You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Process’ tag.
I find out that I get much more done when I have a clear deadline.
I’m not saying that I let everyone else schedule my work – I don’t. But I do look for useful deadlines and then link my thinking to those.
I’m presenting at a conference coming up in a few weeks. My experience tells me that the last week should focus on practicing and coordinating with my co-presenter. So that means all the content needs to be created before that, which means the structure should be in place by … this Wednesday.
Read the rest of this entry »When you’re at a point of making a decision, there’s usually a “good” direction and “bad” direction. But we usually pick the third option … doing nothing.
Now that doesn’t mean we need to rush things too much, which can result in a bad choice. But in our current environment, we’re overloaded with data and tradeoffs and options, which can put your lizard brain into freezing up.
That itself is a choice, even though it doesn’t feel like it.
Read the rest of this entry »Some of us think about making repeatable processes, others don’t. I’m in the former camp.
You see, it can drive me crazy when I see something that’s repetitive and boring and could be made more efficient. I guess it’s the engineer in me.
Making a process isn’t the same as automating. For instance, I have my beginning-of-day routine which includes checking my calendar, email, app notices, and texts. It’s pretty straightforward, and within 4-5 minutes I feel like I’ve got my head around what the day’s going to look like.
Read the rest of this entry »People who know me know that I see everything as a process, something which can be designed, tweaked, and improved.
I love it when a good plan pulls together and inspires people.
But I’ve discovered that there’s a dark side as well: Not everybody likes to think in process steps. Most people, in fact. Which then means that I’m speaking the wrong language for them.
Read the rest of this entry »Last week I talked about creating delightful experiences for customers. But I have to be fair and admit that there’s a flip side as well.
This came to mind just yesterday when I got a new tool for my woodshop. The tool is great, although the assembly instructions weren’t as uniform in their detail as I would have liked.
Then I came to the registration card.
This week’s idea is very straightforward, but I’m often surprised to see how many people struggle with the idea.
When I do something which is remotely complicated, I look for whether it’s worth turning it into a process. When I write these articles, for instance, it’s based on a template that I created many years ago. And I use a simple three-step process to find and include the graphics.
Why would I bother? This is pretty simple, right?
Read the rest of this entry »The first time I saw a work like this, it just blew me away. With such intricacies and powerful colors, I couldn’t even imagine how someone had thought of such a thing. Much less created it.
After I saw an artist create the painting, my respect changed … to their accuracy and how they used this abstraction to evoke emotions.
I’ve realized that this applies to business too! Much of what we do might seem like magic, but that’s not where the skill lies.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 