Productivity Gladiator: Recent Episodes
Productivity Gladiator
Sharing knowledge, hacks, and ideas on work-life balance and personal productivity, and talking to knowledgeable people in those areas.
In this eye-opening episode, Brian Nelson-Palmer sits down with Rachel Druckenmiller—keynote speaker, singer-songwriter, and founder of Unmuted—to expose a hidden productivity killer: the quiet, limiting beliefs that shape how we work.
Drawing on her own experience with burnout and recovery, Rachel shares how phrases like “I’m not the kind of person who…” silently sabotage high performers—and how reframing identity-based self-talk can shift everything.
Listeners will walk away with powerful mindset tools, including Rachel’s go-to reframe question—“What kind of person do I want to be?”—and a deeper understanding of how imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and internal narratives impact productivity.
Want to go deeper? Check out the show notes and resources linked in the episode!
References In This Episode
Rachel Druckenmiller – racheldruckenmiller.com
(Main website for speaking, coaching, music, and blog content)
Rachel’s Music on Spotify – Spotify Artist Profile
(Listen to original songs like Somebody and her upcoming jazz cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”)
Brian’s 1st Album with his band Fellowcraft
The first song, The West Texas Blues, is his favorite.
Brian’s 2nd Album with Fellowcraft
The first song, Hold The Line, won the Wammie award for best rock song in 2018.
The fifth song, Bartenders & Bourbon, is an epic collaboration if you’re a blues fan!
Rachel Druckenmiller on LinkedIn – LinkedIn Profile
Rachel’s Social Media
Instagram: @UnmutedLife
Facebook: Unmuted with Rachel Druckenmiller
YouTube: Rachel Druckenmiller – Official Channel
Books and Concepts Referenced:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
(Referenced for how identity drives habits)
Immunity to Change by Lisa Lahey & Robert Kegan
(The coaching framework that helped Rachel rewire self-sabotaging beliefs)
Dunning-Kruger Effect
(Discussed in the episode as it relates to confidence and competence)
Subscribe to Brian’s email list
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hidden Beliefs and Self-Talk
02:33 Understanding Hidden Beliefs and Their Impact
04:48 The Power of Identity Statements
07:15 Self-Sabotage and Productivity
09:36 Fear and Its Role in Productivity
11:53 The Importance of Saying No
14:26 Recognizing Mindset vs. Skills Issues
16:37 Procrastination as a Mindset Indicator
18:57 Rewiring Unhelpful Beliefs
21:44 Conclusion and Personal Reflections
22:36 The Power of Questions Over Statements
24:01 Rediscovering Childhood Wonder and Capability
24:48 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Self-Perception
26:15 Embracing New Identities Through Action
28:32 The Journey to Becoming a Singer-Songwriter
33:10 Claiming Your Identity and Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
37:59 Transforming Self-Talk and Identity Questions
42:45 Future Aspirations: Music and Authorship
Today’s Guest
Rachel Druckenmiller
Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, Leadership Trainer, Singer-SongwriterFounder of Unmuted
Rachel Druckenmiller is a keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and the founder of Unmuted, a leadership and learning consultancy that helps people tap into greater clarity, confidence, and courage. With nearly two decades of experience, Rachel works with organizations, associations, and teams to amplify purpose, strengths, and impact—starting from the inside out.
She’s been recognized by Forbes as a Next1000 honoree, named a “40 Under 40 Game Changer” by Workforce Magazine, and selected by Smart Meetings as a “Best of the Stage” speaker. Whether she’s leading a training or delivering a keynote, Rachel brings a refreshing blend of vulnerability, energy, and practical insight that helps people rethink burnout, rebuild self-belief, and re-engage with work in meaningful ways.
Outside of speaking, Rachel is a singer-songwriter with original music streaming on all major platforms and a debut book launching in Fall 2026. She's also a fan of fresh air, unfiltered conversations, and singing Disney songs with full confidence—even in the cereal aisle.
Connect with her at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheldruckenmiller Website: racheldruckenmiller.com
In this lively episode, Brian Nelson-Palmer sits down with Jess Pettitt—speaker, author, and founder of Good Enough Now—to uncover the hidden productivity killer most teams overlook: the conversations they’re avoiding.
Drawing on years of experience with organizations nationwide, Jess explains how curiosity, vulnerability, and a willingness to get uncomfortable can unlock real productivity and stronger teams.
Listeners will walk away with practical tools—like Jess’s three-part conversation framework—and fresh perspective on handling feedback, workplace disagreements, and team communication.
Want to go deeper? Check out the show notes and resources linked in the episode!
——
Links & References In This Episode
Good Enough Now – goodenoughnow.com (Jess’s main website and resource hub)
JessPettitt.com (Personal/professional speaking and author site)
Jess Pettitt’s LinkedIn Profile – LinkedIn Profile
Jess’s Social Media
Twitter/X: @JessPettitt
Instagram: @goodenoughnow
Facebook: Good Enough Now
Books and Concepts Referenced:
Almost Doing Good by Jess Pettitt (on how organizations can prepare for disruption and uncertainty)
Good Enough Now by Jess Pettitt (practical guide to authenticity and real conversations)
Jess’s Three-Part Framework (Prepare, Recognize, Respond) – overview and speaking resources
——
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Conversations That Matter
02:08 The Importance of Humor in Difficult Conversations
04:42 Perfectionism and Productivity
07:09 Curiosity Over Judgment
09:24 The Role of Questions in Communication
11:49 Navigating Differences in Opinions
16:00 Real-Life Impact of Difficult Conversations
23:07 Framework for Taking Responsibility in Conversations
26:47 Understanding Patterns in Human Behavior
29:18 Navigating Difficult Conversations
32:17 The Complexity of Language and Identity
34:15 The Art of Giving Feedback
41:14 Embracing Imperfection in Communication
42:25 The Current Landscape of DEI Work
——
Today’s Guest: Jess Pettitt
Jess Pettitt is a sought-after speaker, author, and the founder of Good Enough Now, a consultancy dedicated to helping teams and organizations spark authentic conversations that drive real results. With a unique blend of humor and insight, Jess draws from years of experience as a standup comic and diversity educator, making even the toughest topics accessible and actionable for audiences nationwide.
Over the past two decades, Jess has delivered keynotes, workshops, and leadership training for organizations in higher education, business, government, and non-profit sectors. Known for her “safe different” approach, she equips teams with the tools to move past perfectionism, embrace curiosity, and have the conversations that truly matter—boosting both productivity and workplace connection.
Beyond her professional work, Jess is a proud dog mom, cheese enthusiast, and a self-described nerd who loves everything from codebreaking biographies to local Nerd Nite meetups. Whether she’s on stage or sharing stories over queso, Jess is passionate about helping people do the best they can with what they’ve got—some of the time.
Connect with her at:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jesspettitt
Website: goodenoughnow.com
In this engaging episode, Brian Nelson-Palmer interviews Theresa Ward, founder of Fiery Feather, who reveals how communication protocols can transform team productivity and effectiveness.
As a team effectiveness coach with experience across multiple industries, Theresa shares how structured systems combined with emotional intelligence create thriving workplaces.
The conversation explores practical steps for crafting a situational communication guide, addressing common workplace frustrations like unclear expectations, delayed responses, and unnecessary meetings—making this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to streamline communication and boost team efficiency.
For more information, or a template to copy, visit the blog post on this topic!
References In This Episode
Fiery Feather Website – fieryfeather.com (Theresa Ward’s consultancy on team effectiveness)
Theresa Ward’s LinkedIn Profile – LinkedIn Profile
Calendly (For scheduling without back-and-forth emails)
Books and Concepts Referenced:
The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson (on leadership and productivity)
The Waterline Concept, from the book 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer (on decision-making in organizations)
Patrick Lencioni’s Work (on leadership and team communication)
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross And The Five Stages of Grief®
David Allen's work (Getting Things Done methodology)
Related Podcast Episode:
Breaking Your Team’s Success Barrier with Maura Thomas
Full Episode Digest - Read it on the episode’s page at www.ProductivityGladiator.com/the-show
Chapters
03:45 Understanding Communication Protocols
07:45 The Importance of Communication Protocols
11:45 Asynchronous vs Synchronous Communication
15:51 Establishing Personal Communication Protocols
19:27 Emergency Communication Protocols
25:38 Empowering Communication in Crisis
26:25 Understanding the Waterline Concept
28:41 Communication Protocols with External Partners
29:28 Organizing Communication Protocols
30:14 Managing Non-Compliance with Protocols
32:57 The Importance of Praise and Criticism
36:32 Personal Communication Pet Peeves
40:51 The Purpose Behind Communication Protocols
Today’s Guest
Theresa m. WarD
Team Effectiveness Coach & Founder of Fiery Feather
Theresa M. Ward is the founder of Fiery Feather, a consultancy focused on helping teams improve communication, collaboration, and overall effectiveness. With a background spanning multiple industries—including fintech, media, healthcare, and government—Theresa brings a unique, cross-industry perspective to solving workplace challenges.
Her expertise lies in combining structured systems (like standard operating procedures and project management frameworks) with interpersonal skills (like emotional intelligence and team dynamics). She has worked with organizations to develop onboarding processes, communication protocols, and operational strategies that enhance both efficiency and team cohesion.
A passionate advocate for experiential learning and adult education, Theresa draws from psychology, leadership training, and real-world experience to help teams thrive. She has been a trusted consultant for businesses looking to improve productivity through clearer communication, better collaboration, and smarter systems.
Connect with her at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-m-ward/
Website: fieryfeather.com
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a leader at all levels, I now train Productivity Gladiators to level up their careers. Graduates wield superpowers in time management, practical leadership, communication, & productivity. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
“Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.”
In this engaging episode, Brian Nelson-Palmer interviews Skye Waterson, founder of Unconventional Organisation, who challenges common myths about ADHD while sharing research-backed strategies for productivity. As a former academic turned entrepreneur who has ADHD herself, Skye offers unique insights about how ADHD can actually be an entrepreneurial advantage when properly managed. The conversation explores practical tools for focusing, including Skye's innovative "dopamine dial" approach, and reveals the surprising fact that many successful CEOs and business leaders have ADHD, making this episode valuable for both people with ADHD and those who work with them.
References In This Episode
Article Brian mentioned on Focus Music
Brian’s article on Tech Hacks to avoid the neverending social media rabbit hole.
Skye’s LinkedIn profile
Unconventional Organisation’s Instagram
The ADHD Skill’s Lab Podcast by Unconventional Organisation
Visit the webpage for the full write-up, links, photos, and more!
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/adhd-inspired-productivity-mythbusting-what-you-can-learn-from-this-condition-with-skye-waterson
Chapters
00:00 Understanding ADHD: A Personal Journey
03:18 The Practical Implications of ADHD
06:00 Recognizing ADHD: When to Seek Help
07:45 Executive Functioning and Support Strategies
09:16 Myths and Misconceptions about ADHD
18:40 Medication vs. Alternative Strategies for ADHD
21:12 Toolbox for Managing ADHD
27:43 Myth Busting ADHD Management
32:14 Detail Orientation and ADHD
33:32 Leadership Roles and ADHD
38:40 Hyperfocus: A Double-Edged Sword
42:04 Recommendations for Productivity
46:30 Personal Journey and Vision for Change
Today’s Guest
Skye Waterson
Academic turned ADHD Coach & Founder of Unconventional Organisation
Skye Waterson founded Unconventional Organisation, an international ADHD support service, after receiving her own ADHD diagnosis during her PhD studies. She transformed her personal experience into research-based strategies, authoring over 50 articles reaching 250,000+ readers. Her expertise has attracted clients ranging from healthcare professionals to Fortune 500 directors, including consulting work with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.
As host of the ADHD Skills Lab podcast (100k+ downloads), she features prominent ADHD experts and leaders. Through her coaching program, writing, and speaking engagements, she helps adults with ADHD develop practical strategies for creating focused, balanced lives. Her work has been featured on multiple podcasts and she regularly speaks to professional networks about ADHD management.
Connect with her at:
linkedin.com/in/skye-waterson
UnconventionalOrganisation.com
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a leader at all levels, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. Graduates wield time management & life balance superpowers, activate a laser-guided ability to focus & prioritize, and implement a sniper-precise approach to task & email management. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
“Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.”
In this engaging episode, project management expert Bonnie Biafore shares invaluable insights about the human skills and techniques that software and AI simply can't replace. She reveals her top "non-tech hacks" for successful project management, including smart approaches to estimating, cost management, and running effective meetings. Whether you're a seasoned project manager or just starting out, you'll learn practical strategies for leading teams, negotiating outcomes, and organizing information that will make you more effective in any project role.
References In This Episode
The Eisenhower Matrix video (mentioned when discussing time management and prioritization)
Book by the FBI hostage negotiator - "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss
Ways to connect with Bonnie Biafore:
LinkedIn profile
Newsletter
bonniebiafore.com
The Project Management Institute (PMI) Rocky Mountain Chapter
Information about Toastmasters
Episode Digest
In a world dominated by project management tools and AI, it’s easy to forget that the true magic of project management lies in human skills.
In an era where AI and project management software dominate conversations about productivity, it's crucial to remember that successful project management still hinges on human skills and expertise that technology cannot replicate. Here's a comprehensive look at the essential human elements that make project managers effective, regardless of the tools they use.
"The value of project management isn't in the tools—it’s in the people managing the projects."
The Limitations of Project Management Software
Even the most sophisticated project management tools and AI have significant limitations. Three key areas where software falls short:
Estimating Complexity
While AI can provide estimates based on historical data, it can't account for the unique challenges of each project, team dynamics, and contextual factors that experienced project managers understand intuitively. The human ability to consider multiple variables and draw from past experiences remains invaluable.
Cost Management Nuances
Software excels at tracking time and materials but struggles with complex cost factors like delays, market impact, or reputation costs. Project management tools typically can't handle varied cost types like fixed-price contracts, training, travel, or timing-dependent expenses.
Resource Allocation Reality
Tools struggle to account for the real-world complexity of resource management - from vacation schedules to part-time availability and competing project priorities. Even advanced software like Microsoft Project can't fully optimize resource allocation across these various constraints.
Essential Human Skills for Project Managers
Here are the critical skills that set successful project managers apart:
- Communication Mastery
Adapt communication style for different audiences
Learn individual preferences for communication
Practice active listening
Understand when and how to share information effectively
"Communication isn't just you puking up information into your audiences. It's about listening and learning how to listen well."
- Time Management
Differentiate between urgency and importance
Block time for strategic thinking
Master prioritization
Learn to manage competing demands
- Negotiation Skills
Key Insight: Negotiation isn't always about compromise. Sometimes you need to:
Find what's important to others that doesn't matter to you
Look for win-win scenarios
Know when to stand firm on non-negotiable items
Build relationships through strategic give-and-take
- Information Organization
Develop systematic approaches to managing large amounts of data
Create logical naming conventions for files and folders
Structure information for easy retrieval
Balance both art and science in organization methods
"Even on a small project, you will end up having a lot of information. And then if you get on a really big project, it's ridiculous how much information there is."
- Meeting Management
Critical Practice: Run efficient meetings by:
Inviting only essential participants
Managing costs by limiting unnecessary attendance
Using a "parking lot" for off-topic discussions
Capturing and assigning action items
Taking detailed discussions "offline"
- Leadership and Problem-Solving
Develop creative thinking for unique solutions
Build trust with team members
Learn to delegate effectively
Practice public speaking skills
Practical Project Management Hacks
Smart Estimation Technique: Instead of asking for single estimates, request three numbers:
Optimistic scenario
Pessimistic scenario
Most likely scenario This provides a more realistic range and helps account for uncertainty.
Buffer Management: Rather than allowing individual padding of estimates, create shared buffers at the end of task sequences. This encourages more accurate individual estimates while still protecting the project timeline.
"If you run a meeting well, people will love you and you will be able to get a lot more done in your projects."
Task Ownership: Assign every task to a specific person, not a team or group. Use a responsibility matrix (RACI) to clarify:
Who is Responsible
Who is Accountable
Who needs to be Consulted
Who needs to be Informed
Getting Started or Improving Your Skills
For those looking to develop project management skills:
Assess Your Skills: Review each skill mentioned above and honestly evaluate your proficiency. If it's not a "hell yes," it's an area for improvement.
Gain Experience: Volunteer with nonprofits to practice project management skills. This provides:
Real-world experience
Opportunity to make and learn from mistakes
Practice in delegation (since you'll likely be balancing with other commitments)
Concrete examples for your portfolio
Continuous Learning: Take advantage of:
Professional organizations like PMI
LinkedIn Learning courses
Toastmasters for public speaking
Industry conferences and symposiums
The most successful project managers combine technical knowledge with these essential human skills. While software and AI can handle many tactical aspects of project management, the strategic thinking, relationship building, and complex problem-solving abilities of human project managers remain irreplaceable.
Remember: Project management isn't just about tracking tasks and timelines - it's about leading people, solving problems creatively, and delivering results through effective team collaboration. Focus on developing these human skills alongside technical proficiency for maximum impact in your project management role.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Project Management Hacks
02:28 The Unique Perspective of Bonnie Biafore
04:33 Limitations of Software and AI in Project Management
06:53 Estimating and Cost Management Challenges
08:57 Scheduling and Resource Allocation Issues
11:44 The Importance of People Skills in Project Management
13:48 Non-Tech Hacks for Effective Project Management
15:15 Training New Project Managers: Essential Human Skills
25:32 Mastering Time Management
27:01 The Art of Negotiation
30:25 Organizing Information Effectively
31:44 Running Effective Meetings
35:05 Leadership and Problem Solving
38:09 The Importance of Delegation
39:44 Passion for Project Management
Today’s Guest
Bonnie biafore
LinkedIn Learning rock star, project management consultant, and Microsoft Project guru
Bonnie Biafore is a seasoned project management expert, consultant, and LinkedIn Learning instructor with a passion for making complex concepts relatable. With over 35 years of experience, she has authored more than 35 technical books, including bestsellers on project management and financial software. Bonnie has helped businesses large and small streamline processes, improve team dynamics, and achieve project success. Her engaging teaching style and real-world insights make her a sought-after speaker and educator in the field.
Connect with her at:
linkedin.com/in/bonniebiafore
bonniebiafore.com
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a leader at all levels, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. Graduates wield time management & life balance superpowers, activate a laser-guided ability to focus & prioritize, and implement a sniper-precise approach to task & email management. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Ready to win back hours of your life? In this episode, productivity experts Brian Nelson-Palmer and Marcey Rader reveal 18 tasks they've successfully outsourced - from hiring a culinary grad to chop vegetables to finding affordable ways to never do laundry again. They break down exactly how to decide what to outsource (including a simple calculator to determine if it's worth it), share hilarious stories like the infamous "single Brussels sprout" delivery, and offer practical tips and examples for both your personal & professional life. Whether you're just starting to explore outsourcing or you’re experienced and looking to level up, this episode packed with actionable strategies shows how you can reclaim your time without breaking the bank.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/18-tasks-i-outsourced-that-changed-my-life-and-how-you-can-too-with-marcey-rader
References In This Episode
Brian's Value of Your Time Calculator
Referenced in relation to his TED talk
Marcey’s TEDx Talk - “Relentless pursuit of more”
Meal Services:
Factor 75
Blue Apron
Hungry Root
Gobble
Virtual Assistant Services:
Fancy Hands (fancyhands.com) - mentioned $18-30/month
Fiverr (fiverr.com)
FreeUp (freeup.net)
Upwork.com
Home Services:
TaskRabbit
Thumbtack
Chore Relief (now called All Better)
Poplin (laundry service)
Contact Information for Marcey:
LinkedIn (mentioned she's only on LinkedIn)
helloraderco.com
Her new book: "Reclaim Your Workday, Sustainable Productivity Strategies for the New World of Work"
Photo of Single Brussel Sprout on episode page
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Outsourcing and Productivity
06:03 Defining Outsourcing: What It Means
12:07 Personal Experiences with Outsourcing
18:07 Outsourcing Food Preparation and Cooking
23:59 Outsourcing Errands and Grocery Shopping
29:35 Leveraging AI for Travel Planning
36:03 Outsourcing Home Repairs and Services
41:10 Professional Outsourcing: Enhancing Productivity
52:50 Starting Your Outsourcing Journey
Episode Digest
Time is our most precious resource, yet many of us spend countless hours on tasks that could be delegated or outsourced.
In a revealing discussion between productivity experts, a powerful truth emerged: outsourcing isn't just for business owners or the wealthy—it's a strategy anyone can use to reclaim their time and focus on what truly matters.
"There is no prize at the end because YOU did it. The prize is…I got to my outcome, whatever that was, in a way that was smarter."
The Complete List: 18 Game-Changing Tasks to Outsource
Personal Life Tasks
Gift wrapping (use Amazon’s wrapping service, or hire local students for holiday perfection)
Food prep and vegetable chopping (professional food prep services)
House cleaning (regular cleaning service)
Laundry (wash-and-fold services with pickup/delivery)
Grocery shopping and errands (delivery services)
Travel itinerary planning (local experts via Fiverr or AI tools)
Screen repairs (specialized handyman services)
Home repairs and maintenance (TaskRabbit or similar)
TV mounting (skilled technicians)
Furniture assembly (service providers via apps)
Cooking/meal prep (meal delivery services)
Professional Tasks
PowerPoint presentations (design services)
Bookkeeping (professional accountants)
LinkedIn/market research (specialized researchers)
Graphic design (professional designers)
Software/tool setup (technical specialists)
Podcast production tasks (virtual assistants)
General virtual assistant tasks (various administrative support)
How to Decide What to Outsource
The decision to outsource shouldn't be complicated. Here's a practical framework:
Calculate your time's value (use a time-value calculator)
Compare outsourcing costs against your time's value
Consider these key factors:
Is it a repetitive task?
Does it require specialized skills?
Could it be dangerous if done incorrectly?
Do you consistently procrastinate on it?
Is it a one-time task where learning the process isn't worth the investment?
"Every day that you procrastinate and you move that task forward, ‘I'll clean the gutters tomorrow, I'll clean the gutters tomorrow, I'll clean the gutters tomorrow.’ Every day that just makes you feel like I failed today, I failed again, I failed again, just outsource it."
Three Models of Virtual Assistant Service
Pool Services (like Fancy Hands):
—A pool of people available, like Uber, but for tasks
—Membership-based ($18-30/month)
—Best for occasional and a variety of simple tasks
—Perfect for beginners
Fixed-Price Contracts (like Fiverr):
—Clear scope and cost upfront
—No risk of unexpected charges
—Ideal for specific, defined projects
Hourly Assistants:
—More traditional virtual employer/employee relationship
—Ongoing support for regular tasks
—Best for consistent, recurring needs
Practical Tips for Getting Started
Start with Free or Low-Cost Options
—Try grocery delivery services (often just $5-10)
—Use meal prep services instead of takeout
—Test basic task services before committing to bigger ones
Begin with Repetitive Tasks
—Think about how often you do certain tasks.
—Think about time spent vs cost to outsource.
Address Safety and Quality Concerns
—Use platforms with reviews and background checks
—Start with low-risk tasks
—Take safety precautions when someone is coming into your home.
"Think of it as an investment and you will get it back with your time, with your energy. Maybe you will get promoted faster."
Common Objections Addressed
—"But they won't do it as well as I do"
Solution: Be prepared for that, you’re still getting some of your time back even if it isn’t perfect it still may be worth it. Remember that perfection isn't always necessary for every task.
Example: For tasks like grocery shopping, order an extra item if there’s a chance they’ll pick one that doesn’t work (like produce) or pick your substitute and have a backup plan in case something is out of stock or they bring the wrong quantity. For the 1 in 10 times they don’t do it right, you’ll be ready.
—"My company should pay for this"
Reality Check: Don't limit yourself by waiting for company approval. Consider personal investment in professional development as a path to advancement.
—"It's too expensive"
Perspective Shift: Consider the cost of your time, including stress and lost opportunities. Often, the investment pays for itself in reclaimed time and energy.
Real-World Success Strategies
—For grocery delivery: Order 4 items when you need 3 to ensure quality selection
—For house services: Use platforms with reviews rather than random classified ads
—For professional tasks: Start with one-time projects before committing to ongoing services
—For virtual assistants: Audition them first. Begin with a small project to test compatibility
The key to successful outsourcing is to start small and gradually expand as you become more comfortable with the process.
Remember: The goal isn't to outsource everything, but to strategically free up your time for what matters most, whether that's personal joy, family time, career advancement, or personal development.
Every task you successfully outsource is an investment in your most valuable resource: your time.
Today’s Guest
Marcey Rader
Speaker, Coach, & Author on Productivity
Marcey Rader is a speaker, coach, and author who champions health-powered productivity™. Founder of RaderCo, she works with Fortune 500 companies and startups, inspiring global audiences. A multi-award-winning speaker, TEDx presenter, and one of 900 Certified Speaking Professionals®, Marcey’s authored four books and created the Powered Path Program™. Her mission is to help individuals and companies reclaim their workdays and build sustainable habits to work well and play more!
Connect with her at:
marceyrader.com
helloraderco.com
linkedin.com/in/marceyrader
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Productivity expert Maura Thomas joins Brian to tackle this #truthbomb:
Your team's biggest productivity barrier might be you.
Through engaging stories and practical examples, Maura reveals how leaders unknowingly create chaos through their communication habits and "always available" mentality.
Learn simple yet powerful changes you can make as a leader to transform your team's effectiveness, including why "I trust your judgment" might be the most important phrase in your leadership vocabulary, and why being too available to your team can be just as damaging as being unavailable.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/breaking-your-teams-biggest-success-barrier-7-simple-changes-with-maura-thomas
References In This Episode
Maura Forbes Article on defining Open Door Policy - 10 Things Leaders Need to Get Right For Happy & Productive Employees
Harvard Business Review Article, The Downside of Flex Time, the Communication Guidelines chart Maura mentioned in the interview is down at the bottom of the page.
Maura’s Forbes article: What Does Work-Life Balance Even Mean?
MauraThomas.com
Episode Digest
Breaking Your Team's Biggest Success Barrier: 7 Simple Changes
While many organizations still frame productivity challenges in terms of time management, the real barrier isn't time – it's attention. Maura Thomas said it best:
"We've all had days where we said to ourselves, 'My gosh, that was such a good day. I got so much done.' And we've all had days where we said, 'My gosh, I was busy all day and somehow I got nothing done.' and in those two instances, same 24 hours."
You can't solve a distraction problem with a time solution. The real challenge lies in how organizational culture, particularly leadership behavior, shapes productivity.
Here are seven specific changes leaders can implement to transform their team's productivity:
- Be Specific About "Responsiveness" Expectations On The Different Communication Types.
When leaders tell their teams to "be responsive," what they're really saying is "be fast." This creates a culture where employees feel compelled to monitor every communication channel constantly, making it impossible to prioritize effectively. Instead, clearly define what responsiveness means in different contexts and establish realistic response-time expectations. State these somewhere so staff can point to them and reference them.
- Create Clear Communication Channel Guidelines - What Type Of Communication Goes Where & When.
Organizations often introduce new communication tools without providing guidance on how to use them effectively. This results in redundant messaging (like sending a chat to say "I just sent you an email") and information overload. Establish clear guidelines for which communication channels should be used in specific situations. Examples:
—Your “bat signal” - Which method is your “stop everything, I need you right now, it’s an emergency” channel?
—What’s worth a phone call?
—What’s a Teams/Slack Message for? Or an email? What’s the difference?
—Do we text message for work? If so, for what, when, and why?
"If you communicate urgent or time-sensitive issues the same way you communicate every other issue, then that creates a real problem in your organization."
- Have a system for how work flows to/through your team.
Rather than having team members field requests from all directions, establish clear processes for how work flows into and through your department. This doesn't mean all requests must go through the manager, but rather that there should be organized systems for handling different types of requests. This helps prevent the constant "emergency" mode many teams operate in.
- Use These Responses To Remove Yourself as the bottleneck to your team’s productivity. Empower them instead.
Instead of always wanting work to flow through you, and always being available to answer questions, use empowering phrases that build confidence and autonomy. Rather than saying "Don't come to me with problems, come to me with solutions" (which still implies the need for you to approve), try:
-
"I trust your judgment"
-
"I will support your decision"
-
Set Clear After-Hours Boundaries On work communication. Do Not Break them.
Despite what leaders might say about not expecting responses after hours, their behavior sets the real expectation. If you're sending emails at night or on weekends, your team will feel compelled to check and respond. You can still choose to jump on after hours if you want, however all communications you send during this time should use the “schedule-send” feature so it will arrive during the next work day. This capability is available for all major platforms so if you don’t know how to do it, google it and find it. Follow your established clear protocols from #2 above for genuine emergencies which require communication after hours.
- Define Terms Explicitly
Common phrases like "open door policy" often mean different things to different people. Some interpret it as "interrupt anyone at any time for any reason," while others see it as "be available for important discussions." Explicitly define these terms and their practical implications for your team. Examples include:
—Work Week: What days and hours is this?
—Vacation Time: Does that mean you ARE or AREN’T available?
—Communication Hours: Is this the same as Work Hours? What times are messages to be received and processed?
—Emergency: What constitutes an emergency? A financial penalty above $#,###? Bleeding? Legal remifications? Something’s going to be on the front page of the newspaper?
—Open door policy: If you have one, what does that mean? Doors can’t be closed?
- Model Work-Life Balance
Perhaps the most powerful quote from the discussion puts it simply:
"You can't get a fresh perspective on something you never step away from."
Research shows that working between 38-45 hours per week is optimal for productivity, happiness, and health outcomes. Leaders need to model this balance, recognizing that scrolling through work emails while watching TV still counts as work.
The Impact of These Changes
These changes might seem simple, but their impact can be profound. When leaders recognize how their behavior shapes team culture and make conscious adjustments, they can transform their department from a reactive, always-on environment to one where people can do their best work.
Key challenges many teams face today include:
-
Constant interruptions disguised as collaboration
-
Difficulty prioritizing when everything feels urgent
-
Burnout from always being connected
-
Inefficient communication across multiple channels
-
Disempowered team members who feel they need approval for everything
By implementing these seven changes, leaders can create an environment where their teams can feel satisfied at the end of each workday, knowing they've accomplished meaningful work rather than just staying busy.
Recognize that being too available to your team can be just as problematic as being unavailable. True leadership means creating an environment where team members can grow, make decisions, and manage their attention effectively – not just responding quickly to every request that comes their way.
Most importantly, remember that creating change doesn't require a complete organizational overhaul. Start with one area, such as communication protocols or workflow management, and build from there. The goal isn't perfect execution but rather conscious improvement in how work gets done.
Today’s Guest
Maura Thomas
Speaker, Trainer, & Author on Productivity
Maura Nevel Thomas is an award-winning international speaker and trainer on individual and corporate productivity and work-life balance, and the most widely-cited authority on attention management. Her proprietary Empowered Productivity™ System has been embraced by the likes of the NASA, Comcast, and Google. She’s ranked in the Top 10 Time Management Professionals in the World, and was named a Top Leadership Speaker by Inc. Magazine. She’s also a TEDx Speaker and the author of six best-selling books. Maura is frequently featured in major business outlets including Business Insider, Fast Company, and the Washington Post, and she’s also a regular contributor to both Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, with articles there viewed over a million times.
maurathomas.com
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Stan Phelps joins Brian and explores the deep connection between purpose and productivity. They dig into the importance of aligning personal and organizational goals with a clear purpose.
They also dive into helpful tangents including:
The 4 versions of the workplace and how productivity is tied to the current version 4.0
the significance of warmth in relationships,
Generational shifts in workplace values.
The 8 purpose archetypes
Practical advice for individuals seeking to find their purpose.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/how-your-purpose-will-multiply-your-productivity-with-stan-phelps
References In This Episode
Purple Goldfish (the first/original book) by Stan Phelps
Red Goldfish (about purpose-driven business) by Stan Phelps
The full Goldfish series of books
Article about U2, Bono, and the “Red Campaign”
Mark Twain's reference to "lagniappe" in his autobiography - What’s a Lagniappe?
Mike McCallowitz (regarding BANG - Big Audacious Noble Goal vs BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
Simon Sinek (mentioned regarding the importance of "why")
Episode Digest
Purpose and Productivity: Finding Your North Star
The relationship between purpose and productivity is more profound than many realize. When individuals and organizations align their actions with a clear sense of purpose, productivity naturally follows. But what exactly is purpose, and how does it differ from a simple mission statement?
"People don't buy what you do. They buy how you do it. And maybe more importantly, why you do it."
Understanding Purpose vs. Mission
A purpose is your guiding North Star - something that drives you and provides directional guidance. While you may never fully reach that North Star, it serves as a constant guide. This differs significantly from a mission statement in several key ways:
-
Purpose is the "why" while mission is the "what"
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Purpose is the calling while mission is the job
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Purpose comes from the heart while mission comes from the head
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Purpose is ambitious while mission is pragmatic
-
Purpose focuses on goals while mission outlines the plan
The Evolution of Business Purpose
Business has evolved through four distinct phases over the past century:
1.0 (Pre-1970s): Focus solely on shareholder value
2.0 (1970s): Recognition that customer focus drives shareholder returns
3.0 (1990s): Understanding that engaged employees create happy customers
4.0 (Present): Purpose-first approach driving employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and shareholder value
Actionable Insights for Finding Your Purpose
Use the "Hell Yes or No" Test
When evaluating your purpose, there are only two possible answers - "Hell Yes" or "No." If you're unsure or thinking "maybe," that's effectively a no. Your true purpose should evoke an immediate, enthusiastic response.
Identify Your Purpose Archetype
Organizations and individuals typically fall into one of eight purpose archetypes:
-
Protector: Environmental/social protection (e.g., Patagonia)
-
Liberator: Promoting freedom and new ways (e.g., Harley Davidson)
-
Designer: Creating innovative solutions (e.g., Apple)
-
Guide: Helping others navigate (e.g., Google)
-
Advocate: Standing up for causes/groups (e.g., AARP)
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Challenger: Questioning status quo
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Unifier: Bringing people together (e.g., Whole Foods)
-
Master: Revolutionizing industries (e.g., Warby Parker)
Understand the Warmth-Competence Dynamic
"People value warmth more than competence. They're both important, but warmth trumps competence every day of the week and twice on Sunday."
People make quick judgments based on two factors:
-
Intent (Warmth): Understanding why someone does something
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Ability (Competence): Can they deliver on that intent
While both matter, warmth - understanding someone's purpose and intentions - typically matters more in building trust and relationships.
Making the Transition to Purpose-Driven Work
For those looking to align their work more closely with their purpose, here are practical steps:
-
Start Where You Are: You don't have to quit your job to pursue purpose. Look for ways to bring purpose into your current role or organization.
-
Consider Adjacent Moves: Instead of completely starting over, look for roles in related fields where your experience remains valuable but aligns better with your purpose.
-
Test Through Volunteering: Before making major changes, volunteer with organizations that align with your potential purpose to test the fit.
"We used to live in the tyranny of 'or' where you either had to pursue something that truly gave you purpose and meaning but live the life of a struggling artist, or do something lucrative but feel empty. Now we're in the power of 'and' - we can have both."
Bottom Line
Purpose isn't just about feeling good - it's a practical driver of productivity and success. When people understand and connect with why they do what they do, engagement increases, resilience grows, and productivity naturally follows. The key is finding that "Hell Yes" moment and building your path forward from there, whether through dramatic changes or incremental shifts toward your North Star.
Today’s Guest
Stan Phelps
Certified Speaking Professional|
Global Speaking Fellow
Author of the GoldFish Series of Books
A show and tell speaker, Stan empowers audiences to take action that delivers bottom-line impact. He strives to change the paradigm of marketing by encouraging audiences to focus on experiences as the ultimate competitive differentiator. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.
A masterful storyteller who quickly connects with audiences, Stan has delivered keynotes and workshops for Fortune 100 brands including IBM, Target, Exxon Mobil, Boeing, Caterpillar, Ford Motor, Kroger, Cardinal Health, Walt Disney, UnitedHealth, Rocket Companies, and more.
He works directly with you to customize content that matches your audience and your goals to create a memorable and meaningful experience every time. Count on Stan to show up early, arrive prepared, and disrupt the all-work-and- no-play methodology with his sharp wit and trademark showmanship. He makes it his mission to exceed expectations and inspire audiences in ways they just can’t help but talk about — and won’t soon forget.
stanphelps.com
linkedin.com/in/stanphelps
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
This episode features a debate between Brian and Eric Girard. There are 5 productivity hacks that these two disagree on. The discussion includes: tasks written on calendar vs to-do list, planning out every minute of the day on your calendar, wake-up times (early vs. late), meditation, and the use of Amazon Subscribe & Save. Throughout the episode, both participants present their opposing viewpoints. Which side do you agree with? What did they miss or not consider?
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/5-productivity-hacks-we-disagree-on-with-eric-girard
References In This Episode
The 10 day meditation course and challenge Brian referred to from Headspace.
Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program information.
Chewy’s Autoship program.
Eric’s Girard Training Solutions organization, and podcast: Management Development Unlocked
Episode Digest
5 Hacks That Divide These Experts
In a recent episode of the Productivity Gladiator podcast, host Brian squares off against guest Eric Girard on five contentious productivity hacks. Their lively debate highlights how even seasoned professionals can disagree on best practices. Let's break down their arguments:
1. Tasks: On The Calendar vs. On A To-Do List
Brian advocates for keeping tasks on a separate to-do list, arguing that calendars should be reserved for time-specific commitments.
Eric prefers putting tasks directly on his calendar, a habit he's maintained since school.
Key Debate Points: Scalability, handling timeless tasks, and the risk of losing track of items when they're not completed on schedule.
2. Daily Planning: Structured vs. Flexible
Eric plans out every hour of his day for maximum efficiency.
Brian leaves open space in his schedule, valuing flexibility to handle unexpected tasks or opportunities.
The Crux: Does rigid planning boost productivity, or does it create more work through constant rescheduling?
3. Wake-Up Times: Early Bird vs. Night Owl
Eric champions the 5 AM wake-up, embracing the "early bird gets the worm" philosophy.
Brian prefers a later start, arguing for the benefits of evening productivity and social life in the evenings.
Discussion Point: How do these choices impact work-life balance and overall productivity?
4. Meditation: Essential or “Meh”
Eric swears by morning meditation to sharpen his mind for the day ahead.
Brian finds meditation puts him to sleep, reserving it for those 4 AM can't-sleep moments.
The Question: Is meditation a productivity booster or just another task on the to-do list?
5. Amazon Subscribe & Save: Convenience or Hassle
Brian is all-in on Subscribe & Save, praising its convenience and cost savings.
Eric prefers on-demand purchasing, wary of accumulating unnecessary items.
Core Issue: Does automating purchases save time and money, or lead to waste and clutter?
The Takeaway
This debate showcases how personal productivity can be. What works for one expert might be counterproductive for another. As you listen to the episode, consider:
• Which side do you lean towards on each topic?
• What factors in your life influence these preferences?
• Are there additional perspectives or nuances the hosts might have overlooked?
Remember, the hosts are coming at these perspectives having tried both sides and developed their opinion. The best productivity system is the one that works for you. Don't be afraid to experiment and adapt these strategies to fit your unique needs and lifestyle.
Chapters
— Introduction
— The Calendar vs. To-Do List Debate
— Planning Every Hour vs. Leaving Open Space
— Early Riser vs. Late Riser: Workout Preferences
— Meditation: A Tool for Focus or Sleep?
— Amazon Subscribe and Save: Convenience or Clutter?
Today’s Guest
ERIC GIRARD
CEO, GIRARD TRAINING SOLUTIONS
Eric Girard has over 30 years of experience helping improve the performance of managers and employees. He specializes in the development of new managers, focusing on their successful transition to their new role and on their team management skills. He has a high-energy and engaging facilitation style.
Eric is a passionate, lifelong learner. As a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, he is pursuing the rating of Master Scuba Diver Trainer. When not designing or delivering training, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and twin 14-year-old daughters.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ericpgirard
Instagram: instagram.com/eric.p.girard
Website: girardtrainingsolutions.com
Podcast: girardtrainingsolutions.com/podcast
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a leader at all levels, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. Graduates wield time management & life balance superpowers, activate a laser-guided ability to focus & prioritize, and implement a sniper-precise approach to task & email management. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat!
Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Joel MacCharles joins Brian to discuss discuss managing your interruption overload and staying focused. They share their personal strategies for staying organized and productive, including using to-do lists, calendars, and focus music. They emphasize the need to prioritize tasks and eliminate unnecessary meetings and emails. Joel expresses his frustration with the amount of time wasted on interruptions and emphasizes the importance of making a change.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/beat-interruption-overload-your-hidden-productivity-killer-with-joel-maccharles
References In This Episode
Brian’s tip to cut down your inbox - 2 Email Rules To Cut Your Inbox Down By More Than Half
Brian’s tip on eliminating your newsfeed - app called #blockit - Addiction to Social Media: Fix It With Apps & Tech Hacks
Brian’s focus music with the free playlists - Turbocharge Your Focus & Productivity Through Music
Joel MacCharles on LinkedIn
Episode Digest
In this episode, Brian Nelson-Palmer and Joel Mack Charles discuss conquering interruption overload and improving productivity. They share their personal experiences and practical tips for managing interruptions and regaining focus. They emphasize the importance of recognizing and minimizing interruptions, taking proactive measures to regain control, and using tools like focus mode and smart folders. They also discuss the limitations of traditional time management techniques in the face of modern interruptions.
In this conversation, Brian and Joel discuss the importance of managing interruptions and staying focused. They share their personal strategies for staying organized and productive, including using to-do lists, calendars, and focus music.
They emphasize the need to prioritize tasks and eliminate unnecessary meetings and emails. Joel expresses his frustration with the amount of time wasted on interruptions and emphasizes the importance of making a change.
Overall, the conversation provides valuable insights and strategies for overcoming interruption overload and improving productivity.
Takeaways
Recognize the volume and impact of interruptions in your life
Take proactive measures to minimize interruptions and regain control
Use tools like focus mode and smart folders to manage interruptions
Reconsider traditional time management techniques in the face of modern interruptions
Create a curated and controlled environment for social media use Create a to-do list and prioritize tasks to stay organized and focused.
Use calendars and time blocking to schedule tasks and eliminate interruptions.
Consider using focus music to enhance concentration and productivity.
Eliminate unnecessary meetings and emails to save time and increase productivity.
Shift to purpose or outcome-based meetings to focus on decision-making and reduce wasted meeting time.
Sound Bites
"I have lived in the trenches of the nightmare of interruptions and lack of focus"
"I’m really angry…Interruption overload is a massive problem"
"I'm curious your thoughts on that…it’s a huge power move to work from a to-do list."
"When it's time to crank it out, I hit the focus mode on my computer so that there's no interruptions. And then I have the focus music playlist.”
Chapters
02:30 Understanding Interruption Overload
05:04 The Impact of Interruption Overload on Productivity
07:07 The Limitations of Traditional Time Management Techniques
10:43 Strategies for Managing Interruption Overload
13:36 Managing Social Media Distractions
21:29 Different Approaches to Managing Different Types Of Interruptions
25:18 Using Tools and Techniques to Manage Interruptions
28:01 The Power of a To-Do List in Managing Interruptions
38:36 Harnessing the Power of Focus Music
45:36 Outcome-Based Meetings for Better Decision-Making
Today’s Guest
Joel MacCharles
Focus Architect
Joel MacCharles is a renowned TEDx speaker and four-time best-selling author recognized for his expertise in combating interruption overload. With a career that spans executive leadership across multiple continents, Joel has firsthand experience managing teams amidst the challenges of modern work environments. His journey from overseeing thousands of team members to becoming a 'Focus Architect' is fueled by a mission to help organizations reclaim their focus and productivity.
Joel's insights are grounded in practical solutions to common workplace challenges such as overwhelming inboxes, incessant meetings, and disruptive technologies.
As a speaker and consultant, Joel partners with organizations globally, offering strategic frameworks that empower teams to cut through the chaos of interruption overload and prioritize impactful work. His work resonates with leaders and professionals seeking innovative solutions to enhance focus, energy, and overall effectiveness in today's fast-paced business landscape.
joel@wellpreserved.ca
Linkedin.com/in/joelmaccharles/
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Ann Kerian, an author, executive coach, & consultant joined Brian for a candid discussion on managing older employees. The episode is full of practical tips and personal insights. Brian and Ann explore strategies for building respect across generations, avoiding common pitfalls, and leveraging diverse strengths in the workplace. It's a must-listen for leaders who, whether formally or informally, lead team members that are older than them.
See the full details and links on the episode's page:
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/tactics-for-managing-people-older-than-you-with-ann-kerian
References In This Episode
The 5 generations in the workforce now:
Traditionalists-born 1925 to 1945.
Baby Boomers-born 1946 to 1964.
Generation X-born 1965 to 1980.
Millennials-born 1981 to 2000.
Generation Z-born 2001 to 2020.
The link to the 1st episode where Brian shared the story behind “learning by committee” at the 1-minute mark.
AnnKerian.com
Episode Digest
In today's diverse workplace, it's increasingly common for younger professionals to find themselves leading teams that include older, more experienced colleagues. This dynamic can present unique challenges, but also offers valuable opportunities for growth and collaboration. Let's explore some key strategies for effectively managing across generations, with a focus on how younger leaders can navigate these relationships successfully.
Building a Foundation of Respect and Communication
The cornerstone of any successful leadership approach, regardless of age differences, is establishing a foundation of mutual respect and open communication. When stepping into a leadership role where you're managing older team members, it's crucial to start by acknowledging the wealth of experience and knowledge they bring to the table.
One effective approach is to schedule one-on-one meetings with each team member early on. Use these meetings to:
-
Learn about their career goals and aspirations
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Understand their strengths and preferred working styles
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Ask about their past experiences and what they've learned
-
Inquire about any concerns or challenges they foresee
By taking this proactive step, you're demonstrating respect for their experience while also setting the stage for open, ongoing communication. Remember, the goal is to create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
Leveraging Strengths and Experience
A key insight for younger managers is to recognize and leverage the strengths of older team members. Rather than focusing on potential technology gaps or differences in working styles, look for ways to utilize their deep industry knowledge, refined problem-solving skills, and established professional networks.
Consider implementing a reverse mentoring program, where younger and older employees can learn from each other. This approach not only helps bridge generational gaps but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and mutual respect.
Implement a "strength-spotting" exercise within your team. Have each member identify and share their top skills and areas of expertise. Use this information to inform project assignments and team collaborations. This is especially effective in situations where you’re leading a project but do not have any formal authority over the people you’re leading, such as a project manager.
Navigating Technology and Change
One common challenge in managing older team members is addressing potential technology gaps. It's important to approach this sensitively and avoid making assumptions about an individual's tech skills based on their age.
When introducing new technologies or processes:
-
Provide comprehensive training for all team members, regardless of age
-
Offer multiple learning formats (e.g., written guides, video tutorials, hands-on workshops)
-
Create a supportive environment where questions are encouraged
-
Pair tech-savvy team members with those who may need extra support
Remember, resistance to new technologies often stems from a lack of confidence rather than inability. By providing adequate support and emphasizing the benefits of new tools, you can help all team members embrace change.
"Don't just expect me to go home and read a book and do it because I might learn better if I come in and I hear somebody or I might learn better by watching. So keep in mind that not only are you teaching people who are older, but you're teaching people who are different in learning styles."
Avoiding Age-Based Assumptions
One of the most critical aspects of managing across generations is avoiding age-based stereotypes and assumptions. This applies to both older and younger team members. Resist the urge to categorize individuals based on their generational cohort, and instead focus on each person's unique skills, experiences, and working preferences.
Actionable Takeaway: Create a "working preferences" document for your team. Have each member outline their preferred communication methods, working hours, feedback style, and other relevant preferences. Share this document team-wide to promote understanding and effective collaboration.
Establishing Authority Without Overemphasizing Position
For younger managers, it can be tempting to frequently assert your position to establish authority. However, this approach often backfires, creating resentment rather than respect. Instead, focus on demonstrating your leadership through actions:
-
Be consistent in your decision-making
-
Follow through on commitments
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Admit when you don't know something and seek input from the team
-
Give credit where it's due and publicly acknowledge team members' contributions
Remember, your team already knows you're the manager. Your goal should be to earn their respect through your actions and decisions, not by constantly reminding them of your title.
Notable Quote: "If you are somebody that has to announce yourself, then you don't have the kind of respect that you probably need to be in that position."
Embracing Continuous Learning
As a younger leader managing older team members, it's essential to maintain a growth mindset and demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning. This not only helps you develop as a leader but also sets a positive example for your team.
Seek out mentorship opportunities, both within and outside your organization. Don't be afraid to ask for advice or guidance from more experienced colleagues, including those you manage. This demonstrates humility and a genuine desire to grow, which can earn you respect from team members of all ages.
Notable Quote: "I'm not coming to you as somebody who knows everything and how to treat people. Because a lot of times it was me who wasn't either treating people well or being treated well."
A Unique Challenge, And A Tremendous Opportunity
Managing across generations presents unique challenges, but it also offers tremendous opportunities for growth, innovation, and collaboration. By focusing on open communication, mutual respect, and leveraging diverse strengths, younger leaders can successfully navigate these dynamics and build high-performing, cohesive teams.
Remember, effective leadership transcends age. It's about creating an environment where all team members feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute their best work. By implementing the strategies discussed here and maintaining a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability, you can thrive as a leader, regardless of the age dynamics within your team.
Today’s Guest
Ann Kerian
Author, Executive Coach & Consultant
Ann's 15 years of experience as a television anchor led her on to a career offering consulting, motivational speaking, authoring, fundraising, recruiting, and coaching services. A member of the National Speakers Association and International Coach Federation, Ann provides individual and group coaching as an executive and life coach. She has worked at KWWL-TV in Iowa, WEAR-TV in Florida, and WCTI-TV in North Carolina, handling significant roles such as co-anchoring and covering military affairs and health stories. Ann is recognized as one of Cedar Valley's top 20 under 40 business leaders and has served on multiple advisory boards and committees. She currently consults for Mile Bluff Medical Center, manages talent acquisition for Straight Forward, and produces internal PR videos for John Deere. Ann co-authored “Mastering the Art of Success” with prominent authors.
Website: annkerian.com
Facebook: facebook.com/annkerianllc
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ann-kerian-0626104
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares separate hacks, tips, and actionable learning exclusively for his email subscribers. Sign up so you don’t miss out!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
In this episode, Brian unveils the Gladiator Life Balance Blueprint, the piece of the puzzle you’ve been missing. The 5-Pointed Star represents your balance, and you’ll want to plan how brightly your star GLOWS - Growth, Love and relationships, Others, Work, and Self (GLOWS). Brian provides a full collection of practical tips advice on implementing this blueprint as well. You’ll want to dive into these, whether you're deeply struggling with life balance or simply looking for a few ways to tune yours up.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/life-balance-the-blueprint-youve-been-missing
Links to References In This Episode
Author: Victor Frankl. — Title: Man’s Search For Meaning
Training for yourself individually that you can begin right now through the Productivity Gladiator Signature Membership
Training for your team at work:
The full curriculum as a part of The Productivity Gladiator Masterclass
One-off workshops to level up the team’s productivity in one area.
Episode Digest
The Gladiator Life Balance Blueprint: Architecting Your Best Work-Life Balance
In today's fast-paced world, achieving a healthy work-life balance can seem like an elusive goal. Many of us find ourselves constantly juggling various responsibilities, often feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled. However, there's a powerful tool that can help you take control of your life and create the balance you've been seeking: the Gladiator Life Balance Blueprint.
This comprehensive approach is built on the shape of a star. Your job is to remember that balance is based on how brightly your life GLOWS:
Growth
Love and relationships
Others (something bigger than you)
Work
Self
By focusing on these five areas, you can create a well-rounded, fulfilling life that aligns with your values and goals.
Let's break down each category and explore how you can implement them in your life:
Growth
This category encompasses all the ways you're trying to grow and evolve as a person, both personally and professionally. Challenge yourself to have an equal number of personal and professional growth goals. Examples might include learning a new language, taking dance classes, or exploring new places in your town.
Love and Relationships
This category covers three main areas: love life, friends, and family. It's crucial to nurture these relationships regularly. A key insight is that at least two of these areas should involve in-person interactions each week. Virtual connections are valuable but should be supplemented with occasional face-to-face meetings.
Others (Something Bigger Than You)
This category focuses on activities where the primary beneficiary is someone other than yourself, AND you're not doing it for money. Examples include volunteering, coaching a community sports team, or contributing to a cause you care about. These activities help you connect with your community and give your life a sense of purpose beyond yourself, which is a huge leveling agent in your feelings of balance.
Work
While work is an important part of life, it's just one piece of the puzzle. In this category, focus on two to three significant career goals you're working towards, rather than day-to-day tasks. These should be ways you're growing and evolving in your professional life, and should not be things that already appear in your job description.
Self
This category is all about taking care of of YOU, personally. It includes physical aspects (sleep, fitness, diet), mental well-being (meditation, journaling, downtime), spiritual needs, and fun activities or hobbies that bring you joy.
Implementing Your Blueprint
Creating your blueprint is just the first step. The real magic happens when you put it into action. Here's how to implement your Gladiator Life Balance Blueprint:
Plan your week in advance. Aim to do this on Thursday afternoons, looking ahead at the next 10 days.
For each item in your categories, identify the "one next thing" you can do this week to move forward.
Block time on your calendar for at least one item from each category every week.
Review and adjust your blueprint regularly. It's a living document that should evolve with you.
Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate your accomplishments along the way.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, look for ways to combine activities that fulfill multiple categories.
Remember, this blueprint is about importance, not the number of hours spent on each category. It's about making your journey fulfilling, not just reaching end goals.
Key Takeaways and Notable Quotes
"90% of your life is the journey. This exercise sets you up to enjoy the journey along the way."
"Mental health is based on a certain degree of tension... the gap between what one is and what one should become." - Viktor Frankl
Compete with yourself, not others. Focus on your own growth and progress. Social Media WILL NOT provide a fair comparison.
Don't overbook yourself. If necessary, look for activities that fulfill multiple categories simultaneously.
"Everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson. Life will throw curveballs, but the key is to keep planning and getting back on track.
This blueprint works for all stages of life, with minor modifications for students or retirees.
Having a demanding job is not an excuse to neglect other areas of your life. Start each week with a plan to hit all categories.
If a category feels empty, do some soul-searching to find ways to fulfill it.
Your blueprint should have contain enough across all categories to feel pushed each week, but still be achievable.
Your categories and goals can evolve over time. Don't be afraid to adjust your blueprint as your life changes.
Remember, the goal is not to achieve perfect balance every day or week, but to ensure that you're nurturing all important aspects of your life regularly. This approach allows for flexibility while keeping you accountable to your overall life goals.
As you implement this blueprint, be patient with yourself. It may take time to find the right balance for you, and that balance may shift as your life circumstances change. The key is to stay conscious of all five areas and make consistent efforts to nurture each one.
So, are you ready to become the architect of your best work-life balance? Start creating your Gladiator Life Balance Blueprint today, and take the first step towards a more fulfilling, well-rounded life.
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares the most with his email subscribers and even connects directly from time to time. Sign up to get the most from Productivity Gladiator!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. Graduates of Productivity Gladiator training wield time management & life balance superpowers, activate a laser-guided ability to focus & prioritize, and implement a sniper-precise approach to task & email management. If what you’ve seen or heard here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Dr. Amanda Crowell, a cognitive psychologist and author of "Great Work", shares powerful insights on successfully starting something new. From overcoming mental blocks to having honest conversations about bandwidth, she provides a refreshing perspective on thriving at work without sacrificing everything else. Her relatable personal journey adds depth to this must-listen conversation on productivity and meaningful work.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/tips-you-missed-on-successfully-starting-something-new-with-dr-amanda-crowell
Links to References In This Episode
Amanda’s Website & Podcast
Amanda’s Book: “Great Work”
Amanda’s TEDx Talk: Three reasons you aren’t doing what you say you will do
Episode Digest
Whether it's taking on a new project at work, learning a language, or starting a passion career on the side, embarking on something new can be both exciting and daunting. Our minds can play tricks on us, creating mental blocks that prevent us from even trying. In this insightful conversation, we explore strategies for successfully navigating those roadblocks and setting yourself up for a smoother journey.
One of the biggest obstacles to starting something new is the fixed mindset of "people like me don't do things like this."
We tell ourselves stories about how others will judge us or that we'll somehow be rejected if we step out of our current roles. As Dr. Crowell shares, "The stories we tell each other and ourselves about what people will say about us when we change keep us locked in our current situation more than almost anything else."
To overcome this belonging block, she recommends having open conversations - both with yourself and others. If you find yourself hiding your intentions, that's a red flag that you're worried about potential backlash. Getting it out in the open can reveal that most people don't actually care that much about your personal endeavors.
Another common mindset trap is the belief that "I can't do this."
We imagine scenarios where everything would have to perfectly align for us to succeed at this new thing. The reality is that this fixed mindset of inability becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - why would you persevere if you've already decided it's impossible? Acknowledging self-limiting beliefs is key.
The antidote? As Dr. Crowell puts it, "Start much smaller than people think is reasonable." Rather than attempting your "magnum opus" out of the gate, begin with bite-sized, manageable actions. Don’t start by writing a book. Write a blog post first, then another one, then another one. Take one small step, observe that it wasn't as difficult as anticipated, and then ask "what do I do now?" Focusing on the emergent, Next Smart Step prevents you from becoming paralyzed by the enormity of the overall goal.
Don’t start by writing a book. Write a blog post first, then another one, then another one. Take one small step…
Of course, starting something new extends beyond just your own mental game. In a work context, organizations and managers play a vital role in setting you up for success. Wise leaders are “humanitarian managers” that recognize that their employees are human beings with complicated emotions, not just output machines. They create an environment of psychological safety by framing new initiative as a "beta" and explicitly stating that mistakes will happen. As Dr. Crowell notes, "If a manager can hold that and protect their people so that when their boss looks down, they look like rock stars - that's the magic."
They also facilitate team-level mental contrasting by proactively discussing potential roadblocks and establishing protocols for dealing with them. This normalizes the inevitable learning curves and prevents surprises from derailing progress.
“We can do this new thing, but not at the current level of work. What existing priorities should we let go of?”
However, even the most supportive environment can still breed burnout if boundaries aren't established. A critical conversation that often gets missed: "We can do this new thing, but not at the current level of work. What existing priorities should we let go of?" As Dr. Crowell emphasizes, trying to operate at a 100% workload is unsustainable - you must preserve bandwidth for unplanned emergencies. When managers and employees lack the courage to have this dialogue, the result is overwork, mistakes, and potential health crises.
Ultimately, successfully starting something new requires developing particular skills beyond just gathering information. You must learn to identify mental roadblocks, ask purposeful questions, assemble an emerging knowledge base, and proactively communicate boundaries.
By reframing our self-talk, setting reasonable expectations, and fostering open conversations, we can overcome procrastination and self-sabotage. So whether your "new thing" is personal or professional, approach it with self-compassion, start small, and surround yourself with supportive voices. As Dr. Crowell advises:
"Let that feeling of 'I can't do this anymore' be your breaking point. Don’t go to the hospital to realize that was it, that was the breaking point."
Today’s Guest
Dr. Amanda Crowell
Coach & Author on Productivity and Great Work
Dr. Amanda Crowell is a cognitive psychologist, speaker, podcaster, author of Great Work, and the creator of the Great Work Journals. Amanda's TEDx talk: Three Reasons You Aren’t Doing What You Say You Will Do has received more than a million views and has been featured on TED's Ideas blog and TED Shorts. Her ideas have also been featured on NPR, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal, Quartz, and Thrive Global. Amanda lives in New Jersey with her husband, two adorable kids, and a remarkable newfiepoo named Ruthie. She spends her days educating future teachers, coaching accidental entrepreneurs, and speaking about how to make progress on Great Work to colleges and corporate teams.
Website & Podcast: amandacrowell.com
Book: amazon.com/Great-Work-Amanda-J-Crowell/dp/1737374196
IG: @aj_crowell
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-amanda-crowell-51188130/
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Drowning in emails? This is your life raft. Discover the shockingly simple 4D system for inbox mastery and the little-known hacks top performers use to never miss an important email and stay on top of tasks. Listen now, so you can close your inbox with confidence.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/email-overload-no-more-reclaim-your-inbox-with-these-underutilized-hacks-tactics
Links to References In This Episode
—The “Done With You” Email course Brian mentioned, is available as part of the Productivity Gladiator monthly membership. It’s like a monthly Starbucks for your professional development. This special introductory offer will never be available again. By getting in now you’ll be grandfathered in to all of the future upgrades, content, and tiers.
Episode Digest
Reclaim Your Inbox!
Email is the biggest productivity drain of the modern workforce. We're all drowning in a never-ending deluge of messages, requests, and digital noise clogging our inboxes. But what if there was a simple way to cut through the chaos and achieve the mythical "inbox zero"?
The answer lies in adopting a systematic approach to email management. By implementing a few core principles and key strategies, you can kiss inbox overwhelm goodbye and operate from a distraction-free zone of productivity.
The Necessity of Inbox Zero
While some argue that an empty inbox is optional, the reality is quite different. As the anecdote about the overflowing maintenance inbox illustrates, an unprocessed inbox is a leading indicator of dropping balls and missing commitments:
"If you don't have a really well developed system and you don't get to zero emails in your inbox once a day, I've got a system for you...Because if you're bad at email, then you're probably also bad at coming through on things that I ask you for and taking care of things on your to-do list."
Top performers excel at email processing precisely because it's the gateway habit to responsiveness and accountability on all fronts. Aiming for "just a few" emails is settling for subpar follow-through.
The 4D System: One Core Underlying Process
At its core, mastering email demands implementing a simple 4-step decision matrix for every single message that hits your inbox:
Deal with it - If it can be done in under 2 minutes, respond immediately and archive.
Delegate it - If it's someone else's responsibility, forward accordingly with a follow-up reminder for yourself if needed.
Defer it - If it requires longer action, capture it in a task list or snooze it, then remove it from your inbox.
Delete it - If it provides no further value, delete or archive it.
"You have to delete or archive it out of your inbox once you reviewed it and there's nothing left to do with it."
Processing each email through this consistent 4D workflow is the golden key to inbox zero. Coupled with a cadence of tackling your inbox in bursts 3-4 times per day, your backlog will rapidly become a fading memory.
5 Turbo-Charged Email Hacks
Of course, true email mastery extends beyond the 4D method alone. Here are 5 powerful email-optimizing tips from the pros:
Send & Archive Button - Configure a shortcut to simultaneously send your reply and archive the original thread from your inbox.
Schedule Send - Delay email delivery for optimal sending windows to boost response rates and avoid training recipients to expect 24/7 availability.
Snooze Emails - Leverage snooze functions to temporarily remove emails requiring future action until the appropriate date/time.
Use Templates - Create saved templates for frequently sent messages to streamline composing.
Close Your Inbox - Also disable notifications. You want that inbox CLOSED until you choose to open it later.
"I want nothing. Close your email. And if you're really bad about this, I can already say this is probably gonna be like trying to quit cigarettes."
The Bottom Line
For too long, we've labored under the false belief that digging out from inbox insanity is an epic, endless struggle. But as you can see here, a simple shift in mindset and habits is all it takes to permanently shed that productivity succubus.
No more opening your email app with dread, scrambling to catch up on a backlog spanning weeks or months. Just a pristine, zen-like inbox awaiting your orders each morning. That's the power of inbox zero - reclaiming control over your priorities and attention. It's time to rise as the email ninja you were born to become.
CAN I TEACH YOU EMAIL, THE RIGHT WAY?
This episode was full of great information, and is only about a third of the lessons and information I teach you in the Email Course! It’s a part of the Productivity Gladiator Membership. I’ll share my screen, give you visuals, and walk you through the information I’m teaching.
There’s so much more included too! The new monthly membership is like a monthly Starbucks for your professional development. This special introductory offer will never be available again, come join now, and you’ll be grandfathered in to all the future content, tiers, & enhancements.
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. As more opportunities come up with the membership, you’ll be the first to know about these news courses and areas of education. Sign up to start receiving these tips!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. Graduates of Productivity Gladiator training wield time management & life balance superpowers, activate a laser-guided ability to focus & prioritize, and implement a sniper-precise approach to task & email management. If what you’ve seen or heard here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Leadership strategist Sara Canaday joins Brian and shares insights on the key differences that turn a good leader into a great one. Unlike vague general leadership training, this conversation is specific for a change, delving into what a good leader and a great leader would do in the same situation, to unlock their team's potential and become truly memorable leaders.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: the-difference-between-good-vs-great-leaders-a-deep-dive-with-sara-canaday
Links to References In This Episode
Sara Canaday’s LinkedIn Profile
Subscribe to Sara’s Newsletter
Sara’s Courses on LinkedIn Learning
Book Brian mentioned, Strengths Based Leadership
Episode Digest
We all know the basics of good leadership - meeting targets, maintaining an efficient team, delivering results. But what propels a leader from merely good to truly great? What’s gives them the elusive "X-factor" that inspires unwavering loyalty and leaves a lasting legacy. Sara and Brian dove in.
Great leaders educate rather than just inform.
"It's one thing to just pass on information, but a great leader actually brings that vision to life."
Actionable Takeaway: Use creative methods like props, analogies, visuals, and stories to make ideas tangible and relatable when communicating with your team. Don't just relay information - vividly illustrate the "why" behind decisions and initiatives.
A great leader is a talent cultivator, not just a task distributer.
"A great leader actually matches those team members with the skills that they're not only good at, but that inspire them."
Actionable Takeaway: Have one-on-one conversations to understand each person's unique interests and motivations. Then deliberately assign projects and responsibilities that leverage their strengths while providing growth opportunities in areas of passion.
Foster an environment of open dialogue and critical thinking.
"What are we missing here?" "What would make you more comfortable with this strategy?"
Actionable Takeaway: Resist providing just the answers. Ask thought-provoking questions that challenge assumptions and invite diverse perspectives. Make your team meetings a psychologically safe space for candid input.
Be a connector and developer of people.
"A great leader is so well connected themselves. They've worked hard enough on their own network that they can now share it with you."
Actionable Takeaway: Actively connect your team members with other experts, mentors, training opportunities and experiences that can accelerate their professional growth and career aspirations. Share your own networks liberally.
Display entrepreneurial spirit and vision.
"They're asking questions on a broader scale...Why do we always do it this way? What if we stopped doing this altogether?"
Actionable Takeaway: Don't just maintain the status quo. Challenge existing processes and ways of thinking, and provide potential alternatives. Inspire your team by posing bold "what if" questions that spark innovation and positive disruption.
Be situationally fluent and highly self-aware.
"Can they read the room? Can they sense that they're going a little too much in the weeds? Can they sense the conversation needs levity?"
Actionable Takeaway: Continuously work on developing emotional intelligence. During meetings and interactions, make it a habit to pause, read verbal and non-verbal cues, and adjust your style and approach as needed to optimally connect with your audience.
The path to great leadership is challenging but rewarding. It requires a steadfast commitment to inspiring and developing others rather than just completing tasks and hitting numbers. By embodying these qualities, you become a leader who doesn't just meet expectations, but one who leaves a lasting impact on your teams and your organization.
The choice is yours - strive for good or strive for great? Embrace these strategies to unlock your ultimate leadership potential.
Today’s Guest
Sara Canaday
Leadership Strategist, Speaker,
and Award-Winning Author
Sara Canaday is a leadership consultant, speaker and author who helps companies maximize the contributions of their leaders and high potentials for bottom-line impact. Drawing on 13 years of corporate experience, Sara has a unique gift for connecting with her clients and ensuring they walk away with actionable strategies for positive change -- strengthening leadership skills, improving business relationships, and enhancing performance.
Sara is a member of the National Speakers Association and a by-invitation only leadership instructor for LinkedIn Learning. She has been featured in a number of publications, most notably Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
Sara is the author of three books, You – According to Them: Uncovering the blind spots that impact your reputation and your career, the award-winning book, Leadership Unchained: Defy Conventional Wisdom for Breakthrough Performance, and her latest book, Essential Coaching Skills for Managers: The Tools You Need to Ignite Greatness in Each Employee.
Website: saracanaday.com
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/saracanaday
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Brian Nelson-Palmer shares 14 creative prompts to leverage generative AI (like ChatGPT) to supercharge your productivity at work and in your personal life. This is especially relevant to Project Managers and Aspiring Leaders. From data analysis to contract summaries to infusing humor into speeches, he provides practical examples of how AI can be your "brilliant intern." He also introduces his new Productivity Gladiator membership course where you can learn these skills in a more hands-on learning environment.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/ai-productivity-hacks-14-game-changing-prompts-to-transform-your-work-and-life
Links to References In This Episode
—The brand new monthly membership available from Productivity Gladiator. It’s the monthly Starbucks for your professional development. This special introductory offer will never be available again. It’s a steal at the current price as more and more is added to the membership, thanks for considering joining now, getting in on the ground floor.
—The episode on AI and how it will affect your job, with Christopher Lind.
Episode Digest
Are you looking to boost your productivity and streamline various tasks in your professional and personal life? Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others offer a powerful solution. With the ability to analyze data, generate ideas, and provide insights, these AI assistants can act as your "brilliant intern," taking care of tedious and time-consuming tasks so you can focus on higher-level work.
Here are 14 creative ways to leverage generative AI to transform your productivity:
Intense Raw Data Analysis
Got a massive spreadsheet filled with raw sales data from various regions and years? Simply upload it to the AI and ask it to find the region with the highest revenue for each year from 2010 to 2024. AI can quickly crunch through the numbers, providing you with the insights you need.
Write The Excel Formula
Struggling to get the right syntax for a complex Excel formula? Describe the data you have and the calculation you want, and the AI can provide the exact formula you need to reference cells across sheets and perform the desired analysis.
Help Create Pivot Tables
Pivot tables are powerful data summarization tools, but setting them up correctly can be tricky. Leverage AI by providing your data set and asking it to create a pivot table that shows the metrics you need, such as average sales size per salesperson.
Leverage Meeting Transcripts
Missed an important meeting? No problem. Copy the transcript, paste it into the AI, and ask it to summarize what happened, including any action items assigned to you. Stay on top of things even when you can't attend every meeting.
Absorb Contracts and Long Documents Quickly
Taking over a new project mid-stream? Ask the AI to summarize a contract or project charter, outlining the deliverables, who's responsible for what, and when things are due. Get up to speed quickly without wading through dense legalese.
Find Templates
Need to create an event invite, marketing email, or other communication? AI has templates for nearly everything. Provide the key details, and it can generate a well-structured draft that you can further refine.
Locate Laws and Regulations
Navigating legal and policy requirements can be a headache. Cut through the confusion by asking the AI to surface relevant laws, regulations, and policies for your specific situation, along with explanations of how they might impact your plans.
Brainstorm Creative Writing
Hit a creative block? AI can be your brainstorming buddy, generating engaging titles, catchy one-liners, or fresh angles to liven up your presentations, speeches, or written materials.
Learn Quick
Need to get up to speed on an unfamiliar topic fast? Describe the situation to the AI, such as an upcoming interview for a role you're not fully versed in, and it can suggest relevant questions to ask or areas to research.
Fight Tickets
Got slapped with a parking ticket? Some towns have exceptions or appeals processes you may not know about. Ask the AI if there's any way to get out of your specific ticket based on the location and circumstances.
Understand Permit Requirements
Planning some home renovations? Rather than wading through confusing bureaucracy, ask the AI if you need any permits for your project and how to obtain them based on your city and state.
Find Recipes for Certain Ingredients
Moving soon and want to use up what's left in your pantry? List out the ingredients you have on hand, and the AI can suggest recipes to help you avoid food waste.
Get Travel Recommendations
Killing time before your flight? Ask the AI for top attractions or activities you can do nearby during your layover window.
Add Humor to Speeches
Tasked with giving a toast or presentation? The AI can help by generating funny one-liners or anecdotes to add some lighthearted moments to your material.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to leveraging AI for productivity. These tools can free up time for more meaningful endeavors.
Of course, it's important to use AI judiciously and fact-check its outputs rather than blindly trusting the information provided. Think of it as that "brilliant intern" – capable and useful but still requiring oversight. By taking advantage of AI's strengths while applying human judgment, you can unlock new levels of efficiency across all areas of your life.
CAN I HELP YOU LEVEL UP WITH THIS?
This episode was 14 prompts. The course I just released as part of the Productivity Gladiator Membership is around 54 prompts. I’ll go much more in depth with you. I’ve shared my screen and given you the examples, and you can participate along with the video lessons, and really get hands on with AI.
This new monthly membership is like a monthly Starbucks for your professional development. This special introductory offer will never be available again. It’s an unbelievable value at the current price, and if you get in now on the ground floor, it will only become more valuable as more and more is added. Thanks for considering joining!
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. As more opportunities come up with the membership, you’ll be the first to know about these news courses and areas of education. Sign up to start receiving these tips!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Chris Croft, an author and speaker on productivity and happiness, joins Brian on the show to share his unique "productivity animal" framework. He explains how different animal personalities represent different combinations of goals, efficiency, enjoyment, and achievement. The banter between Chris and Brian is humorous and insightful. Take the quiz to find out your Productivity Animal, and tune in to find out what it means.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/what-is-your-productivity-animal-understand-your-natural-tendencies-with-chris-croft
Links to References In This Episode
Chris Croft’s Productivity Animal Quiz
Chris Croft’s website
Chris Croft’s Books - Amazon - Goodreads
BOOK: The book by Victor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning, that Brian mentioned - Goodreads - Amazon
Chris’s Youtube Video: Time Management In Under 8 Minutes
BOOK: 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Managementby Hyrum W. Smith - Goodreads - Amazon
BOOK: Getting Things Done by David Allen - Amazon - Goodreads
Take Chris Croft’s Productivity Animal Quiz.
Which one are you?!
Your Productivity Animal: Achieve More by Understanding Your Natural Tendencies
We all want to be productive - to achieve our goals while still enjoying life. But the reality is, most of us struggle to find that ideal balance between efficiency, achievement, and happiness. In this insightful podcast, author and speaker Chris Croft introduces his creative "Productivity Animal" framework to help individuals identify their natural productivity styles and what shifts are needed to reach their full potential.
The Genesis: Goals, Enjoyment, Achievement
Croft's animal archetypes stem from his realization that true fulfillment comes from a harmonious blend of goal-setting, enjoyment, and achievement across all life domains - work and home. As he mapped this out visually: Goals and Efficiency are the "inputs" that lead to the "outputs" of Enjoyment and Achievement.
Croft emphasized the crucial role of defined goals: "If you set a goal, it's like putting a destination in your GPS - every day you'll make decisions pointing you toward that end point." Yet goals alone are insufficient; you need efficiency and discipline to propel you forward on that journey. As Croft summarized: "Goals make you more disciplined and assertive, so you go faster in the right direction."
The Productivity Animals Revealed
So which animal represents your current productivity style? Croft outlines six key archetypes:
The Greyhound: Efficient but goalless, the metaphor of chasing the incentives round and round a track but never really getting anywhere. "If you don't have GPS set, you'll just drive at random and end up in a swamp. A shocking 38% of people who took my quiz are Greyhounds - hard workers lacking goals and a clear purpose.”
The Kangaroo: Enjoyment-seekers living purely in the moment, devoid of goals or efficiency. "You can do this in your 20s, but eventually you need to get a grip on what you want to achieve."
The Mountain Goat: Relentlessly pursuing goals while forgetting to enjoy the journey. "Like goats scaling a mountain but never stopping to admire the view." At risk of burnout from all work and no play.
The Soaring Eagle: The ideal state - crystal clear on goals, efficient in pursuit of them, while still making time for enjoyment in all life areas. "If you have the right mix of home/work and joy/achievement goals - you've got life sussed."
The Koala: Has goals but is inefficient. These people are often dreamers, who have high aspirations but don’t seem to accomplish any of their dreams. This also might be where someone who has “golden handcuffs” sits, which means they’ve got a great paying job, and are afraid to lose it to try for something more.
The Tortoise: Doesn't have goals and is also not efficient. They don't achieve anything and they don't enjoy themselves. And these are the people who plod through life and they're just unhappy and they just go, well, what can you do? I'll just have to carry on doing this job that I hate. They have all sorts of potential if only somebody told them. They're just plodding along through the grass thinking, well just have to eat grass again today.
You Evolve & Change Throughout Your Life
Once you identify your animal, Croft provides wisdom on evolving toward the enlightened Eagle. For Greyhounds, it's simply a matter of getting clear on goals to give your work purpose. Kangaroos need to find a motivating vision to work toward. And Goats must embrace enjoyment and inject play into their relentless pursuit of success.
The Hedonic Treadmill Trap
But even the lofty Eagles must guard against a insidious productivity pitfall - the "hedonic treadmill." This is where you achieve a goal like running a marathon, only to immediately start chasing the next goal without pausing to celebrate. You buy your dream car, but a few weeks later, the thrill is gone and you're longing for the next material prize.
To counter this, Croft advises setting a mix of achievement and enjoyment goals across life domains. "If all your goals are financial, you'll just want newer cars. Have goals like writing a book or performing music too." He also stresses regularly re-evaluating your goals, letting go of completed ones, and setting new inspiring challenges.
The Path to Soaring
The key takeaway? We're all a work-in-progress on the path toward becoming more productive, purposeful, and joyful. Knowing your current productivity animal is the first step. From there, implement Croft's wisdom to integrate the missing elements - whether that's defined goals, improved efficiency, or scheduled enjoyment.
As Croft summarizes: "The Eagle must continually ask - what's next? How do I follow up Everest? Because it's never finished...you climb one mountain only to see a bigger one on the horizon." A meaningful, fulfilling life is a perpetual journey of striving towards elevated visions of achievement and happiness. Embrace your productive nature, but keep soaring toward your highest ideals.
Today’s Guest
Today’s Guest
Chris Croft
Author, Speaker, Trainer
on Productivity & Happiness
Chris Croft is one of the world's leading trainers, having provided courses to over 87,000 people in-person and a staggering 18 million online across platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and YouTube. With top-selling courses on project management, happiness, negotiation skills, and more, Croft has cultivated a massive global following - his tip of the month email reaches over 20,000 subscribers. A prolific author and former chartered engineer with an MBA from Cambridge, Croft brings decades of corporate experience and an interactive, practical teaching style to help professionals achieve more while finding greater fulfillment.
Website: chriscroft.co.uk
Linkedin Learning: linkedin.com/learning/instructors/chris-croft
LinkedIn Contact: linkedin.com/in/chriscrofttraining/
Chris Croft’s Books - Amazon - Goodreads
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Dean Karrel, a sales trainer and career advisor, joins Brian to discuss everyday sales tactics that can be used to influence and persuade, not just in a sales role but in all aspects of life - with kids, family, bosses, and clients. They discuss emotional intelligence, listening, understanding the other person's perspective, telling stories, being prepared, focusing on benefits over features, building trust through integrity, and character, as key skills for effective "selling" and positive influence in all your relationships. Selling is a valuable skill in all your roles throughout your life. Everyday persuasion is right!
See the full details and links on the episode's page.
Links to References In This Episode
Dean Karrel's book "Mastering the Basics: Keys to Career & Life Success"
Dean Karrel’s courses on LinkedIn Learning
Brian Nelson-Palmer's TEDx talk on the value of your time
Movie Glengarry Glen Ross - the Alec Baldwin "Always Be Closing" speech scene
Movie - The Wolf of Wall Street - The Sales Speech Scene
Movie - Tin Men - scene on deception & Aluminum Siding
Dr. Todd Dewett's episode on storytelling
Everyday PERSUASION
We all have an aversion to “sales” and “selling.” Visions of high pressure, scammy salespeople immediately come to mind thanks to negative stereotypes perpetuated by popular media. However, the reality is sales skills are invaluable in all aspects of business and life – with your colleagues, your family, even your kids. Sales, influence, and persuasion happen everyday in a variety of relationships and scenarios.
So how can you utilize sales tactics effectively without manipulation? The key is authenticity. Success lies in enhancing your natural abilities rather than pretending to be someone you’re not.
Emotional Intelligence Sets the Stage
The first and most critical sales skill is emotional intelligence – self-awareness and understanding others. You can’t sell anything without first reading the emotional state of the other party. Listen more than you speak to pick up on cues revealing how the other person is feeling and what objections or concerns they may have. Empathize and find common ground. No progress will happen if emotions run high or trust lacks. As one quote puts it, “take it easy, they’re doing the best they can.” Meet people where they are first before launching into a proposal or request.
What’s in It For Them?
We all ask ourselves “What’s in this for me?” when presented with an offer. The key is to flip perspectives. Demonstrate how your product, idea, or proposal specifically solves a problem or adds value for the other party. Generic benefits don’t compel action. You have to understand motivations and goals from their angle. Do your research to craft messaging hitting on tangible outcomes the other person cares about.
An example shared was utilizing AI to help clean out and use up food when moving houses. The benefit of convenience connecting with a pressing real need in the moment led to adoption of the technology. Even though general usefulness had been touted before without impact. Think benefits over features and make it personal.
Stories Resonate More Than Stats
Stories speak directly to emotions and relationships. Data and facts have their place in selling, but stories forge human connections vital for influence. One powerful anecdote relayed was of a salesperson standing on a couch to physically demonstrate the “no sag” benefit of that particular furniture product. Visuals showing 350 pounds of force exerted without damage tell the durability story far better than talking springs and fabric quality.
Stories also help deliver difficult news or major changes that require buy-in from your team. Explaining the reasons behind a shift through story gives helpful context. Even during painful layoffs, the “why” behind restructuring won empathy and preserved future relationships with those impacted.
Authenticity Starts with Self-Awareness
A sales pro knows both strengths and growth areas – they have clarity on natural abilities that can be enhanced versus trying to force behaviors not aligned with innate tendencies. As one leader learned, aggression and manipulation don’t work long-term even if you initially close more deals. You burn trust quickly through not being genuine.
Leaning into authenticity requires self-awareness. What unique value do you bring based on abilities, experience, and personality? Lead with your true self to build trust and likability that enables influence.
The Foundation: Character
At the root, your character determines the trust you instill. One story involved calling out a rude customer and then encountering them later as a job candidate. Treating people respectfully regardless of power status or external pressures reveals strong principles. Do you help others when there is no advantage or audience? How you act when no one is looking shows who you truly are.
Relationships Drive Referrals
Finally, sales has shifted from one-off transactions to relationship focus because referrals now drive revenue. While AI supports many business functions, people ultimately still decide to do business with people. No software builds rapport and trust for you. Use technology to enhance but not try to replace human connections.
Listening and learning about the other person before launching into a sales pitch proves more persuasive than glossy brochures or elegant features. Sales at its core sits on this foundation: genuinely knowing, helping, and collaborating with humans.
Today’s Guest
Dean Karrel
Sales Trainer, Career Mentor, Author
Dean Karrel is an expert in executive coaching, career mentoring, sales training, and leadership development.
Dean has been in sales management and leadership positions for over three decades with some major global publishing companies. Most recently, he was senior vice president of sales of John Wiley & Sons based in Hoboken, New Jersey. His sales teams were focused on direct sales to major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, and other national chains, along with initiatives aimed at B2B and B2C sales. Dean now has his own consulting business providing sales training programs along with career and executive coaching. In addition, he is a Certified Professional Career Coach. Dean is the author of Mastering the Basics: Simple Lessons for Achieving Success in Business.
Website: linkedin.com/learning/instructors/dean-karrel
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/deankarrel
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Ever been in a meeting and thought “UGH, this meeting could have been an email?”
This episode is a massive knowledge share, where Brian reveals some of the tips, tricks, and hacks he teaches in his training on this topic. It’s time to pull back the curtain on meeting efficiency, effectiveness, and skill.
See the full details and links on the episode's page.
Links to References In This Episode
My Facebook Reel that went viral and inspired the idea for this episode.
The research I mentioned showing when people are most likely to say yes.
Episode Digest
New Type Of Episode starting 2024
This is a massive knowledge share. I’m going to be doing more of these as well.
The idea for episodes like this came from a Facebook Reel I shared that went viral last year. It was a simple knowledge hack, but based on the engagement it was something people were interested in.
Through Productivity Gladiator I teach personal practical productivity skills. I have a lot of knowledge and hacks to share. The episodes with guests with guests deliver practical and interesting takeaways, and I also want to share all the hacks and tips that I’m delivering in my workshops as well.
here’s the overall concept to remember: Synchronous or Asynchronous Communication
Does the person receiving the communication need to be there receiving it at the same time you’re sending it?
Synchronous is received live at the exact same moment the person is speaking it:
Examples: Meetings, Phone calls.
Asynchronous is received at some point (could be shortly, or much longer, after):
Example: Email, shared Google or Sharepoint Documents, teams/slack messages
List of # Tips & Hacks
A meeting is likely a good idea if: Everyone can/should contribute real time
Yes for developing the solution to a problem, brainstorming, or a situation where there are a lot of questions to be answered.
No - if you’re just going to ask them to send you an email later with their ideas, or if you were just going to mute their mics anyway.
A meeting is likely a good idea if: Time is short, you can’t wait for everyone to get back to you via a return message.
A meeting is likely a good idea if: Messages have gone back and forth several times already.
A meeting is likely a good idea if: Messaging has created more questions than answers.
A meeting is likely a good idea if: You need someone to say yes.
Most likely to say yes in the first half of the morning, or the first 2 hours after lunch.
A meeting is NOT needed if: Everyone is not expected to actively contribute
Examples: status meetings, staff meetings
Favorite phrase to put perspective on whether this meeting is needed: “There’s a lot of money in this room” (how much everyone’s time is worth)
A meeting is NOT needed if: Everyone who needs to speak cannot attend
A meeting is NOT needed if: This is just a chance for you to read to everyone the info sent in advance.
A successful meeting is on TAPP
Timely Start and End
Agenda - Provided ahead of time.
If it’s not on the agenda, add it to the next meeting, or let participants have input to add it to this one.
Preparation - What do people need to bring, or do, in advance?
Purpose - Why are we having this meeting?
How many meetings per day?
Optimal - no more than half your day. Research says somewhere in the 3-4 hours total per day.
Ideally grouped together. Better to have a block of meetings and time before and/or after
NOTE: It’s often not up to you, I get it, just something that’s helpful to keep in mind.
Meeting Success Tip - Record The Meeting – For anyone who cannot attend, they can watch the recording, no need to “catch people up” who were out. (tip, watch at 2x or 3x speed)
Meeting Success Tip - Record Action Items - Review these at the end of the meeting.
Meeting Success Tip - Acknowledge The People Then Proceed - Even if it’s brief or intros necessary, then start agenda.
Common Meeting Mistake - DO NOT: Ignore the agenda.
Common Meeting Mistake - DO NOT: Catch people up, who are late to the meeting.
Common Meeting Mistake - DO NOT: Run over the allotted time - Ask permission first if you only need ## minutes, or schedule another time to meet to continue.
Meeting Alternatives - If you DO NOT need confirmation message received (ex: if they missed the meeting, no makeup needed)
Recorded Video (Video Podcast) (all 3 types of people: watch, listen & read)
Podcast/Audio Message - Recorded Announcements
Teams/Slack Channel discussion
Cloud Document - Shared Link. (everyone provides ideas)
Meeting Alternatives - If you DO need confirmation of message received (ex: if they missed meeting you would need to meet with person who missed to make it up. This is probably rare.
Send Email - Read Receipt Requested
Send out a Form/Survey - Completion Required
This could be a video, audio, written, or recommend all three.
Online Training
Send out a Survey (Microsoft Form)
Create Powerapp to automate follow-up.
HYBRID MEETING TIP - Everyone who speaks is on camera on their own individual camera.
In a conference room, everyone bring your own laptop
HYBRID MEETING TIP - “Spotlight” the person speaking.
Designate whose job this is in the beginning
Important if more than 10 people in meeting.
HYBRID MEETING TIP - Collaboration done through meeting software.
Virtual Whiteboard gets way more interaction than live whiteboard with camera on it.
ONLINE MEETING TIP - Important Meeting Options (Set by host):
Who can bypass the lobby? - “Everyone” Unless you want popups disrupting your meeting
Leverage Co-Organizers to help mute/control/spotlight.
Allow mic for attendees?
For big meetings, likely “no”. Add person as Co-Organizer if they need to speak.
Allow camera for attendees?
Allow meeting chat? (would Q&A be better?)
HYBRID/ONLINE MEETING PRO MOVE: Host mutes, don’t ask the crowd to.
None of this “Everyone Mute Your Lines”
HYBRID/ONLINE MEETING PRO MOVE: Take breaks at least every 50 minutes. Tell them you’ll do this up front. People need “bio breaks” and “brain breaks. If you don’t, you’ll lose them.
TIP ON CHANGING MEETING CULTURE - Imagine it’s your meeting someone says “this doesn’t need to be a meeting”. You’ve had this meeting weekly for 2 years? You (or the person you’re talking to) may go through the stages of grief about this. (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance)
TIP ON CHANGING MEETING CULTURE: Their Idea & Be Kind
If you can, let them think it’s there idea, see if they take the hint and do it on their own
Be kind, be positive, don’t lead with “this meeting is a waste”.
TIP ON CHANGING MEETING CULTURE - Start with your own. Sometimes if it’s effective, people will copycat you, then everyone wins, and they’ll think it’s their idea (Story: Video Podcast idea)
2 questions to ask yourself to determine, should this be a meeting
Will it be a value add for everyone at this meeting to contribute to the meeting
Hint: will you be disabling the mics/cameras/chat during the meeting? Record it and send it on its own.
If someone is out on vacation and misses this, they won’t need to make it up?
I can help your team with this! Can I come talk to your team about this?
Sometimes it’s scary to bring this up from inside the organization due to office politics or not wanting to rock the boat by recommending someone above you change. Businesses bring me in to help with this, it’s what I do.
I teach a workshop on this topic specifically.
If I can help, reach out to me, lets chat. Connect me with your workplace, lets set up a session for me to talk about this for your team.
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Can we be productive at work without ruining our own wellbeing? Jeanette Bronée shares insights gained while recovering from burnout and losing both parents. We discuss tangible ways individuals and leaders can shift perspectives to promote sustainable productivity grounded in humanity and wellbeing.
See the full details and links on the episode's page.
Links to References In This Episode
Nail in the forehead video.
Study from Finland on children, 15 minute break each hour for learning.
Microsoft’s study on why you need breaks between meetings.
Episode Digest
Achieving Balance: Productivity and Wellbeing in Harmony
The perpetual balancing act between workplace demands and personal wellbeing frequently fuels feelings of stress and inadequacy in the modern economy. We aim to seek success in our careers, often convinced we must sacrifice self-care along the way. It leaves professionals endlessly asking—can productivity and wellbeing peacefully coexist?
Fresh perspectives, such as from Jeanette Bronee, reveal achievable ways individuals and organizations can shift limiting attitudes about performance at the expense of health. They highlight small but mighty everyday habits that transform not only individual resilience, but ripple out to impact workplace cultures as a whole.
Reframing Wellness as a Lifelong Practice
An emerging view proposes letting go of thinking about wellness and self-care as a fixed goal, like pounds to shed or boxes to check off a list. Rather, it suggests embracing the ongoing daily relationship with caring for ourselves and listening in closely, without judgment, to what we need in each moment. Contentment comes from accepting our ever-changing state of balance, not upholding perfectionist expectations.
The Restorative Power of Mini-Breaks
Even small, 60-90 second pauses in the frenzied workday to simply breathe, move, or reset, prove powerful. These moments of micro-recovery improve mental clarity, energy renewal and sharper focus to tackle tasks at hand. Skipping our body’s cries for regular respite often backfires by depleting cognitive reserves and performance over time. Think of it, even boxers in the ring get breaks between rounds. Why shouldn’t you between activities?
Cultivating Emotional Wellbeing Accelerates Results
Physical health certainly impacts daily effectiveness, but science shows our emotional states wield equal influence. Feeling valued, seen, and heard has profound effects on motivation, engagement and work fulfillment. Those leading teams see substantially higher performance and retention by encouraging idea exchange and taking time to actively process responses. Fostering emotional health requires enhanced presence and listening—not necessarily extra minutes in the day.
Solutions Emerge by Reframing
Refocusing how we frame problems makes all the difference. When facing roadblocks, ask “What do we need to move forward?” rather than “Why isn’t this working?”. Leading with what IS possible sparks collaborative problem-solving, whereas dwelling on deficiencies fuels frustration. This outward and forward-looking orientation cultivates optimism and belief in our collective ability to handle uncertainties on the horizon.
Scheduling Intentional Transition Time
Back-to-back meetings often zap productivity despite tight scheduling. Agendas benefit from built-in buffers between sessions, allowing participants to solidify takeaways, recharge focus and emotionally transition between topics. Rather than defaulting to 30 or 60 minute blocks, strategically calendar 25 or 50 minute meetings, and hold to those time slots. Guarding 5-10 minutes between commitments grants much needed mental space. If you’re leading the meeting, you can also give everyone 1 minute at the beginning of your meeting, to afford them that time to process. Try taking a moment of silence in your next meeting, see how it works?
Leaders Set the Stage for Cultural Transformation
Individuals certainly own responsibility for self-care habits that enhance resilience. However, organizations seeking lasting change must evolve. Leadership carries responsibility for sowing seeds that gradually transform company culture and assumptions. Simple but consistent practices like starting meetings with one minute of quiet centering or group reflection demonstrates that employee health and humanity matter, not just performance.
In reality, the two aims need not compete—sustainable productivity requires sound wellbeing. By raising awareness and implementing small but consistent changes, both individuals and organizations make progress towards resilient cultures where people energize their best work without depleting inner reserves. What shifts might you experiment with to bring your physical, emotional and cognitive wellbeing into greater harmony this year?
Key Quotes
"We do need to pause more. We need to be able to calm our nervous system down or we basically can't think straight. Um, some people will argue, well, I'm better at it than others. Yes, we all different at it. But if we don't pause throughout the day, if we don't do the, even the basics of water, food, and a couple of pauses and rest here and there, if we don't even do that, there's a good chance that cortisol just keeps rising and rising and rising and rising and rising all throughout the day."
“instead of running around taking care of me, could you come over here and sit down and just talk to me? I wanna know that you care about me. I don't need you to care for me.”
“It may be that they also feeling that they were dismissed in the previous meeting, and then they show up in this meeting and they're like, want to show that they know more because they are not feeling heard and seen.”
Today’s Guest
Jeanette Bronée
Speaker, Culture Strategist, &
Author of “The Self-Care Mindset”
Jeanette is rethinking self-care in the workplace as the foundation for peak performance, engagement, and a culture where people belong and work better together.
As an internationally recognized self-care mindset expert, she has spoken at the United Nations, given keynotes across the US, and spoken to audiences on five continents. She shares the tools to reclaim agency and cultivate the human connection that helps us communicate and collaborate with curiosity and care so that we can navigate challenges, innovate, and grow stronger together in our constantly changing reality.
She gives us the C.A.R.E. driven framework so we can change our relationship with self-care at work in order to be busy and healthy at the same time, cultivating a culture where people create impact and sustainable success together. Her clients include IBM, BlackRock Lockheed Martin, Kaiser Permanente, Genentech, Microsoft, Facebook, ebay, Siemens, and more.
Her new book, “The Self Care Mindset, Rethinking How We Change and Grow, Harness Well Being and Reclaim Work Life Quality” is a book of tools to harness our human advantage to grow through adversity.
Website: jeanettebronee.com
Book: The Selfcare Mindset
Podcast: Pause On This
Blog: jeanettebronee.com/blog
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jeanettebronee
Instagram: instagram.com/jeanettebronee
YouTube: youtube.com/@JeanetteBronee-PathforLife
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. After spending a career hands-on in the trenches as a senior project manager, I now help others to level-up through my Productivity Gladiator training. These Gladiators wield email management superpowers, a laser-guided ability to focus, samurai-grade prioritization skills, a sniper-precise task tracking approach, Jedi time management skills, and a secret sauce for maximizing their personal life balance. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Dr. Todd Dewett joins Brian to dive into story telling at work and at home. They uncovered tips and tactics on how to tell better stories, when to leverage the power of a story, and where stories are most effective. These hacks will help you level up your story telling game, so you’ll shine even brighter at work, and in your personal life.
See the full details and links on the episode's page.
Links to References In This Episode
LinkedIn Learning Course “Storytelling for Leaders” by Dr Todd Dewett
Chris Rock excerpt Todd references: From Bigger & Blacker, segment on relationships
Book: The Little Black Book of Leadership: Essential Advice for New Managers by Todd Dewett PhD
Book: Show Your Ink: Stories About Leadership and Life by Todd Dewett PhD
Book: Dancing with Monsters: A Tale About Leadership, Successss, and Overcoming Fears
by Todd Dewett PhD
Book: The Ten Delusions: And How To Survive Them Effectively by Todd Dewett
EPISODE DIGEST
Storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting with people and getting your message across. In this episode of Productivity Gladiator, Brian Nelson-Palmer has an in-depth discussion with communication expert Dr. Todd Dewett about how to become a master storyteller.
THE CORE ELEMENTS OF STORYTELLING
Todd outlines the basic structure that most good stories follow:
Act 1 introduces the characters and the situation they are in. Draw the audience in with an interesting predicament.
Act 2 escalates events and creates intrigue. Take the audience on an emotional journey.
Act 3 provides resolution and wraps up the story. Provide a satisfactory conclusion.
A compelling storyteller uses vivid details, varies their tone and pacing, and incorporates relatable characters and scenarios that tap into the audience's shared experiences. This emotional component takes the story beyond just relaying logical information.
WHEN TO USE STORIES VS. QUICK ANSWERS
Stories shine when explaining the "why" behind something, rather than direct responses to simple questions. In professional settings with time limitations, opt for shorter anecdotes rather than long epics. Save the drawn out stories for rare occasions when you really want to drive home a point.
Dr. Dewett notes "Stories are special and should not be used all the time. It's just like your favorite food. If you eat it all the time, you become redundant and lose some love for it." Keep people engaged by strategically picking your storytelling moments.
STORIES IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Overusing stories with friends and partners can grow old quickly. Dr. Dewett suggests prompting loved ones for stories to give them a chance to share. This provides an opportunity to learn new things about each other, even after years together. Share new experiences to avoid repeating tired tales they've heard multiple times before.
EXAMPLES BRING THE PRINCIPLES TO LIFE
Throughout the interview, Dr. Dewett illustrates effective storytelling through engaging examples from his own career as a professional speaker. He takes the audience on a journey, using vocal inflection, passion, and practical takeaways people can relate to.
His stories showcase how following a narrative structure and making it personally resonate grabs attention even when delivering difficult messages. Dr. Dewett notes that reading the room and adjusting your delivery based on reactions is also crucial for successful storytelling.
KEY QUOTES
"Stories are the key to getting what you want in life because it helps people get on board. They relate to stories."
"Stories are special and should not be used all the time. It's just like your favorite food. If you eat it all the time, you become redundant and lose some love for it."
"If you're going to tell them the why, it should be a story."
Today’s Guest
Dr. Todd Dewett
Master StoryTeller, Speaker, Author
Dr. Todd Dewett is one of the world’s most watched leadership personalities: an authenticity expert, best-selling online course creator, a TEDx speaker, and an Inc. Magazine Top 100 leadership speaker. He has been quoted widely, including the New York Times, BusinessWeek, and TIME.
After beginning his career with Andersen Consulting and Ernst & Young he completed his PhD in Organizational Behavior at Texas A&M University and enjoyed a career as an awardwinning professor and scholar. Todd has delivered over 1,000 speeches and created a body of educational work enjoyed by over 30,000,000 professionals around the globe. His recent clients include Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Pepsi, Boeing, Google, Caterpillar, IBM, Zoom, and hundreds more.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/drdewett
Instagram: instagram.com/drdewett
Website: drdewett.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/DrToddDewett
Facebook: facebook.com/DrToddDewett
Eric Girard joins Brian as a co-host to unveil 10 time management hacks for new managers, empowering them to balance their increased responsibilities efficiently. These hacks will help you carve out the time necessary to fulfill your team's needs while handling your personal responsibilities.
See the full details and links on the episode's page.
Links to References In This Episode
Brian's TEDx talk "Reimagining the Value of Your Time"
Brian's time value calculator
Brian's post on stopping the back-and-forth to schedule meetings
Calendly
AI transcription apps:
Fathom
Otter
Video: 11 ways normal office workers can use AI right now to be more productive.
Blog Post: Dictating is 3x faster than typing, start talking!
Amazon Subscribe & Save
Eric's company website
Brian's company website
Episode Digest:
Mastering time management is vital as you transition into a management role. In this episode, productivity experts Brian Nelson-Palmer and Eric Girard shared 10 time hacks for new managers. Here are their tips, check out the episode for more detail.
Eric’s Ideas:
Calendar block everything.
Put all tasks and appointments on your calendar, even small items like writing up notes. Block off specific times and treat your calendar as the boss. Eric aims for 15 minute increments. This ensures items don't slip through the cracks.
Use a system that works for you.
For example, don't force yourself to use a complex system or app if simple to-do lists work better. Eric uses Apple Calendar, Mail, and Notes while Brian uses a calendar for places he needs TO BE, to-do lists for what he needs TO DO, and notes/lists/checklists for thoughts and ideas he needs TO REMEMBER. Find what is sustainable and scalable long-term. The best system is the one you'll actually use.
Leverage AI for meeting transcriptions to capture summary and action items.
Use apps like Fathom to get full transcriptions of meetings. Review the transcript quickly after to pull out key points vs listening to long recordings. This saves time absorbing content.
Run multiple calendars.
Have distinct calendars for work, personal, family etc. to toggle on/off as needed. This reduces overwhelm of seeing everything at once. Eric manages 5+ calendars based on priorities.
Apply the 3 D's method for email.
Do it (handle quick emails instantly), delegate it (schedule time later for longer items), or delete it (remove junk mail). Stay on top of your inbox to avoid overload.
Brian’s Ideas
Stop running basic errands.
Order online or use delivery services instead of spending time on basic errands. Know your hourly rate to determine if it's worth your time. Leverage technology to optimize efficiency.
Use subscriptions and auto-delivery.
Set up subscriptions for household items and auto-delivery for work supplies to save time. Get discounts with subscribe and save options. One less thing to remember.
Leverage AI to redirect your time to your people.
Use AI to automate administrative tasks and free up time for people management, the key role of any manager. AI can't replace human emotional intelligence and empathy.
Avoid “email tag” back and forth to schedule meetings.
Provide your availability or links to schedule time through calendar apps like Calendly. Don’t waste time on coordination.
Talking to your computer is 3X faster than typing.
Dictation is faster than typing. Use voice-to-text built into your computer and apps to compose emails and notes. Stop typing, start talking.
In addition, Brian emphasized calculating your hourly rate to assess if buying back time is worthwhile. Eric noted that while technology can optimize efficiency, you should still control your system rather than letting it control you.
Key themes covered include leveraging technology for efficiency, structuring your time deliberately, streamlining communication, and automating administrative tasks wherever possible. The overarching focus is on freeing up time for people leadership - the core of management.
Assess your own work style and needs, then implement the approaches that fit you best. The right time management system will be personalized. Experiment to find what works. The goal is to establish a sustainable approach to maximize your time and energy as a new manager.
Today’s Guest
ERIC GIRARD
CEO, GIRARD TRAINING SOLUTIONS
Eric Girard has over 30 years of experience helping improve the performance of managers and employees. He specializes in the development of new managers, focusing on their successful transition to their new role and on their team management skills. He has a high-energy and engaging facilitation style.
Eric is a passionate, lifelong learner. As a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, he is pursuing the rating of Master Scuba Diver Trainer. When not designing or delivering training, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and twin 14-year-old daughters.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ericpgirard
Instagram: instagram.com/eric.p.girard
Website: girardtrainingsolutions.com
Podcast: girardtrainingsolutions.com/podcast
Chris Westfall joins Brian on the show to dissect what it is that makes a winning elevator pitch. He is a regular contributor to Forbes, the author of The NEW Elevator Pitch, and one of the most sought-after business coaches & keynote speakers in the world.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/dissecting-a-winning-elevator-pitch-with-chris-westfall
Episode Content
For Employees
Open your pitch with something that’s honest, and true, and doable, which they will agree with. The most powerful pitch is the one that’s honest and true.
Next: Share something that’s unexpected, surprising, innovative, or counterintuitive.
Last, some new information that will make them say, “tell me more”.
The higher above you that you pitch, the more simple the concepts need to be, don’t get down in the weeds, zoom out to a level that’s honest and true for both of you at both of your levels.
For Front Line Supervisors and Middle Managers
Only difference between a pitch as an employee vs a pitch as a manager is to constantly remember “service”.
It’s constantly in terms of “impact”.
“With these resources, here’s what I’d be able to do for you…”
“I’ve thought this through” and come prepared to share the thoughts.
The elevator pitch just starts the conversation, and gets permission to tell them more later.
Videos of Pitches Referenced In This Episode
Direct link to the pitch that won the Rice Business Plan Competition this year.
Topic: Magnetic Gears
Company: Fluxworks
https://tinyurl.com/FluxWorksPitch
Aaron Powell of Bunch Bikes in verbal fistfight with Barbara Corcoran in his pitch on Shark Tank and she “takes him downtown”. He got “real”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXE7xkVZt8Y
Today’s Guest
CHRIS WESTFALL
US National Elevator Pitch Champion, Author, Coach
Chris Westfall is an entrepreneur, business coach, and is recognized as the US National Elevator Pitch Champion.
A regular contributor to Forbes, and the author of four books - plus a ghostwriter for six more - he specializes in helping bring new stories to life. His titles include easier, Leadership Language and The NEW Elevator Pitch.
Chris has helped launch over five dozen businesses, and has appeared on ABC NEWS, NBC TV and CNN. He has worked with thousands of leaders at Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and high-tech startups. He regularly consults with top-tier universities. and is a coach to entrepreneurs and executives around the globe. His clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank-Australia.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/westfallonline/
Website: http://westfallonline.com
Forbes: http://bit.ly/Forbes-CW
YouTube: http://youtube.com/westfallonline
Books online:
Leadership Language: http://bit.ly/leadershiplanguage
Easier: http://easier-book.com
The NEW Elevator Pitch: http://bit.ly/thenewelevatorpitch
Socials: @westfallonline
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their practical productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Christopher Lind, Chief Learning Officer at ChenMed and industry thought leader around AI, joins Brian to talk about AI & The Human Experience, with practical applications and implications of AI for employees and supervisors right now at work.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/ai-the-human-experience-with-christopher-lind-practical-applications-of-ai-now-for-you-at-work
Episode Content
For Employees
Use Case: Look into how you can use it to design the first draft of things. Slideshows, meeting summaries, action items, templates, etc
Example: You have the status meeting with your team. It’s recorded. Copy/Paste that transcript into AI, have it identify action items, create summary, and generate update slide deck. You can have it create different versions for different audiences.
Treat AI like a brilliant intern. You always should review the work that an intern generates.
Don’t attach your professional identity to one of your job functions that AI can do. Example: If you are really good at making slide shows pivot tables, don’t resist AI because it might also do slides and pivot tables well, there’s more to your identity, lean into the other parts, don’t fight AI.
Keep learning. Life is a journey. If AI can do a part of your job, learn how to leverage that and continue learning other parts of your job that AI can’t do.
Epic Quote: “You’re not going to lose your job to AI, you’re going to lose your job to someone who’s doing your job with AI”
For Front Line Supervisors and Middle Managers
Do not let AI do “the people part” of your job. For example, don’t let AI write performance reviews.
Get better and more focused on the people parts of your job with the time AI frees up: For all of you that used to use the excuse that there was so much to do that you didn’t have time for the non-people parts of your job, those days are gone, leverage AI to help produce the non-people parts of your job, so you can spend more time on the "people parts” of your job.
Leverage AI for a second opinion. If you’re contemplating someone, and you want to “bounce that idea off of someone” or “kick an idea around”, AI is a resource is.
AI is great for creating schedules with all kinds of parameters, barriers, requests, etc.
AI has leveled up translation - it’s not perfect, you’ll still want to create review the translated product, but the quality of the translation is even better. Stakeholders in other countries and languages, let AI regenerate a first draft of your work product in other languages
AI is great for crunching numbers and identifying patterns. Example: Here’s the raw data from the Employee Viewpoint Survey, there’s thousands of responses to that survey, there’s thousands of lines of responses.
Video Learning Resources in This Episode
YouTube Video:
Unlocking Your Human Potential with Generative AI: A Guide to Becoming Distinctly More Human
YouTube Video:
11 Ways Project Managers & Normal Office Workers Can Use AI Right Now To Be More Productive
Today’s Guest
Christopher Lind
Business, Technology & Human Experience
Workplace Transformation
Most individuals who have dedicated their careers to transforming learning and talent development have spent the majority of their time in Human Resources. I’m different from most individuals. I’m a bold, digital-first learning and talent development leader that’s spent the majority of my career embedded in the businesses I serve. As a result, I’ve spent my entire career at the intersection of business, technology, and the human experience while working side-by-side with business leaders and being directly accountable for outcomes. This has provided me with a dynamic portfolio of experiences and expertise you won’t easily find.
Christopher talks about #futureofwork, #talentdevelopment, #digitaltransformation, #leadershipdevelopment, and #learninganddevelopment
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/christopherlind
Business Website: www.learningsharks.com
Christopher’s “Live Tech Talks” Youtube Show: learningsharks.com/learningtechtalks
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their practical productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Brian Glass, Attorney and Host of the Time Freedom For Lawyers podcast, joins Productivity Gladiator to talk about Life Balance Mistakes & Best Practices for people that work in a billable hours career, and passive income strategies.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/billable-hours-life-balance-tips-passive-income-with-time-freedom-for-lawyers-brian-glass
Episode Content
For Employees
Best Practice: Bring in business and look to get “Origination Credit”, meaning you bring in the customers. In most situations origination credit means you’ll get a small piece of all the billing toward that client.
Best Practice: Be their guy. Make sure YOU’RE their lawyer. You’re providing so much value that they will think of you, not just your firm. This means for all future things, the customer isn’t just referring people to your business or firm, they’re referring people to you personally.
Perspective: There's three ways to make more money in billable hours.
1) Work longer hours,
2) work for more dollars per hour, or
3) figure out a way to originate the clients, getting a piece, even if it’s a small piece, of everybody else's hours, billed on that client down the line.
Tip: Look for business to business opportunities to connect with people that have your potential clients
(example: If you’re looking for people who have been in auto accidents, advertising to the general public, 99.9% of people have NOT been in auto accidents. Find businesses that serve people who have been in auto accidents (Dr Offices, Physical Therapists, etc) and help those businesses, they’ll connect you with that audience by referring you.
Best Practice: Be the hub, the person they’re referring to when they say “I know someone”
Be known among your circles for what you do, and actively seek to help people with what you do. By helping people, they’ll remember that you’re the person that helped them on a certain topic. That’s your way to become “the hub” or “the guy”, and seek to expand your hub.
For Front Line Supervisors and Middle Managers
Best Practice: Get into management and out of the “doing”. Stay out of doing the small dollar tasks, even if they make mistakes. Every time you do your employees job, that just will perpetuate more of the same.
Reminder: Good managers take the blame for screw-ups and highlight the employees for the wins. It’s HARD to do that, to let someone fail knowing you’re likely going to have to take some of the blame for some of that failure, but you have to manage, not do the work, so let them do the work.
Passive Income
The lie of passive income - I see posts on Instagram and TikTok and YouTube where like, oh, I bought 18 Airbnbs and now I'm retired. No, you're not retired. You manage 18 Airbnbs. You just do something different, right?
Real Estate Syndications - Investing in somebody else's deal, where I fund the deal with money. Typically, the minimum investment is $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 into these deals. And then somebody, the general partner goes and operates the deal. And then every month or every quarter, depending on the project, there's a check that just shows up back in my bank account.
Books & References in This Episode
BOOK on being a good manager:
Liz Wiseman - Multipliers
BOOK on syndicated real estate:
Hands Off Investor - Brian Burke
WEBSITE for syndicated real estate deals
Crowdstreet.com
Today’s Guest
Brian Glass - Attorney
Host of the “Time Freedom for Lawyers” podcast
Brian Glass is a personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. After a decade of practicing law across town from his dad, he joined Ben Glass Law in 2019 to run the auto accident section of the practice.
Brian’s greatest hits as a lawyer include a $3.4M medical malpractice verdict (2019), the record-setting settlement of a minor’s wrongful death case in Virginia ($5.5M in 2020), and the largest auto accident verdict in the state in 2022. ($3.4M in compensatory damages and $1M in punitive damages). He is highly skilled at distilling complex problems into simple, understandable solutions.
Brian is the rare trial lawyer who is as comfortable building a business as he is in the courtroom. Over the past four years, he has quadrupled the revenue of the auto accident section at Ben Glass Law and has big plans for the future. Brian credits this growth to hiring the right people into the correct position, running the firm on EOS/Traction, and alignment of vision between he and Ben. His business acumen has led him to be interviewed on the Tribe of Millionaires, Law Firm Movers and Shakers, and Millionaire Mindcast podcasts.
Brian runs Time Freedom for Lawyers, a podcast dedicated to teaching other lawyers and high income professionals how to win back some of the their time by running more efficient businesses, investing in real estate, and crafting the vision of their own perfect life.
Brian’s perfect life includes coaching his three boys in soccer, baseball, and whatever other athletic endeavor they want to pursue; travelling the world with his wife of 13 years; and competing in endurance events. Brian is a finisher of the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Race, the Laurel Highlands 71 Miler, and about two dozen other ultramarathons. Lately, parenting has cut short his training timeline and he focuses on Crossfit and Spartan races, with a 2023 goal of traveling to Sparta, Greece to compete in the Spartan Race World Championships.
Brian is available to speak about:
Vision Building – How to Design and Achieve the Life You Want
How to Hire, Support, and Manage Great Staff
Rethinking Retirement – Why High Earners Should Create Passive Income Streams to Make Work Optional
Managing Your Law Firm by the Numbers
Find Brian on:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fairfaxpersonalinjury/
Ben Glass Law: https://www.benglasslaw.com/bio/brian-glass-fairfax-auto-accident-lawyer.cfm
Great Legal Marketing: https://greatlegalmarketing.com/
Time Freedom For Lawyers: https://www.timefreedompod.com/
Productivity Gladiator highlighted on Time Freedom For Lawyers
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “13 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their practical productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
In this episode, April Myers, a Vice President and Realtor with RLAH @Properties, joins Brian to talk about Life Balance Mistakes & Best Practices for people that work on Commission.
See the full details and links on the episode's page: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/commission-sales-life-balance-mistakes-best-practices-with-realtor-vp-april-myers
Today’s Guest
April Myers
Vice President & Realtor - RLAH @Properties
April is a licensed Realtor with over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry. April has helped clients buy or sell 200+ homes, and has been licensed in three different states. With a strong emphasis on excellent client service including transparency, education, and communication, she delivers an exemplary experience whether clients are buying their first or second homes, downsizing or upsizing, and everything in between. She has served on various committees and leadership positions within RLAH @properties, and the real estate community, and is heavily involved with the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. She is 2023 Chairperson of the NVAR Political Action Committee.
Instagram
LinkedIn
April@rlahre.com
For Employees
Mistake: People let their ego get in the way. You think you know better than the people you’re working with, which can alienate the customer and cost you the sale. “Perfection gets in the way of done”
Mistake: “If you love the team you work on, it doesn’t feel like work”. If team becomes your family and all you do is work, that’s not “Life Balance”.
Mistake: Loyalty to a fault. You are replaceable and so is your workplace. If you’re work isn’t acceptable to the workplace, they can and will let you go. On the flip side, just because they gave you a shot doesn’t mean “you owe them” anything. If you’ve progressed in your career and the growth you want in your current role isn’t happening, it’s time to move on, you need to make that decision. Don’t stick around because you think you owe them something.
Best Practice: Grow and develop relationships outside of work. Sales is often a “people” job. Good relationships with co-workers and prospects can be fulfilling, but over time, you will actually start to feel lonelier, since those relationships are for work purposes, no personal, and don’t feed your soul completely! You need friends and relationships that have NOTHING to do with work.
New research shows that even a single conversation with a friend per day is enough to boost your happiness and lower stress. the conversation needs to be “quality” to improve your day, that can mean anything from deep discussions to just catching up or joking around. The study determined in-person interactions were better, social media didn’t count.
Best Practice: Don’t lose sight of what the end goal is. If you get money hungry, life and “the universe” will catch up to you. If your focus is making a buck, that will cause more highs and lows. If your focus is helping people, that can keep paying dividends and be fulfilling,
Mistake: More hours don’t equal more success. Work smarter not harder. In the beginning of any role, you need to hustle to get started, however, working 80 hours/week isn’t sustainable, you need to work on bettering yourself and your career.
Best Practice: YOU are in charge of bettering yourself. Bettering and developing yourself will make a night and day difference in your career, but NO ONE will push your learning. Most workplaces are only interested in your sales. YOU have to push and stress your learning and development.
Metaphor for this: Lebron James didn’t get to be the best just because he played a lot of basketball games. Coaching? Training? Practice?
Best Practice: Know yourself and your strengths. Make sure you’re spending your time on the important parts of the process that are the best use of your time. Realtor examples: If graphic design isn’t your strength, don’t design your own fliers.
Best Practice: A teammate will allow life balance opportunities, instead of having to do every sale yourself. Perhaps splitting instead of working all the time to handle everything yourself.
For Front Line Supervisors and Middle Managers
Mistake: “Good Salesperson” doesn’t mean “Good Manager” - You need to learn and develop as a manager now. Being a good salesperson might have gotten you the promotion, but “what got you here won’t get you there”. Your self development now needs to focus on management skills, not just continuing to be a good salesperson.
Best Practice: “Mirroring” employees and customers so they feel heard. This is a game changing skill, whether it’s a problem one of your employees is sharing, or a customer communicating an issue you’re just now hearing about, helping them feel heard is a skill you need to learn and actually practice. Reference the book “never split the difference” linked below in the book section of these episode notes.
Best Practice: Support your employee’s deals while they’re off - Trust is an important thing, and the trust an employee has when a customer of theirs interacts with a manager while the employee isn’t there is paramount. This is a “short game” vs “long game” conversation. In the short term, it may be better that you closed that sale or resolved the customer issue with a sale, but in the long term if the employee comes back and finds out that the manager “stole” the sale, or the manager “threw the employee under the bus” by saying the employee was wrong or didn’t know what they were talking about, these will cause a loss of trust which takes years to rebuild. “You haven’t hit your goal yet, so are you coming in this weekend, it’s the last day of the month”
Best Practice: In Prospecting, help employees with “value” to offer customers when following up. After the first “are you ready yet” call, the customer will get tired of salespeople calling, managers can help come up with news and ideas for what value add for the customer to share in a prospecting follow up call. Some kind of news or reason for salespeople to call is important, and as a manager, feeding these ideas to your team is valuable help you can provide.
Best Practice: Help your teams be involved in communities where the leads are warm instead of cold. Are there places online employees and teams can go to engage with potential clients who are already interested in what you’re selling? These places would be potentially “luke warm” connections instead of straight “cold” emailing/calling. Maybe facebook groups where they’re selling/buying what you have? Instead of waiting for them to come to you, how can you go where your potential customers are. Also, HOT TIP, offer value to these potential customers, don’t just log on and try to sell them something in your first interaction. Offer information and advice, establish yourself as a helpful resource.
Good Books & References in This Episode
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
by Ian Morgan Cron
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It
by Chris Voss
Secrets of Closing the Sale: For Anyone Who Must Get Others to Say Yes!
by Zig Ziglar
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
by Patrick Lencioni, Charles Stransky
5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead
Jeremie Kubicek
Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results
by Larry Kendall
Podcast Episode: End Your Struggle: Set Boundaries + Find Peace with Licensed Therapist Nedra Tawwab
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. Topics like “12 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the tips from these exclusive events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their practical productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
In this episode, Soness Stevens, the Original TEDx Speaker Coach,
joins Brian to talk about getting, giving, & excelling at, a TED Talk. This episode is a departure from the normal episode, since Brian’s TEDx talk went live and went viral, Brian’s received a lot of questions about how to get a TED talk, and tips or advice on giving one. This episode with Soness shares solid answers to those questions.
Link for the full page with all the details, the video, and more, for this episode:
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/soness-stevens-getting-giving-excelling-at-a-ted-talk
Today’s Guest
Soness Stevens
The 1st TEDx Speaker coach
www.yourspeakingjourney.com
Soness Stevens LinkedIn
Soness Stevens, the Original TEDx Speaker Coach is a communications expert, four-time speaker at TEDx, coach to more than 140 TED & TEDx presenters, and member of the TED Global faculty. Her stories inspire audiences to cry, laugh, and give standing ovations. Audiences of 10 to 1,000 are moved, connected, and engaged by Soness's presentations. 750,000 people have undergone transformation over 20 years.
You cancontact Soness Stevens here.
When do you know you have an idea that’s Good for a TED talk?
—TED calls a talk an “idea worth spreading”
—Chris Anderson, the head of TED says:
“Everyone has an idea worth spreading”
—Soness adds to that:
“…when they make it clear concise and replicable.”
The application process
Brian’s Process: it took 2 years (with a 14 month COVID Delay):
—Researched over 100 events.
—23 applications in total / ended up with 2 offers.
—Idea combined with a story people can relate to.
—2 offers within a couple of weeks for each other.
Other recommendations:
—Pick an event that’s relevant to your topic and to your audience
—Recommend focusing on one event and one application at a time. A good quality and tailored application to a specific event, with a video of yourself mentioning your idea, will beat the “blast everyone with the same blueprint” every time.
—Only accept or plan to give one TED talk at a time, for one idea at a time.
In a TEDx speaker application 4 things to address:
1) What’s the idea worth spreading?
2) How does your talk align with that TEDx event’s theme?
3) Why should anyone care?
4) Why should they listen to YOU share the idea?
Developing Your Talk
From Brian:
Write it first, focus entirely on the content and “what you’ll say”, up until 4 weeks before talk, then switch to memorizing your delivery on “how you’ll say it”.
For 6 months - 3x per week zoom calls with friends. I read them the talk and showed them the slides. At the end, I asked them “On a scale of 0-not at all likely, to 10-extremely likely, how likely would you be to recommend this talk to a friend or colleague.?” and “Tell me why?”. This is the Net Promoter Score question. When I was consistently getting 9s & 10s almost all the time I knew the content of the talk was ready.
From Soness:
Takes more of a creative side, must bring in your personality. Bring out the type of person. Unique delivery to you. Make sure you bring in your humor.
Feedback should be taken with a grain of salt. Everyone wants to be helpful, so they’re going to give you whatever they can think of, that can cause you to lose track of your talk completely.
Delivering Your Talk
—Clear & Concise
—From Brian “I recommend it’s memorized word for word, you should be so comfortable with it it’s like wearing an old pair of pants.”
—From Soness, one of her clients said “I know this talk so well I feel like I could give it while changing a tire in the rain.”
What to do after your TEDx talk Comes Out
—From Soness: Some people experience post talk shame where they want to “take it back”. Overcoming this comes from good preparation and connection with your talk. Often that shame comes from not being comfortable with it when you give it.
—Media blitz and share it with everyone you know.
—Set up your posts and emails in advance.
—You can even prerecord interviews and then have the channel wait to put them out until your TED talk is released.
Links to TED Talks referenced in this episode:
Brian’s Talk:
Reimagining the actual value of your time | Brian Nelson-Palmer | TEDxWhiting
Speakers Soness Mentioned Stories About:
How to deal with toxic family relationships | Johnson Chong | TEDxRolandPark
The Bystander Effect: Why Some People Act and Others Don't | Kelly Charles-Collins | TEDxOcala
A Corporation is a Collection of Unique Souls like You & Me | Shirley Liu | TEDxCambridgeUniversity
The Flipside of Loneliness | Monica Rivera | TEDxFlatbush
Happy Soles: Happy Souls | Rob Nugen | TEDxOgikubo
WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP | AYSHA VAN DE PAER | TEDxLausanneWomen
Books To Help Prepare For A TED Talk
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds
by Carmine Gallo
How to Deliver a TED Talk: Secrets of the World's Most Inspiring Presentations: Revised and Expanded New Edition
by Jeremey Donovan
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
by Chris Anderson
Why Subscribe To The Email List: Brian does special zoom events and shares hacks and tips exclusively for his email subscribers. This like “12 alternatives to checking social media on your phone” or “2 email rules which will cut your email inbox in half” and more. Sign up to start receiving the results from these events!
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their practical productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
In this episode, Brian shares his “year in review” for 2022, the process he uses to create the review, a template so you can try your own, and the steps he follows to automate the reminders to check back in throughout the year(s) to see if you’re still on track.
Link for the full page with all the details, the video, and more, for this episode:
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/my-year-in-review-heres-how-i-do-it
The Evolution Of My Year-In-Review
Right up front, I admit that I poopoo’d this year-in-review practice for years. In my early career I heard about people doing this “year in review” thing. My thinking back then was “If YOU want to waste all that time reflecting on your year that’s fine, but I’m killing it at work right now so I’m going to keep killing it. I know what I’m doing, no need to reflect.” Looking back, I WAS WRONG.
Looking back now, I think I was wrong for 2 reasons.
1) I was missing that there is a lot of power in making sure you’re headed toward my goals.
I now think there’s real power in stepping back and looking at where you’re headed. In the day to day, I would often get so focused on driving metrics, completing tasks, and working toward goals, that I often lost sight of the big picture, I “couldn’t see the forest for the trees”. This reflection has really helped me to both appreciate just HOW MUCH I’ve accomplished AND reach some important realizations on whether I was really happy with the direction I was headed.
2) I was completely missing the reflection and course correction in my personal life.
Most of the reflection I did was entirely focused on my professional life. Performance reviews at work really facilitate this process. Your “annual performance review” is the time when you can and should do this professionally, and discuss it with your boss since they may have good ideas and further direction you can incorporate. The problem though is that I never gave myself my own personal performance review. My personal life was just “happening” to me, like I was a passenger on that train, not driving it. I missed doing a “performance review” of sorts for my personal life.
Coming around to it took years
For more than a decade of my early career, I never even considered doing my own “year in review”. Then from around 2012 to 2019, my steadfast opposition to the practice slowly started to soften. Each year, the people in the productivity space which I followed and looked up to would talk in their blog posts and podcasts about their “year in review” they’d completed and the realizations they’d had. Over the course of 7 years, hearing these messages each year was enough to slowly shift my thinking from a “this is dumb” idea to a “hmmm, I wonder what would happen if I tried it” idea. Finally, in 2019 I did my first one of these for myself and I can honestly say, I was wrong, I love this practice of reflecting on my personal “year in review”. I also feel like I leveled up my personal life significantly!
I think the power is in differentiating your “personal” from your “professional” Year-In-review.
My year-in-review I’m going to share is entirely my “personal” year-in-review. In all my work now teaching life balance and personal productivity, people often lose sight of the “life” part of their “work-life balance”. I think there’s real power that comes from doing this for yourself, for you as a person, separate from you as a professional.
——
What about my hobbies, & side hustles that produce income?
For me, I have a primary job/career that is my primary source of income, but I also have several side hustles. Some of you may probably identify with that. Those side hustles are included in my personal year-in-review, the main job is not. Here’s where I draw the line - if my hobby or side hustle includes an annual performance review, then I do my reflecting for that one during that review. It’s alright if I touch on some of these or mention them in my personal year-in-review, but it shouldn’t be the focus here. Your personal review is on your life and your personal pursuits.
——-
The Structure Of My Year-In-Review
I keep this pretty simple, I try to capture the “highs”, the “lows”, revisiting what I said before, and then what I’m going to do now. Laid out, the sections look like this, and I have a template you can use for this later:
-HIGHLIGHTS
—-Accomplishments & Things That Brought Me Joy
—-There were trips!
—-Relationships
-Last year, I said I was going to do some things this year. How’d I do on those?
-Other FRUSTRATIONS, disappointments, and things that made me sad this year:
-The CHANGES and NEW GOALS for YYYY
—-
Here’s My 2022 Year-In-Review
HIGHLIGHTS for 2022:
Accomplishments & Things That Brought Me Joy
Lived a true snowbird life by spending the winter in Florida for 9 weeks from late December to late February: Panama City Beach-2 weeks, Downtown Tampa-2 weeks, St. Pete-2 weeks, Clearwater-2 weeks, St. Augustine-1 week.
In April Nikki and I started working with a nutrition coach. We have been counting macros for the rest of the year; I’m down 7-ish lbs from my high and I’m a notch or two tighter in the belts.
This was my fourth year volunteering with the Wammies, we were finally back “in person” too and had a big red carpet event at the Capital Turnaround at the end of March. Big event, Big success!
TEDxTalk Success! 60+ Initial calls with people, and 50+ practice runs, the live event in June, plus a 5 month wait for the video to go live in November, but I finally did it! Woo!
New Car for Nikki AND for myself! Finally driving a vehicle I can tow a boat with!
I was out on the boat 29 times!
Got to play drums again with Fellowcraft twice! Reunion baby! Played a wedding, and a private show in someone’s front yard for Halloween.
Joined the “Big Brother Big Sister” organization as a volunteer Big Bro, was connected with my Little Bro and hung out with him about twice a month; 14 times in total!
Launched the Productivity Gladiator Podcast. 7 episodes completed this year! Averaging about one per month. LOVE the cool conversations I’ve had and the really cool people I’ve gotten to meet, and I feel like I’m really delivering value with each episode.
Switched from a beard to a go-tee, and NO ONE has noticed or said anything, so I’m taking that as a good sign. Reinforces that my cheeks don’t grow hair thick enough to make it worth doing the full beard, so now have a “cleaner” look without all that sparse cheek hair. Sticking with this for now.
Started working with a coach for Productivity Gladiator and this has really helped me focus and start making targeted progress. I feel more focused than ever on what I’m doing there.
We were able to find renters to live in our condo while we’re down in FL this winter! Woo!
I was going to have to step back from volunteering with the Wammies, but they countered and offered me a contract to keep working on it. I LOVE the Wammies, love the team I’m working with, and love supporting an organization like the Musicianship, which does so much good for the community in DC!
Wedding Venue Contract signed, date locked in, we’re off to a good start here!
There were trips!
Florida snowbird this winter for 2.5 months
New York City
Whiting, New Jersey
Atlanta, GA
Pennsylvania 4x - Philly & Blandon several times
VA Beach 2x
North Carolina 3x - Charlotte, Saluda (near Asheville) & Oak Island
Maryland 3x - Baltimore, Kent Narrows, & Ocean City
Relationships
I’m engaged! I proposed, and Nikki said YES! I’m a lucky man with this one. Gonna be an amazing wedding!
I so treasure my relationship with the “dinner party group” as we have come to call ourselves. It’s a close group of adult friends, and that’s not easy to do in today’s day and age. We text each other directly, this isn’t just a social media connection.
6 official “dinner parties” with our dinner party group, though countless other hangouts that go way beyond dinner parties
Florida friends! I was able to reconnect with people I haven’t seen in years in Florida, making the time we spent in Florida during the winter so much more fun!
Made some amazing new adult friends that have “stuck” this year. This seems to be hard in general as adults, but it’s happening, and these are some amazing people!
Last year, I said I was going to do some things this year. How’d I do on those?
I SAID: Snowbird life continues: We’re headed down to FL for over 2 months to start the year. Last year we did a 3 week trip to FL during the winter and loved it. Since 100% remote work is still a possibility for both of us, we’re going again for longer this year. Ultimately, we think we want to be regulars going down to Tampa in the colder months, so this year we’re going to be checking it out, hopping around between different parts to scope it out while we’re there.
Success here! Decided that St Pete will be our move going forward!
I SAID: Boat Life: Still a member of the boat club, but the restrictions as a club member are annoying (ex: no evenings, no sunsets, I must book weekend reservations weeks in advance, there are no overnights available without booking at least a month in advance, etc). We’re ready to take the plunge and get a boat of our own. This will mean when my car lease is up this summer, we’ll be getting a truck or SUV that can tow a boat, then we’ll be trying to get the boat. *fingers crossed”
Success! Traded my car in for a truck that can tow a boat, and found the boat I want to buy, working on this up to the very last day of the year, anticipate getting the boat by February at the latest.
I SAID: Weight Loss: It’s time to work with a nutrition coach. I feel like I recognize the things I need to change, but I also think there’s so much more I can and should learn in this area. I’ve got the gym part covered, but I have got to get the “diet” right, which means it’s time to “go back to school” on that. Most of it will just be better discipline on my part. I recognize this. That said, I want to work with a few different coaches/sources. I call it “learning by committee” and the older I get, the more I’d rather learn from “a committee” of different people with different perspectives. I think that leverages the knowledge to bring me to an even better place, rather than just learning one way from one coach.
Moderate progress here! Found a nutrition coach! Working with him has been great. I’m down about 7lbs from where I was, though I’m certainly hoping to be down more than that. Hoping this next year will bring even better results
I SAID: I’d like to do more volunteering with a youth organization such as the Boys and Girls club, or Demolay. I want to give back to the next generation.
Success! I joined the Big Brother Big Sister organization, and am a big brother. My little brother, Shiloh, and I have hung out a couple of times a month!
I SAID: I’d like some more “Uncle Brian” time. I want to make sure I play with the kids when I get together with the families I know. I’d like the kids to feel like they know me too, not just their parents. I want to be more intentional about changing that.
Meh, I give myself a “C” for this. I did hang out with the kids when I went to gatherings but didn’t do much of it, so I did better here, which is why I didn’t fail completely. I still just don’t feel like I did as much with the kids as I would like.
I SAID: For Productivity Gladiator, I’d like to book 2 events per month. I am looking forward to giving my TED Talk and actually already have 17 events on the calendar for 2022, so it’s looking good!
Success AND failure on this one.
“Success” in that I did more than 40 events this year where I was speaking on my work through Productivity Gladiator and prepping for my TED talk.
“Failure” in that almost all of these sessions weren’t paid, or business development with the idea of connect with clients which could lead to getting paid. I elevated the brand, but definitely need to spend some more time on this one.
Take trips, go see people, and reconnect with people I’ve lost touch with because of COVID.
Success! I definitely feel like I accomplished this one.
Other FRUSTRATIONS, disappointments, and things that made me sad this year:
The effects of diabetes were an issue in my eyes again this year. I’m finally on a treatment regimen that seems to be working. It’s just a bummer that my main choices to fight off the effects of diabetes on my vision are either a shot in each eye every 2 months, or a laser procedure which would be permanent change to my vision. Since the shots are working as prescribed gonna stick with them. Sigh….
I got an infection in my foot which was so strong that my body couldn’t fight it off on its own, ended up going to the ER to get IV antibiotics, and had to stop teaching workout classes for a couple weeks to recover. That was kinda scary to have 3 toes and part of my foot turn another color!
Hairline thinned out some more. Sigh, I mean, I knew this was coming. It’s only gonna get worse. Rogaine seems to be pointless, but somehow can’t give up Rogaine because the story in my head is that it will start receding faster than it already is?!?! Sigh….
My knees are starting to give me problems. Whenever I do lunges and squats, there’s a certain point in the range of motion where I feel a “twinge” and it’s uncomfortable. Not taking pain meds, but just an “ow, that’s uncomfortable feeling”. Been to the doctor and physical therapist on this, and it’s just not resolved. Gonna stick with it, but sadly I may be headed toward a shot in the knees in the future if it continues getting worse.
There was the loss of loved ones both close to me, family and friends, which is always hard to process. These situations really reinforced for me how precious this life is. Several times this year, I caught myself thinking about how I’m living my own life. Grateful for these year-in-review sessions because I feel like I’m absolutely on the right track, and don’t have any regrets. Still kinda scary to think about.
Haven’t lost as much weight as I was hoping. Metabolisms and dieting are a bummer! I thought I’d work with this nutrition coach and the lbs would just fly off, but sadly that didn’t happen. Also, I’ve always heard people talk about how it gets more difficult to lose weight as you get older, I feel some of that frustration. I’m down a few pounds and all my clothes fit better, so I’m grateful, but still a little frustrated.
The used car prices got me in a bad way this year. The beginning of the year, my car which I was going to trade in was worth $10K more than it was by the time my new vehicle came in and I went to trade it in. Grrrrrrrr…..timing is a b!%&$
The CHANGES and NEW GOALS for 2023
Get ON the weight loss! I want to get to 200 lbs by Feb 2024 (my wedding) so that means I need to get on it, that’s a rate of roughly 1.5 lbs per month-ish. Gotta be more precise this year with my nutrition and counting PFCs.
Become a boat guy! I’m almost there, the boat I want is within my grasp, just need to finish the deal and go pick it up, hoping by Feb 2023
Level up “Uncle Brian” a bit more. I want to make it a point to have conversations and take some time to hang out with the kids specifically when I visit friends with kids. I want the kids to feel like they know me too. Keep showing up as a good Big Brother for my Little.
2 big bucket list things this year. A trip on the world’s biggest cruise ship for my 40th birthday, and Alaskan cruise with the family!
I wanna work on being a better partner for Nikki, focusing on supporting her in the way she wants and needs. In our conversations I want to remember that it’s not my job to “fix it”, my main role is to listen & validate in our conversations.
I want to do 2 paid Productivity Gladiator engagements per month.
Upgrade Nikki and I’s living conditions to support full time remote work. We both work from home, and to facilitate that we really each need our own office with a door that closes, which means we really need 3 bedrooms. We have a 3 bedroom in place for the time we’re in Florida this year, but I want to figure out how we can have 3 bedrooms when we get back to DC in the spring, while still living in an area we’d like (and hopefully being close to the water because we’ll have a boat).
——-
NOW YOU TRY
I’ve created a template google doc which you can create your own copy from this link, or just view from this link. Use either of these to try this for yourself.
Instructions:
This should be done just for you personally for your personal life and passions which don’t already have an annual performance review. I recommend doing a completely separate review for those roles.
Look back through your photos, calendar and social media from this year
Fill in the sections below. Capture the highs and lows. Once you feel you’ve really captured the year, fill in the CHANGES AND NEW GOALS section at the end.
This is written in a conversational way so that if you want to copy/paste/share this on social media or with family/friends you can.
I’ve used the heading 1, 2, 3 to label the headings, so as this document grows, if you want to maintain the clickable table of contents you can.
Keep it going:
For the next year, copy/paste/duplicate the previous year above the last, then you’ll have them all together.
Check in with yourself each quarter to see how you’re doing with your intentions for the year! To make this easy, you can click the “share” button at the top of your google doc, and copy the link to this document for yourself to access. Then send an email to “every3months@followupthen.com” (this is a free email reminder service) with the subject “Am I on track for my year so far?” and put the link to this document in the body of the email. Each quarter, the email will hit your inbox. Click the link in the message and it will open right up! Read through it and course correct during the year.
——-
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their personal productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
In this episode, Maggie Gough, Chief Operating Officer of The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) joins Brian to talk about the right and wrong metrics to measure life balance and wellness.
Link for the full page with all the details, the video, and more, for this episode:
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/maggie-gough-right-wrong-metrics-to-measure-life-balance-and-wellness
Today’s Guest
MAGGIE GOUGH
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA (WELCOA)
www.welcoa.org
Maggie Gough LinkedIn
Maggie Gough, Chief Operating Officer of WELCOA recognizes the structure and depth of the corporate wellness industry and the needs of the professionals and employees they support. As the Chief Operating Officer of WELCOA, she ensures that members receive outstanding service and build sustaining connections as a whole community.
You can contact Maggie here.
For Employees
—It's important to understand what's in your control and what's out of your control. When you focus on what you can control, your thoughts can empower you and can trigger positive productivity and you’ll feel like you’re moving in a positive direction. Give yourself the freedom to release the things that are outside of our control. This will drastically improve your well-being.
—This simple shift in perspective is really helpful: Well Being is NOT a destination that you work towards and reach. Balance is not a destination that you work towards and reach. Well Being and Balance are a light inside yourself, and that light can be amplified or diminished by things both inside and out of your control. Focus on the things you can control that will help amplify your light.
—Consider changing the way you view well-being as the things you do which allow you to be responsive and resilient in your work environment, not a list of tasks to do daily to be “perfect”
—Self Care is time spent meeting your needs, NOT time spent becoming a better version of yourself.
(Self Improvement would be the part about becoming a better version of yourself, and while that’s important, be sure not to lump self care and self improvement together, they’re 2 different things!)
—Check in with yourself on your well-being:
——Am I spending my time in ways that care for my well-being?
——Am I spending my time trying to perfect myself for others or for me?
——Am I letting someone else decide how my time should be spent caring for myself?
For Front-Line Supervisors & Managers
—Managers should NOT look at well-being and life balance as if this was an equation that we can manage.
—Do not rate someone else’s life balance or well-being, only the employee can determine their own.
—All organizations should be asking the question, in some manner, human to human, how can we better support your well-being?
—A Bad Metric for workplace wellness is “participation”. Looking at “how many people got their flu shot.” or “how many people are using the gym benefit” or “how many people are getting 10,000 steps a day” does NOT serve the people in your organization.
—Wellness should not be something your employees “need to do” for their job. If wellness means they need to “track this thing” or “report this number” and that’s part of their performance benefit.
—Don't be afraid to ask people how to solve a problem together. Collaborate. As a manager, especially in life balance and well being, it’s not your job to “fix it”. A manager’s role is to actively listen, and assist with the individual’s problems that are inside of the organization’s scope and capabilities. Respect & honor the other problems you cannot assist with.
—Good metric to use, Cantrell’s Wellness Ladder. Ask yourself and your employee, “If you are looking at a ladder, on 0-10 scale, where do you currently rate your wellness now? Why? Where do you hope to be in 3 years? Do they feel like they are headed up or down?
7-10 - Thriving — wellbeing that is strong, consistent, and progressing. These respondents have positive views of their present life situation (7+) and have positive views of the next five years (8+). They report significantly fewer health problems, fewer sick days, less worry, stress, sadness, anger, and more happiness, enjoyment, interest, and respect.
5-6 - Struggling — wellbeing that is moderate or inconsistent. These respondents have moderate views of their present life situation OR moderate OR negative views of their future. They are either struggling in the present, or expect to struggle in the future. They report more daily stress and worry about money than the “thriving” respondents, and more than double the amount of sick days. They are more likely to smoke, and are less likely to eat healthy.
0-4 - Suffering — wellbeing that is at high risk. These respondents have poor ratings of their current life situation (4 and below) AND negative views of the next five years (4 and below). They are more likely to report lacking the basics of food and shelter, more likely to have physical pain, a lot of stress, worry, sadness, and anger. They have less access to health insurance and care, and more than double the disease burden, in comparison to “thriving” respondents.
—Using an individual’s biometrics to determine their well-being can trigger disordered or unhealthy habits, thus creating toxic narratives between weight and health. The answer is not a simple formula like: “your resting heart rate is elevated, you should drink less coffee.”
—As a manager, if you’re feeling burnt out of yourself, hearing somebody else needs is really hard. The more that you can remain in a state of curiosity and asking someone to tell you more, the better it will be in order to hear feedback and more thoroughly understand how you can help. If you need to take a vacation or take a step back, that’s okay too, you have to be in a place in your life where you can show up for yourself AND others.
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I teach overworked project managers how to level-up their life balance and pump up their personal productivity through my Productivity Gladiator training system. If what you’ve seen here intrigues you, reach out, let’s chat! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
In this episode, Haysing Han, founder of H. Manifest joins Brian to talk about the ways productivity should create capacity to advance your life & career. If you only give 110% to your tasks, without any capacity left to network, or meet with a mentor, then you’ll only ever get more tasks instead of advancement.
Link for the full page with all the details of this episode:
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/haysing-han-productivity-should-create-capacity-to-advance-your-life-career
Today’s Guest
Haysing Han
Founder of H.Manifest Inc.
hmanifest.com/
instagram.com/haysing_han
facebook.com/haysing.han.2
Haysing Han is a certified high-performance coach with 25 years of corporate experience. She was also a research and analytics consultant for top two things in Canada and United Airlines in the US.
You can learn more about Haysing and book a free call with her here.
For Employees
Most people rate themselves as really high on productivity because they complete their work. But if you are known to be an effective and productive person, does that just mean that you’re given more work? Or that you’re also leveling up?
Many people may not be able to tell the difference between you giving your 80% and your 110% at all of the tasks that are assigned to you. But if you work with a mentor and people who can help advance your career it may result in more meaningful work, not just more of the same work.
Clarity and alignment between the way you’re spending your time with the direction you want to go professionally in your career is big! Reflect for a moment, do you have that? If you showed your calendar to someone, would you be able to point to where you’re putting time and effort into your own advancement?
What do you really want?
Can you visualize it?
Can you dream about it?
Would that income do exactly what you want to do?
What are you going to do to make it more meaningful for you?
You have to be crystal clear about what you want to avoid having years go by and feeling the burnout or like you didn’t go anywhere.
For Front-Line Supervisors & Managers
A high performing manager doesn’t just focus on the tasks. They recognize the “long game” for each of the people under them, and help with the clarity and progress toward that.
In terms of leadership, how are you going to grow your team. Thinking you’re just going to keep everyone where they are, and avoid change, will not move you in a positive direction.
A manager’s role is often to help their team to think differently. Supporting the creation of a working life balance as a whole person, not just for the hours they are at work.
A manager’s role is to actively have the conversation about personal development objective. So then they actually feel like they have permission to set aside an hour or two hours every day to grow in a new skill set.
Most importantly, managers should take a look around, if your team has been the same faces for years, and you have motivated people who want to grow and advance, this is a problem, and you’re the main person who can help or hinder solving that.
Full Episode Link: https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/workr-beeing-49-tips-to-manage-stress-in-a-hectic-work-environment
TODAY’S GUESTS
DR. KATINA SAWYER &
DR. PATRICIA GRABAREK
CO-FOUNDERS OF WORKR BEEING
https://workrbeeing.com/
instagram.com/workrbeeing/
facebook.com/workrbeeing/
Community: https://workrbeeing.memberful.com/join
On the show we found out that Katina and Patricia are friends from grad school. They created Workr Beeing to talk about the science behind workplace wellness and work-life balance. They both have a Ph.D’s in industrial & organizational psychology so you can say they're “experts” in how people function and behave at work. They provide science backed resources and information to make better and more positive work environments. The funny part, it all started when they were several drinks in at a wedding!
Workr Beeing is different, according to Katina and Patricia, because they are “nerds about data”, and the science and research behind these trends. They summarize what exists in the scientific literature in, what they hope is, a fun and exciting way.
You can read their bios here.
49 TIPS & TACTICS TO MANAGE STRESS IN A HECTIC WORK ENVIRONMENT
FOR EMPLOYEES
Be able to name your own signs of stress, and learn to recognize them sooner. When you're in the moment of feeling stressed, all other things start to sort of fade away and you get very hyper focused on the thing that's stressing you out. When you get stressed you feel a spike in your negative emotions so you become more anxious & you start to think more negatively than positively. When that happens you go into a fight or flight type mode. Your heart rate might spike. Your palms might start to get sweaty. You might start to have racing thoughts. If you can catch yourself earlier in the stress process, like when you’re at a 3 or 4 on a 1-10 scale, you can start to deescalate sooner. If it takes you until you get to be a 10 out of 10 before you notice, then it’s a much harder and longer trip to bring yourself back down to a 1. To deescalate you can try:
Breathing Exercises (app on your phone)
Body scans (mental exercise)
Mindfulness Exercises (Have an app ready and loaded with your favorite 2 min meditation)
Nature Meditations
Quick Guided Meditations
Remove yourself from the situation physically for a few minutes (take a quick walk)
Quick workout during the day (try to hit your max heart-rate, like the moment from “Rocky” where you’re completely out of breath, even if it’s just a quick sprint during a walk.)
Know your long term symptoms of stress, like chronic stress. For some people it’s chronic and persistent, you can’t isolate it to one stressful moment or event. What does that feel like in your body? Some activities that can help you cope and fill your cup back up are:
Mastery - Master a new skill or topic.
Work on a project, like a house project
Take lessons on learning another language
Try cooking a new dish in the kitchen
Do an activity where your brain is completely focused on the present moment. This causes it to leave behind the thing that’s stressing you out, and eases some of the stress from it. Something where you can focus ONLY on the present.
This is why vegging out, or TV, are NOT very effective for many people.
DO NOT scroll social media. Social Media is shown by research to NOT reduce stress
Hanging with friends who make you laugh
Remove notifications that will pull you back into stress. (Example: out with friends laughing and a work email notification goes off, you look at your phone, and you’re sucked RIGHT BACK INTO stress.).
Clarify your “disconnected” hours. For most people work is not 24/7/365. There are off times, be clear about those and eliminate or limit notifications that can get through to only true emergencies. Balance means you need to be “off” sometimes, not “on” all the time.
Journaling helps to get the stuff out of your head. Have you ever tried “writing morning pages”?
If ideas or stress are spinning before bed, write it down. Keep a paper/pen or device next to you in bed and if a thought is swirling and won’t let you relax, write it down. The act of writing it down will help your brain let it go, because your brain knows it written down and won’t be forgotten, so it doesn’t need to be “front of mind” anymore.
FOR FRONT-LINE SUPERVISORS & MANAGERS
Now for front-line supervisors and managers, besides all the above recommendations, we added on these specifically for those who are managing others. What can you do for the people under you?
Individualization of your support is important.
Know the type of support that each person needs. If you know their personal stressors, they’re easier to accommodate. 3 examples:
If an employee has childcare issues, being aware of scheduling meetings (if possible) to not interfere with that.
If an employee has a health condition, be aware of that in your planning, and/or the support you offer them.
If your employees favorite extracurricular activity is after work on Wednesdays, then don’t schedule a meeting to conflict with that unless there truly is no other choice and it’s an emergency.
Understand that while their work-life and personal lives are separate, it’s still the same person, and one affects the other. Be open to the stressors in all forms. (Example: Don’t ignore the fact that they’re pregnant, ask for updates on how the pregnancy is going periodically, and if there’s anything you can do to support. Even if you can’t offer what they ask, decline nicely, it will still mean a lot that you asked.)
Role Modeling good practices yourself
If you say to disconnect on the weekend, but you send emails on the weekend, that can be a stressor. SCHEDULE SEND emails you’re sending to arrive Monday morning instead.
Don’t highlight and reward only the behaviors that are unhealthy workaholic behaviors. Examples:
“Judy get’s this award because she worked so hard that she had her baby at work.”
“Johnny is sending emails on nights and weekends, he really shows his dedication to the job”.
When you’re on vacation, unplug completely. If you check your emails, your staff will think they need to.
Share some of your life outside of work with your team. If you have hobbies, that makes it safe for your employees to have hobbies.
Set AND SHARE priorities. There’s always going to be plenty to do, so the constant addition of more urgent things, and an environment where everything is urgent and must be done right away, there’s no sense of prioritization, and people won’t know how to manage their own time and stress. In short, don’t be an “Everything is always on fire” boss!
Let employees have a say if you can. As the boss, you know you can ultimately decide, but it’s helpful to involve the employees when you can. Share the things that are coming and see who is interested in adding more.
Allow your employees to disagree with you. Let them tell you what can or cannot be done without the fear of getting fired the first time they do. Build psychological safety with your team.
Model that behavior up too. If your boss adds more to your team’s plate, go to your boss and ask for priorities, for the sake of your whole team.
Don’t be afraid to ask the question of your employees because you’re afraid of finding out “the bad news”. If that’s how you’re feeling as a supervisor, it’s probably even more important that you do. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.
Support your employees fitness, sleep, & diet.
If you’re buying lunch, buy a healthy lunch.
Talk about finding healthy meal items you’ve tried. Even if you’ve failed, such as trying a meal service that didn’t work, drawing attention to it may help others to pay attention to it too.
If you ask your employees about their sleep, it helps employees to notice and focus on it.
If you ask your employees about fitness, it may help them to start to think about it too.
Normalizing talking about something that happened outside of work. Remember what happens outside of work affects employees at work, so if there’s a challenging situation happening, it’s helpful for employees to feel safe to share that with you, their supervisor.
WHAT ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN HR ACTION OR TERMINATION
Some managers are afraid to talk about stress with employees that are underperforming or that are under a potential HR action. What do you do there?
Depends on the type of personnel action:
If the employee is just not meeting deadlines, conversations with them about their wellbeing will not ultimately affect the outcome of the personnel action.
If they may not be right for the role, sometimes having these kinds of conversations will help the employee realize that this isn’t the right role for them, and they may select themselves out of this role, which is the best outcome for everyone involved.
Being interested in the person’s wellbeing will often deescalate and destress the situation, but that doesn’t need to affect or change the final action you are ultimately going to take. You can be kind, and be strong at the same time.
Managers often try to “fill in the gaps themselves” and come up with their guess or hypothesis about why someone is underperforming. All of that “guessing” doesn’t actually help, and often creates more stress. Often the best approach is to ask, “Hey what’s been going on with you lately?” or “How are you doing really?” or “I noticed XX happened, that’s not like you, what’s up?”
About The Creator/Host: I’m Brian. At age 4, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes and told that my life was going to be 10-20 years shorter than everyone else. As a kid I took time for granted, but now as an adult, time is the most precious thing that I have. I created Productivity Gladiator because I saw what a difference it made for employees to improve their productivity, improve their life balance, and live their best life right now, today, not wait until retirement. Thanks for checking out Productivity Gladiator! Time is the currency of your life, spend it wisely.
Your workload just tripled, what do you do? How do you handle it? Perhaps someone on your team leaves for another job, or someone gets pulled for another project, or maybe a new initiative starts. All the sudden you find yourself with two to three times the work you had before. What can you do to help manage all that extra work? How do you handle all that overwhelm? How does your work life balance not take a hit?
Even a 10% increase in workload will warrant looking at some of these tactics. Often people pick up “a little more work” and do things like skip lunch or stay an hour late. It’s the approach of absorbing the extra and continuing to do the same thing you’ve always done, just more of it. Don’t! This cuts into your work-life balance and causes burnout. I urge you to use these tactics for all situations where workload increases over 10% to help maintain your sanity.
On the show, Brian spoke with Andrew Lawless, a high performance coach, and the founder of The Consultant Profit System. Andrew coaches people to go from $100K to $1Mil a year. That’s a 10x increase in work. Clearly in those circumstances, “What got you here won’t get you there” and you need to change your processes during that much growth.
Brian and Andrew shared more than 41 tips and tactics to handle this overwhelm. To see the full list, visit the episode page here:
Links from the episode:
Gary Keller wrote a book called “The One Thing
Addiction To Social Media: Fix It With Apps And Tech Hacks
Distraction Free Youtube - No recommended videos appear, just the ONE you’re watching.
Freedom - Blocks all distractions across all devices, currently one of the market leaders in this area.
Turbocharge Your Focus & Productivity Through Music
'Email Inbox To 0' Hacks: Cut Email Down To Minutes-A-Day Through Batching And Notification Changes
'Email Inbox To 0' Hacks: 4d Approach To Processing Your Inbox
Email Management Hacks: Deep Dive On Snoozing Emails To Come Back Later
Email Management Hacks: 2 Email Rules To Cut Your Inbox Down By More Than Half
Kolbe-a and Kolbe-B tests
Here’s a Youtube video which helps explain the Eisenhower matrix and how to use it.
See the full list of all 41 solutions on the episode’s page:
https://www.productivitygladiator.com/episodes/andrew-lawless-your-workload-tripled-what-do-you-do
In this episode Brian and Paul dive into work-life balance, looking at it through the lens of what you CAN control as an employee and as a supervisor., setting aside the things that are out of your control like company culture and policies. Moving past the helpless feeling of “there’s nothing I can do”.
The full detail on this episode, the guest, links from the episode, as well as Productivity Gladiator, can be found on the website: www.ProductivityGladiator.com/the-show
The full detail on this episode, as well as Productivity Gladiator can be found at the website: www.ProductivityGladiator.com