Interruptions destroy focus and kill productivity. So are the guilt trips your family “sometimes unintentionally” lay on you. Let colleagues and family know you’re planning a “project day.” Tell key customers too. Announce you will be tied up on, say, Tuesday, and that you will respond to calls and emails on Thursday. Let people know who to contact in an emergency. Some will get with you before Tuesday, and the rest will make a mental note you’re not available. In either case, you’re covered.

Plus you get the “peer pressure” benefit: When you tell people you plan to finish a project you will be more likely to see the job through. Peer pressure can be positive motivation harness it.

2. Set a target

Don’t plan your project day based on fuzzy parameters like, “I will stay at it as long as possible,” or, “I won’t leave until I no longer feel productive.” Those approaches give you an easy out. Commit to working for as long as you estimate it will take. Pick a number.

There’s a cool benefit to this approach too: The longer the time frame you set the quicker the early hours seem to go by – something about knowing you will be working for a long time allows you to stop checking the clock. When you know you’re in for a long haul your mind automatically adapts. Try it, it works.

3. Start unusually early or unusually late

When you step outside your norm, your perspective of time shifts as well. Start at 5 a.m. or revisit your uni days and start at 6 p.m. and work through the night. Set the stage for an unusually productive day by dramatically changing your normal routine.

4. Delay gratification

Say you like to listen to music while you work. Don’t, at least for the first couple of hours. That way, when your enthusiasm really starts to wane, turning on the music will perk you back up. Hold off on whatever things you use to brighten up your workday, at least for a while. Delayed gratification is always better gratification, and in this case can provide just the spark you need to keep going.

5. Refuel and recharge before you need to

When endurance athletes wait until they are thirsty to drink they’ve waited too long. The same premise applies at work. Have a snack a little earlier than normal. Start drinking water right immediately. If you normally sit, stand up before you start to feel stiff or cramped. If you normally stand, sit before your back stiffens or your legs ache. Be proactive so discomfort can’t dampen your motivation or weaken your resolve.

Plan food ahead of time that you can prepare and eat quickly. The goal is to refuel, re-hydrate, and keep on rolling. Remember, this is an unusual day treat it that way.

6. Don’t take rest breaks

Take productivity breaks. Newton’s Law of Productivity states that a productive person in motion tends to stay in motion. Maintaining momentum is everything. Don’t take a TV or Internet break. Take breaks that reinforce your sense of activity and accomplishment. Take a quick walk and think about what you’re tackling next. Then jump back in. Even a few minutes spent in the land of inactivity make it hard to regain momentum.

7. Don’t stop until it’s done

Stopping simply because you’re tired or bored is habit-forming. (Plus you’re always capable of doing more than you think.) If the only barrier to completion is effort or motivation, stay at it and bust through that barrier.

Think about your normal workday; at some point you typically think, “That’s it. That’s all I have in me today.” That limit was set long ago, but it’s an artificial limit based on habit. Pushing through the “pain” is a habit anyone can develop, and when you do, you automatically set your effort limit a little higher making you capable of even more on a regular basis.

Good luck!

Alison

t-three, based just outside Cambridge, are on the lookout for a talented individual to head up our personality and 360 degree assessment tools unit which has just entered an exciting stage of its life.

This position is ideal for a bright spark who is ready to take the next step in their career by taking responsibility for growing a small but vibrant unit which has huge potential and which we want to grow into a fully fledged business  within the Celyn Group of companies.

Working with some of the world’s most highly recognised brand names, t-three tools offer a suite of personality assessments and 360 degree feedback tools which help organisations to further raise the performance of individuals and teams.

Desired Skills & Experience

The person  we would love to find…….

• Most importantly of all has the determination to succeed in a team environment and earn for themselves the role of MD of this Business
• Has a passion for working with Clients to help them improve the performance of their business through people
• Can build up engaging productive relationships with Clients and colleagues and suppliers
• Has a real feel and capability for sales and marketing in a business to business environment

We are not looking for the finished article, most likely a graduate on their first or second job change who has the confidence to run a unit of their own. We will help you grow and your remuneration will grow as the business enlarges.

Company Description

More more information about t-three and our group of companies please go to www.celyngroup.com

For more information please contact:
Email: awalker@t-three.co.uk
Tel: 01954 710780

t-three website: www.t-three.co.uk
t-three tools: www.t-three360.co.uk
CoachingPack: www.coachingpack.com
Total HR:  www.total-hr.co.uk

The nomination alone is a great achievement for Rebecca and we wish her the very best of luck!

Rebecca is one of three finalists to have been shortlisted for the award organised by Sheffield Chamber of Commerce (in association with First For Business magazine). The awards are designed to recognise and reward Sheffield city region business success and award categories are refreshed each year to reflect the regions expertise and skills.

We’ll keep you posted!

Helen

As with all our consultants, Keeley brings a huge amount of energy and passion for working with individuals, teams and organisations to help them change, grow and succeed.  Keeley brings over fifteen years of experience heading up L&D functions in large private and public sector organisations.

In fact, Keeley first commissioned t-three 4 years ago to deliver a 360 degree feedback and coaching programme, and liked us so much, she joined the t-three team!

Keeley’s passion is around helping individuals reach their full potential, and guides organisations to achieve the best performance possible through their people. Her passion for “peak performance” is true also of her personal life with marathon training and Scuba Diving amongst her interests.

Anthony

Viral Change™ is about creating an internal epidemic; an infection of success within an organisation, which is totally unlike the traditional, slow, expensive and all too often unsuccessful organisational change programmes.  In Viral Change™, a small set of behaviours spread by a small number of people through their ‘networks of influence’ create massive behavioural tipping points, which go on to form new routines and ‘cultures’.

During this half day event, Dr Herrero will outline the key Viral Change™ principles and how you can use Viral Change™ back in your organisation to successfully achieve your desired organisational changes in 2012. 

This will be followed by an informal lunch where you’ll have time to get to meet amongst others, Leandro and receive a complimentary copy of the Viral Change™ book.

This is a FREE, one-off event – but you’ll have to move quickly to secure your place as numbers are limited.  To register go to www.t-three.co.uk/viral-change-registration.html.

Our client, Ofcom, is kindly hosting the event at their Southwark Bridge Road (London) offices.

Helen

Click here for a direct link to our Twitter profile

Helen

Here are ten tips to help dispel those post-holiday blues. . .

1.  Accept that the holiday is over
2.  Jump back into your routine
3.  Say hello to the boss
4.  Work through your post-holiday blues
5.  Write a to-do list
6.  Take some exercise
7.  Catch up with your team
8.  Think big thoughts …
9.  … and try to make some of them happen
10.  Book another holiday

Helen
Management Today (Sept 2011)

Click the link below to join up today to . . .

• Follow and contribute to the latest posts and discussions around L&D
• Network with clients from other organisations
• Seek advice and best practice from the t-three team as well as other group members
• Hear firsthand about what the t-three team are currently up to

Click here to join the t-three LinkedIn group

Helen

Coaching managers can support individuals in generating goals that excite and motivate them. By creating positive emotions around these goals, individuals are more likely to evoke new ideas and novel solutions. Such positive emotions can expand the individual’s thought-action repertoire. When engaging in coaching conversations as managers, it is therefore important to consider how we go about getting people really excited about their goals.

Read the full ‘Goal Setting’ article by clicking here

Siobhan

As you will know, coaching is one of the most widely used techniques to unleash human potential at work. Yet criticism has grown – ‘it’s too expensive’ and ‘you can’t tell if it made a difference’ – are the two most common.

So we designed CoachingPack to overcome them – a Rolls Royce coaching service at a family saloon price. We did it by overturning some of the sacred laws of coaching: harnessing new technology (interactive web systems), some pretty old stuff (telephone wires) and some great innovative added value bits in-between, providing:

• Focused coaching packages which help participants succeed with the specific business challenges they face

• Outstanding business coaches at a really affordable price

• Rich evaluation data to show a true return on your investment.

We have just come to the end of piloting CoachingPack with 46 participants, and the performance improvements highlighted through our newly developed evaluation methodology have been exceptional and we would be really happy to share the headline results with you.

As part of the formal launch of CoachingPack we are providing a ½ price trial until the end of September 2011, so that individuals can experience firsthand the innovative methodology and value CoachingPack brings.

The CoachingPack website is http://www.coachingpack.com so please do have a look!

If you are interested to hear more or would like a ½ price trial for yourself or a colleague do give me a call on 07974 193224 or email me awalker@t-three.co.uk

Anthony