direct your question clearly to the target audience

I was working on a team project where we were addressing questions from a customer. I had to rewrite my questions after they weren’t communicated properly to the customer. Direct the question you need answered to the target audience the first time. Vague questions waste time and probably won’t get communicated appropriately. In my case I directed several customer questions to my team. These internal questions were basically ignored. Your question is most potent at the source. Expect it to lose power as you lose control of it. If you transmit the question intact to the final recipient it will retain more of its power.

praise that goes around, comes around

Give praise where it’s deserved, especially when it’s help you received. My boss asked the team for great or inspiring things people have done and I responded. A five-minute exercise of praising someone with whom I worked in a two-line email turned into recognition from our VP that was broadcast to hundreds of people in the organization. I also was recognized as it tied into my achievement.

quicken comprehension with summary of key points

I was given a project recently with multiple steps and various requirements. How do you understand the scope of a project quickly? I opened the emails and attached summary documents. I scanned the instructions looking for key concepts to piece together. Often, you don’t need to read every word. In fact, that could be more confusing on a first pass. Scanning for milestones or summary points provides a clearer overview. After gaining a high-level understanding of the total project, you will more easily absorb all the relevant details.

time flies when you’re having fun

If you would like to pass some time more quickly, get engaged in what you’re doing. Focus on what is interesting about the task. This can also help you enjoy and get more out of the limited time you have.

time constraints focus your efforts

My training team was 40 minutes late returning from lunch. We discovered that we were supposed to be prepping for a presentation and only had 15 minutes left. We pinned down the key points of our message, recycled some content held between us, and established the responsibilities of each person. Based on our presentation we were selected as the winner out of five teams. Other teams spent about an hour prepping. Some clearly over-thought their message. Because we were constrained on time we got to the heart of the message and left out the low value fluff. With 25% of the time invested versus the competition we obtained 100% of the win.

win the championship while keeping practice in perspective

During a training my team kept our focus on the key goals. We prepared for the main objective during the time allocated for mini-assignments. As a result we won the grand championship with a more polished, complete, and effective presentation. Instead of getting lost in the weeds, we kept the view of the forest. Our advance work saved time and stress in the final preparation leading up to the competition.

keep performing, don't dwell on mistakes

Act confident. Be confident. Keep delivering the presentation and ignore your mistakes. Even if the audience notices any mistakes, they’ll take more notice if you lose your composure.

showing your work = 20%

Place the puzzle pieces face up. The puzzle is easier to solve when you can glimpse pieces of the picture. Show your work. Some concepts are easier to understand after pulling them together in a single view.

visualize success and increase focus for mindful practice

At the end of the day I ran through my presentation and talked through it as if narrating while both envisioning and performing steps. This gave me a mindful practice run where I performed and observed my presentation simultaneously. I’ve heard of the benefits of visualization and this allowed me to marry two forms of preparation. This approach helped me increase my focus instead of just going through the motions.

how to speak with a celebrity

I went to a town hall where the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world was speaking. I positioned myself next to the aisle and waited for the end of the meeting. When the CEO finished speaking I stood and waited for him and his bodyguards to pass. As the CEO was walking up the stairs of the auditorium aisle I waited for his view of me to open then confidently said, “Thank you.” He was clearly not expecting anybody to say a word to him but reacted quickly. His head swiveled to me as he smiled and brightly responded, “See ya!” My associates behind me didn’t see or hear my side of the conversation but were all surprised to see the personal acknowledgement I received. I’ve since used this story multiple times to tell others how I’ve spoken with a top CEO.

Don't spin your wheels, find traction

I couldn’t find a solution to a problem in any of the available resources. I recorded my questions and moved on. Not long after my mentor was able to quickly answer several questions and provide context. Time saved. More learned. Momentum and energy retained.

Give your best first

When I finish my highest value work first, it gets my best brain cells. The rest of the day is less stressful knowing my most important tasks were done best.

write it out to see it

When considering multiple variables, you can put them down on paper, spreadsheet, or whiteboard. You will intuitively begin organizing the information and identifying trends and relationships.

turn disrupted plans into a win

I started a training program that required eight different learning modules. However, the organization released a separate, overlapping training program. The redundant work initially made me angry. After looking through the details, I had an epiphany. I sent my manager an email. I reframed the disruption as an opportunity to streamline my training. The result was one month of training instead of four.

notes make effective phone calls

Before a phone call prepare your key points to cover and place them in writing in front of you. If the conversation goes off the rails it will help you bring it back on track. If making calls near a computer (practically mandatory in today’s work environment) you can quickly type those in Word, Notepad, or any text editor. You will likely see an improvement in the quality and efficiency of those conversations.

better relationships through eye contact

Look your kid in the eyes when speaking with her. This simple technique raises the level of connection. It’s especially important when your child is speaking to you. It will greatly amplify the value of the exchange. You can see the appreciation exuded in your child’s eyes and face. Long after the words or ideas are forgotten the emotion and value of that connection will remain.

streamline your Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Online CPE learning can be completed by downloading the attached documents and going straight to the test. Listening to all the videos may give some additional insights, but the test questions often require searching for specific details in the text. Cut the time from 120 minutes down to 20 minutes of research.

take notes, engage brain

When sitting through a meeting or presentation, write down the key takeaway(s). Looking for this will engage your brain, helping you process and retain more of what you’re hearing. This works for students and professionals alike.

Know your why

Frequently people give assignments without explaining the why. Even the military has begun acknowledging the weaknesses of orders given without understanding. When you’re given a task or instructions, ask what it means. What’s the main idea? You might be able to ask yourself this question and come up with the answer. The value in this exercise come from mentally capturing the guiding principles and vision. It will help you understand the purpose for your action, the actions themselves, and give greater insight for improving that performance.

Ask and Learn

I asked my manager for clarification of expectations. The reply eliminated a challenging process and cut out significant low value preparation. My mind was free to focus on the meat of the presentation. Instead of memorizing a script, I quickly learned the concepts and was able to present in my own words. Also, using slides with diagrams and pictures related to the key concepts helped me bypass memorization and led to a more natural style of presentation. Memorization exponentially becomes a less efficient strategy as the quantity of material increases. Learning is the meta-skill that becomes exponentially more efficient as the quantity and complexity of material increases. For many years I mistakenly conflated memorizing with learning. This is a Pareto Guide 2 in 1 tip. Asking for clarification can reduce the size of a challenge and learning can be much more efficient than memorization.