Nicholas Bate

What If You Stopped Fighting It And Realised 7

The Universe is telling you something:

1. Your watch keeps breaking or you are constantly mis-placing it: slow down.
2. Your presentation went really well despite your lap-top not working: present 'unplugged' more often.
3. Breakfast was awkward with the kids this morning: spend more time with them.
4. She's not taking the hint you'd like a date: you have not actually clearly asked her.
5. Last week's two days of illness was surprisingly relaxing: you need more proper work-free time.
6. Finding yourself with a spare hour in NYC and walking in the park was brilliant: get grounded, more often.
7. Spending 10 years investing in that pension plan doesn't seem to have come to much:  become your own expert in the critical personal areas.

The Post You Definitely, Absolutely

should not have missed.

The Redux Series (3): Productivity

1. Productivity is what times when;
2. What is what has/needs to be done (e.g. pay a utility bill) and what you want to do (e.g. start learning the guitar);
3. Capture what has to be done on a single list: call this your Master list;
4. Brainstorm what you want to do (and it may flush out a few further 'have to do's) in the six core areas of your Life-your Personal Compass:
5. Career: where do I want my career to go?
6. Mind/Body: what next for super wellness?
7. Finance: what's their state and what next?
8. Relationships: which need some time?
9. Fun: am I having fun? If not,  why not?
10. Contribution: how can I give back?
11. Add the Personal Compass actions to your Master List ;
12. Review your Master List (that's 1 list in 1 place of all you need to do and want to do) at the end of every day; 
13. Generate clear, specific actions; 
14. Break big actions down into smaller ones; 
15. If you take on a new action (learn yoga) , drop another one (go to Pilate's class). Get real! 
16. Allocate the action a date and time when you will do it. 
17. Build peace and space to think and do your best work into your day by batching. Batch e-mail in particular. Don't be constantly checking it.  
18. Productivity is dependent on wellness: to make the best decisions and to work with focus and stamina. Take breaks, go home on time. Get enough sleep. 
19. Productivity is not 'getting stuff done', It is getting the right stuff done. 
20. Too many productivity 'techniques' can make you unproductive. Keep It simple. 

Bonus: Productivity101 

David Seah

reckons more adrenaline may help him take action. Read more.

Easy Things Which Make a Day Easier 7

1. A plan for the day (sure there'll be distractions but the plan keeps you focused);
2. Getting enough sleep;
3. Finding your chinos the night before;
4. iPhone on charge;
5. Your daughter's text answered;
6. 15 minutes inspirational reading;
7. Eating some breakfast.

They're A Little Worried...

not by the proposal as that is a beautifully created PDF. No they are getting increasingly concerned because:

1. There were no visitor parking spaces available, although promised;
2. When they visited the restroom, two employees were talking about 'idiot customers';
3. They had to wait in the corridor while the meeting room was cleared of dirty plates and cups from the 0800 Operations meeting;
4. The wrong PPT slides were shown initially;
5. They were talked at rather than listened to; 
6. Questions were not answered;
7. The coffee was awful;
8. Her business card was bent and grubby;
9. The coffee really was awful;
10. As they walked out of the room, the Account Manger muttered to his colleague: "leave someone else to tidy up that mess".

That's why they were a little concerned and sat in their car (parked in an adjacent multi-story car-park) and brought forward the meeting with the alternative supplier.

I've Been Invited To A Think Tank Today...

Here are the questions:

1. What is the shape of the recession: V,L,W?
2. Will new forms of capitalism emerge?
3. Will the recession mark an end to consumerism?
4. Will regulation be light touch or heavy handed?
5. Will the world be more or less globalised?
6. Will consumer attitudes and behaviours change?
7. How should business be responding to the recession?

Yep, quite! Anyhow, something for the water-cooler. 

The Greeks, Telos and

Ryan Holiday.

Any Broken Windows

at your business?

It Ain't Easy Baby...

You've read Free the new book from Long Tail man Chris Anderson and a whole new strategy comes to mind for your business and you're excited. And then someone sends you a link to Malcolm Gladwell.  And you love Gladwell. Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers. And he disagrees with Anderson. Heck. What do you do?

What do you do? You've got to work out it out yourself. Don't get caught up in the unresolvable and mostly time-wasting discussions about who is right.....What these two gentleman are providing is the best of their current thinking with a bit of prejudice and hyperbole thrown into the equation. What they are not providing is an answer. That's why two best-selling leadership books sitting on the shelf next to each other in Borders may well have 180 degree opposing strategies. There is no perfect leadership strategy nor competitive strategy. But what there is, especially in an internet world and with, discerning careful filtering: some really, really good thinking.

You and your team have to distill down that thinking-regularly- to match your product/s, your markets,  your time-lines, your people and your numbers and your gut feel.

It sure ain't easy baby. But it is very exciting. Especially if you do it better than anybody else. And as they're distracted by filling in comments on why Anderson or Gladwell or both is wrong that should be pretty easy.