| Greetings!
Wow -- the best summer weather we've had all year, and of course it comes after Labor Day! But, I'm getting my decks cleaned and stained right now, so you couldn't ask for a better time for this beautiful dry weather!!
First, I'd like to thank my clients and participants in last week's great programs at the HIDA MedSurg conference -- 7 sessions in two days, but still had time to get out and see the awesome new Gaylord National Conference Center at National Harbor in DC, as well as get into the city proper for a little sightseeing (and a Governor Engler, President Obama, and Rick Mahorn sighting -- no, they weren't all hanging out together!!)
And wait until you read what is coming up on my schedule -- let's just say, "Off to the Races!" Really looking forward to it this fall.
But now, I'd like to share with you something that basically "blew my mind" when I first read it, and how I've actually incorporated it into my work and life:
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Your Energy vs. Your Time
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Have you ever read something that the minute you read it, you knew it was going to change your life (and hopefully for the better)? I had that kind of "A Ha!" last month, when my good friend and former colleague at Procter & Gamble, Steve Whayne, forwarded this amazing article to me.
It is all about a new breed of senior executive consultants that basically cater to C-level execs in some of the biggest and most powerful organizations in the world. What do they consult? On how to maximize your productivity within your existing personal energy. So, rather than focusing on time management, they instead focus on energy management. Now, I'm not ending my belief in the merits of classic time management and the related use of technology -- it is OF COURSE a critical staple of a successful professional career (and equally often, a successful personal life.)
But there is also definitely something to energy management too. I see them as sort of a "yin" and "yang", and it reminds me of some of the topics we studied back in my Fetzer Institute days in my early 20's. In essence, these consultants are advising to become much more in tune with your natural daily and yearly energy cycles. They want you to identify when you do your best thinking, when you have your maximum physical energy, when you are most creative, when you are most "social". They also want you to identify your likely "ebb zones" -- periods during the day when you maybe aren't at 100% capacity in any or all of these same areas.
By being in tune with these natural rythyms, you can likely take better advantage of the times when you are naturally "on" and also be kinder to yourself when you are naturally "off". Now, when I read this, what did I do?
I did a classic MBA (Must Be Anal) exercise: I mapped my daily energy. And what did I find?
1. I'm pretty worthless in the early morning. That is a good time for brain dead activities (simple bookkeeping, travel planning, travel itself, picking up the house/office, getting organized/prioritized, following my e-mail "decision tree".)
2. By mid-morning, I'm in a VERY productive mental zone -- a good time to attack a big project/get something moving.
3. I like to take lunch later -- I don't really get hungry until 1:30 or so, so it behooves me to keep working through "traditional lunch" and take a later lunch if possible, and take advantage of my maximum thinking/doing capabilities.
4. I hit my maximum physical energy early in the afternoon. If I can possibly swing it, 2:30 is a GREAT time for a killer workout/hike/game (thus my propensity to take advantage of these times when I'm out on the road.)
5. I have another block of good mental energy late afternoon/before dinner. This is also a good time for social activities & networking (as well as hanging out with the kids) -- I'm really ready (and even wanting) interactions with people then.
6. I hit an energy "lull" right after dinner, that usually sticks around for an hour or two. Sometimes, I get so tired mentally & physically, I even crave a nap. This isn't good, because this also corresponds with our nighttime routine to get the kids ready for school the next day and to bed. Acknowledging this natural mental and physical "energy cliff" has helped me to realize I need to eat a light dinner -- low carb & fat, high protein, to help me not fall as far off that cliff. I also really need to avoid simple sugars and too much caffeine in the early afternoon, or it is worse.
7. I have a "second wind" after about 9 p.m. Some nights, I've got enough energy for a good workout. Other nights, this is a very productive time for creative efforts, and also social networking (real and online). The brain is always on, and the body is sometimes on. (Only problem -- I have to be careful to not let the "lights stay on" so late that I don't get to bed on time -- that causes big problems the following day. I'm now following a related nighttime "shut down" routine.)
How can I use this?
This should be pretty obvious. If I know when I have my best physical and mental energies, I can better take advantage of them. I can also avoid "beating myself up" by trying to force things in time slots that really should be avoided. I'm also fully acknowledging I'm NOT a morning person -- I can be functional, but I will not be optimal -- I'm "optimal" in the afternoon/early evening. So, I'm not going to beat myself up anymore for not getting up at 6:00 a.m. for my 2 hour workout before taking the kids to school -- it just isn't me!
My recommendation for you?
Do my "Must Be Anal" exercise -- watch your energy levels for the next few days in the "thinking, physical, creative, & social" arenas, and learn to better take advantage of your "on" zones, as well as mitigate/plan for your "off" zones. And if you can bridge this over to your projects/plans/time management efforts, I think you could possibly see a huge jump in your total overall productivity (and sanity!) Marry your time management with your energy management, and you might find some entirely new possibilities with your work and life!
PLEASE send me some comments on this Timely Tips -- I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I find this topic TRULY fascinating.
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Thanks to All of My Taming Email Facebook Fans
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Thanks to all of my Timely Tips Facebook Fans for joining my Facebook Fan page for Taming the E-mail Beast. And if you haven't done this yet, but you have found something useful from my Taming E-mail book or one of my live Taming E-mail programs, do me a favor -- join my Taming the E-mail Beast fan page on Facebook! Or, just search for "Taming the E-mail Beast" in your Facebook search tool. I've started a discussion on the fan page on your ONE favorite Taming E-mail tip -- would love to see your favorites! I would also love to see one of you add a discussion (or many) on your key e-mail management questions. I will be monitoring this site frequently, and expect to answer questions multiple times weekly. |
A GREAT Quote:
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Thanks to Timely Tips reader Diane Mayers for this awesome quote from the "progenitor" of Time Management -- Mr. Benjamin Franklin:
"For every minute spent in
organizing, an hour is earned."
Ponder that next time you are looking at the mess in your garage or basement. ;-)
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Off to the Races!
Watch for me in Pittsburgh, Toronto, Traverse City, Dearborn, Chicago, San Francisco, Mt. Pleasant, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Columbus, and Grand Rapids in coming weeks. Send me a note if you'd like to grab a coffee while I'm there. (I love this time of year!)
Until we talk again, Stay Timely!
Sincerely,
Randy Dean
Randall Dean Consulting & Training, LLC
PS: Always feel free to use the "Forward E-mail" option below to share this info with your family, friends, & co-workers. |
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Great New Book Out Today: Who's Your Gladys?
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My good friend and very popular speaker and expert on the topics of customer service and customer satisfaction, Marilyn Suttle, is releasing her newest book today: Who's Your Gladys? It is all about your "most difficult" client/customer, and how they are possibly a bellwether for the health and vibrancy of your company. It must be timely -- it has already hit #1 in at least one category on Amazon today.
Here's a little blurb about the book right off their web site:
"Every customer service provider has at least one Gladys. She's the
picky customer who knows what she wants and she wants it now. She's
bold and bossy and extremely particular. And she's got a lot of friends
coming soon to a business near you. A recent study out of the U.K. has
revealed the emergence of the "hypersensitive customer."
With sales
figures down dramatically in just about every industry worldwide,
consumer spending habits have been drastically affected by economic
uncertainty. Worldwide, customers are becoming increasingly choosy
about what companies they patronize.
74% of
respondents in the study said they wouldn't purchase products and would
leave the store if they encountered what they deemed to be poor service.
There's
no better time to read "Who's Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most
Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan." This book reveals
easy-to-implement customer service practices that can turn any Gladys
into a lifelong happy customer. Based on case studies from ten
companies in a variety of industries, "Who's Your Gladys?" is a
must-read for companies that want to succeed in any economy."
I just love what this book says, and what it means in today's economy. And, they are offering a slew of bonuses (including one from Yours Truly) for people purchasing this book today.
Check it out at http://www.whosyourgladys.com
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Rockin' Ratings!
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I've gotten some of the results back from several of my client sessions this summer, and things continue to go GREAT!
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At the Institute of Management Accountants National Conference in June in Denver, I presented two sessions -- one on "Ending the Office Clutter" and the other on "Taming the E-mail Beast" In both sessions, more than 90% of the program attendees reported great results from attending, with comments like:
"Another good session -- enjoyed like last year."
"Very energetic and had good takeaways."
"Randall is great -- I'm going to his next session!"
"Invite him back next year!" (I love this one!)
"Good content and logic -- should be helpful -- I'll use it!"
"Ready to fight my clutter at work AND home."
"Good, practical presentation. I will change. My wife and I are forever grateful." (I love this one too -- didn't know I was helping marital bliss in my programs!)
I also did a couple highly-rated programs for MSU's HRD programs this summer. Both my Taming E-mail/Office Clutter and my Optimizing Your Outlook courses had 100% of the course attendees rating the program "Top Two Box" for both "Overall" rating and for "Program Presenter".
Carol Cole at MSU's Residential College in the Arts & Humanities had this to share:
"I recently
attended your Taming the Email/Office Clutter Beast seminar and appreciated it
very much. It's amazing how even one or two small ideas can have a big
impact. I've especially appreciated the tip about adding new tasks by
clicking and dragging an email message to the task bar, and I'm trying hard to
implement the three-minute rule. Just not having to think about something
again is very stress-relieving. I also passed along to our College
admissions counselor your idea about setting up an email auto-reponse message
to immediately provide information about our College. She loved the idea!"
And, at my Affordable Meetings program sessions late this spring, both my "Finding an Extra Hour Every Day" and my "Taming the E-mail Beast" sessions did great, with 100% of the attendees in both sessions rating the program "Top 2 Box", with 92% rating the Taming E-mail program "Top Box"! One great quote:
"I've attended this same session in the past, and I still learned something new!"
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