eye to eye connection with the person in front of you.

Make them important – ensure the person you are talking to feels like they are the most important person you have spoken to all day. You can achieve this by standing still, looking them in the eye, smiling and listening to them.

Listen intently – focus on the words of the person in front of you, stop yourself from being distracted and try and understand not only their words, but the meaning and tone of the words they use.

Nod frequently – show someone you are listening by frequently nodding and acknowledging you are involved in the conversation.

Stand straight – face the person you are meeting straight on. Show them you are interested by giving them you undivided attention.

Be the hostess – when you see one person standing alone, go and introduce yourself and help introduce them to others. People like to be included.

Ask questions – the best conversationalists I know constantly ask questions. Create a list of questions you can use when you meet someone. I like these questions:

What do you do?
Where do you work?
How long does it take you to get from home to work?
What do you like to do in your spare time?

Take a genuine interest in people when you ask them questions and listen to their responses.

Watch others – if there are people you meet that are great communicators, watch them and learn from them. Follow them around a room and watch how they treat others and try those behaviours too.

Be authentic – turn up as yourself 100% of the time be you and others will appreciate it. If you don’t like you, then work on making the changes that you are happy with.

Stop – don’t rush from one person to the next. Stop and have a quality connection with a few people, you will enjoy communicating with people more this way.

Dress well – people make assumptions about you in 7 seconds. In that time they assess your age, income, marital status, education and interests… in 7 seconds! Make that first impression even more powerful by paying close attention to your personal appearance. Don’t forget your hair style, jewellery choices, and fabric of your clothing, shoes and skin maintenance. If you look good you feel good – very simple!

Thank someone each day – I make a point of telling someone how much I appreciate them every day. I use hand written thank you notes, email, phone calls, flowers and brownies. Decide to do this daily and you will build stronger relationships and you will feel better too.

Gratitude daily – each morning before you get out of bed remind yourself of what you are grateful for. This will set up your day in the right frame of mind and will help you in your communications all day.

Ask for help – if you know your communication skills aren’t where you want them to be, ask for others help, feedback and suggestions for enhancement. People want to help you and feel honoured you asked.

One thing – choose one thing to work on and do it constantly. By adding a new item each month you will have transformed your communication skills within a year.

Investing in yourself and building your communication skills and making yourself more approachable has many personal and business implications. Start today.

Productivity tips for travellers: How to be a productive road warrior

2007-07-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

You have seen them, they all look alike, the regular ‘road warrior’ with their determined expression, wrinkle proof suit and pulling a beaten up carry on bag…whether you travel a little or a lot with your company there are many ways you can boost your personal productivity when you travel. These before, during and after strategies will help you maximise your time, limit your stress and overall increase your travel productivity.

Before You Travel

Buy the tools – you wouldn’t build a house without the right tools, travel is no different. To be a productive traveler you want to ensure you have a variety of tools to assist the comfort and productivity of your trip. Tools to consider purchasing are quality luggage, Ipod, noise cancelling earphones, soft briefcase and GPS system.

20-22 inch Carry On expandable luggage – I like Briggs and Riley, it is durable, light weight, expandable, self healing and well made. Check out http://www.briggsandriley.com/. These are allowed in the US and other countries as carry on baggage. When you are buying luggage look for features such as pull along, strong wheels, stability foot on the bottom (in case it gets too heavy), external zippers (to hold travel documentation and the Ziploc toiletry bag) and also make sure the pop up handle is a ‘one pull’ action.

IPOD or MP3 – this is not a luxury, this is a requirement for any travel. I have a created a selection of play lists, including one with very relaxing music so that when it is time to sleep I can turn to this group and fall asleep.

Noise cancelling earphones – these are a little bit of a luxury, but I wouldn’t travel anywhere without them. My husband previously flew many long international flights and he turned me onto this great invention. I prefer the Sony small ear bud type and take them where ever I go http://www.sony.com/

Briefcase – I like a soft tote briefcase that allows me to include personal and work related items. My favourite is from Coakley Business Class (sorry guys these are just for women) and they are the best travel briefcase I have ever found (and you can use it everyday!) http://www.coakleybusinessclass.com/. For the gentleman, try the soft Samsonite one, it has great suspension in the shoulder strap. When looking for a brief case also make sure it has the feature to be able to slide it over your carry on luggage (many have a soft strap or a zippered section to allow you to do this).

GPS (Global Positioning System) – this was the best gift I ever got! They are now getting smaller and smaller and are perfect to plug into your rental car when you arrive in another city. Also when we were in Italy last year we downloaded the European maps and it was great fun to get around tiny little towns. I have named mine ‘Bella’ – she keeps me company when I am driving late at night or in a city where I don’t know my way.

Consider clothing – When you are regularly on the road I suggest a few strategies to help make your life easier for both packing and arriving looking together.

Travel Outfit – Create your own travel outfit, yes it can be the same every time. Mine is a pair of black pants, black top (I have a short sleeve one for summer and a long sleeve one for cooler months), pantyhose and a pair of black patent leather flat slip on shoes. I wear the same silver jewellery with it all and I know when I arrive at the security line I don’t have to remove anything (except my shoes) – that is why pantyhose (or socks) are good when you have to take off your shoes. The fabric of this outfit doesn’t crease and is comfortable (which makes a huge different on those long flights).

Airport shoes – think about the quality and make of the shoes you wear to the airport. I suggest slip ons of some description so you are not awkwardly trying to tie up laces or straps. Also ensure they are comfortable and well made as you often have to walk long distances between gates or to the parking area.

Carry a pashmina – for the ladies, I recommend you invest in a dark coloured pashmina that has many uses. On the plane it is a great blanket (and so many airlines in the US don’t supply pillows and blankets). When I rent a car it becomes a booster seat for me (he he). When I have to sit on an airport floor (yes I have done that living here in the US) it is great to place on the floor … oh and yes I can wear it if I need to keep warm.

Jewellery – wearing the same silver jewellery when I travel I know I can wear it the next day and I can walk through the screening area without having to remove it. It simplifies the process and speeds up the line.

Belts – if possible, don’t wear an outfit that requires a belt as it is only one more item of clothing you have to remove at the airport line.

Productive Packing – there are many opinions on what to pack and I find the most productive way for me is having a series of pre-packed bags. This includes luggage, carry on plane survival kit, brief case, make up and toiletry bags.

Pre-packed luggage contents includes:
v Ziploc toiletry bag
v Underwear
v First aid items (band aids, safety pins and head ache tablets)
v Make up bag
v Gym gear
v Clothes brush (I have a long haired cat and her fur seems to make its way across the world with me)
v Book of interest
v Cell Phone charger
v Laptop power pack
v Stamped stationery (note cards and envelopes)

Carry on plane survival kit contents include:
v Ipod
v Noise cancelling earphones
v Spare battery for noise cancelling earphones
v Lip balm
v Eye mask (for those long flights)
v Pen
v Eye drops
v Travel size toothbrush and toothpaste
v Breath mints

Make up kit – ladies if you travel alot I suggest you buy a full set of make up and make up brushes and tools and keep them in a separate make up bag so you never have to go looking for something and you never forget something on your trips.

Ziploc Toiletry Bag contents include travel sized:
v Decanted shower gel
v Skin care
v Hair care products
v Travel sized perfume or aftershave (most brands now supply a smaller size compliant with airline safety standards)
v Toothpaste
v Spare contact lenses

Many department stores and pharmacies carry a range of travel sized products. I was fascinated when I was in Sephoria in Times Square recently that the merchandising near the payment counter had changed significantly and provided 50+ choices of regular band products in travel sized convenient containers.

Plastic helps – My friend Camille was an airline goddess for many years and gave me this great tip, using the plastic you receive from your dry cleaners around your clothes helps avoid creases.

Duplicate copies – to be more productive (and for a few extra dollars) consider investing in duplicates of everything you travel with. If you are a regular traveler, having a pre-packed bag will allow you to leave with minimum notice and save time and stress before any trip. On your list of items to buy you could include:
v Toiletries available in travel size
v Brushes – make up brushes, hair brushes or combs
v Cell phone charger
v Laptop power pack
v Make up
v Stamps and stationery
v Spare items i.e. pantyhose, clothing brush.

Choose your seat – I like to sit in an aisle seat so I can get in and out and I don’t feel cramped by others. For longer flights (especially the red eye), my friend Shawn books the window seat so you can lean against the window to sleep, choose your seat wisely. If you have an option of an exit row choose this seat as it gives you more leg room. You may like to check out http://www.seatguru.com/ – it is a great website to see exactly what your seat will be on most major airlines.

Pre-print your boarding pass – whenever possible go online 24 hours before you fly and select your seat and print your boarding pass. This will save you time in the long lines at the airport check in and also help you find the seat you want.

Join airline clubs – if you fly frequently to same cities join the airline programs of those major airlines so you can also gather frequent flyer miles for all your travels. You may be able to use them for a fun trip with those you care for later on.

Join airline lounges – if you fly with the same carrier regularly to invest in a membership for that lounge so you have a quiet place to snack, get changed or to catch up on reading. I noticed in Australia this was a great use of money and well worth it however in the US the gates and lounges are so spread out and there are so many options to travel with different airlines this hasn’t been a worthwhile investment for me here, however if you fly the same airline every time it might be worth it for you.

Create a one page itinerary – create a one page template that includes your confirmation codes of all flight details, hotel and rental car information. Include on this template all your frequent flyer clubs and associations also so that if you arrive and they haven’t included this in your booking you can quickly get credit for your travel.

During Your Travel

Allow extra 30 minutes – add at least 30 minutes onto any amount of time you think it will take you to get to the airport or park. This additional time will save you stress if you are stuck in traffic, can’t find a car space or the security line is longer than you expected. If you have pre-packed a book or magazine you can use that 30 minutes to read or to connect with a friend or client.

Know the Parking Garage – if you regularly travel on the same airline, know the shuttle system or design of the car park so you can get in and out quickly.

Take your ticket – when you receive a parking receipt/ticket on your arrival place it in the same compartment of your bag or briefcase so you know where to find it upon your return.

Write the parking space on your ticket – in the US the parking garages are so big that I always write the colour and space on my parking receipt so that when I arrive back after a few days away (often late at night), I can quickly find my car and not waste time wandering around the parking garage.

Ground transport notice – when you enter an airport, notice where the taxis, rental car shuttles or parking garages are. This will save you time when you return and allow you to quickly make your way to the next place.

Regular rental – Use the same rental company each time you travel will also boost your productivity because you will expect a certain standard each time you fly. You might also consider joining their frequent customer program too. I like using Enterprise because they are affordable and also each time you arrive they look so happy to see you and they pay attention to small details including water bottles in the car and also pre-printed local lists of radio stations and areas of interest.

Play music – by creating different play lists on your IPOD you will enjoy your travel more if you can listen to music and block out the noise around you. This is effective in the airport lounge, at the gate and on the plane. You might also like to include a CD in your packing checklist for the rental car.

Getting through security – there are several tips to help you get through the line faster:

Wear an outfit that doesn’t require any removal of items or have any metal.
Place your cell phone and keys into your briefcase or purse before entering the security line.
Keep your Ziploc bag of toiletries in an outside zippered compartment for quick access.
Get your laptop out of your briefcase before you reach your place in line.
Place your laptop, shoes and toiletries in one container on the security screen belt.
Keep your boarding pass and photo identification in your hands.

Check in or carry on – I always carry on luggage (up to a five day business trip), I have learnt to pack well and have invested in a minimum number of outfits. I think there is so much time wasted waiting for luggage (not to mention the concern it may not arrive with you!) wherever possible try and carry on luggage for your business travel.

Laptop … or not – if your trip doesn’t require you to take your laptop, leave it at home. It is one less thing to juggle through security and some laptops add significant weight to your briefcase. Leave it behind if you can. If you have to take it with you consider buying a smaller, light weight model one that is easy to use and you can balance in small places. You do pay more for smaller, lighter models but it is money well spent.

Keep a reading file – as you collect articles, newspapers or journals you want to read, take them with you when you travel. Each week I receive the Philadelphia Business Journal and I take it with me on the plane to read and enjoy. It is a paper that keeps my interest and small enough it doesn’t crowd the person beside me.

Buy bottled water – part of my routine as soon as I get through the security line is to head to the nearest store to buy 2 bottles of water. During the flight it is essential to drink water to keep you hydrated, two bottles allows me to drink before the plane arrives (has been helpful when there are large delays) and during the flight.

Eat healthy – many airlines don’t supply quality food on board so try to find healthy solutions within the airport to satisfy your hunger. You may also like to buy something to eat on board for longer flights so you are snacking on healthy items. I like to travel with a bag of almonds and pecans so that I always have a yummy (and healthy) snack available. AS you are flying from the same airport each week, become familiar with the food offerings inside the terminal so you can quickly find something you enjoy eating.

Hotel routine – no matter what time I arrive at a new hotel I have the same routine. I open my suitcase, remove my suit and hang it on a hanger. If it has gathered small creases in the travel I take it into the bathroom, hang it up and turn on the hot shower to create a ‘steam room effect’ and this removes any creases. Now for my Australian readers who are experiencing a drought right now that seems very wasteful so you may want to hang these clothes while you are showering the next day to avoid water waste. You might like to take this opportunity to iron your clothes instead. I then plug in my laptop, set up my cell phone charger, set my alarm and pull out the documents or reading for the next day. By having the same routine each time you will be productive and not forget important details (and you save time in the morning also).

Exercise – if you don’t have a gym in the hotel consider either taking a walk outside at the beginning of your day or exercising in your room. I often place a towel on the floor and then do a series of stretches, yoga, sit ups and push ups. You can establish a routine especially for travel that doesn’t require any equipment i.e. push ups, sit ups, squats and any yoga.

Call a client – you often have down time in the airport so it is a great time to reconnect with a client or colleague. I use this time to touch base with important people in my life and it becomes part of my business development time.

Be strategic – time in hotel rooms can be lonely or unproductive so I use this time to design new products, review my business plan, catch up on reading and design new models or programs for my business. Some of my best ideas have come while sitting in my hotel room – use this time for strategy and thought space instead of turning on the TV to keep your company.

Stay connected – when you arrive at your location notify someone important to you. I like to call my husband when I have arrived in my hotel so he knows I am safe and sound and I get to hear his voice. Calling your family or friend is a great way for you to keep connected on the road.

Write thank you notes – because I carry stamped stationery with me when I travel, I use the flight home to write notes to people I met during my trip. When I arrive my next destination I post them. It is a great way to reconnect with people after you have met them and is a productive use of flight time.

After Your Travel

Know the quickest route home – understand the quickest and least traffic congested way to get out of the airport so you can be home with those you care for in the smallest amount of time. Where I live there are 2 major ways home and if you take the wrong one at some particular times during the day it can add up to an hour to your ride home (not so much fun after a long flight) so know which ways are best at different times during the day.

Unpack quickly – if you arrive home early enough, unpack your bag, refill any necessary toiletry items and allocate clothes for washing or dry cleaning.

Refill and replace – update any items in your ‘pre-packed’ toiletries or luggage that need attention to save you time for future trips. Note any additional items you may have forgotten on this trip and place them in your luggage so you don’t forget them next time.

Debrief your trip – recall any items you missed, notice things that you enjoyed or frustrated you and make the changes that are within your control. Each time you travel you may learn something new that will help you save time or save you frustration for your next travel experience.

Thank your team – if you have an assistant, let them know what went well about the trip and any enhancements you would like to make for your next trip. Thank your travel agent for the trip planning and also let them know if something didn’t go well and discuss how to fix it for the next trip. Thank your client for the opportunity to work with them. If you experienced great service at some point in the trip take the time to email or write a thank you note to that organisation. The simple art of thanking people is often overlooked but is one of the most powerful things you can do to boost your productivity and make someone else’s day!

Gather your receipts – there is so much paperwork collected on trips including boarding passes, rental agreements, and food and hotel receipts. Keep this in a central place when you travel (I take a clear plastic folder for this very purpose each time I travel). When you arrive home quickly sort through the paper, action business cards and file any receipts or keep them aside for your clients. Process all your paper within 24 hours.

Action business cards – if you have met new people during your productive trip take the time to now action those cards. You might like to write a ‘nice to meet you’ note, scan them and add them to your database and write a note for any follow up action required. Following this process diligently each time you travel will avoid piles of business cards gathering on your desk (reminding you of action you haven’t taken!)

Be grateful – if you are travelling for business it means you have a successful job that is supporting you and your family. Stop hating it and start enjoying it. Giving thanks for the opportunity to see new places, meet new people and share your experience is a privilege.

Change your language around travel, enjoy it, embrace it and you will be more productive! Next time you see another road warrior smile at them and let them know you understand. You can be more productive every time you travel by applying these before, during and after you travel strategies… now where am I off to tomorrow?

Productivity: How to use email productively

2007-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

I believe that email was originally designed to help us become more productive, but in talking to my clients it seems to now take up so much time, attention and energy that we are ‘unproductive’ with our email systems.

Here are a few quick tips to help you use email in a more productive way:

Use “Out of Office” facility – if you are unable to respond to emails or you will be out of your office for a long period of time, leave an “out of office” auto responder on your email system. This helps you manage other’s expectations and gives you more time to respond to people.

Don’t copy everyone on your email – only send the email to the relevant people who will action it. If you have multiple people on an email distribution, list their name within the text of the email and what is required of them and by when. People will appreciate your direct approach and this will clearly communicate why you sent the email to them.

Get off electronic lists – if you are subscribing to ezines you never read or on lists you don’t want to be on, unsubscribe and get off the lists so you can eliminate some of the messages in your inbox that you won’t read.

Think and write in bullet points – keep sentences short and to the point. Don’t use email to create long paragraphs or criticise people’s performance. Ask others who communicate with you to keep their emails short also.

Always use a greeting – take the time to greet your contact in email just like you do in person. Some people also like to use emotion icons eg. :) – These can help add tone to your message.

Learn the functionality of email – spend time finding out what facilities are available within your system to maximise your use of email.

Colour code your emails – use the functionality of colour coding incoming emails so at a glace you can see who in your inbox is important and who you need to respond to first.

Only check your email 2-3 times per day – so much time is wasted responding to emails throughout the day, focus your energy on checking and responding only 3 times a day, once when you start your day, after lunch then one hour before you leave your office. This will ensure you can handle important communication in a timely manner.

Delete once actioned – don’t let emails stay in your inbox, this is not your task list. Once actioned, delete them. If you need to take action from the email, book time to complete the task and then delete it.

Productivity: How to Make This Your Most Productive Year Ever

2007-01-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Each year we start the year thinking about our goals, our job, our health, all the ‘new’ routines and commitments we make to ourself to make this our best year yet… but two weeks into January all our planning and resolution goes out the window! You can make this your best year ever by applying some of these simple ideas (and re-reading this article each year to keep you on track).

Make a date. Make time in your schedule to find a quiet, comfortable location to set your goals. I spend a morning at my favourite cafe in January every year to review my goals and set new ones for the year ahead.

No more New Year’s Resolutions! Instead, focus on creating realistic goals for all areas of your life – I call these your top 5.

Take five. Create five categories for which to set goals: physical, educational, spiritual, financial, and relational. By setting goals for each of these areas of your life, you will be taking a balanced approach and not neglecting any important aspects of your life.

Write it. You must write your goals down – it makes them more powerful. Use positive language – words like “I will” and “I am” – this will help you to feel as though you have already achieved your goals and to change your behaviors accordingly, for example, “I am going to the gym three times per week”. Make sure you allocate a specific timeframe for the completion of each goal, for example, “By the beginning of March, I am going to the gym three times per week”. Now, identify a reward for achieving each goal – don’t just make a list of rewards, relate a specific reward to the achievement of a specific goal. This will inspire you even more toward the achievement of your goal. And finally, list the possible obstacles that will get in the way of you achieving each goal, and how you will overcome these. This will help you to pre-empt the things that might go wrong and immediately swing into action with your solution, rather than giving up on your goal.

Review constantly. I have been told that the difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is that a billionaire reads their goals twice a day. Simple really. I keep a copy of my goals in several locations around my house (on the bathroom mirror, on the printer, outside the shower screen, on the fridge, on my bedside table and in my wallet), which makes it easy for me to see my goals and be reminded of what I am working towards several times a day.

Use it or lose it! I recently read – people who spend a thousand dollars or more each year on their personal development will increase their business by 20 percent. Read more books, attend workshops, find a new networking group, listen to tapes or CDs in your car, do online courses or enrol at college or university. Keep your brain active.

Make time. Eliminate time-robbers from your day – make a list of all the things you do that rob you of your time, such as watching too much TV, running errands inefficiently, checking and responding to your email too often, making long phone calls, waiting in traffic and even other people. Focus on controlling your time – organising your day efficiently and getting rid of the things in your life that are not a high priority.

Create a paperless desk. Remove all paperwork from your desk: establish files for your projects; reference folders for information you need to access regularly; a reading file for articles, reports, journals and FYI documents; and a daily-file for administrative, miscellaneous and day-specific tasks, and keep these on shelves or in drawers.

Out of sight, out of mind. Remove your in-tray from your desk or get rid of it all together if you can! Keep it out of sight so the contents don’t distract you and so that people don’t drop new items into it without you noticing.

Hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. If you have an actual office with a door, this one is easy. But many workplaces today are open plan and it’s difficult to alert people to the fact that you don’t wish to be interrupted – but there are ways around it. I know one workplace where each person has an item (in this case, a toy frog) which when placed on top of their computer means that they are not available – that they are trying to concentrate on something. When the frog comes down, everyone knows they are available again. With the agreement of everyone in the team, this system works particularly well for an open plan environment. Another technique is to use headphones – when people see you have headphones on they know you are not tuned-in to what’s happening around you – you don’t even have to be listening to anything if you find that too distracting – just put your headphones on to signal your ‘do not disturb’ request.

Book a daily meeting with yourself. Block-out the first 60-minutes in your diary or calendar every day. Treat it as a standing commitment and protect it from being eaten into by other people’s meeting requests. Overtime, people will learn that you are not available until a certain time (which will vary depending on when you schedule your 60-minutes) and they’ll work around you.

Unplug. Schedule one TV-free night each week. Switch off the set and instead listen to your favourite music, play a board or card game, read a book, enjoy a quiet meal by candle light (alone or with someone whose company you love), go on a date or soak in a bath. Start being aware of your television viewing habits and make a point of only watching programs that you truly enjoy and stop wasting precious time in front of the TV.

Manage your reading. Create a reading file and put it in your briefcase. If you don’t already have one, start a reading file and carry it with you on your way home. You can get through a surprising amount of reading while on public transport to and from work and while waiting in queues.

VIPs Only. Surround yourself with VIPs (Very Inspiring People) and eliminate VDPs (Very Draining People). Spending more time with VIPs will inspire, motivate and invigorate you. Minimise your time with the VDPs in your life. It can be difficult to make the switch – be strict with yourself and you’ll reap the rewards of being among the VIP crowd.

Where are you going next? Plan your next holiday, even if you’re already on one! Block-out your holidays and short breaks at the beginning of each year. By scheduling and planning for your holidays in advance you’ll not only have something to look forward to but you’ll have a much better chance of avoiding the usual pre-holiday stress which comes with trying to complete everything before you go – and much less chance of neglecting to take those much-needed breaks.

Find a mentor. When you identify the person you believe would be a suitable mentor, spend some time watching them in action. Ask around to find out what other people’s opinion of your chosen mentor are and find out all you can about their achievements, beliefs, values and way of operating. This will give you insight into them before you approach them about mentoring you.

Leave a detailed message. Whether it is voicemail or with the person who does answer the phone. Make sure you include the time and date you called, a brief mention of what you are calling about and how and when they can contact you. If you are going to be difficult to catch or have scheduled some time during which you won’t be taking phone calls yourself, by leaving a contact time you can avoid a frustrating game of ‘phone tag’.

Schedule email time. Email messages popping into your inbox all day long can be an enormous distraction, particularly if your email is set to alert you every time new mail arrives. To check in on your emails and respond to them as they arrive not only distracts you from whatever tasks or projects you are working on but can rob you of an entire day, responding to other people’s needs while your own are neglected. Schedule a couple or a few times each day to check and respond to emails rather than constantly looking-in on your inbox or being bounced there by your email program with every new message.

Your signature. Use your email program to create an email signature block that will automatically attach to all of your outgoing messages; it’s a little like an email letterhead. It saves you the effort of including your contact information every time and brings a professional touch to your communications. You might simply include your name, business name, contact details and website or you might also include a sentence or two about your business, a special promotion you are running with a link to your website, or even a favourite funny or inspirational quote.

Spelll chceck. Email makes each one of us an instant author – and, that’s not necessarily a good thing! Always, always re-read your emails before you send them to make sure they make sense and to fix any spelling or grammatical errors. I recommend you set your email to automatically spell-check every message before it is sent. And if you need a second opinion to check for clarity, tone or correctness, ask a colleague to look over it for you. It might be inconsequential to you, but a poorly worded email that conveys the wrong tone and is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors can destroy your creditability and relationships.

Spring clean. Schedule time to clean out your email regularly, once a month should be enough to keep you on top of it. Empty your deleted items and any unnecessary sent items, and go through any completed project or task folders and ensure that anything you are keeping is essential to your records. Cleaning out your email will ensure you are managing your email files and disk space effectively.

Set up systems. When using filing cabinets, decide how you will allocate your space to make it easiest to locate your files: for example, rather than mixing all your files together you might decide to keep current customer files in one drawer and potential customer files and marketing information in a separate drawer, or you might choose to store current projects in one drawer and research and reference information in another, or you might decide to file everything in alphabetical order – you get the idea – look at the type of files you have and decide how to logically divide them into categories. Then, label the front of each drawer with the type of files it contains.

Colour it. Use colour coding to further systemise your files and to enable you to identify different types of files at a glance. Choose a range of coloured manila folders and allocate a different colour to use for different file types: for example, blue for customer files, purple for staff files, pink for project files and so on. Make a reference list of what each colour represents until you are familiar with your system.

Create a confidence journal. We don’t all feel confident every day and sometimes it helps to take note of our feelings and how situations affect us. By writing down how you feel each day in a confidence journal you can track your responses to situations and also identify areas of your like you might need some help with. Just do this for 30 days and then spend an hour at the end of the month assessing where you find your confidence gets shaken and then determine strategies to help you overcome that in future.

Choose to be amazing! It’s as simple as making a commitment to yourself every morning that you will have an amazing day. Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal – we only get one performance, so let’s give it our best!

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and networking performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate educator, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com

10 Productive Questions Before Accepting a Meeting Invitation

2006-10-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

10 questions to ask before accepting a meeting

1.What is the agenda of the meeting? Don’t attend a meeting without a clear agenda otherwise you are wasting time. Don’t ever schedule a meeting unless you make it clear to your attendees what the purpose, timeframe and outcomes of the meeting will be.

2.Who is attending the meeting? Ask the question to ensure the meeting set at the right level and the correct people are involved.

3.Why do you need/want me involved? Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend the meeting.

4.What time does it start? Be strict with your own time and also those of the attendees. If you are scheduling the meeting always start on time regardless of if all attendees have arrived. Make it known you will start and finish on time.

5. What time does it finish? Advise all attendees that it will finish on time to allow them to attend their next meeting.

6. May I attend for my section only of the agenda? Where possible don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions, only attend when the agenda item relates to your or your department.

7.What do you need me to prepare before the meeting? Get clear instructions of the preparation required. If the person scheduling the meeting advises you don’t need to prepare anything- ask question 3 again, why do you want me involved?

8. When will minutes be available of the meeting? If possible take minutes at the meeting (handwritten is fine) and then walk to the photocopier, take enough copies for everyone and then give them out. Avoid extra work of typing minutes unless necessary.

9.Where is the meeting located? Ask for clear instructions including the floor number and the meeting room number to ensure you don’t waste time looking for the meeting.

10.Can we teleconference instead of a physical meeting? Where possible handle matters over the phone to avoid wasting time in meetings.

By asking these 10 simple questions you will help educate those around you on the importance of managing & respecting time, save yourself time and achieve more in your day.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com

Productive Networking During the Holidays

2006-10-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

It seems during the crazy holiday time many organizations, associations, companies and social clubs have a networking event for you to attend. How can you possibly do it all? Well… you can’t. To ensure your networking is proactive, productive and profitable this holiday season you can apply these productive networking tips for the holiday season.

Choose your activity – you will receive many offers to attend functions, choose wisely. Determine what time of day is best for you to attend. Do you prefer breakfast events, luncheons or after work activities. Assess when the function is being held and if it is the best use of your time.

Don’t accept every invitation – just like you need to choose which functions to attend, you also need to decline many invitations. You simply can’t attend every activity at this time of year and still run your business and meet your business goals. Respond quickly to invitations, send a ‘thank you email’ to the organiser and decline some invitations.

Take a raincheck – one of the most polite ways to decline an invitation to any event is to ask the person “may I take a rain check”. This simple question lets the person know you appreciate their invitation but you are unable to attend at this time.

Send a ‘Happy Holiday’ follow up card instead of a thank you card – you have heard me say before I think it is important to re-connect with people after each networking event by sending a thank you card or a ‘nice to meet you’ card. At this time of year replace this with a ‘happy holiday’ card and include your business card for their records.

Book follow up time – when you book a networking function into your schedule, make another appointment with yourself the day after the event for 1 hour of follow up activity. Use this time to write your ‘happy holiday’ cards, send company information that was requested from you or make follow up phone calls.

Arrive early, stay late – to maximise your time at functions you decide to attend, arrive early to meet the committee, speakers and hosts. Stay late to make new connections with women you have just met.

Don’t book multiple functions in one day – don’t make the mistake of rushing from one networking event to the next. Be fully present while you are at an event and enjoy the conversations and the connections you make. Many people try to fit in multiple events this time of year and don’t do justice to any of them. Choose wisely.

Book 1 hour to review your involvement in Networks – it is easy to join multiple networks but not be involved in any of them. Take one hour to assess every network you belong to, determine which networks you want to remain involved in for next year and decide which networks have not been valuable for you this past year. By conducting this activity before the end of the year, you can start 2007 afresh. This will help you make quick decisions about which invitations to accept and decline. Use these questions to help you:
What can I contribute to this network?
What is the investment I need to make?
What is the R.O.N?

Pro-Networkingä R.O.N is a way of calculating ‘Return on Networking’ – I use this proprietary formula to determine if the network is worth my time, attention, energy and money.

Set up your appointments for 2007 – now is a great time to schedule your January through March appointments, don’t overlook this time for planning your next year. Conduct annual reviews with clients; meet prospective leads and book time with your staff to help them set their goals for 2007.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and networking performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate educator, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com/

Productivity - How to be productive during the holiday season

2006-08-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

The crazy holiday season… why does it make our heart beat faster knowing we have so much more ‘to do’ and so little time to achieve it all? Why is it we both love and hate this time of year? We place high expectations on ourselves and others during the holiday season however there are ways to be more productive during this holiday season.

The holiday season is not the time to slow down your business development activities or stop networking because we still have budgets, goals and targets to achieve. How do you handle the ‘unproductive’ attitude that holiday season brings? How can you juggle vacation schedules? Historically, the holiday season may have been a time for you to take it easy, do the minimum amount of activity while you focus on what you will achieve for next year…not this year! Decide to make this your most productive holiday season ever, here are some strategies that will help you do that and continually grow your business and set up a productive 2007.

Make 2007 your best year yet. Book a two-hour appointment with yourself to begin planning for next year to include cash flows, targets and staff development activities. Determine what you need to achieve to make 2007 your best year yet. This business plan should not be collecting dust in your bottom drawer - it is a living document to be used as a guide for you and your team.

Review your marketing plan. Invest the time and resources in creating a customised plan for your business. If you are self-employed, ask colleagues and people you trust to brainstorm ideas with you. If you have a company, ask clients, staff and colleagues what marketing activities will be effective for your business. If you created a marketing plan for this year, review your progress to date and determine what strategies will be effective again for 2007.

Conduct focus groups. Invite a select number of key clients to your office and ask them about your business, their expectations and experiences, and how you can better serve them. Collate the results and seek your team’s input on how to action them.

Conduct a six-month business review. Spend two hours reviewing your business achievements for the past six months. Ask yourself these 11 questions:
1. How would I rate the past six months’ business performance (1-10 with 10 being the highest)?
2. Did I achieve my financial goals each month?
3. If not, why not?
4. If not, what do I need to do differently in the next six months to meet my annual budget or plan?
5. If I did meet these targets (congratulations to you), were they big enough?
6. Have I conducted staff reviews with my team? If not, why not? And when?
7. If so, have I rewarded my team adequately?
8. Do I need to invest more in my team or personal development?
9. Is my marketing plan on track? If not, why not?
10. If not, what activities do I need to conduct to implement more marketing strategies?
11. Have I done sufficient networking to grow my business or my connections? If not, why not?

When you have completed these questions, create a series of tasks, actions or projects to implement some of your strategies to help you really achieve all your targets for the next six months.

Clean up. You have heard of a spring clean, well this is a winter clean. This clean out could include:
v Clearing, deleting or filing those read emails in your inbox.
v Unsubscribing from all those newsletters that you don’t read.
v Allocating one hour to get your paper filing up to date (if you have more than one hour’s worth, do 15 minutes per week until it is all complete).
v Throwing out unwanted, unread journals that you have been ‘meaning’ to read, but haven’t and won’t.
v Reviewing your ‘tasks’ on your to-do list or in your Outlook file and removing those tasks that simply won’t be completed.
v Entering details into your contact management system of the business card pile that is gathering dust on your desk.
v Spending 15 minutes cleaning the top of your desk, removing unnecessary stationery, putting away files, cleaning the dust off your family photo, throwing away empty water bottles and wiping down your computer keyboard and screen. A clean and clear desk will help you be more productive any time of year!

Hold a team development activity. If you manage a team of people, allocate some time to meet for lunch at cosy restaurant with a warm fireplace and delicious food or bring food to share for lunch and conduct a meeting in your conference room. Spend time listening to your team, their challenges and achievements. Plan your next six months and how you will achieve the targets for the whole team.

Implement a product or service trial. This is the perfect time of year to try a new product or introduce a new service to your customers. Map a plan, seek team involvement and watch your customers’ reactions.

Cancel unnecessary meetings. If you have regular weekly or monthly project or staff meetings that don’t need to occur during the holidays, cancel them. Most people appreciate being given more time and spending less time in meetings.

Create a list of new business development targets. Once you have made your list, sort it into three groups: ‘spheres of influence’, those that are able to make decisions about your products or services; ‘centres of influence’, those that are already your advocates; and ‘strategic alliances’, those that you can refer business to and that can also refer business to you. Once you have your list completed, book appointments with these people to include lunch, breakfast or even a ‘tele-coffee’. Create a plan within your schedule to contact them regularly. Contact could include a phone call, email, sending them an interesting article you’ve found, inviting them to a networking event with you, sending a parcel of products or a face-to-face meeting.

Book a ‘tele-coffee’ with your clients. What is a ‘tele-coffee’? It is where you both make a coffee and meet by teleconference. It is a more productive way of meeting (and avoids time wasted in travel), especially if you are trying to avoid the snow. Just like a normal meeting you set an agenda, take minutes if required and agree on the outcomes.

Shop On-line. Avoid the stress and hassle you may feel during this busy time of year. Allocate two hours to complete your gift buying online. First make a list of those you want to buy for and some suggested gift ideas. Secondly log onto popular websites that allow you to purchase multiple products from one location (and you can save on shipping) and lastly order as much as you can from that store and request the gift-wrapping service. For a small extra charge you will receive your gifts wrapped and ready to give to someone. This is far more productive than you spending time buying the gift-wrap accessories and trying to wrap it last minute!

Select Holiday gifts for clients. Make a list of clients you would like to acknowledge this year. Firstly, set a gift budget. Secondly group your clients into three (3) categories (maybe gold, silver and bronze) and then determine how you will classify them i.e. by sales, by referrals or by repeat business? Once you have three lists determine a gift for each category and ask someone to order these, have them gift wrapped, a card written and delivered to your client. There are services that specialize in this at this busy time of year, take advantage of this. I use Tiffany & Co for holiday gifts for many reasons including quality, gift-wrapping and reliable delivery. My clients look forward to receiving their gift and I love to send them. Find something that represents you and your business and will stand out on their desk when it is delivered to them.

Conduct a client appreciation event. This does not have to be an expensive or lengthy office party, a simple elegant event is all you need to do to recognise your clients and thank them for their business. Be creative. Use your conference room and bring in an external caterer. If you are self-employed without an office space, use a popular café or restaurant and provide light refreshments. Just take the time to say thank you and invite the team and other suppliers so they can also thank your clients too.

Visit a new networking group. Many networking groups meet during the holiday season because they are serious about building their businesses and still making valuable connections. Find out which groups are meeting and plan to attend at least two new groups this holiday season. This is the perfect time to develop new relationships and valuable connections.

To continually grow your business you do need to be mindful of the seasons but don’t slow down in holidays – get more productive. Use this time to get a head start on all those 2007 meetings you can conduct when people return from vacation, ensure plans are in place to achieve your annual results, tidy your work environment so you are not distracted by clutter, and experiment with new products, focus groups and new networking opportunities. Embrace the cooler weather for indoor meetings and events and enjoy all that the holiday season can bring for your business growth.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com/

Productivity - How to be productive during the holiday season

2006-08-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Productivity - Copy others

2006-08-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

You have heard the term 'don't re-invent the wheel' - this is very true when it comes to boosting your own productivity. To be highly productive I suggest you interview people you admire who are highly productive themselves, find out what is working for them... and copy it! Other people's systems may not be 100% right for you but take the best ideas of others and incorporate them into your own daily routine. I promise it will make you more productive. You will get great ideas from others.

The National NetWorker

2006-08-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

The National NetWorker

Being Productive During Summer: How to Continually Grow Your Business

Why is it that when summer arrives business slows down, networks stop meeting, work attendance decreases, business development activities grind to a halt – and yet we still have budgets, goals and targets to achieve? How do you handle the ‘unproductive’ attitude that summer brings? How can you juggle vacation schedules? Historically, summer may have been a time for you to take it easy, do the minimum amount of activity while you focus on what you will achieve when fall comes around…not this year. Decide to make this your most productive summer ever, here are some strategies that will help you do that and continually grow your business all year round.

Take advantage of the weather. Use the longer hours of daylight savings to conduct meetings later in the day, take advantage of warmer conditions and meet people at outdoor venues and cafes, meet clients for lunch where you will enjoy lighter food and warm sunshine.

Review your business plan. Make a two-hour appointment with yourself to review all the actions in your business plan – including your cash flows and targets – and spend time determining what you need to achieve your goals for this financial year. Your business plan should not be hiding in your bottom draw or collecting dust on a shelf, it is a living document that can be reviewed regularly – make summer your time to determine your next steps.

Revisit your marketing plan. What plan you ask? If you don’t have one, now is the time to sit and write one. If you need help there is an abundance of talented consultants who can assist you build a customised plan for your business. If you already have one, review your progress, determine what actions need to be taken and schedule time during the summer to complete those tasks.

Conduct a six-month business review. Spend two hours reviewing your business achievements for the past six months. Ask yourself these 11 questions:
1. How would I rate the past six months’ business performance (1-10 with 10 being the highest)?
2. Did I achieve my financial goals each month?
3. If not, why not?
4. If not, what do I need to do differently in the next six months to meet my annual budget or plan?
5. If I did meet these targets (congratulations to you), were they big enough?
6. Have I conducted staff reviews with my team? If not, why not? And when?
7. If so, have I rewarded my team adequately?
8. Do I need to invest more in my team or personal development?
9. Is my marketing plan on track? If not, why not?
10. If not, what activities do I need to conduct to implement more marketing strategies?
11. Have I done sufficient networking to grow my business or my connections? If not, why not?

When you have completed these questions, create a series of tasks, actions or projects to implement some of your strategies to help you really achieve all your targets for the next six months.

Invest in your personal development. Have you been meaning to read the latest business book? Is there a summit you could attend? Is there an online program you have wanted to complete? Is there a web seminar that you’ve wanted to register for? This is a great time of year to invest in yourself, refresh your memory and learn a new skill. Summer is conducive to learning.

Conduct a summer clean. Just like a spring clean, but during the summer months. Your summer clean could include:
v Clearing, deleting or filing those read emails in your inbox.
v Unsubscribing from all those newsletters that you don’t read.
v Allocating one hour to get your paper filing up to date (if you have more than one hour’s worth, do one hour per week until it is all complete).
v Throwing out unwanted, unread journals that you have been ‘meaning’ to read, but haven’t and won’t.
v Reviewing your ‘tasks’ on your to-do list or in your Outlook file and removing those tasks that simply won’t be completed.
v Spending 15 minutes cleaning the top of your desk, removing unnecessary stationery, putting away files, cleaning the dust off your family photo, throwing away empty water bottles and wiping down your computer keyboard and screen. A clean and clear desk will help you be more productive any time of year!
v Entering details into your contact management system of the business card pile that is gathering dust on your desk.

Hold a team development activity. If you manage a team of people, allocate some time to meet for lunch at an outdoor café; take three hours and visit the local zoo as a team (work out which animal best represents each member of your team...only joking!); meet early for a game of golf or tennis before work; bring food to share for lunch and conduct a meeting in your local park. Spend time listening to your team, their challenges and achievements. Plan your next six months and how you will achieve the targets for the whole team. Use the warmer weather to conduct outdoor versions of activities you normally conduct indoors.

Conduct focus groups. Invite a select number of key clients to your office and ask them about your business, their expectations and experiences, and how you can better serve them. Collate the results and seek your team’s input on how to action them.

Implement a product or service trial. This is the perfect time of year to try a new product or introduce a new service to your customers. Map a plan, seek team involvement and watch your customers’ reactions.

Create a list of new business development targets. Once you have made your list, sort it into three groups: ‘spheres of influence’, those that are able to make decisions about your products or services; ‘centres of influence’, those that are already your advocates; and ‘strategic alliances’, those that you can refer business to and that can also refer business to you. Once you have your list completed, book appointments with these people to include lunch, breakfast or even a ‘tele-coffee’. Create a plan within your schedule to contact them regularly. Contact could include a phone call, email, sending them an interesting article you’ve found, inviting them to a networking event with you, sending a parcel of products or a face-to-face meeting.

Book a ‘tele-coffee’ with your customers. What is a ‘tele-coffee’? It is where you both make a coffee and meet by teleconference. It is a more productive way of meeting (and avoids time wasted in travel).

Visit a new networking group. Many networking groups don’t meet during the summer, but those who are serious about building their businesses are still networking and still making valuable connections. Find out which groups are meeting and plan to attend at least two new groups this summer. This is the perfect time to develop new relationships and valuable connections.

To continually grow your business you do need to be mindful of the seasons but don’t slow down in summer – get more productive. Use this time to get a head start on all those fall meetings you can conduct when people return from vacation, ensure plans are in place to achieve your annual results, tidy your work environment so you are not distracted by clutter, and experiment with new products, focus groups and new networking opportunities. Embrace the warmer weather for outdoor meetings and events and enjoy all that summer brings for your business growth.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com

Productivity - 15 minutes of filing

2006-08-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Don't be overwhelmed by your filing. Allocate 15 minutes per week to do as much as you can - whatever documents are left over... do next week!

If you can see your filing and it bothers you that it is not completed...create a new storage system! Get a basket with a lid or store it in a draw. Keep it out of your sight so you don't feel unproductive.

Filing is not the most fun part of any office environment but it is necessary to keep your office productive. Don't let it overwhelm you - only allocate 15 minutes per week.

Productivity - How to be Productive in the Summer

2006-07-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Being Productive During Summer: How to Continually Grow Your Business

Why is it that when summer arrives business slows down, networks stop meeting, work attendance decreases, business development activities grind to a halt – and yet we still have budgets, goals and targets to achieve? How do you handle the ‘unproductive’ attitude that summer brings? How can you juggle vacation schedules? Historically, summer may have been a time for you to take it easy, do the minimum amount of activity while you focus on what you will achieve when fall comes around…not this year. Decide to make this your most productive summer ever, here are some strategies that will help you do that and continually grow your business all year round.

Take advantage of the weather. Use the longer hours of daylight savings to conduct meetings later in the day, take advantage of warmer conditions and meet people at outdoor venues and cafes, meet clients for lunch where you will enjoy lighter food and warm sunshine.

Review your business plan. Make a two-hour appointment with yourself to review all the actions in your business plan – including your cash flows and targets – and spend time determining what you need to achieve your goals for this financial year. Your business plan should not be hiding in your bottom draw or collecting dust on a shelf, it is a living document that can be reviewed regularly – make summer your time to determine your next steps.

Revisit your marketing plan. What plan you ask? If you don’t have one, now is the time to sit and write one. If you need help there is an abundance of talented consultants who can assist you build a customised plan for your business. If you already have one, review your progress, determine what actions need to be taken and schedule time during the summer to complete those tasks.

Conduct a six-month business review. Spend two hours reviewing your business achievements for the past six months. Ask yourself these 11 questions:
1. How would I rate the past six months’ business performance (1-10 with 10 being the highest)?
2. Did I achieve my financial goals each month?
3. If not, why not?
4. If not, what do I need to do differently in the next six months to meet my annual budget or plan?
5. If I did meet these targets (congratulations to you), were they big enough?
6. Have I conducted staff reviews with my team? If not, why not? And when?
7. If so, have I rewarded my team adequately?
8. Do I need to invest more in my team or personal development?
9. Is my marketing plan on track? If not, why not?
10. If not, what activities do I need to conduct to implement more marketing strategies?
11. Have I done sufficient networking to grow my business or my connections? If not, why not?

When you have completed these questions, create a series of tasks, actions or projects to implement some of your strategies to help you really achieve all your targets for the next six months.

Invest in your personal development. Have you been meaning to read the latest business book? Is there a summit you could attend? Is there an online program you have wanted to complete? Is there a web seminar that you’ve wanted to register for? This is a great time of year to invest in yourself, refresh your memory and learn a new skill. Summer is conducive to learning.

Conduct a summer clean. Just like a spring clean, but during the summer months. Your summer clean could include:
v Clearing, deleting or filing those read emails in your inbox.
v Unsubscribing from all those newsletters that you don’t read.
v Allocating one hour to get your paper filing up to date (if you have more than one hour’s worth, do one hour per week until it is all complete).
v Throwing out unwanted, unread journals that you have been ‘meaning’ to read, but haven’t and won’t.
v Reviewing your ‘tasks’ on your to-do list or in your Outlook file and removing those tasks that simply won’t be completed.
v Spending 15 minutes cleaning the top of your desk, removing unnecessary stationery, putting away files, cleaning the dust off your family photo, throwing away empty water bottles and wiping down your computer keyboard and screen. A clean and clear desk will help you be more productive any time of year!
v Entering details into your contact management system of the business card pile that is gathering dust on your desk.

Hold a team development activity. If you manage a team of people, allocate some time to meet for lunch at an outdoor café; take three hours and visit the local zoo as a team (work out which animal best represents each member of your team...only joking!); meet early for a game of golf or tennis before work; bring food to share for lunch and conduct a meeting in your local park. Spend time listening to your team, their challenges and achievements. Plan your next six months and how you will achieve the targets for the whole team. Use the warmer weather to conduct outdoor versions of activities you normally conduct indoors.

Conduct focus groups. Invite a select number of key clients to your office and ask them about your business, their expectations and experiences, and how you can better serve them. Collate the results and seek your team’s input on how to action them.

Implement a product or service trial. This is the perfect time of year to try a new product or introduce a new service to your customers. Map a plan, seek team involvement and watch your customers’ reactions.

Create a list of new business development targets. Once you have made your list, sort it into three groups: ‘spheres of influence’, those that are able to make decisions about your products or services; ‘centres of influence’, those that are already your advocates; and ‘strategic alliances’, those that you can refer business to and that can also refer business to you. Once you have your list completed, book appointments with these people to include lunch, breakfast or even a ‘tele-coffee’. Create a plan within your schedule to contact them regularly. Contact could include a phone call, email, sending them an interesting article you’ve found, inviting them to a networking event with you, sending a parcel of products or a face-to-face meeting.

Book a ‘tele-coffee’ with your customers. What is a ‘tele-coffee’? It is where you both make a coffee and meet by teleconference. It is a more productive way of meeting (and avoids time wasted in travel).

Visit a new networking group. Many networking groups don’t meet during the summer, but those who are serious about building their businesses are still networking and still making valuable connections. Find out which groups are meeting and plan to attend at least two new groups this summer. This is the perfect time to develop new relationships and valuable connections.

To continually grow your business you do need to be mindful of the seasons but don’t slow down in summer – get more productive. Use this time to get a head start on all those fall meetings you can conduct when people return from vacation, ensure plans are in place to achieve your annual results, tidy your work environment so you are not distracted by clutter, and experiment with new products, focus groups and new networking opportunities. Embrace the warmer weather for outdoor meetings and events and enjoy all that summer brings for your business growth.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com

Productivity - Keep a reading file

2006-07-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get overwhelmed by the amount of reading you need to do? To avoid feeling frustrated with the reading pile that is staring at you, noticing the journals piling up on your desk, looking at the pile of newspapers you have been 'meaning to read' - get productive with your reading. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Create a separate reading file and place any articles and reading matter in this file.
2. Create a basket for all those journals, newspapers and magazines you want to read.
3. Allocate 20 minutes on a Friday afternoon to catch up on your reading.
4. Carry your reading file with you to meetings and appointments. If you ever have any downtown while you wait, you can catch up on your reading.
5. Read your articles with a highlighter pen and post it notes. Make notes, determine what action is needed and be pro-active.
6. Recycle magazines, if you really arean't going to read them, remove them! Don't allow them to sit there and remind you that you are behind on you reading.
7. Scan - don't read the whole paper, article or magazine. Just read the part of the article that is of most interest to you.

Reading should be a pleasure, not a problem. Find a way to incorporate reading into your weekly activities. Get more productive and keep your reading file handy.

Productivity - Relax BEFORE your Vacation

2006-06-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Historically I have watched my clients (and myself) work like crazy right up until I leave for my holiday/vacation and I arrive at my location exhausted! So this year I decided to do something different, I have decided to be most productive this time and have built in time to get everything done the week before I go away! I have made a list of projects to complete and follow up actions to do before the weekend, that means I can really relax on the weekend and then enjoy my vacation.

Quick Productivity Tip: Book time to get your office up to date and your actions completed one week before your vacation, this takes away the anxiety and pressure the week leading up to the vacation then you won't waste your time (and your money) spending the first few days recovering from working too hard! Get productive... even before you go on vacation.

Productivity - Work Life Balance... is there such a thing

2006-06-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

G'Day, recently I was invited to contribute to a great book called Balance: Real-life Strategies for Work/Life Balance. Now my opinion is ... there is no such thing as Work Life balance... I think it is a myth.

What I do beleive is that we can achieve Work Life integration by assessing our environment, emotions and expectations.

If you want to be more productive, stop chasing the elusive 'balance' quest and think about how you can integrate more aspects of your life. Stop compartmentalising everything and integrate. Find out more of my thoughts on this topic at www.neenjames.com

Productivity - Open your mail over the trash

2006-05-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Don't allow paper to sit around in piles in your kitchen, on your counter top or in your car. If you have a post office box, open your mail beside the trash bin so that you only take home items you will action.

When you collect your mail from your letter box or mail box, spend a few minutes opening every envelope, recycle paper where you can, shred documents with your personal information on them (I keep a shredder by my office desk), cut out coupons you will use and make a pile of actionable items. Only keep papers you will need or action.

Allocate 10 minutes every day to action your mail/post, don't allow it to sit around your home reminding you of things to 'do'. Spending a few designated minutes every day will help you feel more productive.

Productivity - Get Ready First

2006-05-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ever left it to the last minute to get ready for an appointment and the phone won't stop ringing, the doorbell keeps announcing deliveries and you discover your suit isn't pressed or your pantihose have a hole in them?

Avoid the unproductive stress that is created by leaving it to the last minute to get ready for an appointment, get ready first. Decide to get ready first. Get showered, dressed and your breifcase packed and keys handy... before you decide to take on any more tasks or activities. I always try and look up the directions or general area of where I am travelling to and also note if there is parking available too. Packing your breifcase with presentations, products, notes and other chores for the day helps you to know you are totally organised.

Note: for a great breifcase option check out www.coakleybusinessclass.com - I love these bags and they have so many compartments for the savvy traveller.

Once you are dressed you are able to clear your email, return your phone calls, write a breif article (update your blog) or even enjoy a coffee. But always remember... to be more productive you want to be ready first!

Productivity - Create a Reading Folder or Pile

2006-05-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

We all recieve journals, newspapers, emails, magazines, newsletters, letters from loved ones (well maybe people don't write so much anymore) but all of those documents we want to read can cause us to feel pressure... self inflicted pressure.

To be more productive with your reading matter create a reading file. Take this file with you when you are on appointments, keep it in your car so you can catch up on some reading while you wait. Place magazines or newsletters in places around your home where you might have a few minutes to read them i.e I like to read mine on my walking machine when I am warming up and you would be amazed how quickly your time on the walking machine can fly by when you are captivated by a story, idea .. or the latest shoe collection for the season!

Don't let your reading create pressure, keep a file or folder or even a pile with you so you can be more productive in those waiting times.

Productivity - Colour Code

2006-05-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a faraway land there was a paperless office, a time when everyone would enjoy only electronic payment, communications... but then we awoke from this fantasy!

It seems we still need to keep records, files and recieve mail that is paper. How can you possibly become more productive when everything around you is white!

While with one of my clients today we looked at her desk and all we could see was piles of paper (there is nothing wrong with piles... )but some of the papers related to quotes she had conducted for clients and wanted to follow up. As she is such a visual person we thought one way to help her distinguish the difference of all the 'white paper' on her desk was to start printing the customer quotes on lavender paper. This simple solution will quickly help her see the priority paper on her desk... the paper that helps her make money.

Colour coding your email, customer files, printed documents and more will help you become more productive as you can quickly identify what is important.

Addtional tip: Be consistent with your colours and create files ie. clients might be green, personal files might be pink, business development opportunities might be blue, projects might be purple... you get the idea.

Try colour coding your office environment and watch your productivity increase!

Productivity: Leave a Detailed Message

2006-05-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

In our current ‘phone tag’ environment, it is more productive to leave a message to include your name, company, contact number (please speak slowly when providing your number and repeat it twice) and also advise the time to call back, why you called, and what you need.

Productivity tips are provided by Neen James, international productivity expert, speaker, author and corporate trainer. www.neenjames.com

See this tip published in Philly.com -
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/people/women/14481688.htm

Productivity - Following Up After Events

2006-05-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

G'Day

After attending 7 events this week for work and networking I have ended the week with many business cards and much desire to follow up with the amazing people I met. I find the best way to do that is to have a simple system - here are some ideas you may like to try:
1. Gather all the business cards you have collected at the event.
2. Write hand written thank you notes to those you wanted to reconnect with more personally.
3. Send email notes to those you connected with and offer them a sample of your ezine.
4. Add their details to your contact mangement system (a quick productivity tip is to use a business card scanner - they save you so much time!)
5. Add a note in your task list to follow up with the connections and include their name, company and contact information.
6. File the business card

This simple process helps me stay on top of my follow up and my filing.

If you want to be more productive in your follow up, implement a system you can use for every time you collect a business card.

That's all for now!

Productivity - How to Handle Your Email

2006-05-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

I beleive email was originally designed to help us increase our productivity but in talking with all my clients... it seems it now takes up so much of our time, attention and energy each day that it is causes us to become very 'unproductive'. So what can you do about it?

Here are a few tips you can implement instantly to boost your productivity on email:

I believe that email was originally designed to help us become more productive, but in talking to my clients it seems to now take up so much time, attention and energy that we are ‘unproductive’ with our email systems.

Here are a few quick tips to help you use email in a more productive way:

Use “Out of Office” facility – if you are unable to respond to emails or you will be out of your office for a long period of time, leave an “out of office” auto responder on your email system. This helps you manage other’s expectations and gives you more time to respond to people.

Don’t copy everyone on your email – only send the email to the relevant people who will action it. If you have multiple people on an email distribution, list their name within the text of the email and what is required of them and by when. People will appreciate your direct approach and this will clearly communicate why you sent the email to them.

Get off electronic lists – if you are subscribing to ezines you never read or on lists you don’t want to be on, unsubscribe and get off the lists so you can eliminate some of the messages in your inbox that you won’t read.

Think and write in bullet points – keep sentences short and to the point. Don’t use email to create long paragraphs or criticise people’s performance. Ask others who communicate with you to keep their emails short also.

Learn the functionality of email – spend time finding out what facilities are available within your system to maximise your use of email.

Colour code your emails – use the functionality of colour coding incoming emails so at a glace you can see who in your inbox is important and who you need to respond to first.

Only check your email 2-3 times per day – so much time is wasted responding to emails throughout the day, focus your energy on checking and responding only 3 times a day, once when you start your day, after lunch then one hour before you leave your office. This will ensure you can handle important communication in a timely manner.

Delete once actioned – don’t let emails stay in your inbox, this is not your task list. Once actioned, delete them. If you need to take action from the email, book time to complete the task and then delete it.

Use your email more effectively and you will find you can get more done and be more productive every day!