Commitment Time! (Taking the big leap)

It's official - I've given my two week notice and I'm quitting my research programming job to put full effort into my workflow coaching practice. Joining the ranks of the self-employed is exciting and frightening, and I'm sure it'll increase my rate of lessons learned per day (see Some thoughts from tracking "lessons learned" for a year).

After hearing the news, a friend asked me why in the world I'd risk leaving a stable job - with great people, fine pay, retirement, health insurance, etc. - for something with no guarantees, especially as I'm a parent and husband. The best answer I came up with: I want to know how the story's going to end, and I can't do that without a major commitment.

I like how Timothy Butler puts it in Is Your Job Your Calling:

Everyone tries to do something that seems like the wise thing to do-but that you shouldn't do: compromise [emphasis added]. You've got two competing needs or desires-say, independence and security-and you try to find the position that's halfway between them. Typically that doesn't work.

In my case, it's simply that I'm driven to do this - I feel I have no choice. I want to help people feel better about their work and lives, and to do their important work and living with minimal stress and maximum creativity, intelligence, and authenticity. I've seen the results in myself and my clients, and I'm a believer.

In the future I'll be continuing to build my practice, stretching into marketing, sales, and networking, as well as continued professional development by reading, taking classes, and experimenting. And of course doing all this and still enjoying the ride.

Specifically, I'll be focusing on medium and large organizations in the Northeast, mostly New England, but I'll be doing some flying as well. Wish me luck! (Naturally, if you know someone who could use my help, I'd appreciate your referral.)


Let me leave you with a longish but wonderful passage from Fred Gratzon's article The Secret to Attracting Resources:

Basically, a business sprouts out of some playing or fiddling with an idea. Initially you are driven by your curiosity, or your interest, or your passion, or your natural talent. As you are playing around, you find that the process makes you happy. That is a wonderful early indication that you are on the right track. You're having fun and that leads to more knowledge, sophistication, and skill. That increase in expertise in turn increases the fun. And so it goes, higher and higher.

Eventually you come to a point in this merry journey when you get a glimpse into the future. At that time you get a clear idea of what it will take to be a roaring success in your particular undertaking. In other words, you see what is required to take your current fun and games to a higher, more productive level.

You have now come to an important moment. Here you begin to appreciate that to progress any further, you are going to have make a substantial leap, and that leap is embodied in one word - commitment. You realize that for your project to be truly successful, you are going to have to make an increased commitment in time and/or money.

It can be scary vision. There is overwhelming risk and there are no guarantees. Most people back off at this point. They think of how much money they could lose, or how awful failure would feel, or how much time could be wasted, or how embarrassing falling on their faces could be.

However, those who are exhilarated by the process, or are driven by their passion, or are so desperate that they have no other choice, take that leap.

If you take the leap by making the commitment, here is where the magic begins. That commitment turns out to be Mother Nature's price of admission. Once you make that commitment, Nature rushes in and miraculously supplies you with the resources to take your endeavor to the next level.

Thanks, Fred!

My Collective Genius! article is up, FYI

Curt Rosengren over at Collective Genius! has invited me to contribute an article on comfort zones, and my Stretch Marks! post is up. I hope you enjoy it.

Some thoughts from tracking "lessons learned" for a year

Around this time last year I started keeping a log of "lessons learned," after reading Curt Rosengren's fantastic essay The genius of mistakes. I did this because I knew I'd be making a ton of mistakes in switching careers to workflow coaching from programming, and I wanted to a) acknowledge them in a positive way, and b) learn from them.

Here's the basic idea: Rosengren calls it a mistake genius journal and describes it this way:

Next time you make a mistake, don't beat yourself up for it. Celebrate the genius of your mistakes, and be thankful for the insight you've just been given. Learn from them and ask yourself, "How can I apply what I've just learned?"

You might even try keeping a mistake genius journal. Not a place for you to berate yourself for how many mistakes you make, but a place for you to actively learn from what has happened. Explore the mistake, explore what insights you've gained as a result, and summarize those insights into key points.

This will do two things. First, it will crystallize your learning so you can easily draw from it in the future, and second, it will start developing a habit of looking for the positive side of your mistakes, rather than beating yourself up about them.

I've been tracking these as entries in my Big-Arse Text File, and include the event, plus any ideas for the future (ways to avoid, what I learned, etc.)

The result? As of today I have over 120 entries, which means on average I noticed something useful every three days (!) I have to admit, looking at mistakes as learning opportunities, and tracking them, has changed the dynamic for me, in many cases taking the emotional "oomph" out of them (I used to be pretty hard on myself about them).

Not that they're all screw ups - some of them are surprises as a result of experimentation. (For example, I'm now handing out door prizes at the end of workshops. I thought doing so might be a bit silly, but it helps me make some points, and my participants enjoy it. Plus, it's a fun way to finish strong.)

Below I'll include some example lessons learned, plus references on making mistakes. Overall, I recommend the technique.

How about you - Do you track your mistakes? How do you learn from them? Do you have any good ones you'd like to share?


Example lessons learned

• Fees: When meeting with a prospect, as what her budget is up front. Otherwise you might find out you're in different ballparks. Better to get it out in the open - while still following the principles of Value-based Fees, of course.
  
• Forgetting names: If you don't recognize a person's name when she calls, don't pretend to know her. Either apologize, ask, then move on, or ask if it's OK to call back in a few minutes, look her up, and start from there.
  
• Communication: Be clear in your communication, including whether you want to have a relationship, how long you can talk on the phone, etc. If you aren't interested something, kindly but clearly say "no thank you." This is much better than leaving it for later because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings. This also means replying to an email to say no, rather than not replying at all (see What's your maximum response time?). You might be surprised how understanding (and grateful) people are.
  
• Presentations: After answering a participant's question, instead of asking "Does that make sense?" (my habit) ask "Does that answer your question?" Much clearer!
  
• Networking: Relationships take time - Maintain them regularly and be patient. (I have an acquaintance who I talked to early, and then went on to host a radio program. It would have been better for both of us if I'd have had more regular contact over time. As it was, I reached out after the announcement, with no reply from her. Then again, it might have been something else entirely!)
  
• Planning: Prepare sooner! I tend to put off preparation, and have to hustle at the last minute (with the attendant stress). Instead, take some time to plan out the major pieces, how long each will take, and put some milestones in your hard landscape.
  
• Dialog: Be careful when you're excited about something - It can be natural to come on too strong without knowing it. Much better to ask questions, listen, and determine the other person's interests and passion. Then, if there's a connection, go with it. This notion sometimes helps me:

  We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. -- Epictetus

• Humor: Being funny can be entertaining, but be careful - don't make fun of an individual whom you don't know well, and don't joke about elected leaders.
  
• Networking: Treat every interaction as an opportunity to get to know the person - don't be "all business." Remember, people are most interesting when they're talking about something they're passionate about. Be a detective and ask questions to discover what their "thing" is.
  
• Networking/interviewing: Do your research. There's no excuse for coming into an interaction not knowing a lot about the other person, her company, etc. However, don't make it sound like you're a PI either!

Words of wisdom on mistakes

The main point is that it's scary making mistakes, but they're inevitable when you're starting something new. Try to tap in to that sense of openness and excitement that kids have, and remember: You can't hire someone else to make your mistakes for you. You can (and should) read to learn from others, but there's no substitute for getting in there and doing it.

That said, maybe the following will help...

• Quotes: There are many great quotes about mistakes; one of my favorites is:

  If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. --John Wooden

• "Maxim 10: Make mistakes, please" - from Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson has a bunch of great thoughts about mistakes, including creating value from what live hands you (i.e., making it a meaningful mistake, not a failure):
  • What can I learn from this experience?
    
  • How can i use this experience to positive advantage?
    
  • How can I learn to better myself as a result of this experience?
  
  
• Rosengren has this great follow-up: How to learn from your mistakes
  
• Ryan Ambrose has a nice post on thinking about failure: Overcoming Failure: It's What You Do Next That Matters
  
• Stephanie Winston, in her book Organized for Success: Top Executives and CEOs Reveal the Organizing Principles That Helped Them Reach the Top, says correction (not perfection) is what to focus on: "Almost any mistake can be corrected. Better to make the decision than always be right."
  
• Finally, from What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School by Mark H. McCormack talks about the importance of not being afraid to take chances and make mistakes. Yes, "I was wrong" must enter your vocabulary, but consider this:

  The people who are least secure about their abilities have the hardest time admitting their mistakes. They fail to realize that making a mistake - and admitting it - owning up to it - are two totally separate acts. It is not the mistake itself but how a mistake is handled that forms the lasting impression.

Cheers!

GTD and Faculty Productivity: Notes from a small pilot project

One area that's always been interesting to me is self improvement (the focus of this blog), and especially education. Thus, one focus of my personal productivity practice is academia (there's a reason I sometimes call it WorkFlow 101). Following is a brief report on a project in this area that's just finished up.


Overview

I recently completed a small pilot funded by the office of new faculty development at a large university. I approached the director to see if there was interest, and to figure out a way to test the effectiveness of the Getting Things Done methodology for new faculty. We came up with an informal program in which I would work with three self-selected early faculty members, coach them in the method, and hopefully give the director enough information to decide if the results merited a larger follow-on effort.

(Background: It was my opinion, going in, that there is direct and complete transferability of the concepts to the type of work new faculty perform, but my approach was to do the best coaching I could and let the results speak for themselves. The results were definitely satisfying - read on.)

The faculty were professors from three very different departments - Nursing, Japanese, and Communication Disorders - and each had different styles in how they managed themselves at their work. One thing they all shared, however, were the common challenges facing new faculty, who essentially act as entrepreneurs. For example, they have to:

• Obtain grants for research,
  
• Plan and perform original research,
  
• Advise and guide students,
  
• Teach classes (prep, grading, etc),
  
• Provide service to the community, etc.
  
• all the while working to get tenure (there's a reason it's called the "tenure track")

In this application (and in general), my perspective is that self-management is crucial, but never taught. (I believe this is true of nearly all professions.) As Robert Boice puts it in The New Faculty Member: Supporting and Fostering Professional Development:

... much critical information about professorial success is tacit knowledge ... usually untaught but critical to thriving ... We are apparently unaccustomed to studying or teaching the practical intelligence that contributes to success and happiness in academic careers.

Process

I started by providing an introductory course to my three clients that covered the pilot's goals, format, and timing, then gave them an introduction to the concepts (about an hour of content). After that I worked one-on-one with each professor at her desk, taking her through my two day intensive. Finally, I supported them over four weeks with visits, phone calls, and email, until they were each happy with their level of implementation and understanding.

(Note: Along the way I developed some nice materials, including an academic-specific trigger list, and a small booklet of notes summarizing the ideas, and provide details. The latter is now what I give out to my workshop participants.)


Results and future

The participants' experiences were very positive (one of my favorite quotes: "Do you know how much psychic time that saved!?"), enough to convince the director to consider an expanded version (great news!) Some of the recommendations that came from this work:

• Timing: The participants suggested starting at the end of the faculty member’s first year, but not right away (i.e., don’t offer in the first year). Also, they felt strongly that participants start before the semester begins. (I've seen this elsewhere: Adopting this work is challenging enough in the "normal" operational intensity.)
  
• Thoroughness: While it's less expensive to offer workshops, my experience is that many people need some amount of desk-side coaching to make the ideas real. But budgets are tight, so I recommended a combination of 3-6 group sessions (a minimum of one hour each), followed by individualized workflow coaching (a minimum of four hours each).
  
• The stigma of asking for help: In my coaching I'm careful to not judge people on their current self-management practices, or the state of clutter in their offices. The truth is we're simply not taught effective tools for personal productivity (something I'm out to change). Thus I recommended using care in promoting follow-on efforts, and focusing on the proactive nature of the work.
  
• Finally, because faculty often work at multiple offices (esp. home and campus), I recommended we support the possibility of one-on-one coaching at both locations. It's hard to keep everything out of your head when only half your life's been captured and clarified...
  

Beyond the pilot, my larger goal is to build a community of practice around self-management. To that end, I recommended the university create a means for new practitioners to interact with more experienced ones, either in person or electronically (e.g., discussion groups, newsletters, etc.)

More on this as it develops!


Related

• Google's The Efficient Academic group
  
• Pascal Venier's blog
  
• Mary McKinney's Successful Academic site and blog
  
• Tara Gray's site
  

Best practices for GTD and administrative assistants

I'm working with the director of a major engineering research center next week (one of my services is one-on-one desk-side workflow coaching), and I wanted to share some of the best practices that I've collected that executives might consider in working with their assistants (AKA support staff, administrative assistants, secretaries, etc.) Note: Today I won't be covering delegation best practices - more on that at a later date.

Following are those best practices I've come across, grouped by workflow phase (see Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity for details). It's a bit rough, but see what you think!

Collecting

• AA answers phone, takes messages. exec gives personal # out to those requiring direct access. NB: 'phone logs' not recommended
• similarly, AA might process email. controversy: possibly better for exec to see all emails herself (only she knows importance)
• exec has an OUT box on desk that is AA's IN box (AA checks regularly during day)
• AA and exec communicate using inboxes (helps reduce interruptions - for non-urgent items)
• exec dictates notes, AA transcribes
• use secretary to filter reading material (should know preferences)
• when exec's away: AA sorts mail into three priorities. look at in first hour after getting back

Processing

• some or all by AA. can range from sorting (trash, routine replies) up to higher responsibilities
• controversy: some argue the exec should do own processing
• process your collecting points jointly with your AA - will teach him how you work, opportunity to delegate efficiently. exec talks out loud, and *do* each item (don't just sort)

Organizing

• calendar
  • can range from AA schedules exec's time to exec does own
  • AA can manage exec by blocking out time for workflow phases, keep exec "on task"
  • controversy: mixing can lead to confusion; better to have all scheduling done by one or the other
  • meetings: ranges from AA booking and confirming attendees, to pulling files, creating agenda, attending for boss
• actions: use @agenda context for non-urgent work (helps maintain focus by reducing interruptions)
• filing
  • exec has own A-Z. ensure AA knows filing scheme.
  • controversy: all filing done through AA, but can slow down exec access to files and waste AA time
  • for CYA filing: cc to AA, who batches and does weekly (say)
  • contacts: AA enters, updates, culls. use mutually-agreed upon keywords for later searches

Reviewing

• joint daily review: at day's start: clarify the priorities, minimize interruptions/switches later. at the day's end, have another 5-10 minute wrap-up session to cover any questions that came up, and to plan tomorrow
• joint weekly review
• use @agenda and @waiting for
• make sure to go over calendars

Doing

• can directly assign AA actions or projects, depending on relationship
• use email to delegate as much as possible (use EOM - see Write a great Subject line)
• contacts: AA manages them, ranging from sending birthday/anniversary cards to sending articles of interest
• AA anticipates and prepares material for trips, meetings, and projects
• travel: AA creates checklists for each location, sets up travel support files

Final points

• Grab-and-Go Strategy #25 (from Morgenstern): "Create a clear division of labor - specify who is responsible for what."
• get AA up-to-speed on own process, e.g., GTD. Might use a simplified system, since the AA's project *is* the exec. for example, create file folders for mail passing: urgent, to do, to approve, to sign, to read, to file, to toss.
• give the AA some interrupt-free, private time blocks - have someone else cover the phones
• let others know your AA is your surrogate
• keep each other informed - where you're going, when you'll be back, etc.
• don't interrupt AAs unless urgent
• if giving too much to AA, prioritize it

Overall: Every relationship is unique, so get together, ask each other what works, e.g., (from Allen):

• What are we doing that really works?
• What are we doing that doesn’t work as well as it could?
• How could we improve that?
• What are we doing that we don’t need to be doing at all?

As always, comments and contributions are welcome!

Resources

• Best practices for working with an administrative assistant? (davidco forums)
• Effectively utilizing an administrative assistant (davidco forums)
• Sharing GTD with Team (davidco forums)
• Assistant - Making the best use of them by David Allen
• Never Check E-Mail In the Morning, And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work by Julie Morgenstern
• Training an executive team by Marian Bateman
• 6 Ways to Better Use Your Administrative Assistant by Bert Webb
• Organize Your Office! Simple Routines for Managing Your Workspace by Ronni Eisenberg with Kate Kelly
• The Organized Executive: A Program for Productivity: New Ways to Manage Time, Paper, People, and the Electronic Office by Stephanie Winston
• The Personal Efficiency Program: How to Get Organized to Do More Work in Less Time by Kerry Gleeson
• Organized for Success : Top Executives and CEOs Reveal the Organizing Principles That Helped Them Reach the Top by Stephanie Winston
• Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, and Technology by Jan Jasper