productivity in the email age

Copyright © 2011 | Dark Matter Consulting

PRODUCTIVITY IN THE EMAIL AGE

David Kaiser, PhDExecutive Coach and CEO

Dark Matter Consulting


How We Help Our Clients

•We help our clients make best use of time, from productivity to values and life purpose, so that your career is more materially and emotionally rewarding


How We Help Our Clients, Part II

•Higher Productivity•Less Stress

•Lower Turnover•More Innovation

•Higher Profitability


The Current State of Affairs - Email

Email interruptions cost the US economy $650B in 2010!*

*Basex report on knowledge worker productivity


The Current State of Affairs…Getting Worse

Email volume is expected to double between 2009 and 2012!


What’s Going On?

Too many knowledge workers let their email set their priorities.


Why is That a Problem?

URGENT supercedes IMPORTANTYour INBOX decides what you do, NOT YOU!

No one really finds Email fulfilling, right?


Urgent vs. Important

Spend More Time Here↓

IV: Not Urgent,

Not Important

III: Urgent,

Not Important

I: Urgent,

Important

II: Not Urgent,Important


How Do I Know What’s MOST Important?

What actions yield the most impact? What does your job description emphasize?

What would your boss say is MOST important?What will you be glad you did, six months from now?


The Real Key

Actually the most IMPORTANT thing you will do today is…

DECIDE WHAT TO DO!


The Real Key, part II

A critical part of deciding what to do…is deciding what NOT to do*

*Since you can’t, in fact, do everything


The Bad News

At the end of the day…some work will remain undonesomeone will be disappointed


Ugh!

I know, THAT SUCKS, but it’s trueAnd if it’s not true now, it will be soon…

If you’re not sure who you are disappointing, it’s probably your family. That sucks too.


The Good News

You choose what gets doneYou choose who you delight


What Do I Do Instead?

Before we jump into that, remember this:

Time Management is very personalThere is no ONE BEST WAY, only a BEST WAY FOR YOU!


Lists

You probably need two main lists: DO TODAY and

DO SOON*

*some of these items may have deadlines


Lists, part II

You may also want these lists:DO SOMEDAY (DREAMS)

DO LONG-TERMPROJECT-BASED LISTS


Lists, part III

On DO TODAY, choose 3 – 5 high priority items that move your

work forward. Make sure these get done, everything else is

icing on the cake


Protect Your Time with Boundaries

If the task requires more than a few minutes, create a boundary:•Block it in your calendar•Close your door (or face away from your cube entrance)•If necessary, hide in a conference room or café•Tell co-workers when you will be available again (so they don’t

freak out)


The Temptation!!!!

When you get really busy,You will be tempted to do what you can do quickly, not what truly needs to be done.

Fight this urge and stay focused on IMPORTANT!


Re-Cap•You can’t do it all•YOU choose what to do and not do•Choose IMPORTANT over URGENT•Use lists to track (if that helps)•Protect your priorities•Stay focused on IMPORTANT, not EASY


Want to Learn More?

If you want to learn more about how Executive Coaching with Dark Matter Consulting can make

your career more materially and emotionally rewarding, contact us at

[email protected] or 773.454.7606 for an initial consultation

mailto:[email protected]

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