Multi-tasking: A necessary evil or just plain evil?

We all do it, and sometimes even job descriptions or interviewers say we should be awesome at this in order to succeed in the job. During my next interview I will remind those interviewers that multitasking reduces task efficiency by 60%, reduces IQ by 10 points, and damages working relationships (How and Why Not to Multitask, Harvard Business Review).

But, if you have to do it, here are some DOs and DON’Ts:

• DO batch similar tasks together and complete them using a streamlined process or template. Then before finalizing make small customizations for each. Ie. You have to crank out 10 prospect emails to various clients. Create a template and then customize. Limit your customization to 5-7 minutes per client.

• DO schedule time in your day to scan emails in your Inbox. Respond to any that will take less than 3 minutes of your time. This usually entails “Yes/No” responses or forwarding onto someone else. For anything else, defer it and block out the task in your calendar.

• DON’T multitask when you are speaking with someone. This means one-on-one conversations, phone calls, and meetings. If you can’t focus on what they are saying kindly request that you reschedule or reconvene at a time when you can focus. Otherwise you are damaging your credibility and relationship.

• DON’T multitask with items that you have identified as urgent or important (I will be posting a follow-up blog on tips for prioritization and concentration next week).

• DON’T multitask with items that require creative thought, brainstorming, research, strategic or deep thinking.

Be more productive and work LESS!

Have you ever heard or said this?

"I had such a long week! I worked 60 hours this week..."

It really bothers me that telling someone that we work more than 40 hours is an indicator of how hard we work or how successful we are. I truly believe that we don’t have to work 40+ hours and neglect the other parts of our lives to be professionally successful. Instead we need to find ways to work smarter.

I have been reading the book The Four-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss and wanted to share his tips on increasing productivity so that we have more time to do what we actually want to do.

We could all take a cue from Pareto’s Law that says:

• 80% of outputs result in 20% of inputs

What does this mean when you apply it to your own work?

It could mean that 80% of your results come from only 20% of your effort & time. Or 80% of your revenue/sales is coming from 20% of your products/customers/clients.

Do a truthful analysis of how you spend your time each day and connect your time and effort to results and achievements. Take a look at your customers, what you spend the most time doing, and who takes up most of your time. I use www.Toggl.com to help me monitor how long it takes me to complete a task, which I can tie to projects and deliverables. At the end of each week and month Toggl gives me a report on how much time I spent on everything that I tracked.

One you have collected the date, prioritize:

If you find that 80% of your prospect follow-ups are unproductive, can you streamline your communications to them? Can you cut out high maintenance customers that contribute less than 10% to your bottom-line? Can you politely, yet firmly decline requests to work with difficult people who cause 80% of your frustrations?

Give it a try and work smarter, not harder!

Equal Pay Day

It’s equal pay day today.

One of the statistics we discuss in my women’s leadership class that everyone should know is that in Fortune 500 companies, women are on track to make equal salary to men for the same job in 136 years. (The American Association of University Women (AAUW) analysis of 2016 U.S. Census Bureau data.)

Many speakers and leadership trainings put the onus on women to negotiate better during their interviews and performance reviews, and advocate for themselves. However, studies find that wage negotiation actually sustains the wage gap.

The real issue is that employers continue to apply hiring and promotion policies that condone subjective assessments of people's character, looks, and abilities. Studies show that in general, women have to prove their achievements again and again to get promoted, whereas men are more likely to be judged on their “potential”.

There is no easy solution, however here are some tips for addressing the issue of wage discrimination:

1. Find a mentor and meet with them regularly to discuss professional challenges you face.
2. Build trust with colleague(s) who will have your back.
3. Know your facts - learn about your employer's hiring practices, and know the pay rate for your position in your industry.

If you have the choice and you are not putting yourself at risk, have a discussion with your manager/employer about wage discrimination and the importance of equal pay and implementing transparent hiring processes.

Getting started with strategic planning

Strategic planning - a daunting process! Here's a tip to get you started:

Begin by creating a mission statement.

Mission statements aren’t just for organizations. Write one for yourself or your team to gain clarity of focus, set expectations and standards of excellence, and ensure everyone is working towards the same goal. Answer these questions to craft a mission statement in 5 minutes:

• WHO are you?
• WHAT do you do?
• HOW do you do it?
• WHY is your value needed?

Once you have answered these questions, create your statement by merging your responses using “linker” words (that, to, ensuring, for, is, by...etc.). Here is my example:

I am a facilitator and trainer who helps professionals improve their skills to lead from where they are. By offering in-person and remote trainings, I provide flexible, hands-on, and real-world learning opportunities. I add value by creating customized, fun learning experiences that leave a lasting impact on participants, ensuring they come away with ideas and tools to implement immediately.

Check out this video for more tips on how to initiate the strategic planning process.