[Gary] Peeples Helping People, LLC

5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Be More Productive

Re-write your to-do list with easier steps. If your project is to launch a website [for example], don’t write “launch website”. It’s vague and it won’t be meaningful to you later. And the “bigness” of an item like that will deter you from taking the first step. Instead, write the literal first step as the to-do. I.e. “write outline” or “make a list of 5 sites to benchmark”.

Stop responding immediately. Give it 5 minutes or more if you can. You need to give yourself time to digest the information and think it through from multiple angles. Not always is your first thought the best reaction. Give it time—this investment of time into your response will save time later.

Keep emails to 5 sentences or less. If you have more then 5 sentences to say, it probably needs to be a phone call—which will save you hours of time vs. sending and receiving emails over time. Either that, or the information should be put in a document and attached. This will allow you to be as detailed as you need to be, without trying to self-edit it into an email that you know they aren’t going to read anyway.

Close your email after you check it.  Don’t work in your inbox all day—It’s not your job. Nowhere in your job description does it say send and receive email. If it does please send it to me, that’s hilarious. I’m not saying don’t check it, I’m saying check it, close it, and do work. Then come back to it. It’s okay to tell someone, “I haven’t read it yet. I’ve been focused on xyz.” You sound productive.

Take a break every 90 minutes. It’s generally agreed upon that we begin to lose attention and ability to perform beyond 90 minutes. Google it. I wouldn’t say schedule 15-minute breaks every 90 minutes; no one needs to be that rigid. But I would say: each time you find yourself head-down in work that could take hours, try to grab a break every 90 minutes. Clear your head and come back to it.

I’m always interested to learn new ways of thinking about productivity. If you have any thoughts, please share them in the comments!

Don't Be A Self-Handicapper

The "Self-Handicapper":

He who willingly sacrifices a probable moderate outcome [i.e. being perceived as "good" at something] for a chance at a much more positive outcome (i.e. having exceptional potential].

The Self-Handicapper is that person who seems to always highlight some uncontrollable variable that might make it possible for the outcome to be perceived as "not their fault".

If successful—they are incredible for overcoming the situation. If unsuccessful—it wasn't their fault.

The problem is—Mr. Self-Handicapper—we all see right through it.

Own it and go for it.

adapted from "How We Know What Isn't So" by Thomas Gilovich

Who else wants a raise? Here's how:

1. Don't ask for a raise.

2. Make a list of your given responsibilities [those given to you by your company].

3. Decide today to start kicking those responsibilities asses; commence ass-kicking.

4. Make a list of your personal career goals. Where do you want to be next year? 3 years? 5 years? What are you focused on at those times?

5. Make a list of your current company's goals. What is important to them? At what are they trying to be the best? 

6. Make a list of focus areas [that align with #5]; this list could be: (a) things that no one is currently focused on that could achieve company goals or (b) [if most reasonable things are focused on] look at how they are being approached, and list new ways to approach. 

7. Begin to spend some time learning, creating strategies, and focusing on one or more of these things. 

8. Start working harder, period. Get out of your comfort zone. Nothing hard was ever easy.

9. Do the things no one else wants to do.

10. Find something to be the go-to person for; be "the expert".

11. Start networking outside of your company. Build relationships in your field and your general areas of interest.

12. Bring outside resources into your company: for meetings & presentations. Many agencies and consultants would love to present capabilities for free.

13. Continue to focus on being productive and producing meaningful results for you and your company.

There you go. It's not that complicated: be the best you, that you can be. That's all you can do. 

Notice $ was never really a part of this post. I didn't close with "now ask for money". That is because, if you do those things, and be the best you, that you can be, the money will find you. 

"But I did all those things and my company doesn't care!"

Networking will naturally solve this problem. Maybe when you find something new, and your company realizes it can't let you go, you will get what you wish for. If not, you just simply found something new.

Also, if they don't care about hard-working, productive employees, then it's time to go anyway.

Maybe it comes in the form of a promotion, maybe in the form of new opportunity outside of the company, maybe in the form of a raise. Who knows. I assure you though, irreplaceability [made up word] is pretty valuable to any company, and hard-working productive employees are attractive candidates. And that is what I'm suggesting here. 

The Org Chart: Why You're Doing It Wrong

The Traditional Org Chart

You know the org chart: Owner/CEO at the top, C-suite in the next row, Leaders in the next, then Managers, then Employees, and so on. Everybody working to please the one above them.

Most people would agree that "the Employees" are the most important part of the company, right? They make it go; they interact with the customers and users; they are on the "front lines".

What's interesting is:

The employees — on the front lines — are at the bottom of most traditional org charts.

Now, when you ask most business owners: "What is TRULY the most important person to any business or service?" — they would say the Customer, right? Usually.

So take the same org chart concept from above; where you would put the Customer?

It would stand to reason that you would place them below the Employees. After all, they have the daily interaction; the CEO certainly doesn't interact directly with the Customers. Usually.

So, that's even more interesting:

The customer is metaphorically at the very bottom of the company food chain.

But what if you flipped the whole thing upside-down?

The Upside-Down Org Chart

What if you put the Customer at the top, the CEO at the bottom, and created a new "top-down" hierarchy of importance?

Something like:

The Upside-Down Org Chart

1. Customers

2. People that interact with Customers

3. Managers of people that interact with Customers

4. Managers of Managers

5. Leaders of Managers

6. Owners & Leaders of Leaders

In this case, the Customer is who everyone reports to. And now, Employees work for Customers, Managers work for Employees, Leaders work for Managers, and so on until you get to the Owner, who is now working for everyone.

So, maybe we've been doing the org chart wrong all-along; and it has been misleading the idea of what's important and who you are working for.

Imagine an organization where everyone is working to please the person above them — but it's an upside-down org chart. Could be interesting.

What do you think?

This is why "follow your passion and you'll find happiness" is a fairy tale

Career advice has fallen into a terribly simplistic rut. 

Figure out what you’re passionate about, then follow that passion; 

this idea provides the foundation for just about every guide to improving your working life.

- Cal Newport, Study Hacks

How many times have you heard that in your life and career? I know I've heard in like a trillion. I've believed it at times and I've also challenged as well [in my own head].

Hmmm?? Follow your passions or just be passionate about what you do? It's like chicken and the egg to me.

What I like about the writing of Cal Newport is that it challenges conventional thinking. 

Among other things, Cal has basically argued: while following your passion may be an approach, it may not be the best approach, and certainly isn't the only approach to cultivating an enjoyable work and personal life.

If you want to dive into specifics of that argument, I suggest you read his thoughts and arguments in: Beyond Passion: The Science Of Loving What You Do and The Zen Valedictorian.

For this post, I am focused the beginnings of Cal's deductive conclusions; which he's made into a list of propositions for a career craftsman to follow. He has titled it "A Career Manifesto".

If you are like me, and you believe that we all have the ability to change what we do not like, and create what we wish to see happen, then I think you will like this too. 

A Career Manifesto by Cal Newport Original Post

The Career Craftsman rejects [the concept from above: "following your passion" provides the foundation for improving your working life].

The Career Craftsman understands that “follow your passion and all will be happy” is a children’s tale. Most people don’t have pre-existing passions waiting to be unearthed. Happiness requires more than solving a simple matching problem.

The Career Craftsman knows there’s no magical “right job” waiting out there for you. Any number of pursuits can provide the foundation for an engaging life.

The Career Craftsman believes that compelling careers are not courageously pursued or serendipitously discovered, but are instead systematically crafted.

The Career Craftsman believes this process of career crafting always begins with the mastery of something rare and valuable. The traits that define great work (autonomy, creativity, impact, recognition) are rare and valuable themselves, and you need something to offer in return. Put another way: no one owes you a fulfilling job; you have to earn it.

The Career Craftsman believes that mastery is just the first step in crafting work you love. Once you have the leverage of a rare and valuable skill, you need to apply this leverage strategically to make your working life increasingly fulfulling. It is then — and only then — that you should expect a feeling of passion for your work to truly take hold.

The Career Craftsman thinks the idea that “societal expectations” are trying to hold you down in a safe but boring career path is a boogeyman invented to sell eBooks. You don’t need courage to create a cool life. You need the type of valuable skills that let you write your own ticket.

The Career Craftsman never expects to love an entry level job (or to stay in that job long before moving up).

The Career Craftsman thinks “is this my calling?” is a stupid question.

The Career Craftsman is data-driven. Admire someone’s career? Work out exactly how they made it happen. The answers you’ll find will be less romantic but more actionable than you might expect.

The Career Craftsman believes the color of your parachute is irrelevant if you take the time to get good at flying the damn plane in the first place.

I merely stumbled on to this, but I'm curious to know what you all think? Comment with feedback!

Killer idea to manage time spent with email

Came across this today: http://five.sentenc.es/

Basically, the suggestion is:

Create a personal policy to limit all emails to 5 sentences or less.

Makes sense to me for a number of reasons:

1. If it can't be said if 5 sentences, the point may not be clear enough. 

2. If it can't be said in 5 sentences, you probably lost the reader before they got to your point.

3. If you want a quick response, 5 sentences isn't too overwhelming to quicklyl look at and react to [vs. a few paragraphs].

4. Rarely can you ask multiple questions within 5 sentences, so it limits what you are asking for, which again should get you to a quicker response.

5. Stuck to, this rule could help you manage your time spent with email. 

The site even has a disclaimer you can put at the bottom of the email so people know why you limit responses to 5 sentences!

Oh, and what if you have more to say then 5 sentences? Call them. Schedule a meeting. Write it up in a document and send it. Post it online then link to it.

Get to your point in 5 and leave them wanting more. 

Outbound marketing vs. inbound; how balanced are you? [Infographic]

Outbound vs. Inbound

Outbound marketing is the "traditional" effort: cast a wide net [trade shows, cold calls, emails] and if you go big enough, you'll hit the few needles in the haystacks. Most of these people are trying to ignore you.

Inbound marketing is a focused effort: drill down to the people who are looking for you [searching, learning, raising their hands]. All of these people are looking for your help.

I would never advocate that there is a magic mix [i.e. 50/50 or 70/30] but I can say, put as much of your budget as you can into inbound because:

1. There is less noise and distractions in the search and learn channels

2. It's easier then ever to research and learn so more people do it

 

Transform Your Marketing

Here is a great presentation I found on Hubspot:

Transform Your Marketing

View more presentations from HubSpot Internet Marketing

 

Where Is Inbound Marketing Headed? [Infographic]

And here is a fantastic infographic on spend, also from hubspot. But first, check out this quote from poster Jeanne Hopkins:

[Businesses employing inbound marketing techniques are] experiencing business benefits that include a 62% lower cost-per-lead average from inbound marketing compared to traditional outbound marketing.

Where Is Inbound Marketing Headed? [Infographic]

 

 

The easy way to get them to choose YOU

What if people were interested in DVR'ing commercials? 

Or what if they googled their favorite ads every morning? 

Or signed up for advertising email lists from brands [specifically to be sent commercials, banners, sales pitches]?

Crazy thought. [But not so crazy if you are a marketer or advertiser. We are nerds.]

But the funny thing is, that is exactly what good content marketing leads people to do. 

Good, informative, relavent content will have people looking for — and engaging with — you everyday.

Bookmarking your page;

following your twitter;

linking-in;

subscribing to your blog and email.

It may seem counterintuitive: give your good stuff away for free — but look, it's 2011. And it's the easy way to get them to choose you.

It's like this:

the people that are perfect for your product or service are out there;

they want to buy your product or service;

at some point they are likely going to buy it from someone;

who do you think they would rather buy from:

(1) someone they've received good relevant information from, over a period of time

(2) or someone random. 

I know who I would choose. #brandloyalty

The #1 biggest secret of success

Simplification.

A successful leader is one who — among other things — can take a complex problem and simplify it down to actionable steps that lead toward the solution.

It's a clarity thing.

Simply put, simple: 

takes less time;

allows you to focus on the purpose;

is less expensive;

is motivating;

is clear;

eliminates excuses.

And there are many ways to simplify — and I'm going to give you a few of them — but first let me simplify—even that—further.

Here's the Real Secret:

THE KEY TO SIMPLICITY IS FOCUS.

When something feels complicated, it's typically because you are focused on the wrong thing.

Think about that for a minute.

You feel like you have too much to do —  but you were on email for 3 hours.

The project feels like it's falling apart — but you probably let it get to far away from the goals.

You can't get everyone to agree — but everyone is arguing different points.

You have to sometimes take a step back — get out of the weeds  — and re-focus. When you re-focus, you simplify the situation back down to the main priorities.

That said, here are some age-old ways of simplifying:

1. Start early

2. Set time limits

3. Use lists

4. Shorten communication

5. Only meet if you have to

6. Clean up the clutter

7. Take a break every 90 minutes

8. Automate as much as possible

9. Do "it" now [get it over with]

Some might work for you, some might not — you'll have to try and see.

Good luck and hopefully this post wasn't too complicated. Wakka wakka wakka.

13 business fundamentals every leader should focus on

There are some basic fundamentals that every business owner or operator should keep a pulse on. 

And it amazes me how many businesses fail to focus on those fundamentals.

Now I know it could be for any number of reasons [one man show, focus on distribution growth], but it’s like getting Randy Jackson’s autograph on a samurai sword:

If a samurai sword is all you have, you’re not gonna NOT get Randy Jackson’s autograph [Step Brothers reference].

Point is: NOMATTERWHAT, you can’t NOT focus on these things, unless your goal is to fail.

So here is a list of 13 fundamentals. This isn’t all of them; they aren’t in perfect priority order; and some may disagree.

I can tell you though, as an owner operator, if you are focusing on any of these things at any given time, you’re headed in the right direction.

1. Setting goals

2. Defining and targeting the appropriate audience

3. Maximizing search, social, and content marketing [and integrating]

4. Collecting data that matters

5. Measuring efforts

6. Making decisions and taking action on results

7. Studying the P&L for opportunities to optimize

8. Stopping things that aren’t working

9. Testing new opportunities

10. Listening to customers and employees

11. Focusing on customer service

12. Focusing on employee engagement and morale

13. Setting new goals

I was going to link out to different posts on each of these, but I'm having a hard time finding ones I like, so I'll try to write my own posts for each of these over the coming days.

In the mean time, if any of you know of good posts on the above topics, please tweet them to me [@garyawesome].