Posted on Wed, Aug 18, 2010 @ 04:38 PM
Here are a few quotes to get you thinking. Once you’ve been inspired, I’ll explain my point.
“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” – Author Frederick Wilcox
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – British poet T.S. Eliot
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” – Roman writer Marcus Annaeus Seneca
Encouraged yet?!
In the complex world of technology, there are various types of prospective customers, some of which are keen to incorporate new devices, gadgets and services into their organizations and lifestyles, while some are very against the idea. According to Geoffrey A. Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm, there exists a technology adoption life cycle as follows:
Innovators – individuals who aggressively seek out new technology
Early Adopters – those who easily relate to and see the benefits of technology
Early Majority – individuals who are more practical when it comes to adopting new technology
Late Majority – those who are uncomfortable and lack confidence in handling new technology
Laggards – for many reasons, these individuals want nothing to do with new technology
Risk-taking is an essential element to moving yourself up within Moore’s “adoption life cycle.” You’ll never know just how beneficial technology can be for your organization if you don’t take a leap and test it out. If you have already made steps to take that leap, but haven’t jumped yet, what’s holding you back? You’ll only work more efficiently and see bigger gains in the way of time-management within your office. In the words of Jack Canfield, motivational speaker and author of numerous books including The Success Principles, “If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, of course you’re going to have to take that risk.” Eventually one day, you’ll look back and wonder why you hadn’t adopted technology sooner.
The great thing about risk-taking is it doesn’t have to be isolated to technology – it can apply to all aspects of your life, personally and professional. Start making riskier decisions on a day-to-day basis and you will undoubtedly see great results. Sure, you might make some mistakes and struggle along the way, but all of those challenges only build character and help you grow as an individual. I should point out that I’m not advocating doing anything life-threatening or dangerous. I’m simply presenting a concept of going out of your comfort zone every so often and doing things that might make you feel uncomfortable or scare you. In pushing yourself or your organization to overcome daunting challenges, you’ll gain confidence and increase your success rate.
-Jessica Scharien, Corporate Communications Officer
Posted on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 @ 12:18 PM
In today’s day in age, everyone is always so busy. Whether we are too busy to organize our kitchen cupboards, too busy to take that additional educational course, or too busy to learn something new... No matter what the reason may be, we all feel we are just too busy to consider adding anything new onto our plates.
I know myself, I have come across many of these “I’m too busy” reasons in my own life and it really makes you think, why are we always too busy to spend time on something that will help us in the future? For example, it’s hard to register for that online course to help you further your education and gain experience which could help you further your career. I know I always hear this same reason when working with customers as well, we’re too busy to learn about a new tool which could ultimately help save us time and money in the long run.
So what do we do to address this? One of the things we have been working through in our office is the implementation of time management best practices, and did you know they actually work!?! The trick is repetition, repetition, REPETITION!
A few of the best practices that have worked for me:
Plan your day – I actually have blocked out in my calendar specific segments of time for each task, and if you get off track, you know at least what you missed and it is very easy to reschedule.
Touch it Once – If you’re like most people today, you normally receive hundreds of emails a week and sometimes that can take you and entire day to get through your email. The ‘Touch it Once’ rule implies that you only read an email when you are ready to deal with it. I even go one step further and file or delete the email once I have dealt with it.
Top 6 Priorities – at the end of each day, plan the top 6 deliverables which you are going to accomplish for the next day and actually write them down. It also helps if you include devoted space in your calendar to accomplish these top 6 priorities.
These are just some of the best practices that work for me, give them a try for yourself but as I said, the trick is repetition.
Tara Holdbrook, Sales Consultant
Posted on Wed, Sep 09, 2009 @ 10:00 AM
In today's tough times people are having difficulty finding enough hours in the day to get everything done. Try these simple tips to more effectively manage your time and stop stressing about your workload.
1. Set aside an hour of each day where you close the door and have heads down time (no not napping, heads down in your work). Put this into your schedule and tell everyone in your office that unless it is extremely important you will not be available during that time period.
2. Write a list of your top 3 priorities at work that day first thing
in the morning. Always have this list in eye sight and ensure you allocate your time to the most important tasks you need to get done.
3. Avoid checking your email whenever a new email pops into your inbox. Turn off your notifications or close out of your email completely and only check it when you have ample time to respond to your emails without interruptions.
4. Make lists of everything you need to do. This will help you at the beginning of each day to prioritize your tasks for the day and you will never feel overwhelmed at the start of the day wondering what you are going to be doing.
5. Keep a detailed calendar/planner of your appointments, meetings, and other important priorities (heads down time). This will help you to stay on schedule and be most productive with your day.
With these simple and easy steps you are well on your way to managing your time more effectively and making the most out of the workday.
Photos:
laffy4k
judepics
jurvetson
Martin Kingsley
