I want to ask you what your approach is to staying organized and communicating efficiently, especially with your colleagues.
To enhance efficiency and show respect for my colleagues, I believe that sharing our intentions with them benefits everyone. I adopted this approach when I started at my new company.
My colleagues and I use this method, utilizing MS Outlook. I understand MS Outlook is just an enabler, and trust and transparency are among the most critical components of human relationships in the workplace. Still, this technique helps me stay on top of tasks and ensure that people on our teams are informed.
To adjust free/busy permissions in MS Outlook, follow these steps:
1. Go to the 'File' menu.
2. Select 'Options.'
3. Click on 'Calendar.'
4. In this section, you will find the option for 'Free/Busy Options.' Here, you can set permissions for your organization, allowing them to view your details.
Moreover, under 'Other Free/Busy Options,' you can specify the period for which your free/busy information will be accessible, such as several months (in the future).
I like Carl Newport's article in the New Yorker, "How to Have a More Productive Year."
The article offers a valuable suggestion for creating an effective plan.
Key takeaway: One unconventional way to improve our plans is to simultaneously create them on different timescales.
Maria, it's an interesting tip. Outlook's free/busy calendar configuration is a useful feature that facilitates teamwork since a team member can easily share his schedule, allowing other stakeholders to see how his time is distributed. This facilitates meeting organization or any other team activities that are performed during the project.
Planning at different timescales is a great form of increasing productivity, since we state long-term main goals (quarterly/biannual, etc), and tailor the plan with more detail at shorter terms (monthly/weekly); and at last, we determine our daily planning. For organization, I like Monday.com, which is a flexible software, that allows to create daily/weekly/monthly checklists, assign responsibilities, and state deadlines.
Another useful software is Trello, which gives the opportunity to create agile boards, assign members of your teams to the tasks, add a time state, etc.
Another tip I use is to do the most important task at the first available time of my day. Later on the day, there will be some unexpected things that will result in changing priorities. By dedicating the first available time to the most important things, you ensure their compliance.
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2 replies by Candice Shubbie and Maria Hrabikova
Oct 25, 2024 7:47 PM
Candice Shubbie
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I will echo this comment, and also suggest ClickUp as a great tool that is similar to Monday.
Oct 27, 2024 10:34 AM
Maria Hrabikova
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Hello Veronica and Candice,
Thank you for sharing your ways of working, including tips for technical enablers such as Monday, Trello, and ClickUp, and for giving us your advice on how to be organized.
In addition, what techniques do you use to prioritize your work? For instance, I prefer the Eisenhower Matrix, a simple and intuitive method. However, this technique can lead to subjective task prioritization due to cognitive biases and may materialize as the sunk cost fallacy.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Thank you for the tip Maria! I frequently use these options to indicate my working and lunch hours, meaning when I am unavailable. It works well for me; if someone needs me during those times, they know to ask. Similarly, I also include my vacation periods and specify who to contact in case of urgent matters.
Regards!
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1 reply by Maria Hrabikova
Oct 27, 2024 10:46 AM
Maria Hrabikova
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Thank you, Francisco.
The "at lunch" notification is essential for physical and mental well-being. At the same time, you demonstrate how to manage stakeholders' expectations effectively by informing your colleagues when you're unavailable.
Saving Changes...
Karen HaefnerSenior Manager, Marketing Communications Program Management| K&L GatesBethel Park, Pa, United States
I stay organized by creating a weekly task list broken down by day. There is nothing more daunting than a long, seemingly endless "to do" list. But by assigning tasks to a specific day of the week, it feels more achievable and less overwhelming.
I also don't hesitate to add completed tasks to my daily list to bolster my sense of accomplishment when the day doesn't go according to plan (which happens all too often).
And when tracked electronically, it's easy to push an incomplete task from one day to another.
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1 reply by Maria Hrabikova
Oct 27, 2024 11:20 AM
Maria Hrabikova
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Hi Karen,
Thank you for sharing your practice of keeping a weekly to-do list. Statistics indicate that, on average, people have around 15 ongoing goals and projects at any given time. That’s quite a lot to manage, as each goal has milestones. To-do lists are appealing because they help us offload some of that mental burden.
I love how you celebrate your accomplishments because celebrating small wins keeps us motivated. A 5th-century Chinese proverb says, "A journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step."
Thank you so much for sharing your approach to staying organized and communicating efficiently! I really appreciate the tip on adjusting free/busy permissions in MS Outlook - it's a small change that makes a big difference. Your commitment to transparency and trust in the workplace is truly inspiring.
Here's a question that came to mind as I was reading your post: How do you think we can scale this kind of intentional communication and organization across larger teams and organizations, to create a truly collaborative and productive work culture?
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1 reply by Maria Hrabikova
Oct 27, 2024 11:45 AM
Maria Hrabikova
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Thank you for your question, Pravan.
I understand the challenges that come with scaling intentional communication, and I believe it starts with a fundamental shift in mindset among senior leaders. It's essential to foster a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety, as this creates a supportive environment for everyone involved.
A transformational program can help us all work together more effectively, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and allowing team members to agree on a standardized way of working. An important item on the agenda could be establishing mutual respect among team members, such as blocking our time for focused work, lunch breaks, and meetings with both internal and external stakeholders.
Saving Changes...
Keith MelvinSumaria Systems, LLCDayton, OH, United States
I'm a huge fan of blocking off time to respond to emails. I block 1hr a day the end of the day to respond to emails.
Also, I try not to do have very important meetings back-to-back. I typically leave a 15-30 min buffer between important meetings so that I have to collect thoughts and review notes between meetings.
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1 reply by Maria Hrabikova
Oct 27, 2024 11:52 AM
Maria Hrabikova
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Hi Keith,
I like your approach to having a 15-30-minute block between important meetings to prepare for discussions with our stakeholders. This way, we demonstrate respect for their time.
Head of Cloud Software & Services| Ericsson EMEAVictoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
I agree with your point that using tools to manage relationship helps to stay organized.
For me, what I usually do is to set my status as "Away" or "Busy" on MS teams to refresh my thoughts for the rest of the day. I also use that time to attend to some other messages I could not attend to because of meeting.
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1 reply by Maria Hrabikova
Oct 27, 2024 11:56 AM
Maria Hrabikova
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Hi Taiwo,
Thank you for sharing your way of working.
I like your approach. It's important to stop and reflect on important conversations during the day.
Saving Changes...
Kristi CummingsPortfolio Manager| TeamHealthDandridge, Tn, United States
I'm a big fan of Outlook follow-up flags. I use them in two main ways:
1. When I send a request that I need recipients to respond to, I flag the outgoing message for myself, with the date I plan to follow-up if I haven't heard back. If I do hear back in the meantime, I mark it complete.
2. When someone sends me a request that is important, will take time to respond to, and has a due date past today, I flag that message for myself. This allows me to focus on the present day but not lose track of future commitments. Saving Changes...
Candice ShubbieConsultant| PROJECT40 ConsultingOntario, Ca, United States
Oct 23, 2024 12:21 PM
Replying to Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
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Maria, it's an interesting tip. Outlook's free/busy calendar configuration is a useful feature that facilitates teamwork since a team member can easily share his schedule, allowing other stakeholders to see how his time is distributed. This facilitates meeting organization or any other team activities that are performed during the project.
Planning at different timescales is a great form of increasing productivity, since we state long-term main goals (quarterly/biannual, etc), and tailor the plan with more detail at shorter terms (monthly/weekly); and at last, we determine our daily planning. For organization, I like Monday.com, which is a flexible software, that allows to create daily/weekly/monthly checklists, assign responsibilities, and state deadlines.
Another useful software is Trello, which gives the opportunity to create agile boards, assign members of your teams to the tasks, add a time state, etc.
Another tip I use is to do the most important task at the first available time of my day. Later on the day, there will be some unexpected things that will result in changing priorities. By dedicating the first available time to the most important things, you ensure their compliance.
I will echo this comment, and also suggest ClickUp as a great tool that is similar to Monday. Saving Changes...
Consultant| Canarys Automation LtdBangalore, Karnataka, India
Thank you for sharing your approach! Staying organized and communicating efficiently are crucial in maintaining strong team dynamics and productivity. I agree that while tools like MS Outlook are helpful enablers, it’s the trust and transparency we build that truly elevate collaboration. I believe in leading by example and focusing on clear, proactive communication. Sharing intentions and progress with colleagues not only keeps everyone informed but also fosters a sense of ownership.
I also prioritize understanding the impact of tasks on the business. This helps in aligning team goals and reinforcing the value of each member’s contribution. It’s great to see you using strategies like adjusting free/busy permissions to maintain efficiency!
Carl Newport's advice on planning across different timescales is intriguing—ensuring short-term tasks align with long-term goals can definitely help in creating a more productive work environment. Saving Changes...
Maria, it's an interesting tip. Outlook's free/busy calendar configuration is a useful feature that facilitates teamwork since a team member can easily share his schedule, allowing other stakeholders to see how his time is distributed. This facilitates meeting organization or any other team activities that are performed during the project.
Planning at different timescales is a great form of increasing productivity, since we state long-term main goals (quarterly/biannual, etc), and tailor the plan with more detail at shorter terms (monthly/weekly); and at last, we determine our daily planning. For organization, I like Monday.com, which is a flexible software, that allows to create daily/weekly/monthly checklists, assign responsibilities, and state deadlines.
Another useful software is Trello, which gives the opportunity to create agile boards, assign members of your teams to the tasks, add a time state, etc.
Another tip I use is to do the most important task at the first available time of my day. Later on the day, there will be some unexpected things that will result in changing priorities. By dedicating the first available time to the most important things, you ensure their compliance.
Hello Veronica and Candice,
Thank you for sharing your ways of working, including tips for technical enablers such as Monday, Trello, and ClickUp, and for giving us your advice on how to be organized.
In addition, what techniques do you use to prioritize your work? For instance, I prefer the Eisenhower Matrix, a simple and intuitive method. However, this technique can lead to subjective task prioritization due to cognitive biases and may materialize as the sunk cost fallacy. Saving Changes...
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