Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) applied to real life.
Editing a video presentation is not quick. I was asked to record a presentation that hit certain points and followed a general script. From prior experience I knew that editing a video can take more time than the recording. A great delivery the first time can save considerable time in editing. This requires planning and practice. It’s worth considering the investment on either end before choosing your approach.
Before investing time in learning something, make sure your source materials and instructions are aligned with the topic and appropriate for your needs. If all you have is peanut butter and jelly don’t waste your time reading how to cook the perfect steak.
The right instructions are the best instructions. I reduced the length of my presentation by 50% and the required prep work by arguably 75% because I waited to receive the final instructions. If you don’t trust the instructions you’ve received, confirm for yourself whether they are final.
A ten-minute break of doing something you love can completely refresh your mind and attitude leaving you more ready to attack your work. I like to take a moment to play the piano during long working sessions.
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.
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.
To understand how you and your environment come across on video, compare your video to similar examples from peers. If you make videos for YouTube, spend some time seeing how your peers or competition are presenting. This directly influences your brand and communication style.
Don’t just learn the responsibilities delegated to you. Also learn the responsibilities of those around you. Knowing others’ roles in addition to your own creates boundaries wherein to focus your efforts and remove unnecessary work.
Sometimes the fastest approach to a question gives you the necessary amount of information and prevents needless discussions or technical research. Bing, Google, or other search tools well represent this approach. Try applying this at home, on vacation, or fulfilling a work request and see how much time you can win back for yourself.
When faced with a new task, ask whether it’s routine for someone else. That person is your expert. An expert can quickly clue you in to the necessary steps involved in a project, particularly one that follows a regular or systematic process.
Starting a recent project, I read the quick start guide and only 3 out of 144 slides from the instructions. Based on this reading I clarified the objectives, requirements, and framework of the assignment which provided the critical understanding to act. In this case, I gleaned all of that from roughly 3% of the associated materials.
When faced with a problem, consider consulting someone else for a different perspective. They may provide a solution that completely negates the obstacle you were facing. I was frustrated with a process related to expenses. A friend provided an insight that removed the steps causing me the most problems.
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.
Schedule mundane, low-cognitive activities for the same time as a webcast or other listening-only activity. You get two tasks done while increasing your enjoyment of both.
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.
I was missing several points of understanding related to a product. I had a few questions written down and fit into proper context. I turned to the user guide and quickly found three answers to three questions. I could spend hours trying to figure something out on my own. This is akin to recreating the wheel. Referring to instructions lowers the inputs required for potentially greater output.
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.
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.
I was asked for a two-minute pitch recorded on video. I quickly reviewed the instructions to initiate the recording and wrote down the main points I wanted to hit. Instead of searching for detailed instructions or building up a comprehensive outline, I hit record and started talking. I completed the assignment in less than ten minutes. Others spent over an hour prepping, practicing, and re-recording to obtain the same result. Don’t make a simple task complicated. Sometimes you can start quickly and learn what you need as you go.
I don’t get paid the overtime rate until I’ve recorded 40 hours of work. On a PTO or holiday week, that becomes a 50% loss on value for each OT hour worked below 40 hours. In some places (California) that could be a 100% loss or more on the overtime rate. If you shift the labor into prior or subsequent weeks you get a big boost in pay for the same hours. By not knowing the rules of the game you’re losing money.