Optimum Productivity Blog

5 Great Google Tricks

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:24:08 GMT

Whether you use Google Apps exclusively for business, or just have a Gmail account there are a lot of great (FREE) features that can help you get more done. Here are five of my favorites.

If you crave more, we offer group seminars and individualized coaching for Gmail, Google Calendar and Docs as well as many other topics to help you get more done.

1. Archive Find it in Gmail
Gmail allows you to delete an email or archive it. Simply put, an archived email is searchable, a deleted email is not. This is a great way to get stuff out of your inbox, but still be able to reference it later if you need to.

2. Forms Find it in Google Docs
Have you ever needed to send out a survey to a group of people? Chicken or Fish? Google Docs offers Forms. This allows you to create a survey, share with a group of people and collect responses. Best of all, Google will automatically create a URL for your survey so all you need to do is send people the link.

3. Keyboard Shortcuts Find in Gmail, Calendar and Docs
For many speedy typers, taking your hands of the keyboard can slow you down. That’s why Google has created keyboard shortcuts for all of their main applications. Want to go to the next week on the calendar? Simply type the letter 'N'. You can find a full list of the shortcuts in Settings.

4. Sharing a Calendar Find it in Google Calendar
Google makes it easy to share your calendar with anyone with a Google login. This works great for colleagues or family members. To share, simply click on the options arrow next to the calendar you want to share and type in the person’s email.

Bonus tip: If you are an Outlook user you can install the Google Sync for Outlook. This will sync your Outlook Calendar with a Google Calendar allowing you to share with anyone.

5. Showing and Hiding Calendars Find it in Google Calendar
If you are viewing multiple calendars you can show/hide the calendar simply by clicking on it. Instead of seeing the calendars side by side, they overlap, allowing you to easily pick out available times.

Time Saving Keyboard Shortcuts

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:48:54 GMT

One great way to improve productivity is utilizing software shortcuts to do the same things in less time. Here are a few of my favorite Microsoft shortcuts.

If you're interested in more, sign up for a FREE Webinar or learn how to bring training to your company.

1. Utilize Search

Microsoft has dramatically improved searching capabilities in Office 2007 and 2010. Utilize the search box for a faster way to find emails, files and programs. (Hint: look for the magnifying glass)

2. Right Click

Having trouble finding the right command? Try using the right click on your mouse. Right clicking on any item will show you all the options you have available. Try it now, hover your mouse over an email, a folder or a word and right click to see how your menu of choices change.

3. Learn your ABC's

Keyboard shortcuts are a HUGE time saver. Here's a list of commonly used shortcuts from A to Z.

<Control> A Select all

<Control> B Bold

<Control> C Copy

<Control> D Opens Font Window

<Control> E Centers text in the document

<Control> F Find

<Control> G Go To

<Control> H Replace

<Control> I Italic

<Control> J Justify

<Control> K Insert hyperlink

<Control> L Left justification (moves text to the left of a document)

<Control> M Indents text

<Control> N New

<Control> O Open

<Control> P Print

<Control> Q Resets tab stop settings

<Control> R Right justification (moves text to the right of a document)

<Control> S Save

<Control> T Moves tab stop

<Control> U Underline

<Control> V Paste

<Control> W Save and Close

<Control> X Deletes highlighted text

<Control> Y Redo

<Control> Z Undo

To Meet or Not to Meet?

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:55:48 GMT

To meet or not to meet? That is the question.

The biggest waste of time is meeting when it's not necessary. You'd be surprised by how many of your weekly meetings can be eliminated when you decide to meet only when it's absolutely necessary. Here are some tips for deciding if a meeting is worth your time.

Questions to ask when wondering if you should hold the meeting.

1. Has a Goal Been Set for the Meeting?
Is there a purpose for meeting, a goal to achieve? Every meeting should have an objective and if the one you've been asked to attend doesn't, consider recommending that a memo or e-mail be sent instead.

2. Has an Agenda Been Created Ahead of Time?
An agenda is the basis for an effective meeting. Creating and distributing the meeting agenda one or two days before the meeting begins gives participants an opportunity to prepare for the meeting. Having an agenda during the meeting also focuses the discussion and helps your group stay on track.

3. Will the Appropriate People Be Attending?
If the appropriate people aren't present, then important decisions get put on hold. It will also take time to update key individuals on what took place in the meeting they missed. It's better to put the meeting on hold until all of the right people can be in the room.

4. Could the Information Be Covered in an E-mail or Memo?
The purpose of most meetings is sharing information and updating others. If possible, make an effort to substitute these types of meetings with an e-mail or memo! Simply send one e-mail to all the people who would have attended the meeting. This will save everyone time, they'll still be up-to-date on what's happening and they'll be grateful for having one less meeting to attend that week.

Source: www.effectivemeetings.com

Interested in improving meetings for your organization? We offer an Effective Meetings Seminar live or via webinar.

5 Tips for Effective Delegation

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:22:43 GMT

Manager or not, we've all found ourselves in a situation where we need to delegate a task to someone else. Whether it's assigning an important project at work, or delegating laundry duties to someone in your household, some of us still feel uncomfortable delegating. Here are five tips to help you become a master of successful delegation.

1. Consider who you assign the task to.
Your first instinct may be to give the task to the person with the most experience. However, consider giving it to someone on your team with less experience. This gives them the opportunity to grow. Also, utilize people's different skillsets, but be careful not to typecast. There may be someone else just waiting for a chance to do that job.

2. Define the task and identify the outcome, not the process.

The process that works for you may not work for others. Maybe you've been doing a job one way because that's how you were taught 20 years ago. When delegating, describe the successful outcome and let the person find their best way to completion. Who knows, you might learn something from them.

In his book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" Stephen Covey tells a great story about delegating yard work to his young son. He defined what the successful outcome would look like in simple terms "Keep the yard green and clean son." He didn't go on and on about the finer points of how to use the mower, or discuss the watering schedule at length. Clearly define what you want and let go.

3. Agree on deadlines.

Make sure the person understands when their task needs to be done, and how this fits in with the larger timeline for the whole project. If it's a long project, agree on a schedule to report the status of the project. Also, keep in mind that most people work better with short (realistic) deadlines. Remember in school when you were assigned a term paper the first day of class? When did you start working on it? The night before!

4. Be around, but not in the middle.

Don't micro-manage but don't disappear completely either. Make yourself available for support or feedback. Let the delagatee know that you are there to answer questions or to review milestones. Give accurate and honest feedback. People want to know how they're doing, and they deserve your honest opinion.

Follow up on assigned tasks and deadlines. One great way to do this is to add assignments to your to-do list and set a popup reminder to check on the status.

5. Don't dump your garbage jobs on your employees.

Delegation is not an excuse to get rid of the crap you don't want to do. Your employees will recognize that strategy and will not see it as a development opportunity.

Five Things to be Thankful For

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:22:00 GMT

1. Technology - seriously. I know that it can be a headache sometimes, but think about how far we've come. Last week I spoke to someone in another country via the computer, streamed a Disney video for my daughter, asked my phone a question and received an instant answer. Change your feelings about technology. Instead of seeing it as the enemy, be thankful for the innovation (and the innovators). If you need a little perspective, just remember, people used to complain about technology when their typewriters would jam up!

2. Ambition - I work with business professionals from all types of industries. I'm continually impressed by the level of ambition. I'm not talking about blind corporate ambition here, but the ambition within us to want to be better, to learn new skills, to take our business to the next level. Be ambitious, it looks good on you!

3. Doing more with less - What?! Why be thankful for less? This economy has driven us all to do more with less, and yes, I'm thankful for that. In many ways productivity is about simplification of a process. By doing more with less we are forced to rework the system and make it better, leaner and stronger.

4. Being open - There is one factor that will determine if training is a success or a failure. If the person is open to new ideas? Being open is a frame of mind and a way of being. Admitting that you don't have all the answers and finding experts that do. In my experience, successful people have this openness. Let your walls down, you'll be amazed at what comes in.

5. YOU!- I'm thankful for you! Thanks for reading and for your continued support in 2011.

Thank you!

Scary Office Monsters. Here’s how to defeat them!

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:56:54 GMT

MONSTER: The paper pile of doom
It haunts your nightmares, it taunts you while you are awake. No one knows exactly what they will find in the paper pile of doom . . . an unpaid bill, that missing meeting agenda, the menu for the Chinese restaurant down the street? The pile is constantly growing and like a gremlin spawns baby piles that start to take over every vertical surface in your office.

How to defeat it:
The paper pile grows because it is the easiest place to put “stuff and/or it is the default place for things you don’t know what to do with.
To defeat the pile of doom you must stop feeding it.

1)   Make it easier to file or throw away than put it onto the pile. Try moving your most used files, trash, shredder, and recycle bin within arm’s length of your desk. If you are right handed, preferably put them on your right hand side.
2)   Analyze what ends up in the pile. Make sure you have an easy to get to “home” for each of these items (documents you’re currently working on, client files, etc.)
3)   Stop using the pile as “don’t know, do later” pile. Conquer indecision by asking yourself “what do I need to do with this?” and “do I need to keep this?”

MONSTER: The Bermuda Triangle of computer documents
It’s were documents go and are never seen or heard from again. Ever hear yourself say “I know I saved it here somewhere”? You’re computer has developed a Bermuda Triangle.

How to defeat it:

1)   Decide on the default location for your documents. Items get lost when some things are in “My Documents” and others are on the server.
2)   Create broad category folders that make sense for the way you work. Drag your files into these folders. Make sure that there are no duplicate or similar folders names to avoid confusion. Create sub folders if there are a lot of documents in the main category folder.
3)   Moving forward, use descriptive file names and save files immediately into the correct folder.

MONSTER: The never-ending meeting
It’s like the Twilight Zone, you’re stuck in a meeting that just won’t end.

How to defeat it:

1)   Ensure the meeting starts on time. Try assessing a “fee” to anyone who shows up late.
2)   Appoint someone to run the meeting. When the meeting gets off track have them lead the meeting back to the agenda.
3)   Set action items throughout the meeting. Sum up the action items and who is responsible at the end of the meeting.

5 Tips for Incredibly Busy People

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:41:59 GMT

Joe asks, “My schedule crazy and I seem to have more to do than ever before. What time management tips do you have for someone who is incredibly busy?”

Sound familiar?

Here are five tips that WILL help. I’ll keep it short, I know you’re busy.

1. Tackle the task that is giving you the most stress (before doing anything else).

Much of our anxiety comes from ONE outstanding task or issue. Make it your MISSION to tackle that task before anything else (including checking your email). Getting that one important thing done will lower your stress and improve focus, allowing you to work more efficiently and accurately.

2. Wake up early. Believe me, I am NOT an early bird. But I have found that if I wake up late and start the day in a rush it sets the tone for the rest of the day. When you feel rushed, even the most mundane tasks seem overwhelming. Give yourself some extra time in the morning to start the day off right.

3. Acknowledge that busyness comes in waves. “When it rains, it pours” for whatever reason the universe conspires to throw you everything at once. It’s why meetings always seem to be scheduled back to back and why projects come due at the same time. Acknowledging that it is a WAVE and NOT A WALL will help you ride through the busy time and get to the other side.

4. Organize yourself. Take the time to get organized where it counts. Make sure you have all of the supplies, tools or information you need for the upcoming week. Make sure your calendar is up to date and synced. This will go a long way to helping you feel more in control.

5. Avoid working into the night. Make sure you have some down time. If you don’t take a break, you will quickly burn out, resulting in lowered productivity. It may feel counterintuitive, but getting away from work will help make the hours that you are there more productive.

Quick Tip Video: Setting Deadlines

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:53:29 GMT

In this Quick Tip Video we'll discuss the importance of setting deadlines to improve productivity. When work has no clear deadline, the project can drag on. Here's a tip to avoid this from happening and get more done.

What do Frogs Have to Do with It?

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:52:57 GMT

What do FROGS have to do with being more PRODUCTIVE? This silly question “jumped up” in a seminar that I was giving last week.

Eat that Frog

Gross! This idea comes from a quote by the remarkable wordsmith, Mark Twain.

“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.”

In fact, this quote inspired a popular book about overcoming procrastination Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy.

So what does eating frogs have to do with being more productive? We all have tasks that we are dreading. It’s human nature to procrastinate because they are:

a)   Unpleasant
b)   Perceived as difficult or time consuming
c)   All of the above

Ironically, completing these tasks (the frogs) is the best way to become more successful and productive. Just think about it; will you get that promotion by finishing next year’s marketing plan or by checking your email? The BIG tasks are what get us ahead in life.

“Why should I eat my frog first thing in the morning?” you ask. There are a number of reasons.

1)   Most of us are more alert and focused in the morning.
2)   The continuous worries about an important unfinished task weigh on us throughout the day.
3)   You will start the day with a sense of accomplishment.
4)   It’s all downhill from there.
5)   If the rest of the day goes off the tracks, at least you got this one thing done.
Got a pile of frogs on your desk?

Got any frogs at your desk? Contact us. We provide coaching programs that will make you more effective and productive.

You can also check out the Eat That Frog Movie at www.eatthatfrogmovie.com

Quick Tip Video: Tips to Get More Done

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:35:21 GMT

In this Quick Tip Video we discuss 6 tips to "Get More Done" from this month's issue of Reader's Digest "Guide to Life"

5 Questions to Ask Yourself

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:52:19 GMT

It happens to all of us . . . clutter, a pile up of physical or electronic “stuff”. This clutter has a negative impact on our day. It can make things hard to find, increase our stress levels and make our work spaces unsightly and overwhelming.

Here are five questions to ask yourself when evaluating clutter. These questions go beyond “Should I keep this?” and get to the heart of why you’re keeping it around and where it should go. Here they are.

1.   Why am I keeping this?
The question is simple and straightforward, but the answer may surprise you. Often times we keep items around because of guilt. Guilt of throwing away “a perfectly good thing” or for tossing away something that represents hours of hard work. There may also be guilt if the item represents something that you feel you SHOULD be doing, but haven’t. Let go of the guilt and ask yourself the next question.

2.   What action is associated with this item?
The action may be “I’ll need to look up the history” or it may be “I want something pretty to look at”. Every item has an action. If you cannot define an action (something you will do) with that item, then it is time to get rid of it.

3.   What will I be doing when I need this item?
This question is so much better than “Where do I put it?” Asking yourself, “Where can I put this?” will drive you to stick the item away in any deep drawer or shelf that has the space. On the other hand, “What will I be doing when I need to use this item?” tells you much more about where the item should go. You may answer that you will only need the item on trips. Then the right place for it is in the car or in a suitcase, not in a desk drawer. If items are close at hand when you need them, they will be easy to find and easy to put away.

4.   Have I needed this item in the past year?
You may have heard this when it comes to cleaning out the clothes in your closet. “If you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it.” The same is true with office stuff. Chances are, if you haven’t needed it in the past year, you won’t need it next year. Clear it out!

5.   Do I like it?
This is another simple but powerful question. The truth is, if we don’t like the way something looks or feels we will avoid it. Here’s an example. Mary hates the paper organizer on her desk. It’s old and ugly and doesn’t fit her desk properly. As a result, she avoids using it and all of the papers stacked there haven’t moved in ages. You spend a lot of time in your office. Why not surround yourself with items that you love. You’ll be more likely to use the items and stay organized if you like them.

Quick Tip Video: One Habit

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:12:45 GMT

In this Quick Tip Video we discuss one daily habit that reduce stress and make you more productive than 99% of people today!

5 Ways to Take Control of Information Overload

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:40:39 GMT

One question I'm commonly asked is "How do I handle the massive amounts of email and requests that I get on a daily basis?" Information overload is a common problem for most of us. In fact, in a recent survey respondents said that they can effectively manage about 50 emails per day. Unfortunately, the number of emails we actually receive is closer to 100 per day! Here are five tools to help you manage information overload.

1. Make fast decisions
Ask yourself "Is this information important?" (If not delete it!) Then ask, "What ACTION is required by me?" Answering these questions will allow you to quickly turn information into action.

2. Do unto others
Be a model of how you want others to contact you. It shows respect for their time and for yours. Here are some ideas . . .

Keep messages short and easy to read.
Clearly define what action you want from that person.
Don’t CC or Reply All unless absolutely necessary.
Write clear subject lines.

3. Consolidate to one trusted system
Keep one system for your calendar and one for your tasks. Get into the habit of moving to-dos immediately to your task list and check it regularly. Don’t let information pile up in your inbox waiting for action.

4. Ruthlessly unsubscribe
That information is always there if you do a web search. Unsubscribe to everything that is not absolutely vital to your business.

5. Sync your devices
Invest in the time and money to have someone sync all of your devices. If you delete an email from your phone, it should also delete in your inbox. There’s no reason to have to do it twice.

Quick Tip Video: Dealing with Distractions

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:11:00 GMT

Distractions can be the productivity killer in everyone’s day. In this Quick Tip Video learn three ways to reduce daily distraction.

What's the Next Action?

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:22:00 GMT

Every item cluttering your inbox or loitering on your desk represents an action that needs to be done. It’s your job to define that action. Doing so will reduce stress and improve performance. Don’t believe me? Try it out for one week. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Finding Actions in Email

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of using your inbox as your to-do list. I thought so.

It’s common to leave an email in your inbox to remind you of something that needs to be done. There are two problems with this plan. As you get new messages, your reminder email sinks lower and lower on the list until it’s out of sight, out of mind. Also, as the to-do’s build up, so does the inbox clutter. Suddenly there are 100’s or 1000’s of unruly emails in your inbox. Does that feel overwhelming to you? It does to me too.

There is a better way. Find the action in the email. Ask yourself “what is the next physical action I need to take?” Once the next action is clearly defined, either do it or put it on your to-do list with a specific date WHEN you will do it. Last step, REMOVE the email from your inbox.

What if there is no action?

This is my favorite! If there is truly no action needed, then why are you keeping it around? Get rid of it! But maybe the action is more subtle “I don’t know what to do with this.” Or “Maybe someday I’ll need it.” Or, my personal favorite, “I’d like to do this if I had more time.”

Be realistic and define the action. Ask yourself the hard questions.

“Is there further action required from me?”
“Will I really have time to do this?”
“Is it a priority that I do this?”
“Am I just keeping it around because of guilt?”

Reality check: things get eliminated every day. Make sure you are the one making the choices.

Action in Follow-up

Did you make a request of someone and now you’re keeping a memento (a scrap of paper or an email) around your office to remind you to follow up? Define the action. WHEN are you going to follow up? Decide on a day and put it on your task list or calendar. That way instead of a lost Post-It, you will have a nice pop up reminding you to follow up on the exact day you need to.

Action in the details

Got a 50 page report cluttering up your desk? Long emails with attachments living in your inbox? What needs to be done with them? What is the action?

Ask yourself . . .
“Will I need this info again?”
“What will I be doing when I need to find this info again?”
“Where will I look?”
“Can I access it somewhere else (online, company server, etc.)”

Action steps: Make a decision why you’ll need it, where you’ll need it and then put it in the appropriate place.

Action on the calendar

I think you’ve got a handle on it now. The last step is to seek out clutter that should be on your calendar. This is the email about a charity event or a flyer about a training that you’d like to go to. Here are your action steps.

1.   Make a decision. Does it work with your schedule?
2.   Put it on your calendar right now, add all of the pertinent details.
3.   Delete the email, toss the flyer.

This type of action focused decision making takes practice. Try it out this week. Be choosy about what you decide to act on. I guarantee a reduction in stress and a greater piece of mind once you put this principle into place.

Erin Hoffman is a Productivity Specialist and the president of Optimum Productivity. She helps busy professionals and businesses save time and get more done. Her company, Optimum Productivity, offers company training packages, speaking and individual coaching locally to San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties and via the web all over the world.

What is Permaculture? Five Ideas that Will Save You Time and Money.

erin@optimumproductivity.com (Erin Hoffman) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:11:00 GMT

What is permaculture? Primarily an architectural or agricultural concept, permaculture is applied to the design of landscapes and buildings.

How can a idea from landscaping boost productivity?

Modern permaculture:

Looks at a whole system
Observes how the parts relate
Mends sick systems by applying ideas learned from long-term sustainable working system

How can the concept of permaculture help improve day to day productivity? Here are five ways to apply this ingenious concept to your daily productivity.

1. Look at the system as a whole.
System -> Problem -> Result
Instead of focusing on the result of the problem, take a step back and look at the system as a whole. Where is the system breaking down? Water will flow in the path of least resistance; people will follow that path as well. We often over do our organization plans and strategies. The answer to the problem may not be fancy new software, but simply installing a shortcut icon on everyone’s computer.

2. How do the parts relate?
To use a tech term, how do they “sync”. A great deal of time and energy is wasted when not all of the parts sync. Here are some examples: Mobile phone does not sync with calendar; billing info does not sync with accounting system; documents stored in multiple locations.

We create elaborate work-arounds to get by when a system is not in sync. A few extra minutes here and there seems less work than dedicating a few hours to fixing the problem. But if you add it up, all of those minutes add up to weeks of lost time each year.

Examine each part of the system for breakdowns. Find ways to make things flow more efficiently by syncing parts, eliminating steps and simplifying.

3. Observe the natural flow.
Practitioners of permaculture will observe how things happen naturally in nature, and take that into account when planning a building or landscape. Take time to observe the natural flow of your office. Where do you naturally reach for important items? Are you right handed or left? What drawer is easiest to access? Put your most used items there.

4. Use existing resources.
Usually, the answer is not a new tool, a new bin or new software. Anyone whose office has thrown fancy software at an existing problem can attest that adding more tools often complicates the issue. First, define the issue. One easy way to do this is to ask yourself, what is the ideal end result. From there work backwards, keeping the steps as simple as possible.

5. Ask yourself, “What is working?”
Keep what works. Examine why it works. If you can define this you can model other non-working systems after the working system.

At Optimum Productivity we pride ourselves on creating systems that are simple and sustainable. We provide valuable outside perspective in improving your office flow, essentially, saving you valuable time and money. Contact us for a free consultation today.