The biggest secret to time management is, of course, do the most important things first.

“Do first things first, and second things not at all.” 
–Peter Drucker

Or, as you may have seen demonstrated, put the “big rocks” in first.

My time organization is an ever-evolving process:

At 10 (1972) My mom organized my time
At 20 (1982) calendar on the refrigerator
At 25 (1987) Franklin Planner 
At 42 (2005) Palm Z22 PDA
At 44 (2007) BlackBerry Curve
At 50 (2012) Iphone 4 (now have 4s)

Additionally, I have my phone and Google calendars synchronized, plus I use a customer relationship management online tool (Capsule CRM) AND I have a to-do list app, Go-tasks (iPhone and iPad).

I didn’t actually give up a paper to-do list until last year, when I got the Go-tasks app.  The app makes it easy to put tasks into categories, to have repeating tasks and task alerts and to forward unfinished tasks.  Plus, I never lose the list. Here is a screen shot of my task list on a day in which I almost finished everything:

Business-wise, the smartest thing I did a little more than a year ago was to start using a Customer Relationship Management tool (CRM) to keep track of opportunities, current clients, email conversations, and related tasks (such as follow up).  I decided to use a CRM tool (Capsule CRM) after I had a prospective client (who turned into my biggest speaking fee) follow up with me, because I had forgotten to follow up with her!  Never again!  Now, because I never forget to follow up, I regularly get business that might have otherwise fallen off my radar–very much worth the $12 a month investment.  There are other great CRM tools out there–if you are a sales person or entrepreneur find one and use it or lose it (future business).

I’d love to hear your best time management tips!
email Diane

An “attitude of gratitude” is just a platitude.

Your attitude of gratitude might make you feel better, and it might make you behave better, but if you really want to have an impact with gratitude, you have to SHOW gratitude.

From a business perspective, the gratitude or appreciation you show can motivate others to be helpful to others (e.g. coworkers, customers).

In Francesca Gino’s recent book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We can Stick to the Plan, the author writes about a couple of studies she and another professor conducted on gratitude.

In the first study, fifty-seven students were emailed a job applicant’s cover letter and asked to provide the job applicant feedback (edits and comments on the cover letter).  After the students provided feedback, the experimenter, posing as the job applicant, sent a reply from the alleged job applicant’s email account.  Half of the participants received this neutral reply:

Dear [name],

I just wanted to let you know that I received your feedback on my cover letter.

The other half of the participants received this reply expressing gratitude:

 Dear [name],

I just wanted to let you know that I received your feedback on my cover letter. Thank you so much!  I am really grateful.

The next day, the researcher sent all participants a link to an online survey, which included measures of social worth and whether they thought the job applicant’s email expressed gratitude.  Not surprisingly, not only did the participants feel that the second email expressed more gratitude, but those who received the second email also reported feeling more valued.

Perhaps more surprising were the rates of response to an additional request for help. The day after the students took the survey, the experimenter sent them an email from the account of a different student, in which that student asked for feedback on his cover letter.  Only 25% of the students who had received the neutral note helped the second student, but the percentage more than doubled, to 55% for the participants who had received the reply expressing gratitude.

The desire to be helpful is greatly increased when simple appreciation is expressed.

In another study with fundraisers,  when the annual giving director visited the fundraisers in their office, expressing appreciation, then number of fundraising calls in the week after the visit week increased by more than 50 percent.

A little thanks goes a long way.

How do you show gratitude at work?

“Many of my co-workers are skilled technologists – programmers, analysts, etc. – but many struggle at softer skills. Effective communication is an example. Many new co-workers are scheduling meetings to collaborate on projects for the first time, and have very little in the way of formal training. This leads to some awkward, and unproductive meetings. Some of the mistakes: 

 

1 ) poor preparation

• Not setting an agenda before hand.
• Not setting a meeting goal(s)
• Not preparing materials

2) poor execution

• Not setting context 
• Not communicating meeting goal(s) to participants
• Not managing time well or deviating from the agenda
• Not concluding properly (summarizing findings, setting action items, rough goals and agenda for the next meeting).

Some of the deficiencies are knowledge; most of the technical staff did not take more that the basic communications courses. Some of the deficiencies come from a lack of practice.”

Would you like a subtle strategy to get your prospective clients, customers or even prospective employers leaning forward, wanting to hear how you can help them?

Try using a client attraction story with the the Then-Now-How strategy.  This strategy was developed by Craig Valentine, a top business speaker and a Toastmasters World Champion Speaker.

The secret to the power of the Then-Now-How story lies in the order that you present the points.

First, you tell about a “then” situation with a client like the prospect.  You want to focus on the problem that your client had that was like the prospect’s problem.

Second, you tell about the “now” situation.  This is a benefit focus where you talk about the client’s results of having used your product or service.

Third, you tell “how.” By delaying “how”  until after the “now” you get people leaning forward and wanting to hear the how.

It’s like when you see  weight loss products or services advertised.

You see the “before” picture and the “after” picture and you want to know “how.”

Here’s another example, one I use for Toastmasters:

Several years ago, Barb, an older woman in her 60’s joined my Toastmasters club.  I was thrilled! (Mostly because I was the only other woman in the club).  The day came for her to give her first speech, the ice breaker speech.  She walked up to the lectern like she was on a death march.  She set her notes on the lectern, gripped the lectern with white knuckles, looked down at her notes and never looked up.  Then she started shaking and her breathing became shallow.  I thought she was going to faint.  It was one of those speeches that both the speaker and the audience are glad when it’s over.

She sat down next to me and didn’t say a word until the end of the meeting when she turned to me and said, “That was awful.  I quit.”

I didn’t want her to quit.  I didn’t want to be the only woman in the club again.

“Barb, why did you join?’

“Well, I want to help do some fundraising for a medical missions team. But I don’t think I can speak in front of people.”

I managed to convince her not to quit that day.

Fast Forward 6 months.  Not only had Barb successfully raised thousands of dollars by giving presentations for the medical mission effort, but she had even won our club speech contest.

It was through the supportive, encouraging environment of Toastmasters that she was able to go from fear to finesse as a public speaker.  The regular practice and advice and feedback from fellow Toastmasters helped Barb meet her goals and gave her the skills that give her continued success.

Just like Toastmasters helped Barb, Toastmasters can help you, too.

Did you see the pattern (Then-pain of the fear of public speaking, Now—successful at public speaking, How-Toastmasters)?

Try a Then-Now-How client attraction story and get your prospects leaning forward!

This concept is in my new presentation for sales groups, “StorySELLing.”

In a 2012 study by the Meetology Group, face-to–face pairs generated 30% more ideas than virtual pairs (phone or video).  The face-to-face pairs also had ideas of slightly higher quality and variety.  But, interestingly interacting face-to-face did not significantly improve the social experience of the meeting.

So, what does this research mean for your business?

If you want to maximize idea generation–to think of new ways to solve problems, to generate ideas for new opportunities or to proactively consider problems and issues that may arise—meet face-to-face for better results than a virtual meeting.

What has been your experience in face-to-face vs. virtual meetings?

“I really wanted to say something, but I was afraid of being wrong,” said Laurie (not her real name), a client I’ve been working with on her professional interpersonal communication skills.

Laurie had been at a meeting and had noticed that some numbers on a document didn’t quite make sense, so instead of speaking up, she quietly pointed out the discrepancy to a colleague sitting next to her.  He addressed the group, “I was looking at the numbers and noticed that the highs and lows don’t quite make sense.”  He didn’t mention that Laurie had pointed it out to him. He got the kudos for bringing it up.

Has that ever happened to you?  Has fear ever kept you from pointing out something?

If you are a woman, research indicates that you are 25% less likely to speak up at a meeting.  If you don’t speak up, you are less likely to be seen as a leader, and what’s worse, what you didn’t say may become a critical issue.

Many people don’t speak up because they are concerned that either they will be wrong or they will hurt someone’s feelings if they speak up.

There is an approach that can elegantly sidestep those challenges, yet still address the issue.

I call it the “help me understand” approach:

1.  Make an observation of the facts as you see them.

2.  Use “help me understand” or some variation (“This doesn’t quite make sense to me.  Can you explain it?”)

This non-judgmental approach can help both you and the other party “save face” and allows you to address an issue that could become a critical issue if ignored.

What would happen if people had more authentic conversations at work? It’s a concept I will be exploring in greater depth in future posts. I’d love to hear your ideas and your challenges regarding authentic conversations. Here are my initial thoughts . . .

What are “Authentic Conversations”? Authentic conversations are conversations based on truth, understanding and respect, communicated in a genuine, “real” manner, with no pretense, posturing or politics.

Why are “Authentic Conversations” important? If people feel respected and that others want to understand them without judgment, they are more likely to open up and share the truth. Better decisions are made when the truth is known. Authentic conversations are an integral part of employee engagement as well (engaged employees have higher productivity and lower turn-over). Authentic conversations will foster commitment not merely compliance.

What problems do “Authentic Conversations” solve?

• Turn dysfunctional teams/relationships into successful teams/relationships
• Employee engagement: reduce turnover, increase productivity
• Reduce loss of time and money (and possibly lives) wasted on decisions made with incomplete or untrue information.

6 Steps to “Authentic Conversations”

1. Know what you want, or at least what you think you want. It’s a starting point. to

2. Address fundamentally important issues. Don’t side step the big stuff.

3. Commit to maintaining a respectful, caring, adult to adult, engaged connection in which you see your conversation partner as an ally not an adversary. It’s not “you vs. me.” It’s “we vs. the problem.”

4. Listen for understanding and not to judge (“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”). Use reflective listening (rephrasing, repeating, summarizing, asking clarifying questions). “Help me understand.”

5. Acknowledge feelings (yours and theirs). Empathize. But, try not to take things too personally.

6. Tell and seek the truth with positive intent. Be honest and transparent, without deception or manipulation. Honestly state your views (the truth as you know it) and the facts that support them. Tell the whole story, not holding back information on relevant issues. Acknowledge reality. Examine assumptions and biases which cloud the truth.

So, tell me the truth, what do you think about authentic conversations at work?

At first it seemed a small thing, only a $0.19 difference, but then I realized how it had affected my thinking and had almost affected my choice.  $0.19 was the price difference between a McDouble and a hamburger at McDonalds.  The hamburger was the more expensive choice.  And, if only the drive thru attendant had answered my call to switch to a McDouble, I would have saved $0.19 but made a poor nutritional choice.

So, I wrote an email to McDonalds and received both a phone call and an email back.

Here’s my email, sent on 3/6/2013 to McDonald’s (through the contact form at the McDonald’s website):

McDonald’s appears to be promoting unhealthy food choices at some of it’s restaurants, enticing people to chose a nutritionally worse option by having artificially lower prices.

Yesterday, when I went through the drive through at the Rogers, MN restaurant, I ordered a hamburger and then I saw the total pop up. I was shocked that a hamburger is more expensive than a McDouble. Why is a regular hamburger $1.19 and a McDouble only $1?   

I attempted to get the drive thru attendant again on the intercom, so that I could ask if I could have a McDouble, because it was less expensive.  Later, as I was eating my hamburger, I realized it was fortunate she did not answer.

I know that the McDouble is on the dollar menu, but it seems wrong for at least a couple of reasons that it is less expensive than a hamburger:  1.  You get so much less with a hamburger–one less beef patty and no cheese.  2. hamburgers are also healthier.  A hamburger is only 250 calories with 32% of calories from fat.  A McDouble  is 390 calories with 44% of calories coming from fat.

McDonald’s is contributing to the obesity epidemic by encouraging people to make poor food choices.  I have been to other McDonald’s restaurants where a hamburger is $.89, which seems more logical (and sends the right message).

A few hour later, I received a call from the store manager. She agreed with me, but really couldn’t do anything about it, other than pass the info on to the store owner. Oh, yeah, and send me a coupon for a free meal . . .

Then, the next day (3/8/2013) I received an email response from a McDonald’s customer service rep:

Hello Diane:

I want to thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience at the McDonald’s in Rogers, MN with me. Your feedback is very important to us as it allows us to better understand how we can improve our service to you.

I am sorry for your dissatisfaction with the prices charged by the franchisee of the restaurant you visited. Please be assured that we want to provide you with an exceptional experience every time you visit us. From your email, it is clear we did not meet your expectations. Again, I am truly sorry we disappointed you.

I want you to know that I have already taken action on your feedback. After reading your email, I immediately shared the information you brought to our attention with the local franchise owner of the restaurant you visited. Additionally, customer feedback is reviewed with our regional McDonald’s consultants as part of our ongoing commitment to improving our restaurants’ operations.

 McDonald’s cares about the health and well being of its customers. We’re working to help people understand how to achieve a balance between food eaten and physical activity. It is not simply a result of consuming too many calories — it is equally the result of burning too few. McDonald’s offers a variety of great tasting, quality food choices in a number of serving sizes to fit many nutrition needs. McDonald’s strives to help its customers make informed food choices, by offering nutrition information in a variety of different ways: nutritional facts brochures in the restaurant, www.mcdonalds.com website, on the reverse side of trayliners, on select packaging, our toll-free number, 800-244-6227, our mobile application and our menu boards. Many nutrition professionals agree that McDonald’s food can be part of a healthy diet based on the sound nutrition principles of balance, variety and moderation.

Health and nutrition experts from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics agree that many factors contribute to over weight and obesity. The causes are complex and may include excess food consumption, lack of physical activity and today’s increasingly sedentary lifestyle, just to name a few.

Again, Diane, thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate your business and we hope to have the pleasure of serving you soon.

Jessica

McDonald’s Customer Response Center

Kudos to McDonald’s for quick customer response, but does anyone else see a problem with pricing a hamburger higher than a McDouble?

Tagged: Fast Food, McDonald's, McDonald's and obesity, McDonald's prices ]]> http://smalltalkbigresults.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/fat-food-nation-mcdonalds-pricing-encourages-poor-nutritional-choice/feed/ 0 Diane Windingland Fat Food Nation: McDonald's Pricing Encourages Poor Nutritional Choice http://smalltalkbigresults.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/miscommunication-multiplied-the-communication-technology-gap-at-work/ http://smalltalkbigresults.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/miscommunication-multiplied-the-communication-technology-gap-at-work/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:10:08 +0000 Diane Windingland http://smalltalkbigresults.wordpress.com/?p=1491 ]]> Miscommunication multiplied. That seemed to be the bottom-line challenge in an informal survey I did last month to gather some preliminary information on  attitudes and challenges relating to communication at work, specifically those challenges related to technology and generational differences.  

A few comments from respondents:

“35 year olds like electronic communication. 45 yr olds like to pick up the phone.”

“I’ve had countless times when a 5-minute conversation accomplishes more than half a dozen emails.”

“I wish people would still use the old fashioned phone to call someone when they have an urgent problem or request instead of trying to send an e-mail or text message.”

“My work team could greatly benefit from more personal communication on a regular basis. There is too much reliance on text-based communication.”

I think prevalence of text based communication creates a CYA, finger pointing atmosphere when something goes wrong. The problem is amplified since people don’t get to know each other much beyond the keyboard.”

“I think technology has helped us communicate with one another and communicate with more people in a week then we ever were able to communicate to 15 years ago. Technology has been a positive development. “

“People don’t always take the time, when writing, to make sure communications convey their intent, or even a complete thought. People “think/perceive” something different than is intended, but don’t ask for clarification. Or if they do ask for clarification and (depending on writing skills) are misunderstood or perceived to be confrontational.”

“We lower the standard by trading speed for accuracy.”

“We have become an increasingly shorthand society for communication.” 

“They (Gen Y) are capable of multi-tasking and are more familiar with today’s technology than Baby-Boomers who might get frustrated easily with today’s technology. Neither one is better than the other, it’s just that we need to learn to live with each other’s talent and appreciate them for what they are worth.”

Read the complete survey and responses here.

Note: the word cloud at the top of the post was created using wordle.net and contains the 50 most common descriptive words used in comments by respondents.

What is your experience with communication and technology?  Is there a communication technology gap where you work?

A few weeks ago, a headline in the Sunday paper caught my eye:  College ‘charm schools’ fill gap.  The article talked about how colleges are teaching students business etiquette, including things like how to master small talk.

“A good résumé and a degree only gets you to the table. Professional behaviors are what get you a job.” –Matthew Randall, Executive Director of the Center for Professional Excellence at York College in Pennsylvania.

Intrigued with the concept of a “center for professional excellence,” I tracked down Matthew Randall, and sent him a copy of my book Small Talk Big Results.  He sent me the above infographic (Click here for a pdf of the infographic) as well as the full length 2012 study).

What I found most surprising was the section on IT misuse on the job.  Approximately 4 out of 5 respondents saw misuse in these  areas:

• excessive use of social media
• text messaging at inappropriate times
• inappropriate internet use.

Clearly there is a mismatch between actual and expected behavior.

What challenges with IT misuse or other professionalism issues have you seen at work?