This episode explores the different ways I manage my todo list items and along with techniques I’ve learned to avoid feeling overwhelmed by them and get more done. Background The topic of managing task lists and todo items comes up often with coaching clients. I find that many people (including me) sometimes experience their task tracking system as depressing and discouraging instead of helping them. One of the most important things to remember about any task management systems is that they are rarely permanent. My system continues to change and evolve, even after almost 25 years in the work place. Big Ideas 1) A winning task tracking system is: Flexible enough to change as you do Good enough not to let critical things drop or silently fail Easy to maintain (however you define that) Not overwhelming Capable of filtering–shows what need and hides the rest Something you can put your full confidence in 2) My advice Do what works for you Don’t listen to the gurus if their methodologies don’t work for you Systems rotate and have limited shelf-life What worked yesterday might not work today Don’t beat yourself up when it fails Be flexible Know when to push through and when to take a break or try something else Sometimes it’s time throw all the Post-its away and start over Even the people who talk about how they execute their systems like a walk on the beach at sunset have challenges They are human Some people are robots and execute their task system w/ amazing proficiency–most likely you are not like them and neither am I. Don’t compare yourself to others 3) My approach Daily, short-term tasks go on paper or Post-Its (analog) Long-term tasks and projects get stored in Trello (digital and easily searchable) A Two Tiered System: A Daily List and Deep Storage 1) Daily Always Visible My rotating tools 4×4 Post-it Notes and a Sharpie Blank sheet of copy paper on clipboard with tasks in circles Medium size spiral notebook Open to one side only Everything for that day must fit on the page (can’t spill onto another page) 2) Deep Storage goes in Trello Go here for the big picture/full overview Holds everything that needs to be done or considered in the future Filtering aids in avoiding overwhelm “Honey dos” are added silently by my wife Doesn’t stress me out Doesn’t interrupt me Doesn’t get forgotten High-level/quick scan periodically (every week or two on Saturday mornings) Pick out important stuff that needs to be prioritize or started soon This periodic check-in has saved us from missing/dropping some important tasks Deep review every couple of months Scan every card in the board and put in roughly prioritized order Because my wife doesn’t totally love Trello (and I hear there are few wives that do), I often scan it for the “next important things we need to focus on” and put them on Post-its. On a given weekend we might make post-its of the most important 5 or 6 things that need to happen on Saturday and agree to tackle them We usually get half of them done which means we should hire a better scrum master than me Tactical Suggestions for Daily Success 1) Set up your day for success It all begins the night before Deciding first thing in the day never seems to work as well (the clarity just isn’t there) S
This in-depth episode examines and explains the steps for creating and publishing your own podcast. Five key ingredients to creating a successful podcast 1) Recorded content 2) Produced show 3) Media hosting 4) RSS Feed to automatically tell the world that you have new stuff 5) Syndication on major services like Apple Podcasts (previously known as iTunes), Google Play, etc. In our conversation we go deeper into each one of these ingredients and explain how they all relate to each other. Below are additional resources and links to things mentioned in our discussion (and some added after the fact). 1. Recorded Content “Good enough” equipment is all you need to get started You want the sound to be clear and warm in a quiet location Raw content can take many forms monologue discussion presentation Solo episodes (just you) can be recorded with: Audacity Quicktime Other audio programs You can conduct interviews with Zencastr (Recommended as the easiest place to start) Runs in a web browser Use Google Chrome for best results Has the advantage of not requiring the installation of additional software, assuming Google Chrome is already installed Zoom Be sure to set preference to create separate audio files for each person and high quality audio A good alternative to Zencastr Skype and Ecamm Call Recorder for Skype (Mac only–I used it for years) Double-ender Pulsecaster (Linux only) Save original recording in a high quality, lossless format wav (Windows or Mac) aiff (Mac) Each guest should use earbuds Not laptop speakers which can cause feedback or echo Keep in mind that you can spend thousands of dollars on the best equipment and production (if you want to) and most people are going to listen on $30 earbuds In addition, for the cleanest, best sound from whatever platform you use, you want each person to be recorded on a unique track so that their audio is isolated from the people speaking. USB Microphones Mentioned These two Audio Technica microphones are essentially the same thing except that the ATR2100 has a lifetime warranty Audio Technica ATR2100 Audio Technica AT2005 Another option Paul recommends is the Blue Yeti (though John doesn’t care for it) The Podcaster’s High Quality Microphone Shootout (not mentioned in the podcast) A great guide to higher quality microphones Demonstrates the differences and how each person’s voice is different Don’t get too lost here if it stops you from getting started 2. Produced Show This is an area John specializes in and helps people Create finished shows on a regular basis Optimizes production workflow using a custom Trello workflow This step involves editing and assembling all of the pieces of audio recordings and music for good sound and flow Adding music can add life to your podcast Finding music can be a huge time sink Make sure you have a valid license to use the music i
Are you as clear about what you want as you think? This episode explores some ways to get clearer. Resources Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge by Geoffrey M Bellman The Five Whys Accidental Genius (a book about free writing and it’s benefits) Being a True Owner John’s Coaching Program Music Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 21: What Do You Want? appeared first on John Poelstra.
Today we have something a little different. In this episode I share one of my hacks for creating peace and quiet when I need to concentrate. I created my own ambient soundtracks of the Umpqua River from the Horseshoe Bend campground in southern Oregon (about 45 minutes from Crater Lake). Tracks You Can Download Each of these tracks are approximately 25 minutes long which make for good Pomodoros. Each one is a little different. I use them to block out other sounds when I’m trying to concentrate. Pick one you like and give it a try. Also useful for inducing peaceful sleep. Right click on a link to save the file or play it below. Headphones are recommended for the best experience. http://media.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/content.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/John-Poelstra-Umpqua-River-01-Birds-on-the-River.mp3 Birds on the River http://media.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/content.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/John-Poelstra-Umpqua-River-02-Bubbling-Rapids.mp3 Bubbling Rapids http://media.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/content.blubrry.com/johnpoelstra/John-Poelstra-Umpqua-River-03-Mini-Rapids.mp3 Mini Rapids Cherokee Shuffle Recording Here is the bluegrass recording I made at the Goldendale, Washington bluegrass festival in May 2016, with my Zoom H6. Tommi Poelstra plays the banjo. Other Links Mentioned Focus@Will Deep Focus playlist on Spotify Music Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod Songs is licensed under Creative Commons The post 20: How to Block Distracting Sounds So You Can Concentrate appeared first on John Poelstra.
Paul Frields joins the podcast to talk about working remotely and what it takes to succeed. John and Paul also discuss some of the misconceptions about remote work and how to overcome them. Articles and other episodes mentioned: The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Remote Work Remote is Dead. Long Live Distributed How to get unstuck via What Could Be Fun Music Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 19: How to Succeed as a Remote Worker appeared first on John Poelstra.
In this wide-ranging conversation, John and guest Paul Frields, talk about working at Red Hat, how they got started with collaborative meeting minutes and Paul’s love of playing the bass. Here’s Paul with one of his bands… The post 18: Talking Red Hat, Meetings and Music with Paul Frields appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode explores some techniques for facilitating meetings with stronger personalities or those that dominate the discussion too much. Dominant people tend to Hog the discussion Be the first to speak speak Often want to make sure they are heard at the expense of others It’s the faciliator’s job to Be a referee Keep input balanced Make sure all voices and perspectives are heard Keep things moving so that the meeting doesn’t get bogged down or go in circles I confront dominators by Being courageous and assertive Acknowledging the dominant person and then opening the floor to others Blaming the agenda Reminding the group that it’s important that all perspectives are heard and shared Interrupting the dominator (if needed) to redirect the discussion Other ways to handle people who regularly dominate the discussion Talk to the person outside of the meeting and express your concerns Be clear that you value their input and you will continue to moderate future conversations It’s not personal, it’s just to make sure that we’re getting equal input and participation from the rest of the group Ask them if they have ideas on how to make the meeting discussion more productive for everyone that will still honor their need to share Ask them not to attend Drop them from the meeting invite (this one could obviously have collateral damage and may not be advised) Consequences of not confronting dominators You’ll lose your roll as a strong facilitator People may shutdown and check out Participants may start multi-tasking and become disengaged People you really need input from will stop coming to the meeting Your meeting will narrow in perspetive and views Less creative solutions may come from your meeting discussions Things will probably get worse Music Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Sax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 17: How to Handle Dominant People at Meetings appeared first on John Poelstra.
Sometimes the best way to get your day out of a ditch is to find something fun. Any amount of fun might be good enough. That’s what I explore in this episode. The music track is Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund and licensed under Creative Commons. The post 16: What Could be Fun? appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode explores the topic of personal ownership through the eyes of two books: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work by John G. Miller Other resources mentioned on the episode A Few of John’s Favorite Things (013) Tim Ferriss: The Scariest Navy SEAL Imaginable… And What He Taught Me (Interview with Jocko Willink) Tim Ferriss: Jocko Willink on Discipline, Leadership, and Overcoming Doubt Roger Whitney: The Retirement Answer Man Chris Brogan: Owner Media Here’s an article titled “How to ask why at work without upsetting anyone” that I found after recording this episode. It includes a very brief and effective examination of why the “why question” is so horrible. It ties nicely into QBQ’s examination of the same thing. Jocko Willink Explains Ownership Music Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Sax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeod Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 15: Being a True Owner appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode explores the topic of listening through the Co-Active coaching model and an article from Harvard Business Review. Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, and Laura Whitworth (affiliate link) What Great Listeners Actually Do by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman Here’s a downloadable PDF from CTI explaining the three levels of listening Credits Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Sax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 14: What is Good Listening? appeared first on John Poelstra.