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.
—
Showing posts with label email; productivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label email; productivity. Show all posts
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How to Use Facebook Productively
Published today in the Legal Intelligencer today - enjoy these tips:
http://thelegalintelligencer.typepad.com/tli/2009/06/how-to-use-linkedin-productively.html
http://thelegalintelligencer.typepad.com/tli/2009/06/how-to-use-linkedin-productively.html
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Super Productive Connecting: Hear Neen's Interview with Thought Leader Gihan Perera
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
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Is Facebook a productivity killer? Using Facebook Productively
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
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
Friday, January 16, 2009
Be productive in an open plan office environment
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
http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090114.WBtheoffice20090114111709/WBStory/WBtheoffice
Monday, January 05, 2009
How to make 2009 your most productive year ever!
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
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
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Be Productive in Your Lunch Hour: Feel Empowered
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/
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/
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Get Productive...Start a new career
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
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
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
How to use LinkedIn Productively
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
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
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
How to make your email more productive
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/
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/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
