Five things to know when buying productivity software
If you have ever bought a diamond ring, you probably know about the 4C’s of diamonds: cut, color, clarity, and carats. It’s also fine if you don’t. Maybe the size of the diamond was the main thing you cared about because, let’s face it, it’s the most obvious characteristic and you’re probably not […]
Remember those days of hour-long meetings
Remember those days of back-to-back hour-long meetings? Well, they’re gone, and they won’t be coming back— I mean ever. I’m not saying that we won’t have an occasional 60-minute meeting, but videoconferencing is changing more than where we meet; it’s also changing for how long we meet. I hate to say, “I told you so” […]
Microsoft Focus (was clutter) VS Inbox480
Do you receive a lot of non-core business email that you don’t consider spam? Email that falls into the gray space of not very important, but you want to keep anyway. Then Inbox480 is for you. It’s similar to Focus, but also quite different in that it gives you a lot more control over which emails are […]
Is cutting your training and development budget your best bet in uncertain times?
One thing is certain these days, and that is: nothing is certain. Yes. I apologize for the cliché, but this is how most of are feeling, so why not be out with it? With all the amazing technology we have for peering into the future, times are more perilous than ever. The inclination we all feel […]
Should Inbox Zero Be Your Goal? Probably Not.
Should Inbox Zero Be Your Goal? Probably Not. Most of the blogs I read about being more productive with email focus on reaching inbox zero. No doubt, it’s a worthy cause, but is it the correct objective for you? Probably not. Most people struggle with keeping their head above water, never mind capturing the holy […]
Come back in six weeks – my designer glasses story
It was time for new glasses. My girlfriend, at the time, insisted. So that weekend we sauntered into the Synoptic store on Strandvejen in swanky Hellerup to buy some cutting edge spectacles from Steen, the sophisticated salesman there. The chosen pair turned out to be Danish designer stainless steel trifocals with lots of scientific reasons […]
Sending The Snow
I can imagine being on the other end of being asked to send in the “snow” – your empty inbox at the end of the day with 0 to prioritize, 0 to plan and 0 Today. On first glance, this request may seem a bit over the top. I get it. If you still feel […]
Outlook Tip #1
3 things you can do with an email that not everyone knows about: 1) Create a calendar event Drag the email to your calendar icon in the lower left-hand side of Outlook. This will allow you to block out time to execute the task in the email. Use this when an email requires 30 […]
Stop planning 60-minute meetings
If it isn’t obvious yet, 60-minute meetings are not very practical. The problem is that we can’t go from one 60-minute meeting to another without a break to enter notes and physically get to the other meeting. (Much better to do right after the meeting than hours or even days later when so much has been […]
How to write Next Actions that create impact
Probably the biggest challenge novice LeanMailers face is writing proper Next Actions (NAs) that make an impact on your brain. When your NAs are generic, your brain struggles to remember what the NAs pertained to. The result, then, is an increase in time-spend, not a decrease — without any return on investment The reason Generic NAs don’t hook into your memory, […]
How 5S is applied in LeanMail
1. Sort: In the Prioritize view, Delete, Archive, assign High or Normal priority. Do this quickly like dealing playing cards. Answer mails that take less than 10 seconds. When you are finished sorting, your view will change to Plan. 2. Straighten: Now that the waste is removed, non-actionable emails are archived, and emails needing action are prioritized according to the […]
The Art of Categorizing in LeanMail
The Art of Categorizing in LeanMail Sneak Peek – InstantArchive Categorization When we categorize emails, we are doing so in order to be able to locate them quickly and easily. Beginning with that end in mind, since all your mails will be placed in one folder, we should not be thinking in hierarchies (folder in […]
