1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to focus on what you got done 4 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: during the day, not the hours or effort you put in. Now. 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: To be fair, you can't accomplish most big things without 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: putting in time and effort. But it is the outcome, 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: not the time itself, that tends to matter most. Today's 8 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: tip comes from a recent episode of hbr's Idea Cast, 9 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: were a guest reminded leaders that it's not about the inputs, 10 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: it's not about the number of hours you put in. 11 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: It's about the results you achieve. And as a manager, 12 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: you shouldn't push people to work longer hours. You should 13 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: push people to achieve more results and enable them to 14 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: do so. Focusing on results is wise advice when we 15 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: are managing ourselves or managing others. It's easy to get 16 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: caught up in the story that being a good worker 17 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: means putting in the longest hours, but really being a 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: good worker is about delivering good stuff. To keep your 19 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: focus on results, build a routine of asking yourself, maybe 20 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: at lunch and at the end of the work day, 21 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: what you produced, not the hours you put in or 22 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: what you worked on, but the specific tasks are parts 23 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: of tasks that you completed with your team. You can 24 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: use language like accomplished or produced and complete to help 25 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: them focus on what got done. You can even go 26 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: beyond recalling and talking about what you produced to actually 27 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: write it down. Can that are maintaining a work log 28 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: that lists what you accomplished each day. This isn't an 29 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: exhaustive list of every task you performed in every meeting 30 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: you attended. Think of it as being more like a 31 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: one line a day journal that captures the day's highlights, 32 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: rather than a lengthy, dear diary chronicle that describes every moment. 33 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: For instance, a person's work log entry for a day 34 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: might say developed department budget for next year and gave 35 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: feedback to Jenny about running tighter meetings and looked through 36 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: resumes for the new position. Another person's log might say 37 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: fulfilled orders for sleave last week, an updated e commerce 38 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: site with new merchandise available, or for another person came 39 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: up with two ideas for sermon series, edited this Sunday sermon, 40 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: approved changes to the church calendar, and called for parishioners. 41 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: Whatever the specifics of your job. You're work log includes 42 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: your main accomplishments of the day. Keeping a log makes 43 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: visible the progress that you are making, so you can 44 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: notice it and celebrate it. A log also reveals when 45 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: you are not making progress. If all you could say 46 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: is that you attended a lot of meetings and answered 47 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: a lot of emails and you can't think of anything 48 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: that changed in the world as a result of all 49 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: those meetings and emails, well that is a prompt to 50 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: rethink what you're doing. Not that you need to put 51 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: in more hours, but that you need to get more done. 52 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: You may not need to keep a work log all 53 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: the time, but it could be helpful to do so 54 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: for a week or so if you want to understand 55 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: why you are making slow progress or why you are 56 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: feeling pulled in a lot of directions. There may be 57 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: some interesting answers that are worth exploring. When we focus 58 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: and results, we get more done, and when we are 59 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: less worried about the hours we are putting in, we 60 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: may also have more time for pursuits outside of work. 61 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: That is a win for everyone. If you try keeping 62 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: a work log, let me know how it goes. You 63 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: can reach me at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. 64 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and 65 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 66 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 67 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 68 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 69 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 70 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me in email at Before Breakfast 71 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled 72 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 73 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 74 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 75 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 76 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.