Juli Blogs

This month’s blog post is taking a different turn as my mother passed away recently and I wanted to write about some things I have learned from an organizational perspective during this time. Forgive me for not mentioned the emotional journey, nor any legal aspects. This is more about the logistical aspect of losing a parent and what to do before they pass, and also before it’s your turn. 

With most meetings occurring online, I’m hearing about the frustrations of time wasted during meetings from leaders and teams’ members alike. Meetings are running overtime. The structure is lost. People can’t make it to their meetings on time – even virtually! Some people talk too much while others never utter a word. 

Are you someone who starts a whole bunch of projects and tasks yet rarely finish any of them? You are in excellent company! A huge percentage (89% according to a study shared in the Huffington Post) of business people don’t finish their task list.  Starting things and not getting back to them often is a result of procrastination, excessive distractions, poor planning, or simply a lack of desire.

Recently, I helped a client eliminate the worrying component in his narrative which was causing serious procrastination. This is not unusual, and here are some thoughts for those who find themselves trapped in this wheel of hell. I understand worry intimately. I know those who are chronic worriers and it can quite literally ruin your life. Everything elicits worry in their mind. The truth is that the majority of the things people worry about never manifest into anything at all.

When I was in high school, there was a teacher that had a brilliant line when he was asked a question that he didn’t know the answer to in the moment. He would state: “That is beyond the scope of this course,” with a smile. The class would always chuckle because on the first day of class, he shared that he would say that exact sentence when he was asked such a question. He turned out to be a great teacher and one whom all the students admired and spoke highly of. 

I’ve been writing, speaking, and training the world on list making to aid in greater productivity. I have been convinced for decades that this was the simplest and most logical way to run one’s life. Yet, there are still many out there who defy my advice determined that their method (lack thereof in reality) is superior and that making a list is stupid, stressful, unnecessary, etc. (substitute your adjective here at will).

We all end up needing to have a conversation that can become uncomfortable. We may have to share with someone our unmet expectations, disappointment, or actual annoyance. This could be with a direct report, our boss, a peer, a spouse, or maybe even a child. No one likes these situations, but we must deal with them appropriately in order to address the issue at hand.

Work-From-Home (WFH) – Hybrid Work Spaces – Home Office – whatever you are going to call it now – you probably have noticed: It is a change that is here to stay. Many people - and companies - are forced to consider different workplace options. While there are quite a few people excited to go back into an office (that they don’t live in), many are liking the new concept of working from home. Based on my clients who work for major companies world-wide, it seems to be split about 50/50 regarding going into an office or working from home.

Do you get easily distracted when you should be working on a task?

Do you find yourself taking breaks more frequently than you know you should?

Do you sometimes spend too much time working on a task and then get totally burned out before finishing it?

Many of us are getting a better handle on keeping this whole 'work from home' thing working. I wanted to share a few tips in a new format to help you even more. I figure, you are probably as busy as I have been and reading an entire blog post may not be possible right now. Hopefully you can watch this and take a tip or two to make your life just a little easier.