Day 24: Be clear on what is required before you start
Don’t waste your time working on something that misses the mark or isn’t what your boss or client has asked for. Do the best you can to understand what is required or expected before your start the task.
Also, aim to understand the background (why this is being done) and the objective (what we are aiming to achieve). This will help you avoid running to your stakeholder for detailed guidance every time you’re stuck. It will give you a reference point for any decisions you need to make along the way.
If you’ve been asked to create something completely new where even your stakeholder is not sure of what they want, consider doing it in phases (such as mock-up, rough draft, first draft, etc.) and then checking in with them quickly at every phase. They will appreciate being able to provide input and you will be working on something that actually fits the bill.
Day 25: Reduce reporting
If you feel like you’re doing more reporting than actual work, pause and think about who you are reporting to and why. If you’re not sure, find out. Then see which can be done away with.
Some reporting is unavoidable, such as statutory reporting. So, start by renegotiating the internal reports you or your team prepare most frequently, that take the most amount of time to prepare and/or for which the purpose is not very strong. This is the low-hanging fruit that can make a difference and give you the confidence to make further simplifications.
Then, have a look at the reporting that remains. See if you can redesign some of the reports so that they’re easier to prepare. You never know, your stakeholders might welcome the change because they were finding the reports too dense anyway.
Maybe you are reporting to multiple bodies and by tweaking or combining your reports you could submit the same one to all.
Or perhaps you could provide verbal updates instead of lengthy written reports. It doesn't hurt to ask.
In any case, don’t settle with the status quo. Try to find ways to simplify things for yourself and your team so that you have more time for the things that actually help you meet work targets.
Day 26: Manage your micromanager
Excessive supervision can be time-consuming, mentally draining and demotivating for the employees involved.
A good way to deal with a micromanager and reduce supervision is to build trust. This can be done by:
showing them that you have planned out your work and considered the risks involved
letting them know that you will keep them informed and how frequently (this is also an opportunity to set a pace that suits you)
delivering on what you promised, both in terms of the timeliness and quality of your work.
Essentially, provide them with comfort by being organised, reliable and inclusive. This will motivate them to loosen the reins.
Day 27: Set boundaries
Setting boundaries doesn’t mean that you will be working significantly less and therefore need to adjust your ambitions. Having non-negotiables means that there are negotiables but at least things will be happening on your terms (for the most part) and you won't be mindlessly allowing work to take up all of your available time.
Setting boundaries will be different for everyone. Some examples are:
to not work while you're on vacation
to only work from the office (i.e. not to take work home)
to not work on the weekends
to only check and respond to email between 8 am and 8 pm
to work late only two times per week
to work only one weekend per month
to only review work that has come in by noon
to require 2 days advance notice to provide a response on time.
Setting and respecting your boundaries forces you cut the fluff and work on the things that matter, in a way that is good for your wellbeing.
Day 28: Find new ways of doing things
If you're feeling stuck or like things are not quite right, try doing them a different way.
Let's say you spent weeks or months working on something complex that you need to summarise into a succinct report. And now you're having trouble starting because you didn't work on the end product along the way (although, let's face it, you really should have).
Instead of diving into the detail or even spending days mapping things out, try telling someone about it. You will be amazed at how clear and succinct you can be when you know your colleague only has 15 minutes to spare. Take notes as you’re doing this and use them as an outline that you can flesh out into the full document. Magic!
The same applies to recurring activities. Don't think you always have to get things done in the same (painful) way. Think about what your pain points are and see whether these things can be dealt with differently.
If you're spending too much time answering email, maybe you could meet with your 'biggest senders' and power through their questions instead. Or maybe you need to find different ways of keeping your stakeholders informed so that you are not stuck reporting instead of actually working.
Day 29: Plan for procrastination
Let's face it: you will procrastinate at some point on some task or other. So, instead of denying it, just make a plan on how to tackle it when it occurs. And by tackle it, I don't mean prevent it (because, remember, it will happen) but rather pull yourself out of it as quickly (or cheaply) as possible.
Try to set up little routines you can follow when you catch yourself procrastinating. Here are some options:
Set a timer for 15 minutes and tackle the thing you don’t want to do, followed by a thing you do want to do for 15 minutes. Repeat this until the first thing is done.
Have a perpetual list of things you're procrastinating on and block out a time each week to deal with them. Tackle as many as possible when the allocated time comes around. Then, do the same thing next week.
If it's a project instead of a single task you're procrastinating on, make a list of all the steps that need to be taken to finish it. It's best if each task takes 15 to 30 minutes to do. Then, make sure you schedule each step in your diary.
If you're not sure you can make yourself get things done when you're in the depths of procrastination despair, identify a reliable accountability partner who can help you out. This should be someone who is less of a procrastinator than you and who will nag you to complete the tasks. Yes, invite nagging.
Another thing you could do is to have a buffer so that when procrastination hits, you won't fall way behind. The buffer can be built by generally being on top of things so that you can afford a small delay or detour (i.e. watching cat videos instead of writing a report). You could also build little buffers or white space in your calendar, instead of scheduling every available time slot. This will allow you to move things around when you need to.
Day 30: Aim for more
For most of this month I have been writing about how 'less is more' and how simplifying things can bring better results.
That doesn't mean that you need to lower your expectations of yourself and avoid dreaming big. You don't need to have a life that resembles a super-minimalist home with soft jazz playing in the background to succeed. A bit of chaos, messiness and discomfort is OK as long as you know where they may take you.
I am actually most productive when I have lots of exciting work on and I sometimes pile on extra stuff just to see how much I can handle. I also know exactly which projects to defer if things get too overwhelming. In any case, I never want to get too comfortable because comfort does not equal growth.
Day 31: Be kind to yourself
Not every week will be awesome. There will be times when you will feel overwhelmed. Not everything you try to implement will work. Sometimes you will forget about your intentions and goals and fall back into old habits.
Be kind to yourself and pause...but don't give up. See what you need to readjust and then start over.
Good luck!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my posts this month. I've really enjoyed sharing the tips with you.
The tips can also be viewed on LinkedIn.