If Time Were No Obstacle

We have moments in our lives when we think of things we want to do or wish that we had done.  These moments sometimes come to us after major events.  I experienced one of these moments yesterday after a busy but otherwise normal day my flight home took off down the runway as usual.  However, after gaining speed and just prior to take-off the pilot aborted and quickly brought the plane to a stop.  Apparently there were problems with the instruments and he believed it was prudent to abort the flight.  As the event was happening I really did not think about all of the possible scenarios and ways that this seemingly small event could have played out.  But later as I sat in my seat on the plane we were moved to it occurred to me that this was really a close call.  My gratitude at that moment was overwhelming and remains so even now.  

For me last night made me wonder about what would happen if the pilot was perhaps lesser skilled and did not effectively manage the abort.  Or worse what if we had actually gotten off of the ground and then experienced a problem.  While I don’t have a fear of flying this event brought to mind a host of possibilities that could have had a significant impact in my life and in the lives of those I love so dearly.

So today after processing all of the the things that happened last night I thought of this question that we once posed to our Time Management program participants.  The question is “If time were no obstacle some day I would..”  The purpose of the question was to get the participants to think about all of the things that they would do someday if they had more time.  I would collect the answers on 3 x 5 cards from the participants as they left for lunch.  At the end of the day I would read the anonymous answers aloud to the class.  I saved quite a few of the answers that I collected from the participants over the years and while many of the answers were things like I would spend less time at the office, many more were poignant and thought provoking.  Looking through those cards today I realized that I have never completed a card answering the question for myself.  So what follows are a few of my answers.

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Spend a full day talking to each of the people that have touched my life and let them know how much I appreciate their time and attention

Visit with every one of my old friends and offer my apologies were I may have wronged them 

Been kinder to that special friend that really needed me longer than I knew

Listen just a bit longer to hear what my children, my wife, my mother and siblings were really saying to me

Play more often, sleep more than 6 hours per night, and laugh a lot

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Have spent more time listening to my grandmother tell stories while cooking in the kitchen

Write more letters

Talk to my father about what he thought when he was in his 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s

Relax my shoulders, loosen my jaw move my head back and smile more

Talk to that person that had the look in their eyes needing some attention

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Sit with my family, in an electronic free zone learning to just be together

Stand up to the injustices I see rather than walking quickly by trying not to get involved

Give more of my time to those that could use it well and spend less time with those that waste my time

Experience time by watching what is happening around me

Write lots of books because I had read lots of books

Eat really well and live a more balanced and healthy life

Own less, give away more, and experience the present without worrying about the future

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Be kinder, gentler and more forgiving of myself and others

I would actually make the apologies I need to make for never really having enough time

After reading all of these things I remind myself that time is not and has never been an obstacle in my life.  The only obstacle is and has always been me.  The choices I make about how I spend my time have always been in my control.  In fact we have copious amounts of time given to us just as it is given to everyone.  What we choose to do with that time is really where the power of living well exists.  

Converting Energy

I have often thought that people touch the lives of other people in such a way that when the encounters ensue there is a transference of energy.  This transference can be reflected in emotions we feel in the presence of another.  Often times it comes just by being in proximity to another person, or sometimes it comes when we make physical contact such as a high five, a handshake, hug or a gentle touch.  At times it even comes when people are far apart simply when we think of another.  I believe that once we enter into relationships with people that the transference is always there ebbing and flowing much like currents of electricity.  Make no mistake this transference is not always positive.  There are people that do literally ignite us in positive ways with their presence and of course there are those that promote an equal and opposite response.  I think that it is also true that the same person can give us both positive and negative energy depending on the interaction.  The positive interactions can cause us to do so many wonderful things and aids in creating positive connections among people.  However, those negative interactions and the negative transference of energy that at times may accompany those interactions can be quite destructive.  

I want to focus for this post on the negative transference of energy.  I have seen in many people what can happen when there is a negative transference of energy.  I have seen stress, sleeplessness, agitation and even depression as an outcome of these interactions.  I have also seen first hand how the negative transference can distract, debilitate and even destroy a person.  This causes me to wonder whether or not it is possible to use negative energy for positive purposes.  That is to say could we take the negative and literally convert the current to create something positive from those very same feelings.  

A quick look through some of the famous persons in history suggest that perhaps it is not only possible to change the way the energy is used but it might well be that for more than a few of those persons the negative energy in fact inspired their greatness.  One example I often think of is that of Ernest Hemingway.  It is well known that he was a heavy drinker (that is putting it mildly) yet it is also believed that he did some of his best writing if not the majority of his writing while under the influence of alcohol.  Andy Warhol while incredibly creative also lived what some view as a tortured life.  Vincent van Gogh created some of his greatest masterpieces in his dark period succeeding the death of his father and during periods of intense loneliness.  And finally, Albert Einstein discovered and even worked through some of his most challenging thoughts and ideas while estranged from and corresponding with his soon to be ex-wife.  

Each of these people I believe managed to harness the energy that was negative in their lives and channel that energy to some positive result.  While a closer look at these individuals might also suggest that at some point their behaviors were ultimately destructive, we can perhaps see at least for a period of time that they were able to harness those energies and turn them in to something positive, productive and even beautiful.

It seems to me that perhaps how we experience those negative emotions in our lives is subject to what we choose to do.  We can choose to hold the negative and suffer or use what is pure energy and convert that to something which drives a positive result.  Can we take something that on its face seems not to serve us well and use it to inspire our greatness.  Or, like so many do we take the hurts and pains of life and allow them to drag us down.  In so doing perhaps we also then take our own pain and inflict pain upon others.  I think we can make a choice to use the negative to create the positive.  We can take our own pains and create joy.  We can choose not to suffer and instead share light.  To my thinking this would seem like an ideal way to use something that could be harmful and yet create something wonderful.  Like all things in life I believe that it all comes down to the choices we make.

Choose well.

Choosing the Hard Right

While checking my Facebook page this morning I saw a message from a close friend.  I was pleased to see her taking the time to catch up with me and once again I reminded myself that I too needed to be better at that.  Her note quickly caught me up with the big events going on in her life such as her daughter’s wedding this coming weekend.  She also wrote about a leadership course she had taken recently and how a lesson I taught her quite a few years ago proved useful in that class as she talked about her ability to prioritize the priorities in her life.  She recalled a discussion we had over lunch one day that helped her to understand the importance of choosing to spend time and energy on those things that are most important.  

I remember during that lunch that I did something that many of us do when discussing an idea.  To illustrate a point I grabbed a small paper napkin and began to scribble an illustration containing four boxes.  The boxes were an illustration of something I often teach at FranklinCovey about the four dimensions of our lives.  Those dimensions are the Physical, Social/Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual.  We talked about how important it is to have regular focus in each of these dimensions and even how sometimes people in our lives have a clear role in some or all of those dimensions.  We also talked about how sometimes our choices keep us from really spending time in those dimensions.  That discussion provided a moment of clarity for me and for my friend as we began to understand how sometimes certain choices, roles and even relationships can be placed at a higher priority than the most important roles we play in our own life and in the lives of others.  I now recall that we coined the phrase Choosing the Hard Right as a way of describing what we must do to make the best or right choice.  

The idea here is that in order to make the optimal choices in our lives we must consider at times things that are really hard to choose.  This could be as fundamental as choosing to actually get up when your alarm goes off in the morning rather than snoozing for “just 10 more minutes.”   Or choosing to give your best to a relationship that is struggling rather than surrendering to the many ways and choices we make in modern society to emotionally or physically abandon someone.  In their own way each of these are hard choices and generally we also know which of the choices in each circumstance is likely right for you at the time.  The difficulty is in making the harder choice.

There are several ways that you can use this idea to help you to consistently make more optimal choices in your life.  First it is important to remember that everything starts with a choice.  Even when we fail to choose we are in fact making a choice.  Second, always remember to protect what really matters to you.  Block time to do the things that you perceive as being the most important or having the highest payoff.  Third, start by making optimal choices with the small things such as fruit over pastry or a salad vs “fries with that.”  And finally, try to limit the distracting noises that can compete with your ability to make good choices.  Your brain really can not effectively handle too many things at once.  When choosing remember to put people first then things.  This small piece of advice has served me well over the years.

Newton’s laws of motion are very helpful here.  He said “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.  The ideal action is to choose the hard thing that you know to be right.  The equal and opposite reaction will be better health, improved relationships and greater clarity as you free yourself from fear, worry and doubt.  

A final thought:  Sometimes we have already made a choice without really thinking.  Pause for just a moment longer and try to better understand why you made the choice.  In that moment you may find great clarity in ways to make more optimal choices in the future and also to benefit from improved results.  

I Love You But We Need to See Less of Each Other

I admit to having had an on again and off again love affair with coffee for over 35 years.  The cabinets and closets in our home reflect the many devices or methods that have gone in and out of vogue that have allowed me to enjoy my morning coffee.  So of course today it was not really unusual to begin the morning preparing my daily cup.  Except I became fully aware today about a shift that has been happening for the better part of this year.

At the beginning of this year I began doing research about the ways in which we do things that reduce our overall effectiveness.  This of course led to my becoming aware of the many legal ways we effectively damage our bodies and our brains.  We all know about many of these things such as smoking, alcohol abuse bad foods, too much sun, and yes even too much caffeine.  Yet, honestly so many of us still do many of these things despite evidence of the damage they can cause.  My new understanding of the damage done by the things I was doing in due course led me to work to further improve what I perceived to be a fairly healthy diet and lifestyle.  I reduced my sugar intake even further, tried and failed to reduce my potato chip consumption (still a real problem for me) and even worked harder to consistently get 7 hours of sleep each night.  I went back and forth about caffeine for a few months even experiencing a brief period when I swore off the drink completely.  My daily habits have changed and will continue to get better as I remain focused on these things.  But coffee still maintains a fairly central role in my daily routine.

This week as I began my re-entry to my work routine following our vacation a couple of things about Europe have continued to stay with me.  Most people know about the experience of sitting in a cafe in France, or Italy.  Usually when you speak to people that have spent time there almost everyone will talk about the wonderful experience of sitting in a cafe having their favorite beverage.  Like most people I too visited a number of cafes during our trip.  When I was able to do that in the morning I would have my morning coffee which of course meant an espresso.  In fact most mornings it actually meant having two or perhaps three espressos.  Today it struck me that perhaps I have had this whole thing wrong.  I simply took my American habits overseas with me.  While my home routine typically involves having enough coffee (meaning at least one large cup) to accompany my breakfast, what I saw in Europe was many people having just one espresso (with bread at times) and then going on their way.

For many years when I made coffee I made a pot.  This despite the fact that I am the only person in my home that drinks coffee.  Over time I have reduced this to smaller amounts for my personal consumption but usually I have made no less than four cups (as measured by the coffee maker meaning 32 ounces) even though more often than not I have thrown much of this away.  This year I moved back to making coffee in my Bialetti (remember I have all sorts of coffee making devices).  This is a simple coffee making device used in Italy to make coffee in relatively small amounts.  Still, my own Bialetti is large enough to make about one 12 ounces of coffee at once.  The coffee is quite strong when made in the Bialetti since the device is actually designed to make espresso.  I found myself sometimes pouring more than half of my cup away each day.  

Now I get it.  I think that people in some parts of the world have learned that sometimes we enjoy something best when we enjoy less of that thing.  Espresso cups are small not just because they are cute or sophisticated, but they are small because the suggestion is that you don’t need a lot of espresso (OK sometimes I admit to being slow).  Having two cups in the morning is perhaps more than you need and if you really do need more than one cup it suggests that what you really need is more sleep not more coffee.  

So as my ever evolving relationship with coffee continues we are now at a place where It will be just one espresso for me each morning (I love you coffee but I think we need to see less of each other).  I know that my body will function better with this reduced amount and perhaps I will grow to really enjoy that brief morning interlude.  After all, I do recall that sometimes the briefest of encounters are often times the greatest.  And so it goes for me and my morning drink.  Now if I could just balance out the rest of my day in this manner but I guess that is for yet another post.

Living The Dream

I have a client who when asked how he is doing always responds “I am living the dream.”  This has become a popular response and I hear it often particularly in business circles.  Often times I hear the response a bit sarcastically.  However, I know that this client really means it when he says that he is living the dream.  At least from all outward appearances he is successful financially and has a good family life and healthy productive children.  For most of us I believe that would qualify as living the dream. 

As I was thinking of this phrase this morning I found myself responding to a different client with my client’s response.  When asked how I was doing I responded, “I am living the dream.”  My client laughed and I could tell from their laugh that they thought I was responding in the sarcastic manner I hear so often.  However, the reality is that I was serious.  I really am “Living The Dream.”

Last night I read something that I wrote six years ago on April 20, 2005.  I found the document under a pile of magazines that I was filing.  I was writing about the need to understand who we are and who we want to be.  What I wrote then was that I wanted to be a person that read more, listened to others, and continually practiced self-examination.  I also wrote that I wanted to learn more so that I could positively impact the lives of others.  Finally, I wrote that I recognized that I was not “finished yet” and that I could see myself as a work in progress.  That was what I imagined six years ago and that is what I was dreaming I would become.  Last week as I worked with of small group of just under 20 people I recognized that I was impacting the lives of people almost every day.  The thought caused me to write the following as my revised mission statement:  To give to those whose lives I touch the best that I can be.  This is the shortest version of my personal mission statement that I have written in about seventeen years.  Yet, it really reflects what I was dreaming about six years ago. 

Living the dream for me is not a financial measure.  Neither is it a measure of business success.  Rather, it reflects that every day I have the chance to do something that really does impact the lives of the people closest to me, and that impacts the lives of my colleagues and clients.  It reflects that I have the opportunity to learn new things constantly, and I am learning to really listen to people.  While this last one has not been mastered just yet, I am getting better and I can see that in my interactions. 

What I am learning is that living the dream is by no means easy.  Yet, those that are doing just that are living fulfilled lives.  They are vibrant, they work hard, and they are happy.  One example is another colleague that yesterday completed the Boston Marathon.  He is 46 years old, a lifetime runner and he had a goal to qualify for and complete the Boston Marathon.  He is living the dream.  My colleague will not earn any sponsorship as a result of his performance yesterday.  He won’t make any more money at work as a result of the race, and today he is likely quite sore.  But I can bet with a high degree of certainty that yesterday he managed a smile and perhaps even a sigh of relief as he accomplished something that he hoped for and that a relative few will ever do.  I think this is really what living the dream is all about.  It is about doing what you dream of.  It is about accomplishing goals that you set in your life and doing what really matters. 

So many of us have dreams that we are waiting to begin.  We tell ourselves that we will do it when the time is right.  The fact is that now is the right time.  In fact there may never be a better time.  We need to start living the dream not tomorrow, but we need to start today.  My colleague that ran Boston yesterday began living the dream long before he ran in Boston.  He likely began living the dream before he ran his Boston qualifying time last fall.  I believe that every day that my colleague got up to go out for a run he was living the dream.  When he spent time talking to his son he was living the dream.  While he was doing his job each day he was living the dream.  I am willing to bet that my colleague has been living the dream perhaps even longer than he knows.

If we are waiting to start living the dream we run a tremendous risk.  We risk reaching the day when we look back at our lives and we say we did not do the things that were important to us.  Or we wish that we had done things differently, like take more time for those we love, or pursue a dream that we had when we were younger. 

Commit today to start living the dream.  You will need to say no to some things that have been standing in your way.  You may even need to say no to some of the things that impact those closest to you.  But in saying no you will be saying yes to your dreams.  Start now I mean literally right now.  Put this down and start living your dream.  If you don’t do it now you may some day have to say, “I wish I had lived my dream.”

Traveling Without Moving

In the 1984 Sci-Fi classic movie Dune a planet is at war over the “Spice.” The Spice enables a person to “Travel Without Moving.” I have always had trouble just getting my head around that concept and I find myself thinking of it often. Seems like a really cool idea. Well today I get to experience something pretty close. I am traveling to Atlanta later today and with my crutches moving is challenging. I could really use the Spice right now.

I am by any definition a frequent traveler. Marie (BTW she prefers her other name, FL) says I am a High Roller. I have all the perks that come with a job like mine including premium status on airlines and with hotels. These perks are really quite nice and they make travel a bit less stressful as you stand in shorter lines, board planes first, get the best seats, and preferred rooms. But none of these really matter much when you have trouble walking. No matter how short the line standing on one foot is a challenge. Today is going to be interesting. While I am a very good planner, this trip is going to challenge those skills. While I am admittedly anxious, a part of me welcomes the challenge.

When you are dependent on crutches you cannot walk through the screening device at the airport. The TSA personnel require that you put your crutches through the scanner which in my case will render me helpless. The result is that I am going to get my first ride in a wheel chair today. This also means holding a conversation with a complete stranger to whom I will probably have to explain my situation. You likely know just how much I am looking forward to that. I do think that there is a short line for wheel chair bound travelers so I guess that for me that part will be familiar. However, that is the least of my concerns. I typically travel with carryon luggage. It is rare for me to check a bag as the risks of losing your luggage are great and I have calculated that checked luggage adds at least an hour each way. This accounts for the time it takes to check the bag and to get it back from baggage claim. Last year I flew over 150 segments. If I had to check a bag each time I would be giving up nearly a week of my life to baggage. Additionally, checking luggage significantly shortens the life expectancy of your suitcase. I anticipate that when my foot heals I will also require a new bag. This whole broken foot thing is getting expensive.

The boot I am wearing is likely to qualify me for my first pat down by the TSA. This thought reminds me of a Friends episode where Chandler talks about the Tailor that “Makes an adjustment for you as he measures your trouser inseam.” You would have to have seen that one to get my point here. Let’s just say that I am not looking forward to “getting the adjustment” from some guy at the airport.

The cool news is that I have arranged for a car service to pick me up in Atlanta. Mostafa will meet me at baggage claim and that means that someone will actually get my bag for me. I can’t imagine how else I could move my bag. Even catching a cab requires that you get your bag out to the curb and I can’t manage that with the crutches. I spent some time thinking about this expense and it seems like it is not significantly greater than renting a car. I am going to have to start collecting information about this for all my trips.

I am flying to Atlanta through Charlotte. Both airports are huge. There are multiple escalators, moving walkways and great distances to travel. I am hoping to catch a ride on one of those annoying carts where the driver is doing their best to run over people as they attempt to navigate a strange place while pulling or carrying too much luggage and their frappuccino. I think I am going to get a different view of airports today.

I am asked constantly how I broke my foot. The story is boring. I was just running on a treadmill one morning. I have now concocted a new story. When asked how I broke my foot my new answer is as follows: “I think that discretion is quite important so let me just say that at a certain hotel recently I managed one morning to do something amazing that I had never done before. The experience left me soaking wet and with a broken foot. It will be six weeks before the doctors will permit me to try it again but I can’t wait.” I do hope you like the new version. But let me know if it needs improvement.

This is Day 5 of 42. There is so much more to come.

It Only Hurts When I Walk

At 5:30 in the morning in many hotel gyms the silence is wonderful. Occasionally, there might be one other ambitious traveler getting their morning workout in at this time of day but more often than not it is just me. Like most mornings I put on my earphones, started my playlist and began what I thought was going to be a 4 mile run. Despite my schedule of late I wanted to keep pace with my plan to run about 25 miles this week and I was already behind. The impact of snow and flight cancellations was also setting my running behind. I have a meeting beginning at 8:00 and I will need to arrive by 7:45 to get ready so I don’t have much time. I think I will kick up the pace a notch as this is a short run.

About 2.5 miles in to the run I hear an audible pop or snap sound. I can hear it through my earphones but it sounds like it was far away. That is until the pain arrives. Suddenly I can’t run. I get off the treadmill and try to walk but I can’t do that either. The pain is getting worse. I immediately think I have broken my foot and all I can think about is that I may not be able to run for a while. Seems strange that this is my first thought. There are many other things that should occur to me at this moment. First of all I am in Rochester, NY and this is not home. I am alone and may need help to get to my hotel room. I need to drive the car home and this will take at least 5 hours, and finally, I have a meeting with a client that we have been working for months to arrange. Yet, despite this, at the moment I am thinking of running. I realize in this instant just how important running has become in my life and I am experiencing fear of not being able to do it soon or perhaps ever again.

In life things change very quickly. The first change begins as I hobble back to my room. My foot hurts, I am sweating more than usual and it is too early to call anyone. Besides, what do I say? I am in Rochester and there isn’t anyone that is going to be able to come and help. I also need to get to my meeting. I shower and shave and conclude that the best thing I can do is to get my shoes on, tie them tightly, and get going so that is what I do. My foot feels pretty good once I actually get my shoe on so I drive to the client and I am only a few minutes later than I had planned. I encounter my first obstacle when I enter the building. The meeting is on the second floor of an older building and I am not aware of an elevator to get there. I am carrying my briefcase which weighs a ton and I am now learning that limping while carrying heavy objects is really hard to do. I make it to the board room where we will meet and I see the pleasant face of my colleague Tom. After I say hello I tell him that I think my foot is broken.

Our meeting requires a bit of facilitation, and presentation. I am wondering how much time I can stand on my feet. My colleague recognizes this without a word exchanged and he fills in as much as possible. I gamely limp to stand when necessary to make a point, or write a note on the flip chart. All in all the day goes very well but my brain is gradually giving in to pain and I am distracted. I will learn later that night that my foot is broken but for now the unknown and level of pain as I move about is making me just pray for the day to end. It does at around 3:00. Now I need to get down that flight of stairs to get to my car. Seven hours ago getting up the stairs was challenging. Now, getting down is excruciating and a difficult combination of balance and strength while reassuring my host that all is well. All is not well. I limp to the car, get inside and feel a rush of emotion. Not tears but a sense of fear. I need to get home and I need to do this without delay.

It is amazing how focused you can become when you are in pain. I make the drive home only stopping once for gas, protein bars and getting food from a drive through. I over buy but I don’t plan to stop again. Tonyia has made an appointment for me to have my foot looked at but I need to get there before 8:00 to be seen tonight. I need to get there because I need to know what I might be facing. I make it to the Doctor's by 7:40.

It does not take long at the Doctor’s to confirm with an x-ray that I have a stress fracture of the second metatarsal (my vocabulary is growing as I learn about my foot). The prognosis which is confirmed by the Orthopedic Doctor the next morning is 6 weeks no weight on the foot and an air cast. I can’t drive, I need crutches and I am now totally dependent on others for things I took for granted. I need doors opened for me, I can’t carry food and I take my messenger bag with me everywhere as my third pair of hands to hold things. I even need trousers that fit my current waist size with pant legs wide enough to go over the boot. I really am not in to the whole Pirate look of tucking my pants in to the boot and besides I think that would be uncomfortable. A shopping trip to the mall is required on the way home.

Yesterday I considered myself fit. At least with both my feet working well moving around the mall was never given a second thought. Now, I have to navigate the mall with crutches and I realize just how far it is to Banana Republic where I want to go to buy Khaki pants. I pass J. Crew and consider going in there but I just can’t imagine paying their prices for trousers. I forge ahead stopping to rest a couple of times and feeling awkward as people are staring at the guy with the crutches who is actually in the way. Yesterday I was just like them so I don’t get angry but I make a mental note to be more patient with people in the future. You just don’t know what they might be experiencing. I buy two pairs of trousers and begin planning my work wardrobe around my new casual look. You can’t really be fashionable when wearing a huge gray boot on your right foot. People tend to notice. I also decide that I need to wear a running shoe on my good foot after slipping a couple of times in my shoes. There goes a Harvey Young maxim. I used to say I only wear sneakers when I exercise. A lot of what I used to do is going to have to change.

Today is only day two of my 42 day journey. I have to fly to Atlanta on Monday and I expect that many lessons will be learned as I depend on porters and bellmen to move my luggage, face my first TSA pat down at the airport, and travel through the airport in a wheelchair since I can’t imagine making it through that distance on the crutches. Alex said that at least now you get on the plane first. I was actually grateful for that since I do not move quickly. I wonder can you get down the airplane isle with crutches.

I will blog about my experiences over these next 42 days. By the way, I am not writing to garner any sympathy, but I just think it will be helpful to share my experiences. I close today with a few notes to those of you in good health. If you are not exercising, despite my injury please begin immediately. I don’t think I could manage all of this if my balance was off, if I did not have good upper body strength, and if I were not aerobically fit. Despite all of that this is still very hard. For my friends my own age I also recommend you take your vitamins especially vitamin D and Calcium.

My final thought is a line I heard from Wille Jolley years ago “A setback is just a setup for a comeback.”

Ending the Pursuit of Busyness

I spend a considerable amount of my time thinking about the subject of productivity. Much of this has to do with the work I do with my clients but even on a personal level I think often about this subject. What I have come to believe is that rather than trying to be productive, many of us are lost in the pursuit of busyness. We have allowed digital tools to allow us to be busier than ever before. Just think about it. If you have a laptop, smartphone, instant messaging service and at least one social networking login (perhaps like the one that led you to this article) you could be totally busy all day but it is doubtful that at the end of the day you would find yourself to be truly productive. Yet, by all outward indications you would certainly appear to be busy as you check email, respond to text/instant messages, tweet, post, check-in and yammer all day. Now before you see this as a rant against technology and tools, let me admit that right now on my desk I have within easy reach a BlackBerry Torch, an iPhone 4 and an iPad, and believe it or not an old school notebook which is a ruled Moleskine. I looked at Twitter this morning, posted on Yammer, and have read and written a number of email messages. I think that all of these tools are wonderful when they are placed in the proper perspective and when we apply disciplines that lead to productive habits.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday where the founders of Twitter were being interviewed. One of them said that while he looks at Twitter throughout the day he only tweets about twice daily. I thought to myself, now that is cool. It reminded me of the Stephen Covey quote I so often find myself sharing with others “Technology and tools are helpful and useful when they are your servant and not your master.” The technology and the tools are not what gets in the way of our becoming more productive. Rather, as the old Walt Kelly Pogo cartoon reminds us “We have met the enemy and he is us.” While this might be very old advice written in a book dating back to 1951 and coming from a possum talking to an alligator and an owl, this is perhaps even more relevant today than ever. We are the reason that we are not productive. It is not our job, it is not our tools, it is not our boss. We are responsible for deploying the principles, tools, and disciplines that we need to be and to become more productive. We are the answer to winning the war against our reactionary nature and what has become a reactionary workflow that gets less done and takes more time than ever before.

I have already admitted that I am by no means a minimalist especially when it comes to technology. I greatly admire those that have such discipline. I admit to owning and using multiple digital tools, social networking sites, cloud storage, a host of blogs and podcasts. While I can attribute some of this to my work (I am a consultant that helps organizations create a culture that is Productive and Executes) it is also true that these are things that I enjoy. What I have learned in my work and on a more personal level is that in order to be truly productive and to ultimately be happy and less stressed we must make a number of choices and employ a set of disciplines that actually help us to execute with the minimal amount of distraction and with the greatest level of efficiency. In the end we must spend our time doing what is truly most important to us.

I think of this in the way I think of hiring a craftsman to work in my home. The really good ones have far more tools in their bag than they are likely to use when in my home. Yet, when they need a particular tool to do a particular job not only do they have the right tool, but they are expert in its use. I meet many professionals that have many of the same tools that I have but few actually have considered how their tools work together and even fewer still have any real idea about the capacity of their tools. While this has greatly increased the work of my consulting practice, I believe that what I get paid to do would also be beneficial for those that might not have an opportunity to work with me. What follows are my thoughts about ways that you can integrate your tools to combat reactionary work flow and develop effective productivity systems. For this article I will focus on just one of my systems but it is important to understand that there are really four vital systems that can improve work flow.

Most of us have multiple email accounts, and some sort of calendar system and to do or task list. In addition we likely attend meetings (the greatest loss of productivity of all time, but I digress) and have both face to face and telephone conversations during the day. I describe this often as places to be, things to do, and things to keep track of. Add to this the people you know and you can imagine the complications we all face in just managing information. In order to filter these most effectively I see these as fitting into one of four integral systems. These systems are our Capture Systems, our Processing Systems, our Synchronization System and our Storage System. For now let us explore the first of these which I call the Capture System.

Capture Systems are the tools you use to capture information. Generally these come down to electronic information (think email) or non-electronic (think meetings and conversations). Your capture system must contemplate capturing information when you are at your desk and when you are mobile if this applies to your work flow. The key to having an effective capture system is to make sure that the system does not place you in a reactionary workflow position. Reactionary workflow happens when we allow our systems to interrupt us at will. These constant interruptions are distracting and result in a loss of productivity. Studies have shown that as we experience these interruptions we lose between two and six minutes of productivity. When we multiply the number of interruptions we might experience in a particular day we can quickly imagine that the loss of productivity could quickly add up to several hours each day. So the solution is that we must combat this sense of reactionary workflow. Here are a couple of tips to accomplish this.

Turn off all notifications – Notifications are anything that makes you aware of incoming information at the moment it arrives. This can include anything from a pop-up window on your email to a buzz, beep or even a flashing light on your Smartphone. While it might seem radical for many to contemplate turning off these notifications, the productivity impact of increasing your focused attention is dramatic. I also recognize that many will argue that they are unable due to the nature of their work to turn off such notifications. However, it is my belief that this is just a point of view that requires a bit of examination. Perhaps just a personal examination will suffice. However, if there are issues of culture in your workplace a much larger examination is in order. Perhaps there is a need to establish operating guidelines as to expectations for responding to email, SMS, instant messaging, and voicemail. Once the expectations are clear everyone can then work more effectively. I think that with some examination we might find that instantaneous response is not required, necessary, or even expected. This is really a matter of culture and when an increase in productivity is desired adjustments can and must be made to the organizational culture. The result will be apparent as productivity goes up when interruptions go down.

Decide how you will capture information – Make a decision about how you intend to work. As I sit at my desk I have within easy reach both of my cell phones and an external monitor with which I can choose to see my email server. Yet, for the time that I am writing this article I have turned off the ringer on my cell phones (the flashing light was turned off over a year ago) and minimized the screen showing my email. I want to focus on the completion of this work and I know that being distracted by any of my capture systems would result in less not more productivity as I don’t imagine that any of my colleagues or friends will be sending timely advice or information for this article. In deciding how you will work you create disciplines around how you will capture information at your desk and how you will capture information when mobile. As an example when at my desk Outlook is my preferred method for receiving and responding to work email. For my personal email and for many mobile functions I use Gmail. When I am away from my desk I prefer my BlackBerry Torch with its combined qwerty keyboard and touch screen for managing and processing email (I will write another article about Processing Systems). Each of these enables me to read messages and to respond fully. I don’t make a distinction between mobile email and desktop email in terms of reading responding. In fact I try to make email transparent to the recipient (there is not message indicating that my response is coming from my BlackBerry). For information that comes to me by way of direct interaction either in the form of a conversation or a meeting I keep all of my notes in my Moleskine (I even find myself pasting a post-it onto a page if I captured information when my book was not handy which is rare but does happen). I have a simple dating, numbering and indexing system that helps me to keep notes chronologically, sequentially, and makes them searchable. The key discipline here is to write down everything without filtering and to keep it in one place. Finally, I capture my thoughts, ideas or just ramblings in my notebook usually on the left side of the page. I add to these the use of Voice Notes on my BlackBerry to capture ideas when driving or otherwise engaged and I use Evernote to capture pictures and video or ideas that I want to work on electronically. I arrived at these processes through what I heard someone refer to as “enlightened trial and error” and I am certain that they will evolve as technology and tools evolve.

I recommend that you think about the tools you use to capture information. Make adjustments that allow you to reduce the number of distractions you experience during the day. Develop your own set of disciplines with regard to response times or at least have a conversation within your organization about the culture and expectations for responses.

I have benefited from the wisdom and experiences of a number of thoughtful and innovative colleagues over the years. It is my hope in writing this that it provides a source of ideas and perhaps stimulates discussion for you and your organization. If you would like more information please don’t hesitate to contact me at harveywyoung@gmail.com.

How Smart is Your Phone?

Devices that we now call Smartphones have been around for more than ten years. These once bulky and heavy devices were designed to simplify our lives and help us to become untethered. Certainly in the beginning that is what they did. When combined with mobile email and mobile telephone service it was as though we were free to roam as far away from our desk and offices as our needs or desires would take us. This new found freedom would allow us to be in touch with the office while also being out and about. Smartphones opened up a world of possibilities that had never before been imagined by the knowledge worker.

Today Smartphones are ubiquitous. They are not just in the hands of busy corporate executives, but they are carried by soccer moms, college students and the very fortunate High School students that are lucky enough to have an iPhone or a BlackBerry. With such an explosion of these devices, one would believe that the masses have been finally released to fulfill their potential. Having been freed from their desk and offices, people could live their dreams, and perhaps achieve their highest priorities. Unfortunately, this is not how the story goes.

Smartphones have actually become invasive. Families have set up rules for when the devices may be used in the home; couples have worked through major misunderstandings when their BlackBerry has been closer than a lover. Traffic laws have been created to prevent drivers from typing while driving and rarely a day goes by that you don’t see someone walking the street while reading or texting on a device but not paying attention as they walk. There is little wonder that BlackBerry devices are also referred to as “CrackBerries”.

It seems that Smartphones are not living up to their intended purpose which was to free our lives. These devices were intended to help us to become more productive and to save us time. Today the average user is actually less productive as a result of falling victim to excessive multi-tasking and responding to the many distractions that the devices bring into their day. One could argue that our Smartphones are not making us any smarter, and perhaps are even making us dumber. We are not achieving our full potential with these devices and we are not maximizing the potential of these powerful tools as they were intended.

We must begin to see our Smartphones as productivity tools. These are modern versions of the paper datebook or planner. Those wonderful tools that were extremely popular in the 70s and 80s really did work effectively. As we have moved to a more electronic society we have moved away from paper seeing it as outdated and inefficient. Despite this many Smartphone users also use paper tools in a variety of ways many of which are redundant thereby further reducing their intended productivity. The solution in my opinion is to maximize the use of our electronic tools and use paper in a way that blends the best of both worlds. I often reflect on one of Stephen Covey’s quotes “Technology and tools are useful and powerful when they are your servant and not your master”. I have learned that too many of us are spending time serving our technology and tools rather than having those tools serve us. Most Smartphones today come with minimal instructions beyond how to set up the device to send and receive messages. The result of this limited information is that most people have minimal knowledge about how to effectively use their device. There is certainly a need for further instruction.

Smartphones today have the capacity to access useful tools beyond email. There are GPS functions, Instant Messaging capacity, web browsing, social networking, and RSS feeds to name just a few. Add to these advanced voice mail functionality and online access to your email, and the devices we carry around are really portals to a vast world of greater productivity. How do we learn to really use these devices? You could access any number of web pages which demonstrate the many tips and tricks available, but a more comprehensive solution seems to be missing.

Last year I began to wonder how I could use my BlackBerry Bold in a powerful and more productive way. I recognized that even though I considered myself a “techie” I was probably only using my BlackBerry in limited ways. I tinkered with what a few of my colleagues now refer to as the “Harvey System” which combines paper planning tools with my BlackBerry in a way that was not redundant. But even that seemed not to really address my needs as a mobile professional. As I observed others and began asking questions I found that most people were having similar experiences. This led to the development of a program that we now call Time Management for BlackBerry. This program uses FranklinCovey’s LiveClicks portal to teach BlackBerry users to use their BlackBerry as their primary tool for Time Management. The program is designed for those that own the BlackBerry Curve, Bold, 8900 Curve, Storm, and even the new BlackBerry Tour. The concepts are simple yet in less than two hours users learn how to maximize the functionality of their devices and build systems that can save up to two hours each day.

There is little question that Smartphones are an important part of everyday life. However, they tend to generate more distraction rather than lend themselves to increased productivity. In order to effectively harness the full power of your BlackBerry you must learn to combine proven concepts for effectively managing tasks, processing messages, and planning your weeks and days. It is a worthwhile investment of less than two hours of your time to learn to be more productive using your BlackBerry. For further information go to: http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/events/liveclicks

 

The Red Card

One of the great joys of my job is that I often have the opportunity to speak with leaders both one-on-one and sometimes in large groups.  A few weeks ago I was making a presentation on the subject of leadership to a group of leaders in Virginia.  The company I was working with that day is a science and applications company that does a great deal of work for the United States military.  The group I was meeting with had been identified as high potential future leaders of the organization.  I was their speaker for the final day of a one year program to develop their leadership skills.  The majority of the people in my audience had prior military experience and had graduated from some of the finest institutions in the country.  I was honored to have been chosen to present to this group on the last day of their program.

As I do most days I arrived early to set up for my presentation.  Typically this allows me about an hour to meet the participants as they arrive and to engage in small conversations.  I observed that this group was a bit older than typical groups of this type that I meet.  It is not uncommon in my business when someone says “High Potential” that is usually synonymous with “Young.”  This is was not exclusively the case with this group.  While there were some younger men and women in the audience, many were in their late 30’s and perhaps 40’s. 

One of the great things about working in the Leadership Practice with FranklinCovey is that I have instant credibility with most groups.  This is by no means due to my own work but rather to the great work that was done before by Dr. Stephen Covey.  As a Consultant, I have the privilege of presenting his work to groups around the world and that is truly an honor.  It is not at all uncommon to meet someone that is an admirer of Stephen’s work and often times just their admiration of him creates some connection with me.  When presenting to large groups this connection is most helpful.  On this day there were a couple of people that I met before my program began that held Stephen Covey in high regard.

Just prior to beginning the day I met a man named James Cole.  He mentioned to me that he had read several of the books written by Stephen and that he had been looking forward to the program.  James indicated that he had served in the Marine Corps and was now in his civilian work still working with Marines.  His job is that he trains Marines to recognize and reduce the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).  He said that he feels that he continues to serve our country by serving and working with Marines every day.  In our brief conversation we also talked about things like faith and family and I knew from that brief conversation that he was sincere and committed.

The program I presented to the group is a one-day overview of what we refer to as the Four Imperatives of Great Leaders.  I enjoy this work because the concepts really resonate with me at a deeper level.  The Four Imperatives are: Clarify Purpose, Align Systems, Unleash Talent, and Inspire Trust.  In this program I share one of my favorite quotes by Stephen Covey which is “Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.”  This quote for me sums up the overall responsibility of every leader at every level.  This is true whether you are leading a company, a family, or a squad of Marines in a combat zone.

At the end of my day as participants were heading out the door to attend a ceremony celebrating their completion of the program, James Cole stepped up to thank me for the day.  He indicated that he found the information that I presented both helpful and immediately useful.  I love to hear that from participants as it means that they view their time as having been well spent.  We shook hands and James turned to leave the room.  Seconds later he turned back and pulled out his wallet and said “I feel led to give you this.”  He handed to me a red card that had the words Honor, Courage, and Commitment on the front.  Each word had a definition for the actions a Marine should carry out to honor the words.  The words were written over the symbol of the United States Marine Corps.  The back of the card which was signed by James reflected eight things that Marines do.  When I looked at the card it appeared worn and in fact had a small crack near the middle.  James told me that he had been carrying that card for eleven years and that it was given to him when he was commissioned as an officer.  He had carried this card in Iraq during his tour of duty there and though when we met he was no longer serving on active duty he continued to carry that card as he said that he will always be a Marine.  Although he knew that I was not a Marine, James said that he felt that I should now have this card.

When James Cole handed the card to me I fought back tears.  As I write this and every time I tell this story I fight back tears.  I was then and continue to be overwhelmed by his gift.  To entrust me with something so personal means a great deal to me.  I immediately began to wonder how I could ever thank him for such a powerful gift.  It took some time but just this past week I realized what I could do to thank James Cole.

On a bookshelf in my office I had a copy of Stephen Covey’s book The 8^th Habit.  I had mentioned this book to James when we met and he indicated that he had not read it yet.  The copy on my bookshelf was signed by Stephen Covey and given to me by one of my work colleagues.  This copy is pristine, it is not at all like the copy I have previously read which is worn, marked up and highlighted.  But the fact that Stephen Covey had signed my copy made it valuable to me.  I realized that this might be valuable to James. 

On Friday I sent my signed copy of The 8^th Habit to James Cole.  I sent along a letter to thank him for his wonderful gift.  He won’t get the book before Monday but I believe that this book will be as valuable to him as it is to me.  Yet, I also recognize that my gift to James Cole really does pale in comparison to the gift that he has given to me. 

I have told the story of James Cole and his red card to friends, family members and to a number of the leaders that I have the privilege of working with.  I will continue to tell the story many times I am certain.  Yet, I write this story here because the card has been placed among pictures and certain important memories from my life.  Years from now it is possible that no one will know why the card is there.  I write this to make sure that someone perhaps in the future my own sons, will recognize both the significance of this gift, but also that someone will remember that the greatest gifts that we give to others are not always fancy cards, or expensive presents.  The greatest gifts we can give are the gifts that reflect our sacrifices, our commitment, and our sincerity.  That is the gift that James Cole gave to me on April 23^rd, 2009.

 

Energy Transference

A very good friend of mine is in Pittsburgh this weekend to run in the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Because he is someone I care about I committed to stand at a location in the race just to cheer him on.  My home is located right along the race route so I was able to tell him precisely where I would be standing.  My house is one block away from the six mile marker.  As I waited for Howard to run past my location I saw a number of faces that I knew well and others that I merely recognized.  As either they saw me or I saw them I shouted out encouragement and usually they shouted back.  I saw Tom Hardiman, the father of my son’s classmate as he ran by participating in a relay race, I saw Shannah Tharp-Taylor as she participated as a walker in the half-marathon, and I saw a local newscaster that I recognized but could not quite place (turned out it was Andy Sheehan).  There were lots of faces in the crowd.  Finally, I saw Howard.  He was dressed in black, and had his ever present smile.

As I saw Howard approaching I was impressed with how fit and strong he looked.  Certainly not the image of a gaunt runner but rather the image of a man that is taking excellent care of his body, but if you knew Howard you would also know that he is taking care of his mind and spirit as well.  As he passed by me I felt emotion welling up in me as I thought about the effort he was putting forth today.  I thought of the physical commitment to run the 26 miles, and the mental commitment to complete the race fighting off fatigue and all sorts of emotions.  This is not Howard’s first Marathon, but it is his first in Pittsburgh.  I can only wonder what he must feel as he runs through the streets in the area near where he grew up. 

As Howard passed me he raised his hand in a high five.  I raised mine and we slapped as hard as we could.  That is when I felt it.  When I touched Howard’s hand there was an energy transference that was instantaneous.  I felt in that moment his strength and my intention was to pass along mine.  I don’t think he needed it.  He seemed to posses all the power necessary to complete his race.  I know this because Howard is a runner and like runners do, he was running. 

Runners run.  This inspired me to remember that writers write, teachers teach, coaches coach, and leaders lead.  The point is that what you are should be reflected in what you do.  When we do what we do best we experience energy and that energy is transferable.  Right now as I write this Howard is still running.  He is approaching the 14.7 mile mark.  I am almost finished writing, but I will always remember that moment when we slapped our hands together.  It will be one of my favorite memories and I am certain it will be the precursor to a great day for Howard and his family.  Run Howard because that is what runners do.