For my own productivity ‘system’, I have identified 4 key components that simplify the understanding of any system out there.  The framework is completely underpinned by your personal modes of operation and your core purpose and desire.  With this, here is the framework:

The 3 areas within the framework, as you can see, are tools, tactics and processes.  They are defined as follows:

Tools – these are the technology pieces and other systems that help you facilitate your productivity.  This would be your computer, smartphone, and software. Also included here are your notebooks and pens, post-it notes, etc. Whatever the tools are, these are here.

Tactics – these are the individual tasks or simple strategies within your system, such as a weekly meeting or daily download. Other areas include how you handle email, how you communicate and how you filter your information flow.

Processes – these are habits, routines, calendar events, and general management of your tactics and tools.  It is essentially methodologies that govern the cooperation of tools and tactics.

Now remember, as I mentioned, if your system is not grounded in the foundation of your mode of operation (M.O.) and your core purposes, it will likely fall apart and you will be miserable doing it. The goal isn’t simply to get stuff done but the right stuff in the right way, going for accomplishment and not simply busy-work.  Your M.O. is how you work most effectively. Not everyone operates exactly the same and this must be considered when deciding how to get things done.  Your core purpose includes your personal mission and life vision. What are you trying to do with your life and does your system move you properly?  Think about this and move toward identifying the 4 components for yourself and how they meld together.

What do you think? is this framework descriptive of your system of accomplishment?

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Today’s show topics:

• exploring personal and business productivity
• How can you look for purpose-driven accomplishment and not simply get more stuff done
• Is there an ideal system of productivity for you out there?
• The starting point is to understand yourself, your talents, and your mode of operation
• Tools and tests to identify your mode of operation and strengths (www.kolbe.com & www.strengthsfinder.com)
• See a current blog post on this topic here.

Many systems of productivity exist today. Thousands of bloggers, experts, consultants, and organizations exist all with their own prescribed system of ultimate productivity.  But often, it is THEIR system and not one that works for you.  So what does work for you? Is it simply an excuse to say that it doesn’t work for me because it wasn’t designed specifically for me? Or are we simply failures for not being able to hold to every written rule within the system that dictates our breathing patterns? Well, to start developing YOUR system, your meMethod to productivity, you need to first understand yourself, and that is often simpler said than done.  Most people think they know themselves but when it comes down to it, they are as clueless as a stranger who just met them.  In fact, the stranger can be more accurate as they come in with no specific biases or desires or preconceived images of you.  Our own image often skews the perceptions we have about ourselves and this then affects our ability to design or operate within a system for personal productivity.  Once we understand where we are, we can move on to the next steps in designing our system or approach.

The following steps describe an approach to this design process:

1. understand yourself, your strengths, passions, and desires, your mode of operation, YOU.
2. Identify your responsibilities, projects, desired habits, etc… all the things you need to, or would like to accomplish
3. Analyze the current system or process you use. What works? What doesn’t?
4. Gather the information, tools, tactics, and possible strategies together that you have come across or thought up
5. Identify what fits within your “you” from step one. How do the current processes that are working fit?
6. Drop what does not fit or has not worked.
7. Identify the remaining areas of responsibility that are not taken care of by the viable tactics and strategies identified.
8. Delegate as many of these as possible. This may be through outsourcing, coworkers or other individuals internally (within your organization or family), or complete automation via technology.
9. Eliminate as many other responsibilities or tasks as possible since you likely will not do them anyhow.
10. Items that are left… well, you might just have to buck up and do them!  Have specific times and approaches to get the things done that need to be done but can only be done by you…even though they are no fun and don’t “flow” with YOU.

So, the question now arises… how can I understand myself more fully? There are many tools and exercises to assist you in doing this.  I will list and briefly describe a few of them.

Kolbe A Index – This index identifies your MO (mode of operation). It essentially identifies how you like to get things done.

StrengthFinder 2.0 – This test identifies 5 areas of talent which may be developed to become strengths. It is accompanied by a book that explains them in more detail.

VALS survey – This survey is short and sweet, designed to identify mindsets distinguished by 8 categories or types.

Myers-Briggs – Identifies personality traits such as habits of communication, patterns of action, and characteristic attitudes and values.

Each of these tests will reveal valuable insights into how you operate, where you derive passion and energy, and where you ought to explore or focus.  Remember this, it will be more valuable if you attempt to shed your ideal vision of yourself while taking these assessments and try to respond to each question as if in a vacuum.  Don’t over-think them.  For example, if the question states, “do you find yourself moving to the center of a big group or staying toward the edges of the group?” Don’t attempt to think where the question is leading and what the result might be one way or another, simply reflect back on past experiences in groups and realize where you gravitated or where you found to be more comfortable and where you gleaned energy.  Was the middle too stressful awkward for you? Did you feel alone when on the edge? Again, don’t over-think it.

With the results from these tests and some time spent contemplating them, you will be much more prepared to design your ideal system of accomplishment.  Take the steps above and discover yourself, then start designing!!

Entrepreneurs and new business owners have a tough time “changing channels”.  If you are one, you know exactly what I mean.  When we are at work, we work.  When at home, we relax…and work.  When at your kids baseball game, we cheer them on…and work (thanks you blasted smart phone!).  Now, the benefit to this often is seen in the ability to simply take time off whenever desired and still be able to finish up those contracts, or whatever.  This has been handy for me more than once.  The danger is, however, quite obvious.  If my wife said “lets go to California next week” (where she is from), we could do it.  I would, of course, likely take time to chat with clients and do some work.  With such short notice, there would inevitably be things that ought not be left or lack time to delegate.  This can be great, although worthless if I simply worked the entire time we were there!  Learning to manage the “channel surfing” of our attention is an invaluable skill and utter necessity, especially with other important attention grabbers such as family.  This brings us to a powerful principle of productivity, part of the meMethod… fixed-schedule lifestyles.

This principle was illustrated quite well in a blog post offered by Cal Newport here.  You may also learn more about him on his own blog here. The starting principles for fixed-schedule productivity are as follows:

The new year is upon us!  Thousands of bloggers are discussing new year’s resolutions and its a great time to set up goals, renew efforts and get back into the swing of things.  Renewal is powerful and what a better time than following a long holiday vacation, the rejuvenation there from, and a new tax year.  Which brings me to my point today!  What are some areas to remember in business while making your resolutions and starting out in 2010?  Lets list them out:

• Get organized! – possibly a more common goal is to get organized.  The opportunity to re-look at your systems and methods of tracking the stuff that needs to get done is one that should not be missed.  Look at the tools you use, the concepts and tenets you follow (i.e. GTD, 7 Habits, etc.) and the schedule (work, home, balance) you keep.  We will be unveiling a new system and tool to help with this over the next few months called Akomplish.  I’m excited for what it will do and the flexibility it will offer for you to live and work the way YOU want to.
• re-address your tax planning – With 2009 said and done, it is a great time to look at how you do taxes, bookkeeping, and financial accountability and tracking.  It will be much easier to start now than shift gears mid-year and cause confusion and chaos for yourself and your accountants.  Look at the past year and see what expenses could have been written off but were lost in the minutiae of living.  I know, I know, accounting sucks and is no fun (unless you actually ARE an accountant, then it might be okay to you although you also may not like it!).  The advantages of doing it right the first time and from the beginning will pay off, no doubt about it.
• 2009 in review – Take a look at what was done and not done in 2009.  What could you have done better?  What should you have done but didn’t? What bold moves do you wish you’d taken?  Well, lets do them this year!! How can this information and introspection be incorporated into your new year’s resolutions?
• Life Balance – Well, you work too much or too little.  You probably don’t have any hobbies but “family” or something cliche like that.  By the way, family is not a ‘hobby’, although important to you.  What do you do with them?  What can you do to unwind and breakup the life of work?  Having hobbies will prove invaluable as stress mounts from other money-generating areas of life.  For myself, I find this solace in photography, painting, mountain biking, and the like.  In fact, my wife would contend that I have too many hobbies!  Either way, having a good way to be productive without ‘work’ or pay (this does NOT include watching TV or wasting time) is an important part of balance.  Now, maybe you are lucky enough to do what you love for a living! Yay, hooray! I don’t care… find another hobby as well.  That doesn’t mean you quit loving work but you don’t want work to burn you out of loving it anymore.  For that reason, find a hobby!  Now don’t neglect your family for this hobby, again we are discussing BALANCE.  Maybe share your hobby with them or find some other way to balance.

Well, there you go.  Four points to consider with your New Year’s resolutions!!  Any other major points that we all ought to consider?