Productivity Tuesday | Hello Tech Pros: Recent Episodes
Chad Bostick
Tools and processes to get more done at work. Each Tuesday our featured guests share how they've increased their personal and team productivity through process, goal setting, mindsets and tools.
Productivity Tuesday is part of the Hello Tech Pros network.
Kamil Rudnicki is a programmer, entrepreneur, founder of Timecamp, and student. He is fascinated with the usable psychology of self-improvement, business, philosophy, meditation, good and meaningful life, decision making and what future will bring. Kamil is an Introvert (INTJ). Minimalist.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/kamil-rudnicki/
What You Will Learn in This Episode * Why introverts find social situations exhausting. * How to find the right mentor by looking 2 steps ahead instead of 100. * Why "just in time learning" is highly effective and efficient. * How to build a personal knowledge base and use it to maximize your continuing education. * How to save time on reading time management articles by practicing time management. * The biggest time-sink apps that are destroying your productivity.
Archika N. Gupta is an entrepreneur as well as a mom of 8 months old. Archika started working as a freelancer with global clients in 2012 and has managed to establish her own company this year named as "ANG Global Business Solutions". Archika is an expert at offering Back Office support to diverse nature of businesses globally.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/archika-gupta-productivity/
What You Will Learn in This Episode * Sometimes life gets in the way of your career. Here is what you can do about it. * How to find your first freelance job. * The most important thing about your freelance clients that you need to verify. * The process from independent freelancer to business owner. * How to be productive when you work for yourself.
Resources * How to Have a 4 Day Weekend Every Week Through Outsourcing — Peter Malick on Productivity
Thor Conklin is a business owner, author, executive coach and content-driven podcaster. 2016 marks his 16th year as an entrepreneur. Thor is gritty, experienced and accessible as he brings to bear what holds people back from realizing their full potential. Through his latest venture, Peak Performance Nation, he teaches the tools, tips, tricks and strategies necessary to be a Peak Performer. He qualifies the psychology of success in one word: Execution! "Nothing you've learned matters — unless you can execute!"
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/thor-conklin-productivity/
What You Will Learn in This Episode * 7 tips and strategies to be less distracted and get more done.
- The Ultimate Success Map and how it can grant you what you wish it life.
- Why you should apply a debugging and updating strategy to your mindset.
- How the beliefs you learned as a small child may be holding you back.
- How to come up with an efficient and effective plan to get to your objective.
A mechanical engineer and product designer turned traveler, Nathan Lieberman now hosts his own podcast called Oyster World Radio that broadcasts his escape from the corporate grind. Through his vast array of experiences ranging from networking, investing, martial arts, engineering, travel, storytelling, and business Nate has cracked the code on how to juggle multiple projects and perform at the highest levels.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/nathan-lieberman-productivity/
What You Will Learn in This Episode * Why we get immobilized with fear and anxiety and turn to Netflix. * The most important step in achieving your goals. * How to study yourself to find the pillars of your foundation. * The 5 steps of engineering design process and how to apply them to your lifestyle goals. * Why you should not rely on motivation to stay productive.
Francesco D'Alessio is a 22 year old tech lover, who creates videos for his technology channel covering app, software and product reviews. He also works for two tech startups called FlashSticks and Newton Mail. Francesco loves reviewing productivity apps and features and has spent the last 3 years trying to find the best productivity apps for everyday usage.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/francesco-dalessio-productivity/
What You Will Learn in This Episode * What you need to be productive besides a good productivity app. * The benefits of Todoist and when you want to use it. * How to level up your Slack channel and master the Slack integrations. * Where to find productivity app reviews.
Peter Malick is a lifelong musician who has worked as a producer, recording engineer, songwriter, and guitarist. His credits range from Norah Jones, to KPOP superstar Jung Yong Hwa, to blues legend John Lee Hooker. In 2013 he accepted a position with Pro Audio retailer Westlake Pro to help expand their online presence. At the end of 2014 he was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer of the company. Peter's diverse background includes a stint as a Casino Manager in Las Vegas, as well as 20 years of DIY marketing experience as a solo artist and music producer.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/peter-malick-productivity/
What You Will Learn In This Episode * How we can get overwhelmed by over committing our time and effort and what that does to our health and productivity. * A meditation practice that is free to everyone and how it helps you de-stress. * Why Peter tricked his boss into hiring workers in India. * How to detach yourself from the responsibility of a task so that others can build their experience. * Why you should always start with a Minimum Viable Proposition (MVP). * Where to look for workers to outsource a task. * How to find the best freelancers without being overwhelmed by reviewing applicants. * How to cut 40% of your tasks and get more done.
This is Part 2 of the free 7-day audio and email course Start Your First Business.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/business-productivity/
What You Will Learn In This Episode * Why I spent thousands of dollars on domain names over the years and what I should have been doing instead. * The Motivation/Productivity Cycle that can make or break your business. * The reason why you tend to jump from idea to idea without making progress. * The #1 mistake entrepreneurs make when working on a solution. * An example of a customer avatar that I am using to change the direction of Hello Tech Pros.
Jaime is an avid hockey fan. He loves the competitive spirit and the team aspect of the game. He enjoys the sport so much that he decided to integrate his passion for the sport into his passion for marketing. Jaime has been working in the sales and marketing arena since he left the US Army as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division in 1994.
Working for three different Fortune 100 companies, Jaime learned quickly how to build relationships. The challenging aspect of working for a large company was having the ability to be creative. This is the main reason he went out on his own and started his own business. His first business was as a partner in a small California-based real estate advertising agency and publishing company. After the housing bubble burst in 2008, Jaime had to start over.
As time progressed, Jaime found that he really enjoyed making websites for people and so he started Slapshot Studio in 2013 and never looked back. Jaime enjoys traveling, boating, playing guitar, hanging out with family, and playing hockey.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/jaime-jay-productivity/
What You Will Learn In This Episode * What can happen to your productivity if you don't have a clear vision, mission and core values documented. * How to focus on the right things instead of everything. * The first steps in creating a customer avatar. * Specific books, tools and software Jaime recommends to business owners. * The most productive thing successful people consistently do. * Four common problems with which business owners struggle. * How to niche down to increase results.
Jim Kohl has 33 years of experience delivering solutions across a wide range of industry domains (Banking, Insurance, Aircraft, Point of Sale, CAD/CAM). He is an avid promoter of technologies to help developers become better software engineers and collaborators. Recently Jim transitioned into DevOps as a great way to help do this.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/jim-kohl-productivity/
What You Will Learn In This Episode * The biggest impediment to scaling dev teams. * The solutions you can't find on Google and StackOverflow. * The missing element to your current document repository that makes it difficult to keep up to date. * Why GitHub is a killer resource for Project Management. * How to ensure no developer is left behind. * Why developers are a lot like squirrels. * The mindset you need to be successful in technology and business.
Career Hyperdrive Course: Day 2 The Career Hyperdrive Course is a free 7 day email and audio course for technical professionals to help launch your career into hyperspace. Each module in this course is designed to help you overcome a major barrier to your career growth.
Here's what you're going to get out of the course.
- The motivation you need to overcome your biggest career obstacles and navigate asteroids.
- Productivity tips to help you crush it at work without killing your personal life (leaving more time at the cantina).
- Jedi mind tricks that will build your respect and influence across the organization without needing to move into a management track.
- A droid masterclass that’s going to guide you through the process of selecting the right technology for the right problem, every time.
- Social engineering hacks to break into the elite inner circles and get a seat at the Jedi Council.
- A strategy that will raise your value (and salary) within your organization and increase your reputation and negotiation power across the galaxy.
- The peace of mind to unplug from the job without the guilt of leaving your friends to fight the Death Star on their own, or the fear and anxiety of being pursued by bounty hunters.
The audio lessons are available to everyone, but the action items and homework are exclusive to the students who subscribe to the email version of the course. (Hint: If you don't take action and do the homework, you're probably not going to change anything.)
Click here to enroll in the full course. It's completely free.
Module 2 How to 5x Your Output Without 5x the Hustle Here's what you're going to learn in the second module of the Career Hyperdrive Course.
- The biggest mistake people make when trying to increase their productivity.
- How to determine which balls you should be juggling, and which you're allowed to drop.
- How to say no to productivity killers without being a jerk.
- The personal story of how I worked 5x harder and was crushed to discover I had let everyone down in the process.
Theo Priestley is the CEO of Cronycle, a content discovery and collaboration platform. Priestley has a wealth of experience in senior positions at software companies and advisory roles working with diverse startups such as Cupenya, and Novaquark (developing the E3 hit Dual Universe). Priestley is very active in the startup community mentoring within UK and US accelerators.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/theo-priestley-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Documentation for the sake of documentation is unproductive. * Kit bags are project and document templates to build on quickly instead of creating from scratch. * Find like-minded people who are willing to run with POCs and then proving it works. * Information is everywhere and we are poor at filtering the noise. + It feels like we are drowning in a content tsunami. * Groups tend to fall into the relevance paradox. They don't know to look for different types of information because of the lack of experience and knowledge. (You don't know what you don't know.) * Automation should be used to augment the filtering process, not replace it. * Who are the sources that are providing real, diverse value and who are just posting memes? Filter the memes. * If you have to create a new channel to replace the channel that is just filled with noise it is past time to implement a channel moderator or curator. * Some content is designed to be point-in-time just for that project and some will be evergreen. * Be more selective about content you consume.
Alex Barker is a coach for high achievers and mastermind creator for entrepreneurs. He’s a big action taker, just like his clients. He built 3 businesses in 3 years, paid off his house in less 3 years, and has coached over 50 people to build lifestyle businesses. He podcasts on the 66 Day Experiment, where he experiments on his life and business, like creating a business in 66 days, reading a book a day, and facing daily rejection. His mission is to help men and women find a disciplined approach to success in life and business.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/alex-barker-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Are you being productive or just working hard? * Ask yourself, "What am I doing and how can I change?" * Change your morning habits to build a new routine that enhances productivity. * Slay your dragons in the morning. Focus on the hardest things that you tend to procrastinate. * Decision fatigue affects your ability to make decisions throughout the day. * Capitalize on the compound effect of taking daily action. Over time it will yield big results. * All it takes is one big client to enable your business to be successful. * Accept who you are and capitalize on your strengths. * If you take action on the first day of a new opportunity, you will be much further ahead than if you hadn't. * When you have success, people want to know how you got successful. You now have an opportunity to start coaching. * There is a difference between a coach and a consultant - consultant gives you the information and a coach provides support. * Everyone believes what they are missing is the knowledge to do something. The thing that is stopping them is their own doubts. * People are afraid of others judging them. For example, they are afraid of selling their product or service because people will think you're just trying to rip them off. * The most important aspect of creating productivity is self-discipline, not time management. * You need both faith and belief.
Jay Miller is a System Administrator, Pastor, Developer, and Podcaster. Jay started the Productivity in Tech Community hoping to help people in the tech industry find ways to be more productive. He's also host the Productivity in Tech Podcast.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/jay-miller-productivity/
Key Takeaways * In the military and some large command-and-control companies, you're just supposed to do what you're told. + In small business, you don't know exactly what you're supposed to be doing and how to prioritize. * Prioritize your day using the Eisenhower matrix. + Is this going to break today? (Urgency) + Is this going to break soon and get me fired? (Importance) + Instead of working on all the little unimportant / non-urgent things and not get anything done, get prioritized. * Not everyone's priorities are in alignment. + Their fire may be like a struck match and yours is like a building on fire. + Have a conversation about the combined priorities and let everyone know what they are. * Your heath, personal goals and dreams are never someone else's priority. You need to focus on prioritize time for yourself. * A good system is something you don't have to worry about. It just works. * If you yes to everyone and everything, you're not allowing people to develop their own productivity systems. * Delegate repetitive tasks and focus on higher-level priorities. * Get in the zone and enjoy what you're doing. * Make sure you're focusing on being productive, not being busy. * Focus on the one thing that is the most important today. Don't spend too much time worrying about the future. * You are already productive, now start optimizing.
Spencer Liu comes with a 20－year track record in marketing, Internet product strategy, and business development. He's worked with companies such as Sony Computer Entertainment, EA Sports, Sega, and CNET Networks before becoming a serial entrepreneur. He was a founding member of HighGear Media (acquired by Internet Brands, a network of lifestyle-focused car shopping websites) and founded his own consulting company GoSunday later working with many European startups such as Experteer, Qype, and GOOM Radio to fine tune their product strategies and optimizing user experiences.
In late 2011, Spencer positioned himself in the middle of the China mobile gaming industry and was a founding member of Yodo1 Games, a mobile games publishing platform focusing on bringing great western content into the difficult-to-figure-out China gaming market. While solving different business problems which mobile developers and publishers face everyday, Spencer was inspired to simultaneously kick off KTplay, the world’s only in-game player community and live ops platform.
Show notes at
Key Takeaways * Try new things you don't know anything about. Putting yourself outside of your comfort zone makes you work harder to be productive. * In uncomfortable situations you have to rely on others and build teams. * In some cultures, the big boss is the big boss. The boss never asks, just commands. * Take the team out to lunch and establish rapport and promise them they won't get fired for speaking up. * People can get unmotivated because they are busy working on 10 things but don't know the priorities. * When discouraged, focus outside of yourself. * Develop and continually revisit the vision statement. Are yourselves these questions: + Who do we want to be and what do we want to do for whom? + What was original vision for the company? + Are these customers the right partners for the platform? + Are we chasing after numbers instead of results? + Are the customers using the platform the way we intented them to do? + If we continue to duplicate this partnership, what will the product look like 6 month from now? * Look at the situation from different perspectives.
Bill Kennedy is a managing partner at Ardan Studio in Miami, Florida, a mobile, web, and systems development company. He is also a co-author of the book Go in Action, the author of the blog GoingGo.Net, and a founding member of GoBridge which is working to increase Go adoption through diversity.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/bill-kennedy-productivity/
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) can lead to big problems with productivity on a team. Here are some issues to look out for and solutions to apply that have worked for me in my career.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/anxiety-disorder-productivity/
Resources Mentioned * HTP-141 Contemplating Suicide Taught Me This About Social Anxiety * SAD quiz
Laura Roeder began her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 22, when she quit a design job and decided to launch her first business. MeetEdgar.com was created out of a need Laura had in her own business to more effectively manage social media - and so in 2014 Laura pivoted her business to dive into the SaaS world.
Since Edgar’s launch in June 2014, their remote team has grown to 18 people, they've hit more than $240,000 in monthly recurring revenue, AND they've bootstrapped the entire way. Edgar is now happily providing social solutions to more than 5,000 customers.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/laura-roeder-productivity/
Sponsors * Minio.io * Transource Media
In an era where overtime is expected and overwhelm is normal, Nick Snapp, Productivity Strategist and Podcaster, combines productivity with purpose for Entrepreneurial Moms and Dads who want their time back. He is the owner of Inspire Me Solutions, providing innovative coaching, training and consulting services for entrepreneurs and want-repreneurs, and is the host of The Make it Snappy Productivity Show podcast. Nick has a background in engineering, project management and process improvement.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/nick-snapp-productivity/
Sponsors * Minio Cloud Storage - Cloud object storage server for developers and devops written in Go.
Trigg Watson is an award-winning magician, illusion designer, and past Deloitte technology consultant. Trigg has entertained audiences from London to Las Vegas. He has won several awards for his magic, and has appeared on television shows including Pop TV's "Don't Blink", Penn & Teller's "Fool US", and "Masters of Illusion" on the CW. Trigg has a passion for combining the latest technology with classic illusions to create experiences of the impossible that have to be seen to be believed!
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/trigg-watson-productivity/
Sponsors * Minio Cloud Storage
Nick Loper helps people earn money outside of their day job. He's an author, online entrepreneur, and life-long student in the game of business. His latest role is as Chief Side Hustler at SideHustleNation.com, a growing community and resource for aspiring and part-time entrepreneurs.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/nick-loper-productivity/
Sponsors * Minio Cloud Storage - An object storage server built for cloud application developers and devops.
James Studdart is a full stack .NET developer, solutions architect and team leader based in the UK. He has experience in a wide range of markets from tropical fish and domestic services to international freight to the holiday industry, to name a few.
James does a lot of commuting and fills that time with podcasts as much as possible. When he's not working he keeps and breeds tropical fish. James is on the committee for the British Cichlid Association and is the chairman of North Wales Aquarists Society. When he's not doing anything fishy he is also an active member of the Shock Team 6 airsoft team at Shock and Awe Airsoft in North Wales.
James also has a young family, twin boys who recently turned one.
James Studdart doesn't know the meaning of downtime and being unplugged.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/james-studdart-productivity/
Sponsors * Minio Cloud Storage at minio.io - Written in Go for performance. Supported by a passionate Go developer community.
Against a friend's advice, I set a goal to publish 100 podcast episodes in 100 days. This is the story on how I did it (and how you can do it too).
Show notes and challenge details at http://hellotechpros.com/100-podcast-episodes/
Nathan Johns has more than twenty years of experience in Business Strategy and Product Management at large tech companies like Creative Labs and Dell. He has managed eighteen product lines including designing go-to-market strategies, overseeing product transitions, and identifying opportunities to improve gross margin and unit growth. Nathan also has more than six years’ experience as a professional wedding and portrait photographer and regularly mentors others both personally and professionally.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/nathan-johns-productivity/
Sponsors * Burdene - Like Evernote but through text messages. * HelloTechBook.com - Get a free audio book from Audible.
This software development manager believes it is an utter waste of money to hire a programmer and not pair them with someone else.
Llewellyn Falco is an independent agile coach. He discovered strong-style pair programming and is creator of the open source testing tool ApprovalTests. He spends most of his time programming in Java and C# specializing in improving legacy code. Llewellyn is also co-founder of TeachingKidsProgramming.org.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/llewellyn-falco-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Kids aren't ready for "real" programming until they are ready to read, write and type * It's a waste of money to hire a programmer and not pair them with another * It's our differences that make us stronger * When we work together with someone, we are in the zone together for longer periods of time + It is easier to focus and you aren't distracted as much * When someone is "watching" us work, or working with us, we are more inclined to use best-practices * We feed off the other person, we bring good things out of each other * "I'll come back to this later" usually means "I don't want to do this" * In code reviews, not much generally changes in the code + We get feedback occasionally but by and large the structure of the software stays the same * Efficiency can't survive in a vaccuum, you can't be "efficient" with being efficient FOR something * When you want to pair-program, sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission * Paired work is more intensive - strive for 4-5 hours of paired work then take a break * Trust is a critical issue - ask for trust from your partner
Resources Mentioned * ApprovalTests * TeachingKidsProgramming.org * The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (Listen on Audible)
Stacey Ackerman recently implemented a scrum process in her household and her kids have bought in and help clean the house with minimal supervision.
Stacey Ackerman is the Scrum Mom, an agile coach, writer, speaker, entrepreneur, wife and mom of three humans and four cats. She does it all by using Scrum as her personal and professional framework. She believes there is a better way to work (and parent) and discusses both on her site at scrummom.com.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/stacey-ackerman-productivity/
Key Takeaways * The values of Scrum is more important than the implementation. * In a retrospective, ask everyone about their cabbages and roses. That is, the things they didn't like and the things they did like about their day. * Provide incentives that the team can buy into. * Write down jobs that need to get done and allow the team (or kids) to pick from them. * Allow the team to trade tasks so they don't get bored and feel pigeon-holed. * 30-minute time-boxing daily gets a group making daily progress at the same time. * Visual people want to see a board and lists. * Stacey's process for implementing scrum at home: * + 1. Put on a timer for 30 minutes every day. + 2. Sprint planning - 10 minuntes, postit notes & markers. - Have the kids talk about all the things we need to get done. - Let them write it, empowerment + 3. Each child has a swim-lane on the on whiteboard. + 4. Assign point values. + 5. Hold a retrospective. - What did you think of this? What worked, what didn't work?
Resources Mentioned * HTP-24 Alphabet Soup of Agile Certifications and Why You Need to Understand them with Joe Vallone * HTP-10 Be Curious and Ask Questions with Sarah Baca
Sponsors * HelloTechBook.com - Get a free audio book from Audible.
The best car mechanics are the ones who will take the time to do a thorough inspection and find the root cause before you rack up a huge bill in parts and labor. Ryan Ayres uses the same philosophy when inspecting his clients' business problems. The root problem is usually a process or personnel issue that needs to be addressed, not an expensive new tool to implement.
Ryan Ayres is a business coach and consultant that has the privilege of working with companies of all sizes from Microsoft, Sports Illustrated and Time Inc. to hundreds of small businesses in the last 20 years. His business, Focus 53, is focused on Business Operations and helping business owners identify and solve opportunities and roadblocks with the people and processes in their company. Ryan is also the host of the Focus 53 podcast.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/ryan-ayres-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Treat business problems like a scientist - don't treat the symptoms, inspect for the root cause * 9 times out of 10, the problem is with the people and processes, not the tools * Make sure everyone (yourself included) are aligned on the core values and has a clear view of the vision * To determine what you're really good at, ask your co-workers for feedback and give them permission to be brutally honest * Acknowledge your own values and define your own mission statement, then align work accordingly * Work on improving your best skills into 9's and 10's * Many people know they can be doing better, but don't know the areas they should be focusing on * Three business issues + Lack of core processes means you are always putting out fires, always being reactive + Poor time management leads to lack of results + Not using financials to measure business productivity * Split a big problem in half and half again until you get to the root cause * Ask direct, specific questions * You can work on improving your golf swing forever and you can work on improving your business forever * Identify the right things to focus on, and spend your time there
Resources Mentioned * Focus 53 podcast - iTunes
Sponsors * Levant Technologies - Web design and development * HelloTechBook.com - Get a free audio book and a 30-day trial to Audible
Eric Stroh is an experienced software developer and sports enthusiast. After teaching computer science for 15 years he joined the ranks of iOS developers at CapTech Consulting, building mobile apps for large financial institutions. When not mastering iOS Autolayout, Eric enjoys time on the lake and playing tennis.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/eric-stroh-productivity/
Key Takeaways * AP Computer Science classes in high school were more procedural when they taught C and Pascal, but moved into object-oriented programming during a transition to Java and C++. * Working on bug fixes are a great way to teach someone about a legacy system. * We need more computer science classes in middle and high school. * When the team is co-located in an office, you can have ad-hoc face-to-face meetings with analysts and QA. * Working remotely, it's more difficult to communicate with the other team members because you can't just walk down the hall and say hi. * Messenger, video conferencing and phone calls are critical for remote workers. * To be productive from home, you must be extremely diligent and self-motivated. * Use your home office only for work. Don't use the same room for entertainment, hobbies, etc. This will help keep you in the "work mode" mindset. * Having kids in the house will increase the distraction level. Schedule work activities during quiet periods and prepare for interruptions when they are around. * Being busy staves off boredom and "what should I do now?" time. * A work schedule that allows some days in the office and some days at home may be the best of both worlds for some roles. * Noise-canceling headphones can help in most environments. * Developers want to get in the zone and and lose track of time. You need enough work and a lack of distractions. * Keep social apps off the computer or closed throughout the day to help keep you focused. Context switching is bad. * Use a "Do Not Disturb" status on your messaging apps when you need quiet time.
Resources Mentioned * CapTech Consulting
Sponsors * Levant Technologies - Voted Oklahoma's #1 web design company
Since he hasn't had a boss, Christian's had to come up with his own ways of making sure he stays productive. Today he shares his 3-step productivity system that gives him perfect memory and allows him to always know what to do next.
Christian Genco is a software micropreneur who hasn't HAD to work since September 2014 (two years after graduating college), when his internet side projects started making more money than he was spending. He and his wife are on track to financially retire before they turn 30.
Show notes page at http://hellotechpros.com/christian-genco-productivity/
Key Takeaways * The valuable things in life aren't stuff * The real resource to maximize in life is time, so money exists to maximize your time * Are you squandering your opportunities by wasting time? * Christian's productivity system + Consolidate all notes from all inboxes into a single system - Inboxes = Email, calendar, todo list, reminders, Evernote, whiteboard, etc - Whichever tool you like the best and will actually use + Clarify the best possible outcome - Make it as stupidly easy as possible for your future lazy forgetful self to complete the action - The goal is to have all the prep-work complete so that when it is time to execute, you are only executing, not thinking - Act like the manager for your future self + Do the work - Build routines - Start your day with a morning routine - Write a daily mantra (and don't speak it aloud) - Write down one thing you could do today to have a successful day - Use the pomodoro method to estimate and plan work (25 minutes of focused work with mandatory 5 minute break) - Focus on one task, do not multitask * There is no perfect system so experiment
Resources Mentioned * DBInbox * Mr Money Mustache * Getting Things Done by David Allen (Listen on Audible) * Eat That Frog by Brian Tracey (Listen on Audible) * Scaling Down a Team to Get Results - Productivity Tuesday with Jeff Maxwell * Sublime Text * Evernote * Taskpaper * The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (Listen on Audible) * Pomodoro Technique
Sponsors * BookMoreNights.com - Vacation rental property photography, videography and marketing * Audible - If you haven't signed up for Audible, you can get a free audio book and a 30-day trial through my sponsorship page at HelloTechBook.com
About Hello Tech Pros Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
Would you love it or hate it if your boss said to turn off email and messenger programs all day? Stacy Eads believes that by only checking emails 3 times a day instead of constantly being distracted by alerts, you can significantly increase productivity. Since implementing this policy, her team at Levant Technologies has increased the number of websites they've produce by 600%.
Stacy Eads is the CEO of Levant Technologies. They've been voted the #1 Oklahoma Web Design company in the metro for the last 4 years in a row. After 13 years in business, Stacy helps Levant's team manage hundreds of website and mobile clients throughout our state. Mrs. Eads has won 4 executive leadership awards under the age of 40 from local newspapers and magazines.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/stacy-eads-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Customers are stressing about their business, not your technology - solve their problems quickly * Environments where everyone is constantly bombarded with chat messages, emails and notifications are not as productive as areas where workers have uninterrupted work time * It takes 15 minutes to refocus after being distracted * There should be 6 hours a day where you won't be distracted * We don't want people to wait on us so we feel obligated to read and respond constantly * You can take email systems offline and still read, reply and draft new emails * Developers and designers WANT to work offline without distractions * Project managers and sales managers are the ones who resist the notion of working offline, they want immediate response for clients * We naturally have longer response times early in the morning, late at night and at lunch - during the work hours should be no different * Many project management and business books suggest going away from the culture of "instant gratification" and implementing communication windows * This process is most effective when everyone is implementing at the same time * Your team will thank you for letting them concentrate on their jobs while working offline * Levant Technologies has grown 600% in 5 years * With only 11 full-time project managers, developers and designers, Levant completed 100 web and mobile projects in one year * You're doing really well if you can deliver a complete website to a client in 8-12 weeks, most of the time due to content creation * There is never an excuse to say "I don't have that from the client, and it's their fault" * The project manager's job is to proactively contact client in a variety of different communication methods and asking for something small * Break it down into bite-sized pieces week to week * The goal is for every project to not have a lull * Surprise your team with something special after accomplishing a huge milestone * It is difficult to migrate a website from one platform or tech stack to another, so the goal is to "get it right" from the start
Resources Mentioned * Levant Technologies * okc.BIZ * Oklahoma Gazzette * Action Coach * WordPress * Joomla * Drupal * LAMP
Sponsors * BookMoreNights.com - You've got the best vacation rental property, show it off!
About Hello Tech Pros Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
Glenn Hansen has over 25 years in software engineering, product development, information technology and consulting who drives a culture of innovation and excellence through servant leadership, transparency, collaboration and mentoring. Glenn is a "Hands-on" leader who has helped teams develop award winning products and helped companies achieve multi-million dollar contracts with sustaining revenue streams. His focus has been empowering individuals and encouraging "out of the box" thinking, even if some of those ideas fail as the road to success is paved with lots of failures along the way. His mission is to grow successful servant leaders and get out of their way.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/glenn-hansen-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Servant leadership is an inversion of the typical org structures + Allows the teams to participate and drive the requirements + Let's the engineers sit with the business and flesh out requirements * Fewer gatekeepers means better understanding, instead of playing "Telephone" game * Time invested up front in requirements gathering is never wasted * Framework development can be started before requirements are complete * Empowering team members to make decisions can lead to big payoffs in productivity * Cast the product vision 3-5 years in the future * Don't be afraid to fail * Focus on performance and quality * Encouragement and praise goes a long way * Give performance reviews regularly to keep the team aligned and motivated
About Hello Tech Pros Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
When Joe Zack reflected upon a list of New Year's Resolutions very thoughtfully planned out and realized he had accomplished nothing throughout the year, he realized he didn't care about the goal but was rather looking forward to the notches in his belt. Yes, life gets in the way, but Joe now understands that a goal means nothing if you don't have your heart in it.
Joe Zack has has been a professional programmer for the past 15 years, and is co-host of the Coding Blocks podcast.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/joe-zack-productivity/
Key Takeaways * A goal without a plan is a wish * Turn the process of working on your goal into a habit * Temptation Bundling - combine something you want with something you want to accomplish + Example 1: Lattes with coding challenge + Example 2: Audio books on Audible with jogging * Keep your saw sharp * Automate routine tasks * Keep your tools and workspace clean and organized * Queue, routine and reward + Example: 3:30 every day you get up from your desk and get cookies + Instead, at 3:30 get up and go walk the dog * Clean out your task list, remove things you will never get to * Keep communication open and casual, don't be afraid to look like a buffoon * Whiteboard drawings are good for planning, but not always a good communication tool for modeling complex systems * Touchy-feely group exercises really work * Practice (code wars, Project Euler) - builds muscle memory
Resources Mentioned * The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (Listen on Audible) * Getting Things Done by David Allen (Listen on Audible) * Project Euler - math and computer programming exercizes
Sponsors This episode of Hello Tech Pros is sponsored by:
- ScrumBrawl
- Transource Media
About Hello Tech Pros Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
As a software architect, David Walker looks for the "story" behind the software: what do the users need, how will they interact with technology and what will it help them accomplish. After being highly productive at work, David looks for ways to enhance productivity outside of work by taking the lessons learned from software development and applying them to everyday problems.
David Walker is a software architect, mentor and blogger. His never-ending mission is to improve user's lives with better software and developer's lives with better software development methods.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/david-walker-productivity/
Key Takeaways * Everything is a story; find the beginning, middle and end of the tasks that the users are trying to accomplish * Facilitators should make sure introverts get a chance to share their thoughts * Adhere to meeting protocols such as start/stop times and clear objectives to cut out the time-wasting discussions * Respect the people you work with (and live with), listen to them * Summarize what you heard to get it right and let the communicator know you care * Use project planning principles in your everyday life
Resources Mentioned * Johnny Chung Lee
When an organization was struggling with a lack of productivity and $2 million into a $5 million project with nothing to show, Frank Fuglestad was brought in as a consultant to set things right. He discovered that outsourcing the project sent a message to the internal employees that they did not have the expertise to get the job done and were expendable. By moving the work internally and resetting expectations, the organization delivered the project in half the budget and tremendously improved morale.
Frank Fuglestad has over 25 years’ experience in IT and Organizational Development. A partner with Rhea Health, a one-stop shop for worker on-boarding in Oklahoma City, he helps companies promote a safe and healthy work environment and improve productivity.
Key Takeaways * Different perspectives of productivity lead to complex interactions between them + National economics, labor and total productivity + Enterprise + Organizational + Personal * The total of complementary factors on productivity are greater than the sum of their parts * The ease of bankruptcy in the U.S. allows for greater innovation * When we get to a certain threshold, working more hours leads to less productivity * Define important outputs and express them to the workers + Are we focused on the high-impact goals? + Is there a way to work smarter instead of harder? * Information Technology, Lean processes and good HR practices give a big boost to productivity * It's not bad to fail, it's bad to not learn from your failures * People that don't sleep well miss twice as many days of work as people who do * Focus on safety improves the attitude of workers because the company is demonstrating that they care
Resources Mentioned * Get a free audio book and a 30-day trial on Audible * U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics * Primogeniture * Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
This episode is sponsored by: Hello Tech Pros. Want to be a guest on the show? Chad Bostick here, and I’m helping professionals who work with technology build a personal brand and get connected to an audience of thousands of technologists, entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors. Download my cheat-sheet of interview questions and apply to be a guest today by texting HELLOPODCAST to 44222 or visiting hellotechpros.com/guest
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/frank-fuglestad-productivity/
Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
Working really, really hard and not getting anywhere... sound familiar? As a software development manager, Edward Fry struggled with rapidly changing business needs that resulted in meeting overload. Too much time in meetings meant that his day-to-day programming tasks were not getting finished. After stepping back and looking at the situation, he discovered that he could take control of the situation by managing the flood of meetings and emails.
Edward Fry advises enterprises on ways to streamline their software development to drive business results. He has been working with IT for over 20 years and has been passionate about technology all his life. Edward lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Linda, and 3 children.
This episode is sponsored by: Hello Tech Pros. Want to be a guest on the show? Chad Bostick here, and I’m helping professionals who work with technology build a personal brand and get connected to an audience of thousands of technologists, entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors. Download my cheat-sheet of interview questions and apply to be a guest today by texting HELLOPODCAST to 44222 or visiting hellotechpros.com/guest
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/edward-fry-productivity/
Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
In an intern position, Alan was faced with an uninspiring role and a deadline that extended many years past his internship. After fighting procrastination and low levels of productivity throughout the internship, Alan realized he needed to find roles which aligned to his level of interest and social needs.
Alan LePera is a geophysicist with interests in the application of seismic visualization and interpretation for hydrocarbon exploration and development using geophysical tools and methods for in situ remediation efforts. He enjoys camping bowling horror movies and video games.
This episode of Hello Tech Pros is sponsored by… ME, Chad Bostick. As an enterprise IT leader I’ve gotten the opportunity to solve a number of different business problems including field worker productivity, back-office process efficiencies, enterprise system integrations, big data analysis, resource management, and IT complexity reduction. Each project comes with it’s own unique challenge whether it be distributed teams, change management, stakeholder buy-in, availability of subject matter experts or just getting one technology to play nice with others.
Let me know what business problem is keeping you up at night, and how you’d like me to help. Go to chadbostick.com and click the CONTACT button, or text HELLOCHAD to 44222.
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/alan-lepera-productivity/
Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.
Assigned to a team that was over staffed, under utilized and without clear direction, Jeff and his peers struggled with productivity on a $1 million project. Things turned around when he decomposed the 100 page requirements document into a list of measurable tasks and reduced the team size. Jeff convinced the stakeholders to trim the project from 25 different people across many roles to 4 team members: two full stack software developers, one data analyst and one business analyst / subject matter expert.
Jeff Maxwell is an application architect with experience in Fortune 100 corporations, a longtime software developer and lifelong Oklahoma State Cowboy alumnus.
This episode is sponsored by: Hello Tech Pros. Want to be a guest on the show? Chad Bostick here, and I’m helping professionals who work with technology build a personal brand and get connected to an audience of thousands of technologists, entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors. Download my cheat-sheet of interview questions and apply to be a guest today by texting HELLOPODCAST to 44222 or visiting hellotechpros.com/guest
Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/jeff-maxwell-productivity/
Hello Tech Pros is the daily podcast that interviews business professionals who work with technology and discuss Motivation, Productivity, Leadership, Technology, People, Entrepreneurship and Being Unplugged.