by Guest Blogger | Oct 3, 2023 | General Productivity, Team Productivity
In the fast-paced world of business, efficiency is the name of the game. With competition getting tougher by the day, it’s crucial to optimize workflows to ensure your business runs seamlessly. The secret to this lies in a blend of intelligent automation, effective project management, team collaboration, and customer insight. By strategically employing these elements, businesses can not only survive but thrive in their respective industries, setting the stage for sustainable growth and success.
In today’s post, we’ll dive into some proven methods for streamlining workflow for more efficiency and productivity.
Assess Your Current Workflow Processes
The first step to enhancing productivity is understanding your current workflow. Analyze each process, identify bottlenecks, and determine areas where improvements can be made. This comprehensive review should not be a one-time event but rather an ongoing practice, as continuous improvement is the key to maintaining optimal performance levels. To get started, consider working with Life Made Simple. We’ll perform a productivity audit to help determine areas for improvement and help you develop a plan to reach your goals.
Harness the Power of Project Management
In the realm of business operations, project management plays a pivotal role in maintaining streamlined workflow processes. It acts as the backbone that holds together various elements, ensuring tasks are completed within set timelines and budgets. Effective project management fosters improved communication, facilitates resource allocation, and promotes risk mitigation, ultimately driving productivity and efficiency.
Regularly Seek Team Feedback
Your team is on the frontline of your operations, and their feedback is invaluable. Encourage open communication and regularly seek their input on how processes can be improved. This will not only enhance workflows but also foster a culture of continuous improvement and shared responsibility.
Embrace Automation Tools
Automation is the future of business efficiency. Intelligent automation tools, including automation success platforms, can streamline tasks, reducing the chance of human error and freeing up your team’s time for more strategic work. These platforms are designed to manage and assist in automating a wide range of processes, from data entry to customer service. By leveraging an automation success platform, businesses can drive their productivity to new heights, demonstrating the transformative power of automation in the modern workplace.
Streamline the Onboarding Process
A well-structured onboarding process can significantly improve a new employee’s productivity. By providing clear instructions, training resources, and a detailed overview of their responsibilities, you can help them hit the ground running. Moreover, integrating them into your workflows from day one ensures they’re contributing to your business’s efficiency as soon as possible.
Implement a Customer Data Platform
Understanding your customers is vital to business success. A Customer Data Platform (CDP) can provide deep insights into customer behavior, helping you tailor your products, services, and marketing strategies accordingly. As such, it’s important to explore solutions for a customer data platform that best fits your business needs. The right CDP not only boosts sales but also enhances customer satisfaction, fostering loyalty and repeat business. By leveraging a well-suited CDP, you’re investing in a tool that can significantly influence your business’s growth trajectory.
Eliminate Throwaway Meetings
Meetings can be a significant drain on productivity if not managed correctly, not to mention they’re not cost effective. Consider whether each meeting is necessary and what can be achieved via email or collaborative software. By eliminating unnecessary meetings, you free up time for your team to focus on their core responsibilities, enhancing overall productivity.
In today’s competitive business landscape, optimizing workflows is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. By reviewing your processes, using a project management app, automating tasks, investing in a CDP, and eliminating unnecessary meetings, you can boost your business’s efficiency and effectiveness. Remember, the journey toward optimized workflows is a continuous one, requiring regular reviews and adjustments. But with the right approach and tools, you can turn this journey into a smooth ride toward success.
Written by Robert Schmitt of enneathinggoes.com.
by Lori Vande Krol | Feb 23, 2023 | General Productivity, Time Management, Tools
Do you like to listen to podcasts or audio books when you travel? Are you an audio learner and would rather listen to a book than read it? I often get requests from clients for recommendations of what to listen to related to productivity and time management. While I have a handful of these I typically recommend, I decided to reach out to my colleagues, fellow Productivity Consultants and Coaches, to see what they enjoy listening to and recommend to others.
The following list, available as a download, provides links to 18 podcasts and 10 audiobook recommendations. All relate to areas of productivity in work and life such as time management, habits, leadership principles, business growth, efficiency, focus, prioritization, and more. Some you may have heard of but I think others will surprise you.
Let us know if we are missing any of your favorites!
by Lori Vande Krol | Feb 6, 2023 | General Productivity, Goals and Priorities, Habits, Planning, Time Management
Julie reached out because she had reached a point of extreme frustration and overwhelm. She felt she was constantly trying to catch up, never finding time for her “important but nonurgent” tasks and projects, always worried about what she might be missing, and therefore not truly enjoying her work or personal time. Julie was always reacting to the latest emergency, others’ priorities become her priorities, and she would reach the end of the day, the week, and the year feeling drained, overwhelmed, and unaccomplished. Does this sound familiar?
After talking with Julie, we established that one change she needed was to incorporate a better system and tools for planning her time – her years, months, weeks, and days. An effective plan, and strategy to follow and maintain it, allows Julie to better understand her goals and priorities, and to make better decisions and choices throughout her days. Here I share ten proven strategies for incorporating effective planning into your own days and weeks.
1. Clarify your goals and priorities.
What is important to you in work and life? What do you hope to achieve in the long-term and short-term? If you aren’t clear on what your goals and priorities are, you can never know if you are working on the right thing at any point in time. This clarity will be the basis for your plan and the choices you make throughout the day.
2. Break down your goals into strategies and milestones.
As an elephant lover, I hate to use the saying “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” But it is a good metaphor for attacking your long-term and short-term goals. Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can break your goals into smaller pieces by defining the strategies you will use and when you will achieve various milestones.
3. Create your habits and routines.
Without good habits and routines, it is easy to let your days and weeks slip away without focusing on what is most important. Spend some time figuring out how you will incorporate the needed activities and time to reach your goals. List the habits you want to follow annually, monthly, weekly, and daily. Define daily routines such as tasks or actions you will take each morning, start of day, end of day, and evening.
4. Establish your boundaries.
It is likely that you will need to establish new boundaries in order to be successful in reaching your goals and sticking with your plan. Some examples might include:
- I will return emails and phone calls within 24 hours.
- I will take 1 day to review any new priorities, tasks, or projects before providing an answer.
- I will say “no” to anything that does not support my annual goals.
- I will not take on new volunteer positions this year.
- I will not respond to email or text after 6pm or on weekends.
- I will be in bed by 11pm and up by 7am each day.
Choose boundaries that work for your needs and personality and that will help you to reach your goals.
5. Get the right people on board.
Who will be impacted by your goals, strategies, habits, and routines? Do you have someone to help hold you accountable? Who can help support your plan? Be sure these people are aware of your plan, your boundaries, and how they can help you be successful.
6. Clear your space and your mind.
Take time regularly to clear your physical, digital, and mental space. If necessary, set aside a day or more to create an environment where you can focus and be intentional.
7. Determine the right tools.
What tools can you use to support your planning, focus, and daily intention and action? My favorite tools for daily and weekly planning are Microsoft Outlook/Tasks and the ProAction Planner. Do your research and find tools that will allow you to plan, reflect, track, and maintain. When working with others, it is also important to implement tools that will help you plan, collaborate, and track projects and tasks with them. Examples include Microsoft Planner and Teams, Asana, Trello, and Google Workspace. These are just a few of the many options available. Be sure to determine your needs and find what will best fit those needs.
8. Plan your weeks and days.
Set aside time regularly to plan your weeks and days based on your annual goals, habits, routines, and other priorities. Block time for the important, but nonurgent, projects and tasks. While it is rare that your week will go exactly as planned, having this basis as you begin your week will provide control and perspective, and allow you to make better-informed decisions when new urgencies arise.
9. Track.
Incorporate a system to track progress on your projects, goals, and habits. Review this regularly in order to evaluate and reset as needed throughout the year. You might also consider a look at how you spend your time and how closely you stick to your plan. Each day, evaluate challenges and areas for improvement. Small changes can yield big results.
10. Reflect and improve.
In addition to tracking your progress, schedule regular time to reflect on your results in order to make appropriate adjustments and allow for continuous improvement. This might include a quick daily and/or weekly reflection, a more thoughtful monthly reflection, and a deeper annual review and reflection. What went well? What challenges did you face? What will you stop, start, or continue doing? This is also a great time to practice gratitude. Be kind to yourself and others.
After clarifying her goals and priorities and putting the systems above in place to fit her needs, work, and lifestyle, Julie is feeling much more in control of her time. She is living intentionally and working proactively which has reduced stress and overwhelm. But the biggest and best change is that Julie is enjoying her work again and is able to focus on those people and things that matter most in life.
Need some tools to assist with the areas above? Check out our new ProAction Process™ Workbook packed full of tips, templates, worksheets, and exercises to support these areas of planning and more.
If you’d like a partner in helping you address your overwhelm and reach your goals, I’d love to talk. Reach out or schedule your free 30-minute consultation.
by Lori Vande Krol | Dec 19, 2022 | General Productivity, Goals and Priorities, Habits, Planning, Time Management
How has 2022 been for you? What went well? What could be improved? Did you reach your business and life goals? What will you do differently next year to grow further?
Before you do 2023 annual planning, it is a valuable exercise to close out the year and prepare for the new one by reviewing your goals, habits, and routines. Follow the steps below to review and reset for continued success.
1. Reflect
Look back on the past year and answer reflection questions such as:
- What did I accomplish this year?
- What am I proud of?
- What am I thankful for?
- What should I celebrate?
- What will I continue to do that contributed to my success?
- What were my challenges this year?
- What could/would I have done differently?
- What is one thing I could do to improve next year?
Set aside focused time to write your answers to these questions. You may be surprised at what you learn about yourself, your systems and habits, and how to address challenges in the upcoming year.
For example, during my Year in Review, I realized I am not diligent about scheduling time into my calendar at the beginning of each week for the “important but not urgent” tasks and projects. I, therefore, have not made the progress I wanted on many of these projects. I need to create a routine of setting aside time each week, just as I do with my exercise, before I build in other tasks and appointments. This will now be part of my planning process for 2023.
2. Review Your Annual Goals
The second step in your Year in Review is to review the status of your current year annual goals – both professional and personal. What goals are complete? What contributed to that success? Do you have goals that are not complete, or were not even started? If so, what challenges prevented their completion? Or perhaps there was a change in priority or focus during the year. Determine which of these goals should remain for the upcoming year and write any notes to carry into your 2023 annual goal setting.
3. Analyze Your Habits and Routines
How did you do on your goals and progress related to your defined habits this year? Review your habit tracking tables and schedule time to reward yourself for any goals reached. Will these habits continue or grow?
For those habits that were a struggle, analyze the reasons and what needs to change in the upcoming year. Do you understand the deeper “why” for the habit? Do you have the right tools in place? Do you need an accountability partner or coach? Determine the habits you will stop, continue, or update for the upcoming year.
Similarly, review your current routines (or routines you had hoped to establish this year). Look at your morning, start of day, end of day, and evening routines. How are they working for you? Do they need to be adjusted or reset? Establish the routines you would like to implement in 2023.
To help you with your Year In Review, I have created a downloadable template to walk you through the process. Click below to have it emailed to you.
Year in Review Template
FREE DOWNLOAD
You can also find this template, along with other valuable planning exercises and templates, at ProActionPlanner.com. Get them soon as they will only be free until the of the year.
If you’d like assistance with review and reflection, the goal-setting process, or in setting up systems for success, contact Lori at Life Made Simple or schedule your free 30-minute consultation. I’d love to help!
by Lori Vande Krol | Jun 22, 2022 | General Productivity, Goals and Priorities, Motivation, Procrastination, Team Productivity, Time Management
I have a confession to make. Months went by this year before I finally took focused time to set my annual goals. While I help others to do this daily and understand the importance and benefit of annual goal setting, I was not able to complete the task for myself. I took some time to reflect on my reasons for procrastinating on this task, which helped me to work through and complete the process. Following are a few reasons you might find goal setting difficult as well as some tips and resources to make it simpler.
1. The goal, outcome, or supporting actions, are unclear.
Too many times, I have gotten hung up on taking action because the end result, or the full range of steps I need to take to get there, is not completely clear. I have to remind myself that taking some action is better than nothing at all. Often, as you start to take action the goal and end result becomes clearer.
In his article, The Goal is Not the Point, James Clear says: ” In other words, your goal becomes your compass, not your buried treasure. The goal is your direction, not your destination. The goal is a mission that you are on, a path that you follow. Whatever comes from that path—whatever treasure you happen to find along this journey—well, that’s just fine. It is the commitment to walking the path that matters.”
When the goal or destination is not clear, consider your goal a direction you are heading, and clarify the end result as you go.
2. Setting big goals is scary.
There are many fears that can hold us back from setting and achieving goals. “What if I fail?” or “What if I succeed? Can I handle it? What comes next?” Perhaps it is a fear of change or a fear of losing control that is holding you back. In times like this, you must ask yourself, “What happens if I don’t try?”
Are you willing to live with more of the same? The status quo? Or are you willing to accept some risks and potential challenges in order to grow and achieve more? What great things might happen, for yourself and others, if you succeed? Take time to evaluate your fears. Learn what is driving the fear and anxiety in order to push forward. You may find that you even enjoy the journey.
3. Goal setting has not been successful in the past.
Last fall I was presenting a course on procrastination. When discussing potential reasons for procrastination, I shared that we often fail to take action when the end goal is unclear. An attendee raised her hand and asked, “What is the point of setting goals? It never works.” I challenged her to think more deeply about her hesitation toward goalsetting. I asked if there was possibly something else holding her back. After the presentation, we talked further, and I learned that she had worked for large corporations most of her career. Those companies would go through the annual goalsetting process, but it would end there. Management would not follow through or follow up on the actions required to achieve those goals. Goals were not reviewed regularly. Employees were also unclear on how the company’s goals tied to their own vision and goals. The lack of a full system for goal setting and implementation caused it to fail, and employees no longer trusted the process.
If goal setting has not been successful for you in the past, reflect on the true reasons for this. What can be done differently to improve your chances of success? There are many tools and tips to support individual, team, and company goalsetting. The systems and processes used need to work for everyone involved. Below I share additional resources for successful goalsetting.
The potential reasons for avoiding the task of goal setting are not unlike the reasons for procrastinating any task. The first step is working to understand your unique reasons for avoidance and then to find the right tool and process for you and/or your team. There is no doubt you will grow and achieve more.
Additional Resources for Goal Setting
Goal Setting: A Scientific Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals by James Clear
Mastering Time Management: What To Do Before the To-Do List by Lori Vande Krol
Do You Have a Lot of Big Goals? Focus on What You Know and Love by Lori Vande Krol
The Superman: Goal Achieved by Lori Vande Krol
The ProAction Planner™: a system to turn your annual goals into action throughout the year
FREE DOWNLOAD: Use the button below to receive a free Annual Goal Setting Template
Annual 5W1H Goalsetting Template
FREE DOWNLOAD
It is not too late to set your annual goals for this year! If you’d like assistance with the goal-setting process, or in setting up systems for success, contact Lori at Life Made Simple or schedule your free 30-minute consultation. I’d love to help!
by Lori Vande Krol | Sep 1, 2021 | General Productivity, Goals and Priorities, Habits, Task and Project Management, Time Management
Recently on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I decided to join my husband for a bike ride. We filled the tires and water bottles, put on our helmets, and headed out. I felt a little extra resistance while peddling up the hill out of our neighborhood and thought, “Ok, this is hard. I think I just need to warm up.” As we pedaled on, I continued to feel that the ride was much more difficult than I expected. I couldn’t keep up with my husband – it seemed even when he wasn’t peddling he was going faster than me – and I was already out of breath. Thoughts that were going through my head during this time included: “I thought I was in better shape than this.” “I work out more than him…why can’t I keep up?” “Is biking really that different than my regular workout?” “What is wrong with me?”
After over three miles of this, it was time to turn back for home. We stopped so I could catch my breath and get a drink of water and my husband said, “Are you sure there isn’t something wrong with your bike? Maybe your tires?” I responded that it felt like it was riding fine and I didn’t hear any strange noises or rubbing, but let me get off my bike and check just to be sure. Lo and behold, the front brake was snug against the tire. I had basically been riding with the brakes on! After a few minutes, I figured out the problem, fixed it, and we rode home in about half the time it took us to get there – a much more enjoyable ride.
What does this somewhat embarrassing story have to do with productivity?
How many times in your life are you pushing against some sort of friction without realizing it? What could be made easier and more enjoyable if you stepped back and really analyzed, and addressed the issue? Often, we are so engrossed in day-to-day life, information, and tasks that we fail to really consider what we are doing. It is vital that we regularly take time to review and reset. In his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown asks “Is there a point at which doing less (but thinking more) will actually produce better outcomes?” My response is “yes”! And my sore legs would agree.
Below are three simple steps you can take to minimize or alleviate the friction in your life and career.
1. Take Notice
Pablo Picasso said, “Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” It is important to take focused time regularly to review your actions. Are they intentional? Do they reflect your priorities? Are you in control or are you letting others define your schedule and tasks? Are there processes, projects, or tasks that could be done more efficiently or effectively? A regular review might include the following questions:
- What is going well for me? How can I continue this?
- What do I not enjoy? What are my challenges? What can I stop doing? What can be made simpler?
- What do I most enjoy? What do I look forward to? How can I do more of this? What might get in the way?
This reflection is much easier to do if you are clear on your vision, priorities, and plan. For more on this, see my June 2021 blog, Mastering Time Management: What To Do Before the To Do List.
2. Identify the Issue
When you take focused time to reflect and review your priorities and related actions, it becomes simpler to identify any issues that are holding you back, getting in your way, or causing unnecessary friction. Maybe it’s a process, tool, or system that isn’t working optimally. Perhaps a colleague, friend, or family member is causing tension or stress. Or maybe it’s the position, company, or career you are in. It may even be a medical issue that has been overlooked resulting in lower productivity, and higher stress and anxiety.
If you are reviewing systems and processes for a company or team, identifying issues can entail a full-blown workflow analysis to find areas for automation, unneeded duplication, or improvements to technology, training, and communication. More often though, it just takes quiet, focused thought or journaling to pinpoint obstacles towards reaching your goals. Identify them and write them down.
3. Create Change
How will you minimize or alleviate the issues you have identified above? Consider any resources needed to support the change as well as your own habits or actions that need to change. What will you do differently going forward to reduce the friction or obstacles keeping you from success and enjoyment? Making a full plan for success is great, but sometimes you’ll need to just start with one small action step. Then, take another and another. Change can be hard, but the increased joy and success will be well worth it. And, you will likely reach your goals much quicker than you would have otherwise.
As my husband and I drove our bikes back into the garage, we found our daughter waiting for us to leave for her soccer game. Since the bike ride took much longer than expected, we were almost late. I realized then how much the friction I was working against for the first half of the ride impacted more than just me. It also caused stress for my daughter and potentially her team and coach if we were late. While I wish I would have stopped to evaluate the situation sooner, the fact that I did eventually stop to (1) take notice, (2) identify the issue with the brakes, and (3) create change by working to fix it, allowed for a much more enjoyable ride home, and we arrived at pre-game warm-up just in time.
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