1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: When I first learned about Laura may Martin, my first 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: thought was she has my dream job. 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,960 Speaker 2: Although to be honest, I do love what I currently do. 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: So Laura is the Executive Productivity Advisor at Google, where 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: she works with executives at Google to help them conquer 6 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: their inbox and be more productive in general. She also 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: runs the Productivity at Google program for all Google employees. 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 2: Now how cool is that? 9 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: So it is fair to say Laura is immersed in 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: the world of work and productivity. I originally spoke to 11 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: Laura back in twenty twenty and it was one of 12 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: my favorite interviews of the year. 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: And today's show is a best of episode. While I 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: take a couple of weeks. 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: Off, and I wanted to replay my interview with Laura 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: in case you missed it, And even if he didn't, 17 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: I personally found that when I listened to it again 18 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: as I did a few weeks ago, I took away 19 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: even more things out of the interview. 20 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: So in this chat, we talk about why Laura. 21 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: Thinks we need to think about email in the same 22 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: way that we think about doing our laundry. So trust me, 23 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: you will not forget this analogy. After Laura explains it. 24 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: We also talk about Laura's weekly planning richel and how 25 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: she sets mental and physical boundaries when she works from home, 26 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: as she has been doing a lot of in the 27 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: last year. 28 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 2: My name is doctor Ramantha Imba. 29 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: I'm an organizational psychologist and the founder of behavioral science 30 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: consultancy Inventium, and this is How I Work, a show 31 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: about how to help you do your best work. 32 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: Now, before we get. 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: Into my chat with Laura, I wanted to let you 34 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: know that I'm going to be doing a live recording 35 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: of How I Work at the Melbourne Podcast Festival on 36 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: July thirty. 37 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: One, and I would love you to come along. 38 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to be interviewing Christian o'condall, who you might 39 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: have heard of because he is the host of Gold 40 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: FM's breakfast show here in Melbourne, which is also syndicated 41 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: around the country, and he also happens to be one 42 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: of Britain's most well known and also most awarded breakfast 43 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: radio presenters. 44 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: Now, I am a huge fan of Christians. 45 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: He is hilarious and is sightful and such a brilliant 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: radio host, so I can't wait to chat to him. 47 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: We are going to be talking about what actually goes 48 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: on behind the scenes of Breakfast Radio, some of his 49 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: strategies that he has used for overcoming some very significant 50 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: mental health challenges, and also how does he come up 51 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: with ideas on what to talk about every single day 52 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 1: for three hours a day live on radio. Now, I'm 53 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: also going to be hanging around after the show to 54 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: meet listeners like you, So please do come up and 55 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: say hi, very very excited for this event. 56 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 2: So to book. 57 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: The easiest way to do that is there is a 58 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: link in the show notes. Click on that link and 59 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: that will send you straight off to get tickets and 60 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: all profits go to charity. Okay, So back to Laura. 61 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: How does somewhat actually become the executive productivity advisor at Google? 62 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 3: So? 63 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 4: I started at Google about ten years ago in a 64 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 4: sales role and I was doing sales but had a 65 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 4: project on the side, which we call twenty percent projects, 66 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 4: and it was basically just showing people how to set 67 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 4: up their email the way that. 68 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 3: I had it set up. 69 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 4: So I started teaching like an inbox management class. It 70 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 4: started with like one person and then it was like five, 71 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 4: and you know, it started to get bigger and bigger, 72 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 4: and that became my side project just teaching people how 73 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 4: to organize their email. That evolved into more courses on 74 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 4: things like time management and effective meetings, and I started 75 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 4: working with executives one on one doing like coaching for 76 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 4: those topics, and so I obviously left my sales role 77 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 4: and became this as a full time from my twenty percent. 78 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: That is so cool, Oh, amazing, amazing. I would definitely 79 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: want to delve into some of these email tips A 80 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: bit late, a bit, but something I'm curious about. And 81 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: to be honest, how I'm starting a lot of my 82 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: interviews at the moment, just given that we're right in 83 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: the middle of all the kind of COVID chaos and 84 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: who knows for how long? And I should probably ask, 85 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: where are you located in the world right now? 86 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 5: What's like, what's your lockdown situation? 87 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 4: Yes, so I am on the east coast of the 88 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 4: US in North Carolina, and I am working from home 89 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 4: like everyone else. I have a husband who's working from home, 90 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 4: and I have a nine month old daughter and I'm 91 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 4: currently operating without childcare. 92 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 3: So that is where I stand right now. 93 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, Okay, all right, we I will need 94 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: to delve into that. Sorry, look, I want to know 95 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: what the biggest changes that you've made to how you 96 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: work during this time. 97 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 4: Yes, so especially with you know, no childcare, I think 98 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 4: there's kind of two schools of people. It's people who 99 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 4: maybe have more time than usual, they live by themselves 100 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 4: or with a roommate, they're not commuting, and they're trying 101 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 4: to find a different structure given that they're not going 102 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 4: into the office. And then we have people who are 103 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 4: at home and maybe their kids are also home from school, 104 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 4: and so those those look very different. 105 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 3: But some of the strategies that I've used I think 106 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 3: can help both, you know, both groups of people. 107 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 4: So for me, obviously, now that I'm operating with my 108 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 4: daughter home, the biggest thing for me is that instead 109 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,479 Speaker 4: of having this full work day where you know, from 110 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 4: roughly nine or roughly five, I'm I'm working on everything 111 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 4: I need to do. I kind of think of myself 112 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 4: now as working in sprints, So it's whenever she's napping 113 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 4: for a couple hours, I'm working. Whenever my husband takes 114 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 4: over for a couple hours, I'm working. When she goes 115 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 4: to bed, I'm working. So now I think of my 116 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 4: work day as probably like four one to two hour sprints, 117 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 4: you know, when I can get the time in versus 118 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 4: that large, luxurious day at the office. 119 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, wow, what does that like? What does that do to. 120 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: Your headspace do you think and your productivity levels? I mean, 121 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: you are a productivity advisor, so I'm expecting that you're 122 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: normally pretty productive, but having the sprint mentality, and I 123 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: must say I can totally relate to that. What do 124 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: you find that does to I guess, your efficiency but 125 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: also your prioritization as well. 126 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, So I think that the way I think of 127 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 4: it is I just pretend that my manager, my boss 128 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 4: came to me and said, Hey, I have this new 129 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 4: four to five hour a day project that I need 130 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 4: you to take on. And for me, that's childcare. So 131 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 4: how if I had that project assigned to me in 132 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 4: irregular times, how would I prioritize going forward? 133 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 3: So maybe I would say, like, Okay, some of these things. 134 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 4: That are nice to do but not necessary, you know, 135 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 4: those are going to fall off a little bit. Some 136 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 4: of these things that I like to do but someone 137 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 4: else could do on my team, things like that, you know, 138 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 4: I'm delegating a little bit more so It's it's kind 139 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 4: of just. 140 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 3: Like if that situation happened to you. 141 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 4: You start to rearrange and say, like, you know, I 142 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 4: like to spend a little more time on this, but 143 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 4: I don't have that time. Now, what do I really 144 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 4: really need to do? So I think in the way 145 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 4: of prioritizing, it's it's you know, focusing on the things 146 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 4: you absolutely have to do. But then in the way 147 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 4: of getting those things done, I think planning ahead is 148 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 4: really the key to operating in these sprints. So it's 149 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 4: you know, not just hey, I'm going to have an 150 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 4: hour and a half starting at nine. That's when I'm 151 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 4: going to sit down and start looking through email and 152 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 4: decide what to do. You know, that's that's not going 153 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 4: to get me very far. So I actually planned the 154 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,040 Speaker 4: night before. I say, you know, during these sprints, what 155 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 4: do I need to get done? Absolutely need to get done? 156 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 4: What sprint am I going to get that done? Based 157 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 4: on my you know, typical energy level? Then? And what 158 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 4: does a successful day look like? You know, tomorrow will 159 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 4: be successful if I do this one thing or whatever. 160 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 4: That is, so just planning a little more ahead so 161 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 4: that you're not wasting any time deciding what to do 162 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 4: when you have those those sprints. 163 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: And do you have like sick questions or a template 164 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: that you're completing the night before or is it more 165 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: organic than that? 166 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 5: What does that look like? 167 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a good question. 168 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 4: So this is something I've used internally, but given all 169 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 4: of the work from home and changes, I actually posted 170 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 4: it to the Google blog, so I can send you 171 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 4: a link to that. But I call it the daily plan, 172 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 4: and I actually do it the night before. So one 173 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 4: thing that I do is I add three actions that 174 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 4: I want to do for the next day, so my 175 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 4: top three priorities. That's kind of that what does the 176 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 4: successful day look like? And underneath the first one thing 177 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 4: I need to do, it says untill this first task 178 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 4: is finished, everything else is a distraction. So that's basically 179 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 4: like my one thing I need to get done. Then 180 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 4: I take a look at hour by hour, which I 181 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:10,839 Speaker 4: think is the most important part. 182 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 3: So a lot of productivity tips mention this. 183 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 4: But planning out what you plan to do hour by 184 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,439 Speaker 4: hour beforehand makes a huge difference in whether you actually 185 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 4: do it. Even just writing down I plan to work 186 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 4: out seven to eight makes you way more likely to 187 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 4: do that than to wake up. 188 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 3: And trust yourself. So I do a rough hour by 189 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 3: hour plan. 190 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 4: Obviously I don't always know how long naps are going 191 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 4: to last, but you know, I do an estimate, and 192 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 4: then I also have a little snack size to do. 193 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 4: I call at the bottom corner and I say, okay, 194 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 4: if I end up having fifteen extra minutes, those are 195 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 4: all tasks that are fifteen minutes or less, so you know, those. 196 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 3: Aren't necessarily my top three. 197 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 4: But if I end up having fifteen minutes that I 198 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 4: didn't know I had a meeting ends early and nap 199 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 4: goes long, you know I need to have a list 200 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 4: of things I can quickly do. So make that one 201 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 4: phone call, you know, do that one email that I've 202 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 4: been needing to do. So I have that I have 203 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 4: also at the very top. It says something that I'm 204 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 4: grateful for. And I think I had that in a 205 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 4: planner once that I bought, like I think in high 206 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 4: school or something, and I just thought it was a 207 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 4: great way just to kick off. 208 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 3: You know, you're starting all these. 209 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,079 Speaker 4: Things you need to do, maybe feeling stress making this list, 210 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 4: but having that at the very top does something you're 211 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,959 Speaker 4: grateful for, like maybe that you do have the opportunity 212 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 4: to work from home. 213 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 3: That's always a good perspective. 214 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:29,839 Speaker 1: That's cool. 215 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 5: I like that process. Do you So that's the daily 216 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 5: process or the evening process. Do you have any kind. 217 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: Of weekly, monthly, quarterly sort of rhythms as well when 218 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: it comes to planning prioritizing. 219 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 5: What does that look like for you? 220 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 3: Yeah? So weekly I do something similar. 221 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 4: I do a template that basically says, you know, what 222 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 4: are my priorities for the week, and then not just 223 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 4: what do I need to do, but when do I 224 00:10:58,280 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 4: plan to do it? 225 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 3: So if I have if. 226 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 4: I say, like, you know, I really want to complete 227 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 4: that project where people get stuck in productivity I think 228 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 4: is just listing everything they want to do but never 229 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 4: assigning the right place for it. 230 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 3: So I've heard you talk about this in some of your. 231 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 4: Other other episodes, but finding when that natural rhythm you 232 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 4: already know you have. So I know that I, you know, 233 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 4: tend to be really high energy on Mondays and I 234 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 4: can get a lot done because I've been rested over 235 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 4: the weekend. So already knowing that about myself, I can 236 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 4: slot things into that Monday time slot that I know Fridays, 237 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 4: you know, that's a better day to do things like 238 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 4: catching up on articles. I wanted to read or maybe 239 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 4: responding to some lower energy emails, creative meetings, catchups. So 240 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 4: I try to structure my week and days in kind 241 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 4: of like that rhythm where I know when I'm going 242 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 4: to be most productive and I slot the things I 243 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 4: need to do there. 244 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 1: That's really interesting because I do talk and write a 245 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: lot about daily rhythms and people's chronotypes, you know, whether 246 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: they're in morning or evening person and so forth. But 247 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: I think the weekly rhythm things interesting, and I feel 248 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,839 Speaker 1: like less people sort of talk and think about that, 249 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: and I wonder, for you, when did you start working 250 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: to a weekly rhythm, and how do you How does 251 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: one kind of become more self aware as to what 252 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: the right weekly rhythm is for them or the most 253 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: effective weekly rhythm is for them. 254 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, so I think that when I talk to executives 255 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 4: about this, I say, the simplest way of thinking of 256 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 4: it daily or weekly is what are you in the 257 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 4: mood for then, so you know if you find yourself 258 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 4: and it's just picking maybe one week where you pay 259 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 4: attention to. 260 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 3: Already what you have going on. 261 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 4: So with one executive, I remember he had like a 262 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 4: huge staff meeting every Tuesday for a couple hours with 263 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 4: all of his staff, and it was, you know, draining 264 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 4: in the sense that there was a lot of information shared, is. 265 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 3: Very everybody was mentally focused. 266 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 4: And then he found that he kept canceling his Tuesday 267 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 4: afternoon meetings. So, you know, I said, why don't you 268 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 4: this Tuesday. When you get out of that meeting, just 269 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 4: ask yourself what am I in the mood to do 270 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 4: right now, and that will show you maybe what you 271 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 4: should start slotting at that time. So for me specifically, 272 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 4: I found that when I was in sales, I was 273 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 4: having lots of ongoing calls with customers that were part 274 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 4: of my portfolio and things like that, and I found 275 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 4: that I really needed Monday to kind of catch up 276 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 4: and prepare for all of those calls, and I needed 277 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 4: Friday to debrief and. 278 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 3: Follow up from all of those calls. 279 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,079 Speaker 4: So I just decided that I was only going to 280 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 4: do customer calls between Tuesday and Thursday. And I found 281 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 4: that giving myself that Monday and Friday buffer whenever possible 282 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 4: really helped my Tuesday through Thursday go really well. So 283 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 4: that's kind of where it started. And then every time 284 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 4: I've had a different role, I've just kind of thought about, 285 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 4: you know, what am I usually in the mood to 286 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 4: do Friday mornings? 287 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 3: And how can I structure my schedule around that? 288 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 5: I like that. What am I in the mood for? Yes? 289 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: Interestingly, that sales rhythm that you spoke about, I feel 290 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: like I've heard that before. I'm I had Dean Swan 291 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 1: who heads up Dropbox here and here in Apac and 292 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: he had a very similar rhythm when he was in 293 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: a sales role. So yeah, think that makes a lot 294 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: of sense. I want to come back to working from 295 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: home productively. Like, were you working from home much before 296 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: the pandemic hit? 297 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, I do some work from home, so I do 298 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 4: a lot of travel, and I do have an office 299 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 4: that I go into, but I kind of did a 300 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 4: mex So I did have some experience working from home, 301 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 4: which I feel like has benefited me kind of adapting 302 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 4: to this new situation and providing helpful tips that I've 303 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 4: learned over that time to help others work from home. Yeah. 304 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: So with working from home, I was probably a similar 305 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: kind of situation to you, where I would travel a lot, 306 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: probably once a week or once a fortnite, and then 307 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: I would work from home a couple of days a 308 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: week and then be in the office one or two 309 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: days a week. So I like, so at the beginning, 310 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: I thought, well, I'm I'm, you know, working from home fit. 311 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 5: I know what the is all about. 312 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: But there's a big difference from like working at home 313 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: a few times a week to every single day and 314 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: not having a choice in the matter at all. Personally, 315 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:14,359 Speaker 1: I'm loving it. My introverted self is thriving. But I imagine 316 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: and I know of a lot of people who are like, no, 317 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: this is very different. 318 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 5: I thought, I knew how to work from home, but 319 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 5: this is really. 320 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: Hard, and I'm wondering, like, are there changes that you've 321 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: made to your working day now that you're working from 322 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: home literally every day, and even changes that you've perhaps 323 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: advised others that Google to make as well. 324 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, like you said, a lot of people thought, 325 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 4: you know, maybe this will last a couple of weeks, 326 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 4: and they just kind of like pulled up their computer 327 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 4: as if it was a Friday that they got to 328 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 4: work from home. And then I think people are starting 329 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 4: to realize, you know, the longer this goes on, I 330 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 4: really need to find that sweet spot of how I 331 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 4: become productive from home. So I think you know, one 332 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 4: of the biggest things I talk about is just setting 333 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 4: the boundaries for this so men in physical and I 334 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 4: did do this, but I think now that it's a 335 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 4: permanent change, I've done it even more so. One interesting 336 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 4: thing that I always think about is that my dad 337 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 4: actually has worked from home my entire life, so it's 338 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 4: kind of rare, but we always had him home, and 339 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 4: we always noticed that he would go into his office 340 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 4: to work and then he would come out and he'd 341 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 4: be done, so we knew we were never allowed to 342 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 4: bother him when he was in his office. And he 343 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 4: told me that was originally because he had Ethernet and 344 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 4: a desktop, so he didn't even have a laptop when 345 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 4: he first started working from home. So I've kind of 346 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 4: advised people to have that balance. Pretend you have an 347 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 4: Ethernet connection somewhere, pretend you have a desktop. Just put 348 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 4: your laptop in one spot, even if you don't have 349 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 4: a home office, doing it at a kitchen table, doing it, 350 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 4: you know, in one spot in your dining room. It 351 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 4: helps your brain with something called state dependent recall, which 352 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 4: means every time I go to this spot, the sites, sounds, 353 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 4: smells I associate with working, So if you're switching spots 354 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 4: every day, it's harder for your brain to get into 355 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 4: that space of saying this is where I work. And 356 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 4: now that it's a longer term thing, I think that 357 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 4: can really help people if they're normally just pulling up 358 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 4: their laptop on the couch, then here, then here, you know, 359 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 4: it makes their brain start over every day. And another 360 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 4: piece of that is having the places where you never work, 361 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 4: So having the place you always work with obviously the 362 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 4: occasional take your laptop outside for a little like you 363 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 4: would do at work, but then having places where you 364 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 4: never go. And what that does is it helps create 365 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 4: mental boundaries. Because you're inviting work into your home. You 366 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 4: do want somewhere like your bedroom or even like your 367 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 4: kids room or the living room where you never have work. 368 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 4: So you could even think of it like a guest 369 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 4: in your house. If you had a guest who was 370 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 4: staying for a really long time, you wouldn't say, like, hey, 371 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 4: just come into my bedroom anytime you want, Like, No, 372 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 4: you would give them a separate space. 373 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 3: You know, you would have boundaries. 374 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,360 Speaker 4: You would say I'm going to do this, and I'm 375 00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 4: going to do this alone and then I'll see you 376 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 4: and I'm ready to see you. So, you know, setting 377 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 4: boundaries I think is the biggest one for this long 378 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 4: term situation. 379 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's great, And I'm also curious around the topic 380 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: of setting boundaries what you do for the top and 381 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: tail end of the day, because I feel like people 382 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: can struggle. 383 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:18,239 Speaker 5: I know I can struggle with that. 384 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: It's so easy to just roll out of bed and 385 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: open up your laptop and start work, and then it's 386 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: quite easy at the end of the day to kind 387 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: of finish what you're doing and then have some dinner 388 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: and the laptop still open and just kind of you know, 389 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: shuffle on back and maybe try to get to inbox zero, 390 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: which rarely happens anyway. So what like do you kind 391 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: of kind of have like morning and evening rituals. Obviously 392 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 1: with a nine month old, I mean, yeah. 393 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 5: Goodness, like there are all these rituals that go with that. 394 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 5: But what does that look like for you? 395 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think to your question, that's definitely more of 396 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 4: the you know, maybe you're not operating with childcare and 397 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 4: you have more time to work than normal if you're 398 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,200 Speaker 4: not commuting and things like that. So in that situation, 399 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 4: I think you will instead of sprints. You want to 400 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 4: think of your day as a marathon, So you don't 401 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,439 Speaker 4: want to start early and burn yourself out by the 402 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 4: middle of the day, and you don't want to end 403 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 4: late because you're going to have a really hard time 404 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 4: starting the next day. So I think that one thing 405 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 4: that I've talked to one executive and she was telling 406 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 4: me how she loved reading on her commute, and you know, 407 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 4: she was in California, and I was saying, oh, I've 408 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 4: been getting emails from you early. I feel like that 409 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 4: you're starting earlier, you know, like I'm seeing emails come 410 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 4: in earlier. And she's like, yeah, I'm not reading as 411 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 4: much because I used to read on the train. And 412 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 4: I advised her, maybe you could wake up, you know, 413 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 4: put your phone aside for ten You're getting on the 414 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 4: train for the exact amount of time as your commute 415 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 4: was read, and then you know, start whatever you would 416 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 4: have done when you got to work. And you know, 417 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 4: ever since she's been doing that. I talked to her 418 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 4: recently and she said that it's helped so much because 419 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 4: it's basically like more similar to her routine that she 420 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 4: already had. So I do things like I don't look 421 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,679 Speaker 4: at my phone until the time when I would have 422 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 4: gone to work. So I wake up and I, you know, 423 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 4: I spend time with my daughter, I eat breakfast, and 424 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 4: then I grab my computer. So a lot of people 425 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 4: are just pulling their computer up the minute they wake 426 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 4: up or something like that, and it's harder to start 427 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 4: that day. 428 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:17,640 Speaker 3: And then at the end of the night. 429 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 4: I think, you know, some people, especially people without childcare, 430 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 4: that's the time when you're getting things done. But similar 431 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 4: to the ethernet example, if you can say, you know, 432 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 4: I'm not going to watch TV and work. If I 433 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 4: want to watch TV, I'm going to basically leave my 434 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 4: laptop in this location and go watch it, it creates 435 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:40,719 Speaker 4: that start stop to make you, you know, blend the activities less. 436 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 5: That's very helpful. 437 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: And yeah, I like the distinction that you make around 438 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: the sprint verstus a marathon depending on whether you're now 439 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: a homeschooler or parent, or someone that you know has 440 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: a different sense of time. 441 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 5: I do want to ask more about parenting. 442 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: I feel like people ask me a lot of questions 443 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: about this, and I feel like I don't really have 444 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 1: much in the way of good answers, and so I've 445 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 1: got a six year old at home who's in you 446 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: one and you know, and I. 447 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 5: Do have a bit of help, but it is wow, 448 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 5: so different. So what if, like, aside from working in sprints. 449 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: What have been the most effective strategies that you've used 450 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: to help balance that. 451 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, so that's more of like a hacks question kind of. 452 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 4: And I think one thing I've been doing is like 453 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 4: when I know I can take something over a phone 454 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 4: call versus video chat, I do it on a walk. 455 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 3: So I she's very happy in the stroller, and. 456 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 4: I say like, Okay, well I'm going to do a 457 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 4: walk every day from eleven to twelve, twelve thirty, and 458 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,199 Speaker 4: then I start scheduling calls in there because you know, 459 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 4: that's something I can do and I know she's going 460 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 4: to be content. So I've been doing that. Another thing 461 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 4: is my husband and I have tried to do alternating 462 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 4: no meeting days. So I tried to wherever possible and 463 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 4: not always possible, but try to schedule all of my 464 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 4: meetings on Monday and Wednesday, and he's trying to do 465 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 4: Tuesday and Thursday. And that way, you know, even if 466 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 4: even if there are a couple here and there that 467 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 4: don't align with that in general, you know, he's the 468 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 4: one in charge on Monday and Wednesday, and in general 469 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 4: I'm the one in charge on Tuesday Thursday. So it 470 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 4: just helps instead of like every hour switching off. 471 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 3: You know, I have a meeting, now you have a meeting, 472 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 3: now I have a meeting. It just you know, he 473 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 3: knows the whole day today. 474 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 4: He's in charge of breakfast, lunch, dinner, that kind of thing, 475 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 4: So I know people are doing that for morning and evening. 476 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 4: If you maybe work with a different time zone, you 477 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 4: could do things like that. But that's been really helpful 478 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 4: so that it's not just a guess every single day 479 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 4: of how the day is going to go. 480 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 5: Well, like that strategy, the yeah, the how. 481 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: You're scheduling meetings on different days, that's that's a cool one. 482 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: What is your approach to meetings? Do you like cat 483 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: Do you think about productivity within the context of a meeting, 484 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: because often that can be people's biggest productivity. I think 485 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: I read ones that the average executive spends twenty three 486 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: hours a week in matings, and I like, I would 487 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: hate to think about the number of hours that people 488 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: are in matings now that they can't see everyone every day. 489 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 3: Yes, I think so too. 490 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 4: And I normally I had this friend or I guess 491 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 4: he was a coworker, and I left his team, and 492 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 4: he stopped me in the hall about a year later 493 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 4: and said, oh, I've really been wanting to catch up 494 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 4: with you. 495 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 3: I was going to add time. 496 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:29,919 Speaker 4: To your calendar, but I knew you would decline it 497 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 4: unless I had an agenda written out, So I haven't 498 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,360 Speaker 4: done it yet. So that made me laugh because I've 499 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 4: definitely built a reputation for myself, like I say, no agenda, 500 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 4: no attenda, Like I want to know exactly what's going 501 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 4: to be talked about, you know, how it's going to go, 502 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 4: how long. My default is fifteen minutes for meetings. I 503 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 4: know a lot of people start at thirty, but I 504 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 4: would rather start at fifteen, and then you don't kind 505 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 4: of like the you know, hot air balloon effect where 506 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 4: you're filling the time because it's already scheduled. So I'm 507 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 4: definitely diligent about me. But one tip that I've been 508 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 4: giving since all of this started is that it's okay 509 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,239 Speaker 4: in this situation to be a little more relaxed about that. 510 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 4: So I think that you know, we have this natural 511 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 4: like water cooler run in you know, chatting at our 512 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 4: desk kind of back and forth that's going on in 513 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 4: the office, and so being at home, especially for people 514 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 4: who maybe by themselves this whole time, you know, that 515 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 4: can be isolating without some of that chit chat, lunches, 516 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 4: things like that. So a lot of meetings that maybe 517 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 4: I would have said no to before all this I'm 518 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 4: keeping on the calendar, so just check ins, just you know, 519 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 4: chatting with people. My team has an informal weekly meeting, 520 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,680 Speaker 4: so we don't talk about anything work related, and each 521 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 4: week we have a different agenda item, which is, you know, 522 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 4: one last week was share your favorite recipe. This week 523 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 4: is a TV show that you're watching that you've really enjoyed. 524 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 4: Next week is a hobby that you've started, and then 525 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 4: we're going to show the progress of the hobby over 526 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 4: over the coming week. So you know, we're finding ways 527 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 4: to connect and meet, but they don't have to be 528 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 4: as rigid as you know, maybe the in the office 529 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 4: schedule that you're normally following. 530 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's that's really interesting. I must say, have I 531 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 5: found the same thing. 532 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: I want to come back to the fifteen minute default 533 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: and just on a practical note, because I imagine you use 534 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: Google Calendar as we do it in vent him. 535 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 5: Is there a. 536 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: Default setting that you can use in GCL to make 537 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: the default length fifteen minutes. 538 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 539 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 4: So if you're in Google Calendar and you go to 540 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 4: your settings, there is a section called event settings, and 541 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 4: you can drop down on default duration and change it 542 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 4: to what your default is. So when you create a meeting, 543 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 4: it will start at that time, and then you can 544 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 4: extend it. So I've seen executives who have an hour 545 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 4: as their default, and you know that. 546 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 3: It's harder to chase and you might say. 547 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 4: Like, oh, I don't really need an hour, but it's 548 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 4: already on there, so you know we'll find something to 549 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 4: talk about and that ends up being valuable time. So 550 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 4: when I work with executives, I do what's called a 551 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 4: meeting diet, where I say, you know, you don't have 552 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 4: to give up all meetings, you just want to take 553 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 4: them in moderation and think smartly about them. And so 554 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 4: when they say, like, I have five hour meetings, I say, 555 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 4: if you shorten those to forty five minutes, you just 556 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 4: gained another hour and fifteen minutes of your week back. 557 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 4: So I think you know, having the default be fifteen 558 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 4: or forty five can really help you gain some of 559 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 4: that time back that ends up being like dead space 560 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 4: and meetings. 561 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 5: That's awesome. 562 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 1: I've literally just changed it now with you describing it. 563 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 5: There you go. 564 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: I was in the Spady meeting setting, which I like, 565 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: which day faults everything to twenty five or fifteen minutes 566 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: for those that are not aware of that setting, which 567 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: I do quite like. But yeah, fifteen minutes. That's great 568 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,199 Speaker 1: that I can that I can do that fantastic. I 569 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 1: want to know about email because you mentioned when you 570 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: were doing this as a twenty percent project, and I 571 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: love that your role come out of a twenty percent project. 572 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 5: That sounds very Google. 573 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: And so email was the first thing that you were 574 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: helping people with, and I imagine you've probably developed your 575 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 1: email management strategies a lot. Are what are the most 576 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: important things people need to be thinking about with email 577 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: and perhaps other than batching? But I would like to 578 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: know actually what your view is about batching, how that works, 579 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: and maybe how that works in your own life as well. 580 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:35,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I do. 581 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 4: I do promote batching and the way that I explain 582 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 4: this when I'm coaching or leading my courses I say 583 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 4: totally forget about email and think about your laundry, because 584 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 4: that's something that everyone does or knows. 585 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 3: How to do. 586 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 4: And so if you pretend that your dryer is your inbox, 587 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 4: and you imagine how a lot of people are doing 588 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 4: email right now. They go in, they grab one shirt, 589 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 4: they fold it, and they walk it all the way 590 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 4: up to their dresser, and then they walk all the 591 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 4: way back down and then maybe they find a pair 592 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 4: of pants and it's still wet, and they think, oh, 593 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 4: I'll just throw it back. 594 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 3: In there with all my dry clothes. 595 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 4: You know, maybe that's mark is unread because you don't 596 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 4: want to deal with it right now. You know, you 597 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,360 Speaker 4: find one sock, but you don't know where the other 598 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 4: sock is, but you put it away anyway, knowing you're 599 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 4: going to have to go back so and then you know, 600 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 4: by the end of it, you're like, you know, I 601 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 4: just I'm just going to start the dryer all over 602 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 4: and look at it again tomorrow. And it's like, how 603 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,959 Speaker 4: stressful would that be for doing laundry Because a lot 604 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 4: of people are doing their email like that, they're picking 605 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 4: and choosing. So with your laundry, you're saying, okay, it's 606 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 4: my time to empty the dryer. Even if I can't 607 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 4: finish all this out, I'm emptying everything and then I'm 608 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 4: putting it in piles. These are things I need to fold, 609 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 4: These are things I need to hang, These are socks 610 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 4: I need to match. Then you're fold fold fold fold, 611 00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 4: folding five things in a row and walking them all 612 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 4: up upstairs. So even if that's where you have to 613 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 4: leave it, and you have to come back to hang, hang, hang, hang, 614 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 4: and take everything to your closet, you're still in such 615 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 4: a better mental place because you know the dryer is empty, 616 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 4: so you know, if you're thinking about your inbox. 617 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 3: A lot of people never empty. 618 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 4: Their inbox in the sense that not that they've replied 619 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 4: to everything, but that they've addressed the next action for everything. 620 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 3: So in your terms, batched it. 621 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 4: And it's like if you walked by your dryer every 622 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 4: single day and the door was open and you just 623 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 4: kept seeing your clothes in there, you would constantly feel 624 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 4: stressed like, oh, I have so many clothes I need 625 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 4: to get to versus, oh, I have you know, five 626 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 4: things I know need to be folded. I know exactly 627 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 4: what's in there, So I do recommend the inbox zero mentality, 628 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 4: meaning that you sort all of your emails as a 629 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 4: separate activity, get to zero, and then read emails, answer 630 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 4: emails all as separate activities versus you know, doing them 631 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 4: all mixed together, which is where people lose a lot 632 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 4: of energy and touch the same email, you know, four 633 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 4: to five times. 634 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 1: So can we get into the minuture or some of that. 635 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: I love that image of comparing it to the clothes 636 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: dry I've never heard that before. That's so that's so powerful, 637 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: I reckon, that's that's going to stick with me. How then, 638 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: like when you're in the inbox, are you doing more 639 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: of the like the microactivities in terms of sorting? 640 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 5: What are the categories? 641 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:27,239 Speaker 1: What did the functionality that you're using, Like, what does 642 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: that look like? 643 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 4: So I use Gmail obviously, and I use what's called 644 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 4: multiple inbox, which is under the inbox tab in Gmail. 645 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 4: So the way I think of it is there's really 646 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 4: only three actions that can go with. 647 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 3: An email, and that is one. 648 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 4: It's something you need to do, meaning you plus time 649 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 4: would complete that activity. 650 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 3: So a lot of people muddy up to do with. 651 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 4: Things that they you know, they can do once they 652 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 4: hear from so and so you know that's not what 653 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 4: I put in to do. It's if I sat down tonight, 654 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 4: I'm going to clear out my to do. So I 655 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 4: have to do waiting, which is things that I need 656 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 4: to follow up on but are not directly my action, 657 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 4: and then things I need to read. 658 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 3: And so multiple inboxes. 659 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 4: Basically it's called multiple inboxes, but it's really multiple views 660 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 4: or multiple windows. 661 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 3: So base, I have my left side, which is my dryer. 662 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 4: Everything comes into that, and then I use the right 663 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 4: side inboxes of multiple inboxes, and I say, in my 664 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 4: first section, show me anything I've labeled to do. 665 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 3: In my next section, show me anything I've labeled waiting 666 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 3: and read through. 667 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 4: So essentially, multiple inboxes lets you peek into a certain 668 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 4: folder or label without having to open it. So it 669 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 4: creates more of a dashboard where I can see incoming 670 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 4: emails and I can see things that I've addressed into. 671 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: My piles rot and so then on a daily basis, 672 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: and I see, are you checking email at least once 673 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: a day? 674 00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 2: Yes? 675 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 3: So I know a lot of people say and this. 676 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 4: If you ask me my two rules on email, it 677 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 4: would be one treat it like laundry, and to close 678 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 4: it one to two times. 679 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 2: A day. 680 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:10,479 Speaker 4: So I don't recommend, you know, only look at your 681 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 4: email once because a lot of people's jobs, the way 682 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 4: we communicate, now, that's just not realistic. 683 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 3: You know, you're going to miss something that is for 684 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 3: the next meeting or something like that. 685 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 4: So I really say, like, it can be open, but 686 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 4: you really should close it if you've set time to work. 687 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 3: So I check my email, you know, throughout the day. 688 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 4: But the structure of how I'm the workflow, I guess, 689 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 4: is what you're asking. 690 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 3: It's basically, I open my inbox in the morning. 691 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 4: I get to zero, so I go through each email 692 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 4: in chronological order without popping back to the main inbox. 693 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 4: So I use something called auto advance. It forces me 694 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 4: to go to the next email versus going back to 695 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 4: the dryer and picking out whatever I want that looks shiny. 696 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 4: It's like, no, I'm going to the next thing I got, 697 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:00,080 Speaker 4: and I either archive the email or I put it 698 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 4: in a folder. So in Gmail you can archive without 699 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 4: putting it in a label. 700 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 3: So I either delete or. 701 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 4: Archive, or I put it in one of those three buckets. 702 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 4: So I go through get to inbox zero doing that, 703 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 4: and then I match my email based on my energy 704 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 4: so if I then have two hours of uninterrupted time, 705 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 4: I know that I really can dive into some of 706 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 4: those to dos, and so I open that folder only 707 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 4: I don't look at the rest of my inbox. I 708 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 4: just turn to the clothes I need to fold, and I, 709 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 4: you know, go through each one of them and fold, fold, fold. 710 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 4: But then everyone knows how you have that afternoon time 711 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 4: where you know, especially with if you're one of the 712 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 4: early morning chronotypes, and you have this like two thirty 713 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 4: to three time where you're not really going to get 714 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 4: that much done. You're not going to respond to those big, 715 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 4: big emails because you're probably low energy and you only 716 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 4: have thirty minutes. So that's when I go through my 717 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 4: read folder and say, okay, what are these indes articles 718 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 4: I want to read? You know, I can quickly pop 719 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 4: through them, so I don't waste that primo morning productivity 720 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 4: time reading articles. 721 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 3: And then I at the end of the. 722 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 4: Day go through my waiting Every day I scan through 723 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 4: that and say, is there anything that I'm waiting on 724 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 4: that I could bump up right now or anything that's 725 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 4: coming up with the deadline. 726 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 3: I get to inbox zero again before I leave for 727 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 3: the day. 728 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 4: At work or before you know, I sign off at 729 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 4: the end of the night, and then if I do 730 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 4: pick up my phone or something, I'm seeing only new 731 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:31,879 Speaker 4: emails that have come in, and I know they're only 732 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,200 Speaker 4: the ones that I haven't address. So that's kind of 733 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 4: my very detailed I don't know how detailed you wanted it, 734 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 4: but that's exactly how I do it. 735 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 5: That was great. That was great. I feel like that's 736 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 5: enough data. 737 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 1: Also that I could completely change the way that I'm 738 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: managing white in books, which I think I shall be 739 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: doing after this interview. That was incredibly helpful. 740 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,439 Speaker 2: Hey there, I am just. 741 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: Loving Laura and my god, I love her laundry analogy. 742 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:02,240 Speaker 2: Oh so good. 743 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 1: Now, in the second part of this interview, we get 744 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 1: to hear Laura's top four tips for being productive and managing. 745 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:11,200 Speaker 2: Her time well. 746 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: And if you're enjoying how I work, you might also 747 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: want to follow me on some of the social media 748 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: channels that I'm on. You can find me on LinkedIn 749 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 1: just search for my name Amantha INBA and I'm also 750 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:29,280 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Amantha, which I was quite excited about 751 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: getting just my first name only. And I'm also on Instagram, 752 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: which I'm using a little bit more to share content, 753 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:42,400 Speaker 1: so you can find me on Instagram at Amantha I. 754 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 5: I want to know. 755 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: I mean, some people would think about email as a 756 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 1: digital distraction, and then you know, there's also obviously social media, 757 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: which I feel is probably an even bigger distraction now 758 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:53,000 Speaker 1: as our news sites with everything going on in the world, 759 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 1: and I'm curious as to what your approach is to 760 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: managing those digital distractions. 761 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, I do think that that's I don't want to 762 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 4: say downfall, but a lot of times with productivity coaching, 763 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 4: that's like a big stick in the mud that I 764 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 4: see that people are saying, oh, this one thing is 765 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:15,000 Speaker 4: keeping me from getting things done. So, like you said, 766 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 4: especially now, I've been sharing internally at Google, not necessarily 767 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 4: even work related, but I've just been calling them habits 768 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 4: that help that are little, you know, things that I've 769 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 4: been doing that I feel like are helping during this time, 770 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 4: in addition to tips to working from home, and one 771 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,319 Speaker 4: of them that I mentioned right now is just you know, 772 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 4: not looking at social media on my phone. So I 773 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 4: feel like I'm using my phone more to work because 774 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 4: I'm you know, keeping up with a child and things 775 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:41,759 Speaker 4: like that. So I kind of want my phone to 776 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 4: be a safe place where I just can look at 777 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 4: work or message friends and family. So, you know, if 778 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:49,440 Speaker 4: you feel like you're spending a lot of time on 779 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 4: news or social media, you know, you could make a 780 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 4: simple rule like I only look at that when I'm 781 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 4: at my computer, which it's a little bit harder to do. 782 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,800 Speaker 4: So the key to distractions is that you want to 783 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,800 Speaker 4: get out ahead of them. So once once you get 784 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 4: that you know pop up about social media, there's basically 785 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 4: no way that you're not going to follow it. So 786 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 4: you have to make it almost harder to participate in 787 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,640 Speaker 4: the distraction than too sorry, harder to not So if 788 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 4: you are trying to read, So I'm doing this reading challenge, 789 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 4: and I say, like, you actually have to put your 790 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 4: phone far enough away where it's annoying to you to 791 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:29,640 Speaker 4: have to get up and go get it, and that 792 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 4: will keep you from you know, looking at your phone 793 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 4: while you're reading. So things like chat pop ups, you know, 794 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 4: news pop ups, you can't just expect that when they 795 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,320 Speaker 4: come you're not going to look at them. You actually 796 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,799 Speaker 4: have to say, you know, before that happens, I'm just 797 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:47,440 Speaker 4: going to turn them off and see how much mentally 798 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:48,280 Speaker 4: more focused. 799 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,759 Speaker 5: I feel that's great. I like it reminds me. 800 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 1: I've had Check Nap and John Tatsky on the podcast, 801 00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:00,080 Speaker 1: who obviously both ex Google is and they like in 802 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:03,719 Speaker 1: their book Make Time, they talk about creating a distraction 803 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:08,759 Speaker 1: free phone, where they're essentially saying delete all apps that 804 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:13,760 Speaker 1: have an infinity pool or you know, infinity scrolling where 805 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: the scrolling never ends. Like, what does what does your 806 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,560 Speaker 1: phone look like? Because I imagine it's it's probably a 807 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:23,800 Speaker 1: balance between that, but also the reality of having a 808 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:25,959 Speaker 1: nine month old is that you can actually get work 809 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: done on the phone when they're like, you know, sleeping 810 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 1: in the carrier on your chest and that kind of thing. 811 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:34,840 Speaker 1: So like, what does your phone? What does your phone 812 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: look like? 813 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:39,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, so one thing I do is I do have notifications, 814 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 4: but I make them really specific. So in you know, 815 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:46,760 Speaker 4: in an Android phone, you can say within Gmail only 816 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 4: that only pop up if it's from this certain group 817 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,239 Speaker 4: of people or if it has a certain label. So, 818 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,760 Speaker 4: you know, I do that so that I'm getting notifications 819 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 4: for important things on my phone for work, but I'm 820 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,320 Speaker 4: not getting every single email that's sent. 821 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 3: Because I don't need to go to those emails, you know, right, away. 822 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:10,319 Speaker 4: And then I do have you know, some apps like 823 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 4: photos and things like that, but I don't have social 824 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 4: media apps on my phone, so I do look at 825 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,799 Speaker 4: social media on the computer, and that's pretty much it. 826 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 4: And one thing that helped me come to that is 827 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 4: just looking at which many phones have now is my 828 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 4: you know, settings for how long I was spending in each. 829 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 3: Of those apps. 830 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 4: And when I was trying to do my reading challenge 831 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:36,440 Speaker 4: and find like an extra hour a day for reading, 832 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:37,319 Speaker 4: and I realized I was. 833 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 3: Spending about that on social media. 834 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 4: It helped me say, like, you know, even just a 835 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:44,000 Speaker 4: few minutes here, a few minutes here, a few minutes here, 836 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,719 Speaker 4: really adds up and pulls you away from your you know, 837 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:49,799 Speaker 4: mental space. So I think that that's kind of what 838 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:51,319 Speaker 4: convinced me to remove that. 839 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 3: So I have notifications in moderation. 840 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 1: I would say that's an interesting approach instead of just 841 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:04,400 Speaker 1: going blanket no notifications. It's very interesting. I want to 842 00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:08,520 Speaker 1: know in terms of apps that you find helpful for 843 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 1: productivity or staying focused or time management those general areas. 844 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:14,040 Speaker 5: Are there any. 845 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 1: Favorite apps that you have for the phone or for 846 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:21,399 Speaker 1: the computer that you find really help you during the day. 847 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,759 Speaker 4: So I would say that the number one app that 848 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 4: increases my productivity, especially right now, is Google Keep. And 849 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:34,360 Speaker 4: the reason is is because of the idea of what's 850 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 4: called capture in productivity. So when I talk to executives 851 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,279 Speaker 4: and I say, you know, when do you come up 852 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 4: with your best ideas? They never say when I'm sitting 853 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 4: at my desk. They never say when I'm looking at 854 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 4: my computer. They never say, you know, in a meeting. 855 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:52,560 Speaker 4: They say in the shower or in my commute, or 856 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 4: you know, when I don't have anything, I'm just on 857 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:57,839 Speaker 4: a walk something like that. So the point is when 858 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 4: you're kind of like walking around and maybe it's for 859 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:04,279 Speaker 4: me with the stroller or I'm cooking or something like that, 860 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,840 Speaker 4: that's actually when a lot of my ideas come to me, 861 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:08,400 Speaker 4: or things that I want to do or things that 862 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:12,280 Speaker 4: I want to remember. And so a lot of productivity 863 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 4: is how do you get those down and action them. 864 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,799 Speaker 4: So everyone has those ideas when they have that clear 865 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:22,160 Speaker 4: mental space. But I think the difference between quote, a 866 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 4: productive person and unproductive is who does a good job 867 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 4: of getting those down. So Google Keep has a feature 868 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:34,720 Speaker 4: where you can just say okay, Google, if you're using 869 00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:39,239 Speaker 4: like a Google home device or an Android phone. You 870 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 4: can say add this to my grocery list, add this 871 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:45,320 Speaker 4: to my to do list. You can take an audio 872 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:48,120 Speaker 4: note of yourself talking, so if you don't have the 873 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:50,160 Speaker 4: ability to type out what you want to say, but 874 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 4: it's a really good idea, you just speak to the 875 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 4: app and it both takes the text out of what 876 00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 4: you're saying and also includes an actual snippet of the record. 877 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 4: So it's almost like a post it note program. So 878 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 4: you have your notes, you can categorize them. So that's 879 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,920 Speaker 4: that's how I work, and that's probably the number one 880 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:11,240 Speaker 4: app I use on my phone is just any idea 881 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,320 Speaker 4: I have, whether it's grocery lists, something to do, something 882 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:17,479 Speaker 4: to say in my next meeting, whatever that is, I. 883 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 3: Capture it down. 884 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:23,200 Speaker 1: And are there any other apps that you find useful 885 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:27,840 Speaker 1: in helping with productivity or time management or anything like 886 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:28,600 Speaker 1: that in general? 887 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:31,279 Speaker 4: So I don't think this is an app, but a 888 00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:36,240 Speaker 4: lot of phones have the innate ability now to track 889 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:39,080 Speaker 4: what you're doing with your time, So I do think 890 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:41,000 Speaker 4: there are apps out there that do that, but I 891 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 4: think a lot of platforms have integrated that as part 892 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 4: of digital well being efforts, So I think just like 893 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:50,359 Speaker 4: I said about the social media, looking at you know, 894 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,280 Speaker 4: actually taking into account that data on a weekly basis 895 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:55,040 Speaker 4: and say, what is it that I'm spending a lot 896 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,440 Speaker 4: of time on. What is it that I could be 897 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:01,000 Speaker 4: doing with that time? If I'm coming about not having 898 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:04,240 Speaker 4: enough time, you know, where is that time going? 899 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:06,360 Speaker 3: And you can see that in your app. 900 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:08,799 Speaker 4: I think my husband even changed his phone so that 901 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,319 Speaker 4: it's black and white now, so if he goes to 902 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,600 Speaker 4: open social media or ESPN, it's kind of boring because 903 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:18,280 Speaker 4: you can only look at so many white and black photos. 904 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 4: So I just think it's not an app, but those 905 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:25,120 Speaker 4: type of settings to see what you're doing can really 906 00:43:25,239 --> 00:43:27,760 Speaker 4: change how you're being productive. 907 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 5: Yeah, I love the grayscale trick. 908 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:34,719 Speaker 1: I do oscillate between having my phone in grayscale where 909 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 1: everything just looks utterly boring and a little bit hideous, 910 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 1: to go back to color. So yeah, I think that's 911 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:44,959 Speaker 1: that's a really interesting trick. I want to come back 912 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: to something that you said about meetings and how you 913 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:51,359 Speaker 1: kind of sort of relaxed things a little bit there 914 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:54,080 Speaker 1: just for that social connectedness, and I want to know, 915 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:56,560 Speaker 1: I feel like there are so many people struggling with 916 00:43:57,120 --> 00:44:00,279 Speaker 1: the lack of connectedness with coworkers right now, and I 917 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:04,240 Speaker 1: want to know what what are you and other people 918 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:09,520 Speaker 1: at Google doing differently during this time to feel connected. 919 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:11,840 Speaker 3: I think a lot of people. 920 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:14,840 Speaker 4: I think what I saw first is people they have 921 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 4: that ability or that they have that need. 922 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:19,280 Speaker 3: To want to be connecting. 923 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,360 Speaker 4: So they schedule just like a chat, and it's like, 924 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:23,480 Speaker 4: you know, a team chat. 925 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 3: But as we've all seen, you know, working digitally is different. 926 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 4: It's a little harder to just have those natural conversations 927 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:33,600 Speaker 4: and maybe you're talking over someone and it's not it's 928 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,480 Speaker 4: not as natural as being in person. So I know 929 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:39,440 Speaker 4: that that was like a learning curve when we first 930 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:42,719 Speaker 4: started this whole situation. But I think what I've seen 931 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:47,840 Speaker 4: really well across Google is people are creating informal chats, 932 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:51,879 Speaker 4: but they have some sort of purpose or underlying, you know. 933 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:53,839 Speaker 3: Reason for dialing into the call. 934 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,719 Speaker 4: So, like I mentioned about my team, even having those 935 00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 4: silly weekly agendas of bring a recipe, it's still someth 936 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:02,920 Speaker 4: thing that you know, we kind of have structure to 937 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 4: talk about. 938 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,200 Speaker 3: Or I've seen teams do virtual happy hours where. 939 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:09,439 Speaker 4: Everyone brings their own drink and dials in from five 940 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 4: to five thirty and then you share a cocktail that 941 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:16,239 Speaker 4: you created or mocktail or whatever that is. I've seen 942 00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:20,680 Speaker 4: people do virtual bingo or categories. So I think it's 943 00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:24,279 Speaker 4: just getting creative and saying, you know, maybe you add 944 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:27,640 Speaker 4: an element of the meeting that has a social connection, 945 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:31,160 Speaker 4: Maybe you meet a little more often. So some of 946 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:33,919 Speaker 4: my bi weekly meetings have now gone to weekly since 947 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:36,400 Speaker 4: we're not seeing each other in the hallways anymore. So 948 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:39,840 Speaker 4: I think it's just getting creative with what makes you 949 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 4: feel like when you get off the call, the same 950 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:44,160 Speaker 4: way you felt at the end of a workday, like Wow, 951 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:46,319 Speaker 4: I really know what's going on with those people, or 952 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:49,560 Speaker 4: I really got a good idea or felt connected. 953 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:53,759 Speaker 1: I like the idea of It's almost like having an 954 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:56,719 Speaker 1: agenda to get connected, Like I like that your team 955 00:45:56,719 --> 00:46:00,879 Speaker 1: meetings have those themes or activities, so to speak, rather 956 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:04,319 Speaker 1: than it just being a kind of loose happy hour, 957 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:06,319 Speaker 1: which I imagine that a. 958 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:08,400 Speaker 5: Lot of teams are now doing around the world. 959 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, are there any out the strategies that you've been 960 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:15,160 Speaker 1: experimenting with or that you're hearing from from other Googlers 961 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:19,000 Speaker 1: that are working really well to improve that connectedness. 962 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:21,000 Speaker 3: I think I've just. 963 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:23,840 Speaker 4: Been hearing you know, from a lot of managers and 964 00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:27,120 Speaker 4: anyone who any really anyone. I think an important thing 965 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:31,280 Speaker 4: to remember is not just covering business, so really thinking 966 00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:34,279 Speaker 4: about the fact that maybe one of your coworkers is 967 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:37,600 Speaker 4: at home by themselves, maybe one of them is at 968 00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:41,520 Speaker 4: home with their kids. So just thinking about people as people, 969 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:43,840 Speaker 4: which you know, we should be doing all the time 970 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:47,480 Speaker 4: in business, but especially right now, just kind of connecting 971 00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:50,960 Speaker 4: with people where they are and instead of talking about, 972 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:54,520 Speaker 4: you know, whatever the business need is at hand, you 973 00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:56,760 Speaker 4: can get to that, but maybe saying, you know, how's 974 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,640 Speaker 4: it been going with your daughter's homeschooling, you know, can 975 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:03,759 Speaker 4: find that human connection checking in with people, seeing how 976 00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:05,440 Speaker 4: they are, you know, on a week. 977 00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:06,000 Speaker 3: To week basis. 978 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,439 Speaker 4: I think that that's been something that I've really seen 979 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:12,120 Speaker 4: across Google and can be you know, really helpful for 980 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:15,120 Speaker 4: those people who feel like they're not maybe the work 981 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 4: chat is the only social connection that they're getting, so 982 00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:20,480 Speaker 4: you really want to check in with people and see 983 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:21,160 Speaker 4: how they're doing. 984 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:22,320 Speaker 5: Awesome. 985 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:25,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that, And I have one final question 986 00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:28,280 Speaker 1: for you, like if you could, and it is partly 987 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:29,880 Speaker 1: motivated by the fact that I feel like there are 988 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:32,799 Speaker 1: seventy great strategies that you're using and things that I'm 989 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:34,719 Speaker 1: personally going to take out of this interview, and I 990 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:38,839 Speaker 1: want to know, you know, if you could just hang 991 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: on to two or three or four of the ways 992 00:47:42,480 --> 00:47:46,200 Speaker 1: that you manage your time and be productive, Like, what 993 00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 1: would those top things be that you just absolutely cannot 994 00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:52,640 Speaker 1: let go of that have really been quite transformative for you. 995 00:47:54,360 --> 00:47:56,520 Speaker 4: So the very first one, and I would say the 996 00:47:56,520 --> 00:47:58,959 Speaker 4: most important one. It's probably going to surprise you. 997 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 3: And we haven't talked about it, but that would be 998 00:48:01,920 --> 00:48:02,680 Speaker 3: to meditate. 999 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:05,600 Speaker 4: So if I tell people that there's one thing to 1000 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:09,040 Speaker 4: make them more productive, I jokingly say it's to do nothing. 1001 00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:10,120 Speaker 3: For fifteen minutes of the day. 1002 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:13,400 Speaker 4: So you know, that is something that I feel like 1003 00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:15,480 Speaker 4: all of these things that we're talking about, you know, 1004 00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:20,200 Speaker 4: not focusing on distractions, really taking the time to dive 1005 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:22,040 Speaker 4: in your email when you do have the time, all 1006 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:25,480 Speaker 4: of those things are helped by having that mental sharpness 1007 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:29,720 Speaker 4: that comes from working out your brain, which is essentially 1008 00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:32,400 Speaker 4: what meditation is. So that would be you know, if 1009 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:34,600 Speaker 4: someone stopped me on the street and said, what one 1010 00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:37,560 Speaker 4: thing can I do to be more productive? That's definitely 1011 00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:41,240 Speaker 4: what I would tell them, so that would be my first, 1012 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:45,200 Speaker 4: my second, and that this is obviously more in the 1013 00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:49,120 Speaker 4: non working from home time, but anytime really is just 1014 00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:53,360 Speaker 4: to be really diligent about meeting. So anytime you're taking 1015 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:57,279 Speaker 4: meeting time, thinking what would I be doing with this 1016 00:48:57,400 --> 00:49:01,759 Speaker 4: time otherwise and then you know, making sure that you 1017 00:49:02,560 --> 00:49:05,279 Speaker 4: have a better you know that is a better use 1018 00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:08,680 Speaker 4: of your time. So meetings are important and they need 1019 00:49:08,719 --> 00:49:11,960 Speaker 4: to happen, but really thinking about what is the trade 1020 00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:15,200 Speaker 4: off for what I'm doing instead of this meeting, you know, 1021 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:18,560 Speaker 4: and making it worth your time. The third I would 1022 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:22,759 Speaker 4: definitely say is wrangling in email. So you know, that 1023 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:24,680 Speaker 4: seems to be and I guess you could lump that 1024 00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:28,040 Speaker 4: in with other distractions, but I think that it's funny 1025 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:30,120 Speaker 4: because I work with people on their email and then 1026 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:32,680 Speaker 4: they come back to me saying like, oh my gosh, 1027 00:49:32,719 --> 00:49:36,440 Speaker 4: I'm so much happier, I'm spending more time with my kids, 1028 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:38,200 Speaker 4: like things like that, and I'm like, what, it's an 1029 00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:40,920 Speaker 4: email training, But it really is, like your email is 1030 00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:44,200 Speaker 4: taking up so much mental space. So if you find 1031 00:49:44,239 --> 00:49:47,480 Speaker 4: a way to know exactly what you have going on 1032 00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:49,839 Speaker 4: in your inbox, whether you've answered it or not, you know, 1033 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:52,960 Speaker 4: even knowing what you're not doing is as important as 1034 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 4: knowing what you are doing. It creates that piece to 1035 00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:57,919 Speaker 4: say like, yes, I'll get to that. So I would 1036 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:01,719 Speaker 4: say wrangling your email as the third. And then I 1037 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:06,759 Speaker 4: think the fourth thing is just understanding that you do 1038 00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:11,200 Speaker 4: need to make priorities and that means saying no to 1039 00:50:11,520 --> 00:50:14,800 Speaker 4: really really good things. So you're saying yes to great 1040 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:18,720 Speaker 4: things and you're saying no to things that are almost great. 1041 00:50:18,800 --> 00:50:21,640 Speaker 4: So I think when people think prioritize, they think, make 1042 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:23,799 Speaker 4: a list of the twenty five things I need to do. 1043 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:25,200 Speaker 3: In order that I want to do them. 1044 00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:27,920 Speaker 4: But really what it comes down to is, you know, 1045 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:30,440 Speaker 4: make a list of twenty five things I should do 1046 00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:33,479 Speaker 4: and narrow it down to five, and do those things really, really, 1047 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:37,320 Speaker 4: really well. Because when you slam your schedule with meetings 1048 00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:39,719 Speaker 4: or to do's and all these actions and actions, you 1049 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:43,520 Speaker 4: leave little space what I call white space in your 1050 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:46,759 Speaker 4: schedule to come up with amazing ideas for one of 1051 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:50,440 Speaker 4: those top five things. So really figuring out and maybe 1052 00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:52,760 Speaker 4: you know, one of my tips is that this time 1053 00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:55,200 Speaker 4: is kind of an interesting time to do that, so 1054 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:57,960 Speaker 4: you have this ability to kind of like pull back. 1055 00:50:58,280 --> 00:51:00,279 Speaker 4: I think of productivity like a rubber band, and you 1056 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:03,080 Speaker 4: know you have to pull back to really launch forward. 1057 00:51:03,160 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 4: So this is for some people a time to pull 1058 00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,680 Speaker 4: back and say, you know, what am I working on 1059 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,360 Speaker 4: that could be better? What are new opportunities going to 1060 00:51:10,360 --> 00:51:12,960 Speaker 4: look like for me? So finding those things that are 1061 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:16,759 Speaker 4: really really important and then you know, cutting the. 1062 00:51:16,680 --> 00:51:17,479 Speaker 3: Rest of them off. 1063 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:21,759 Speaker 1: Ah, that's awesome. I love those pieces of advice. Well, Laura, 1064 00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:23,799 Speaker 1: if people have listened to this and they're like, how 1065 00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:27,160 Speaker 1: can I connect with this productivity gury, like, what is 1066 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:28,920 Speaker 1: the best way for people to do that? 1067 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:31,200 Speaker 5: And you know rate some of the things that you're 1068 00:51:31,239 --> 00:51:31,920 Speaker 5: writing about. 1069 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:34,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think LinkedIn's probably the best place. 1070 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:37,240 Speaker 4: So I write a lot of articles on the Google 1071 00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:39,640 Speaker 4: blog and things like that, and I always share them 1072 00:51:39,680 --> 00:51:43,400 Speaker 4: on my LinkedIn feed. I also have a series on 1073 00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:47,920 Speaker 4: the YouTube channel for g suite our our suite of products, 1074 00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:51,480 Speaker 4: which is Gmail Calendar Keep, So I do a weekly 1075 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:54,000 Speaker 4: tip there so I give a little hack kind of 1076 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:57,520 Speaker 4: like the calendar speed default meeting that we just talked about. 1077 00:51:57,320 --> 00:51:59,759 Speaker 3: That's exactly one of my one of mine that's on there. 1078 00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:01,520 Speaker 3: But that's on YouTube. 1079 00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:03,759 Speaker 4: You can search for the Sweet Life and those are 1080 00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:05,719 Speaker 4: tips on how to make the products better. 1081 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:08,320 Speaker 3: So those two places fantastic. 1082 00:52:08,320 --> 00:52:11,360 Speaker 1: I will link to those things in the show notes. Laura, 1083 00:52:11,480 --> 00:52:15,319 Speaker 1: thank you so much for your precious time. And yeah, 1084 00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:17,799 Speaker 1: I've just I've learned so much and I'm so going 1085 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:20,359 Speaker 1: to experiment with some of the strategies that we've talked about. 1086 00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:23,000 Speaker 3: So thank you great, Thank you so much. I really 1087 00:52:23,040 --> 00:52:23,719 Speaker 3: appreciate it. 1088 00:52:24,320 --> 00:52:27,080 Speaker 2: Hey there, that is it for today's show. 1089 00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:32,520 Speaker 1: Now next week I have Greg McEwan on the show 1090 00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,880 Speaker 1: and I have been a fan of Greg's for years 1091 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:40,640 Speaker 1: after reading his first book, Essentialism. I'm very excited to 1092 00:52:40,640 --> 00:52:44,680 Speaker 1: share this interview where we talk about how we can 1093 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:50,080 Speaker 1: make hard work effortless. So hit subscribe or follow wherever 1094 00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:53,920 Speaker 1: you listen to How I Work from How I Work 1095 00:52:54,080 --> 00:52:57,960 Speaker 1: is produced by Inventing with production support from dead Set Studios. 1096 00:52:58,400 --> 00:52:59,640 Speaker 2: And thank you to Matt. 1097 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:03,800 Speaker 1: Nimba who makes everything sound awesome by doing the audio 1098 00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:07,160 Speaker 1: mix for every episode. That is it for today, and 1099 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:08,759 Speaker 1: I will see you next time.