In May we posted about the power of focus. Our two nuggets of wisdom were as follows:
- Block out an hour of distraction-free time to work on your point of emphasis as early as possible in the day. This means not answering the phone or email. For some of you this may mean working from home for an hour or somehow getting away from a place where people can find you.
- Write your point of emphasis on a sticky note and leave it around your work area. When you are distracted by another project, call or email, the note will remind you to re-focus on your point of emphasis. After an interruption, if you find yourself asking “what should I do next,” hopefully the sticky note will answer that question.
Check out the productivity blog lifehack.org for additional tips on how to sharpen your concentration this week and get the most out of your week. For example:
What you put into your body affects the way you concentrate. Nobody would expect peak performance if they showed up drunk to work. But if you allow yourself to get chronic sleep deprivation, overuse stimulants like caffeine or eat dense, fatty foods your concentration will suffer. Try to cut out one of your unhealthy habits for just thirty days to see if there is a difference in your energy levels. I’ve found even small steps can create dramatic changes in my ability to focus.
If you have any additional advice let us hear it in the comments. - IM
We’ve all been there before. Mr Accountant is talking about his favorite subject– the upcoming changes in GAAP and how it will affect tax breaks for individuals and companies. As he drones on incessantly, you imagine stabbing yourself with a fork, coming down with a severe case of a rare disease, or just bolting for the door. The problem is, you want to be professional, you just can’t figure out how to exit gracefully. The following article by Lifehacker, gives some quick tips.
Excuse yourself - A simple “Excuse me” will suffice. There is usually no need for explanation. Don’t feel compelled to justify your exit, it’s no big deal. “I have to talk to so-and-so”.
Leave an impression - Particularly in business related encounters, it helps to leave the conversation with something promising. Exchanging details and leaving by saying something like, “I’ll get in contact with you tomorrow about this and that”. Don’t just say, “We’ll talk” or “Let’s work on something”. Make a commitment to get something together. Shake hands and be on your way. [Let's say], you don’t want to see them again… Give them some details on how to find your work, a website for example, and tell them they can see what you’re working on there. This way they can gauge their own worth to your work and get in contact with you with some ideas.
Introduce a colleague - “I have to introduce you to so and so”, works well. Introduce a third party and make sure to include a piece of information about either person. This should get another conversation going where you can slide off and make your exit.
Do you have any other ideas on how to make a graceful exit? Share them in our comments! -IM
The last time you were trying to set up a conference call with someone did you do so over the phone or using email? If you used email, how many emails did it take to nail down a time? How long did it take to set up a time over the phone? Let’s face it, some things are best done over the phone. Marshall Loeb has published and article on CareerJournal.com that lists four reasons why sometimes its best to communicate over the phone as oppossed to email. For example, if you need an immediate response from someone its best to call them first. If you can’t reach them by phone, then send an email. What is your view on using the phone vs. email? Let us hear about it in the comments. - IM
photo by Ryan Luikens
Here is a treat for anybody out there in need of a 90’s hip-hop fix. On July 4th Funk Master Flex played 5 hours of classic 90’s hip hop. You can find links to the broadcast at Rosenberg’s World. Thanks for the email B. Starks! Below is a list of all the songs Flex played during his set:
Part 1
01 Rakim - In The Ghetto
02 Brand Nubian - Step To The Rear
03 Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother
04 Tim Dog - Fuck Compton
05 Diamond D - Freestyle (Yo That’s that shit)
06 Chubb Rock - Treat Em Rigt
07 Kings of Swing - Nod Your Head To This
08 EPMD - Give The People
09 EPMD - Headbanger (Ft Redman & K-Solo)
10 LL Cool J - Around The Way Girl
11 Main Source - Large Professor
12 Gang Starr - Words I Manifest
13 LL Cool J - Eat Em Up L (Chill)
14 Black Sheep - Flavor of the Month
15 Brand Nubian - All For One
16 O.C. - Time’s Up
17 Main Source - Just Hanging Out
18 Main Source - Live at the BBQ (Ft Nas, Joe Fatal & Akinyele)
19 Scarface - Mr. Scarface
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