Productivity Secrets of Super-Achievers
In its March 20, 2006 issue, Fortune magazine interviewed several individuals renowned for their incredible productivity. Instead of focusing on productivity theories, the article’s authors spent significant time with each person to determine their day-to-day activities and how they really spent their time.
Each individual had their own approach to optimizing productivity and how they managed their day. I was able to read all of the profiles and glean good ideas from each of them. Some of the profiles also revealed bad productivity practices (in my opinion), but at least they allowed me to pick and choose what works for me.
What did they all have in common? As high-profile individuals, they are all over-saturated with information and requests for time. What differentiates them is their ability to focus on what’s important.
Some of the key highlights for me include the following:
- Meetings on a single-topic should be strictly limited to 90 minutes, with 50% of the time reserved for presentation and the rest for discussion (from Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan).
- Determine the time of day when you do your best thinking and schedule that time to tackle activities requiring the heaviest-duty thinking (also from Carlos Ghosn).
- For the particularly busy people, schedule “open door” time – perhaps with a sign-up sheet – during which colleagues and subordinates can talk to you about any issues on their minds (from Marissa Mayer, VP of Google).
- If you really need to focus on specific tasks, carefully screen your emails and phone calls and only answer the most important messages (from Bill Gross, Chief Investment Officer, Pimco). I’d actually go one step further and say that you should at certain times ignore all emails, instant messages and other electronic messaging – perhaps even closing these applications altogether.
- Schedule time for regular exercise; not only does it provide you with innumerable health benefits, but it also can be a good environment for generating some of your best ideas (from Bill Gross).
- Rely on your team, delegate, and focus on what you do best (from Wynton Marsalis, jazz musician). Marsalis admits to being very disorganized, but he counts on others to help him compensate for his areas of weakness.
- Take a break at regular intervals – for example, take a 15 minute break after every two hours of work – to clear your head and re-energize, much like athletes use interval training to maximize their effectiveness (from A.G. Lafley, CEO of Procter & Gamble).
- Turn your cellphone OFF – especially during meetings – so that you can focus on the task at hand. Plus it’s rude to answer cellphone calls during a meeting (from Amy Schulman, Partner, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary).
- Be disciplined about what you are able to do and can handle. For example, Hank Paulson (CEO of Goldman Sachs) makes it clear that dinners out should be over by 8:30, which enables him to get the proper amount of sleep to tackle the demands of the next day (which, for him, starts at 5:30am).
The article is an enjoyable read. You will probably glean some insights that are specific to you by reading it yourself at…
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/03/20/8371781/index.htm