The Perfect Message On Time Management (from a Google Manager).

I was wondering around the web the other day and ran into this article/email on Medium (one of my favorite sites). I ran into a profound message from a Google manager who wrote a simple email to his staff on Time Management. (By Jeremiah Dillon, Head of Product Marketing, Google Apps for Work)

It was so well received, he was asked to broadcast it to a larger audience, and history was made.

Here it is in it's entirety (even with some inside Google jokes). Enjoy!

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To: Friend

Subject: If you don’t have time to read this…read it twice.

Stop. Breathe. Now, think about how you’re managing your time. Speaking for myself, I have some room for improvement.

It’s been said there are two paradigms to scheduling — the manager and the maker.

The manager’s day is cut into 30 minute intervals, and they change what they’re are doing every half hour. Sorta like Tetris — shifting blocks around and filling spaces.

The maker’s day is different. They need to make, to create, to build. But, before that, they need to think. The most effective way for them to use time is in half-day or full-day blocks. Even a single 30 minute meeting in the middle of “Make Time” can be disruptive.

We all need to be makers.

Ok. Great idea. I’ll do that… you know… later… I’m late for a meeting.

No. It doesn’t work that way. The only way to make this successful is to be purposeful. Establish an implementation intention. You need to define precisely when and where you’ll reserve Make Time for your projects. Let me tell you a story about a study on this effect:

• The control group was asked to exercise once in the next week. 29% of them exercised.
• Experiment group 1 was given the same ask, along with detailed information about why exercise is important to health (i.e. “you’ll die if you don’t”.) 39% of them exercised.
• Experiment group 2 was asked to commit to exercising at a specific place, on a specific day at a specific time of their choosing. 91% of them exercised.

Commit to protecting Make Time on your calendar including the time and place where you’ll be making, and ideally detail on what you’ll be making. That way, you know, it’ll actually happen.

So, I can just do this like… last thing on Friday, right… after all of my meetings are over?

Actually, no. Many of our meetings could be shorter or include fewer people, and some don’t need to happen at all. Take back those hours for your Make Time instead. But, don’t put it off till the end of the day on Friday — the time you choose really matters. Your energy levels run the course of a wave throughout the week, so try to plan accordingly:

Aim to do the following:

• Monday: Energy ramps out of the weekend — schedule low demand tasks like setting goals, organizing and planning.
• Tuesday, Wednesday: Peak of energy — tackle the most difficult problems, write, brainstorm, schedule your Make Time.
• Thursday: Energy begins to ebb — schedule meetings, especially when consensus is needed.
• Friday: Lowest energy level — do open-ended work, long-term planning and relationship building.

Always bias your Make Time towards the morning, before you hit a cycle of afternoon decision fatigue. Hold the late afternoon for more mechanical tasks.

My new challenge to you: create and protect your Make Time and before you “steal someone’s chair,” consider whether it’ll be disruptive to their Make Time.

P.S. I have Make Time on my calendar. Please don’t schedule over it, and I promise to do my best not to schedule over yours.

Facebook Home? "Really?"

Okay — the curmudgeon is alive and well this morning. Facebook just released to the press a new initiative to wrap android phones with their own 'home' page experience. It is deeply integrated into the Android environment — to be always 'on' and be the dashboard to your social world. A 'start button' for apps on your Android device.

As they say on Saturday Night Live: "Really?"

I have found my Facebook usage declining precipitously over the past few years. In fact, many people I talk to (even Social Media Czars) say that they are using it less and less too. I even ask kids (14-22) about their usage and they give me a weird look — they never use it.

Why is my Facebook usage declining?

1. There are other better platforms out there. Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Texting, etc. allow me to stay connected with key people in my personal and business life.
2. If I do check Facebook, it's to see if my blog posts are live (confession: I've NEVER closed a client from Facebook) or if I want to wax nostalgic and interact with college friends or hometown photos from years gone by. That's it.
3. I hate any Facebook game, poke, snap-on, program that tries to suck you in (and read your usage).
4. And on usage, I am on high-alert about how Facebook tracks EVERYTHING you do — catalogs it — and sells it to the highest bidder. I've also am very wise to Google — that's why I use Duck Duck Go for my searches.
5. Have you ever seen, clicked-on, or used a Facebook ad? I haven't.
6. And then there's Facebook Envy - read this and this. I get tired of seeing all the 'great' things other people are doing - you know who they are - and they use Facebook to advertise their kids, their travels, and their pets. I'd rather read a good book.
7. They push things ON you — alerts, ads, snap-ons — all the time.
8. It's not an information resource — it's a waste of time. I'd rather use Reddit.

Now back to Facebook Home. Based on the information provided above — why would I want a more expansive, exclusive, and inclusive experience with Facebook? If you eliminate teens, young adults, and professionals, who's really using it?

Housewives/Househusbands, Seniors, and people who are less technologically savvy. Is this a growing market? Housewives/Househusbands are very fickle, the less technologically savvy tend to get more experienced, and seniors die off.

And let's cover their stock opening fiasco, their privacy issues, their ever-changing interface, their bloated code, and wonderful ability to tick anyone off with their presence. Facebook is not a pretty, simple or tight platform to use.

Facebook is doing well right now because there's no direct competition. Google+ is a joke. There is no iOS to Android competition comparison here.

In my opinion, this might be a swing for the fence for Facebook — inculcate themselves into a mobile platform (because their app sucks) to maintain their current pole position.

I don't think it's going to work (let's wait and see if they have to make a de-activate app to wipe it from those phones in the next 6-12 months).

P.S. A confession: I do use the Facebook 'like' app for my posts — I'm trying it out in addition to the basic comment plugin. Not sold on it yet.

"I Can't Find A Job!"

The title of this post is so often repeated in the media — all the way from college students who have just graduated to middle managers who have lost their job to workers in the sunset of their career. "I get up — I check out the job market — I send out a few resumes — and I never get a call back!" "What should I do?"

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE.

It's easier said than done. But the reality is, there are more workers than jobs out there right now. And the premium jobs (management) are disappearing at a rapid pace due to productivity gains, technology, and the current economy. Check out this article.

BUT WHAT CAN I DO?

One option is to start your own business. It's never been easier in the history of people working. To start your own business, you need to clearly understand a number of areas:

• Knowledge of the Marketplace - is this needed?, is there a market for this?, are people willing to pay you for it?
• Drive & Hustle - a 'get off your ass' attitude to make it happen AND a drive to help you through the hard and complex times.
• A Vision - what is the future of this business?, where is it going?, who is your competition?
• A Mission - what are you going to do . . . exactly?
• A Plan - what are the steps, the timing, the resources, - the who, what, where, when, why and how?

Now you might say — "Start a business? How will I make money?" Let me give you an example:

There's a small shop in Kentucky called Gil Hibben Knives. You might have heard about them. Gil makes knives. Really good knives.

In addition to manufacturing his own knives, he runs classes where he teaches people to make their own knives:

• It's only offered once a month.
• The class runs for one week, each day from 9 AM to 5:30 PM.
• He only allows four people in each class. (he can probably run the class by himself)
• The classes are held at his shop in LaGrange, KY. (hotel, travel, food, etc. are your responsibility)
• He charges $995 for each participant.

The classes are FULL for the rest of the year.

Let's do a little broad math here: $1000 X 4 Students X 12 = $48,000/year.

And that's only working one week per month! This model allows him to work on manufacturing and other projects the other three weeks of the month! And let's be honest here — his site is pretty basic — it does the job, but anyone can do the same thing to market their services and wares. What I'm really saying is that it's pretty easy — don't let your mind develop obstacles.

And let me hazard a guess . . . he probably LOVES what he does.

So if the corporation work environment is slowly collapsing/changing — maybe you should strike out on your own and start that business?

It will be hard — it will tax you — but in the end, it will be well worth it.

P.S. I know there will be commenters who will say, "He's a famous knifemaker!" or "He's had his business for years!" or "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah". You may be right, but from my viewpoint, they're just more obstacles you're putting in your way — moving you from success to mediocrity and failure. Get out there and do something!

The Rules Of Job Hunting Have Changed.

Bob Weinstein, a reporter who has interviewed me a number of times on job search, business, and career issues, has hit another home run again yesterday in the Connecticut Post, one of CT's largest newspapers. A whole article about job hunting rules from ME (click image or here to enlarge).

Bottom line:

• Take stock of all social media sites where you have been posting information.
• Step back and view each site with a laser focus — is there anything unprofessional?
• They are looking — especially LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.
• Use these sites to enhance your professional image and stature in the industry. 

A big shout-out to Bob — he's in a rarefied class all by himself - professional, understanding, and informs readers with solid and clear advice.

What You Don't See Will Hurt You.

As web companies strive to tailor their services (including news and search results) to our personal tastes, there's a dangerous unintended consequence: We get trapped in a "filter bubble" and don't get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview.

TED presents Eli Pariser, who argues powerfully that this will ultimately prove to be bad for us and bad for democracy.