Combining Deming and Lean Principles to Improve a Marketing System
Combining Deming and Lean Principles to Improve a Marketing System by Michael Hoffman Recently, our marketing system faced a challenge when one of our interns accidentally sent over a thousand emails to customers when he only intended to send one. This mistake could have resulted in significant damage to our company’s reputation and customer trust. However, […]
The Power of Inbox Zero: 7 Reasons Why it Matters and 5 Consequences of Not Achieving it
The Power of Inbox Zero:7 Reasons Why it Matters and 5 Consequences of Not Achieving itBy Michael Hoffman Getting to inbox zero every day is more than just a simple email management task; it has several psychological benefits that can greatly improve your overall well-being and productivity. By reaching inbox zero every day, you […]
Why Meta tagging Emails Using Categories Beats Filing Them Away in Folders Any Day
Why Meta tagging Emails Beats Filing Them Away in Folders Any Day by Michael Hoffman Meta tagging emails, or using labels and tags to categorize and organize messages, can be more effective than filing them away in folders for several reasons: Increased flexibility: Meta tagging allows you to assign multiple labels and tags to a single […]
LeanMail Isn’t Just For High Volume Emailers
LeanMail Isn’t Just For High Volume Emailers by Michael Hoffman LeanMail is a highly efficient email management method designed to streamline your inbox and increase productivity, regardless of the volume of emails you receive. While many email management systems are geared towards individuals with high email volumes, LeanMail offers numerous benefits even for those who receive […]
If You Like GTD, You’ll Love LM
If You Like GTD, You’ll Love LM by Michael Hoffman If you are a fan of the methodology espoused by David Allen in his book “Getting Things Done” (GTD), you may find that you will appreciate the approach and functionality of LeanMail (LM). GTD is a system for managing tasks and projects that emphasizes the […]
Managing Emails (in Outlook) Is Simple — Once You Understand Three Things
Managing Emails (in Outlook) Is Simple — Once You Understand Three Things by Michael Hoffman For many, managing an inbox is an agonizing Sisyphean task – or at least unpleasant and inefficient. But really, it’s quite simple, and can be enormously efficient if you embrace three important concepts. Before we get to those concepts, however, let’s […]
ActiveWords
ActiveWords Assign words to actions on your computer. Why write a paragraph when you can insert it automatically by typing one single word? Besides text substitution, ActiveWords opens documents, folders, web pages, and starts programs instantly. Just tap a few letters on your keyboard and whatever you need magically appears. ActiveWords is THE productivity tool […]
6 Reasons Why You Should Not Implement LeanMail In Your Organization
6 Reasons Why You Should Not Implement LeanMail In Your Organization by Michael Hoffman 1. Email management solutions are basically digital paper shuffler. Myth: LeanMail probably organizes email and adds more bureaucracy to an already bureaucratic process. I have enough add-ins my kitchen drawer already. Myth Buster: LeanMail is not an organizer — though it will help you become more organized. […]
9 Tips for Working from Home
9 Tips Working From Home by Michael Hoffman There are oodles of tips on the Net for working from home. Here is a compact version. 1. Create a morning and closing routine Routines are important because they prime us for jumping into our work and help us transition back to our personal life, respectively. There are […]
How to squeeze more out of your employees – and have them thank you for it.
How to squeeze more out of your employees – and have them thank you for it by Michael Hoffman No one cares about how well employees manage their inbox. Not the leadership. Not employees themselves. But here is why everyone should: Fixing it will take two hours. Keeping it fixed, another two hours over a couple […]
Errors that LeanMail novices make in the planning step
Errors that LeanMail novices make in the planning step by Michael Hoffman Follow-up; Read; Read and revert; Call; are a few of the typical entries that many LeanMail novices write as Next Actions. At the time you write them, they make perfect sense because at that particular moment you were immersed in the details of what it was you were supposed to do. […]
How to Run an Effective Daily Stand-up Meeting
How to Run an Effective Daily Stand-Up Meeting by Michael Hoffman I was recently requested to suggest how to run an effective daily stand-up meeting. It dawned on me that we had not articulated the process in our own company so all the more reason to explicitly formulate this important morning staple. The Goal The goal […]
