January – Letters From Lisa

I know it is the smart way to do everything, but I am not nearly as efficient as I want to be. Why? When 70 to 80 percent of your day is spent doing work about work (multiple meetings, endless emails, etc.) instead of doing actual work, that’s a problem. I have that problem. I love that problem, but I do have it. Isn’t the first requirement of change to acknowledge you have a problem?

Despite its difficulty in life, efficiency in business is imperative to keep pace in an increasingly competitive world. Sooner or later, any company operating inefficiently will be out of business. Being efficient in business means making choices that benefit one sector of a business without taking from another. Knowing the steps to take and the tools to use to make your business more efficient will help you get the best results at the least possible cost.

Here are some tips to help your business work more efficiently, cut costs, improve customer satisfaction and stay ahead of the competition:

  • Deliver anytime, anywhere information access to employees (you too). To stay productive on the move, you and your employees need to be able to reach the people and information they need—anywhere, anytime.
  • Make it easy to work together. Smooth collaboration between employees, partners, suppliers and customers is a sure-fire way to boost efficiency while also reducing costs.
  • Streamline customer communications. Delivering fast, knowledgeable service is the best way to keep customers satisfied.
  • Reduce unproductive travel time. All too often, time spent on the road is time lost. Use travel time to get work done using technology if you have the right tools. The money invested in these tools is well spent.

To me this list of business efficiencies seems challenging, but not impossible. 

So let’s get back to personal efficiency since that is more difficult, at least for me.
I recently read a Robin Sharma article, that was just what I needed, entitled
21 Tips to Become the Most Productive Person You Know.” Of course it is not as easy as it sounds, but here are the five points that I found most interesting:

Sell your TV. You’re just watching other people get successful versus doing the things that will get you to your dreams.

Say goodbye to the energy vampires in your life (the negative souls who steal your enthusiasm).

Run routines. When I studied the creative lives of massively productive people like Stephen King, John Grisham and Thomas Edison, I discovered they follow strict daily routines. (i.e., when they would get up, when they would start work, when they would exercise and when they would relax).
Peak productivity’s not about luck. It’s about devotion. 

Don’t say yes to every request. Most of us have a deep need to be liked. That translates into us saying yes to everything – which is the end of your elite productivity.

Be a contrarian. Why buy your groceries at the time the store is busiest? Why go to movies on the most popular nights? Why hit the gym when the gym’s completely full? Do things at off-peak hours.

Let’s work together to get more efficient – you hold me accountable, and I will do the same for you. Go get big things done this year!

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