As I’m an independent consultant, I often spend time with others who have their own businesses or work independently.    For a while now, I’ve heard people around me talk about “accountability partnerships” but until recently I’ve resisted.  Here’s why:

• Priorities change – if I said yesterday I was going to do something, then get an important call from a client, the other action can go out the window
• I don’t like being told what to do and this feels a bit like reporting to a manager
• I like to keep things simple – the fewer emails I have to send or calls I have to make, the better

Despite all of that, I have realized that having an accountability buddy can work for me.    When I’m working on a client project, the deadline keeps me focused.  However, I have some tasks that I’ve set for myself, that don’t have deadlines (and just writing a date on it doesn’t help).    Here’s why I like having a buddy:

•  Choosing a task to tell my buddy I’ll commit to helps me to focus on what’s important
• Knowing I’ll have to report back to my buddy creates a deadline that feels real
• I get my tasks done (like writing this blog!)

How to set up your own accountability buddy system:

• Choose someone who wants to report back on the same time frame as you
• Agree to the format: will you email or call each other?  When?  What will you include? Keep it brief so it doesn’t become a burden!
• Agree to be flexible – you can drop tasks if there’s a real reason (not an excuse!) to do so
• Ask the other person what support they want or need from you, for example, encouragement, reminders, or consequences!
• Agree a timeframe to try it out

Once you’ve worked with your buddy for a while, notice and discuss what’s working and what isn’t, then agree to any changes if you decide to continue.   I think many people can benefit from the focus and commitment that will lead to increased productivity.

When do you come up with your best ideas?  Have you ever had a great idea when:

• You’re about to fall asleep
• Driving (and it’s relaxing!)
• Going for a run
• Chatting with a friend about an unrelated topic
• In the shower

Our unconscious minds need time to incubate to respond to challenges and opportunities and to make good decisions.  David Allen (of “Getting Things Done” fame) wrote in his newsletter about two psychologists in Amsterdam (Dijksterhuis and Nordgren, 2006) who published research that indicated decisions made after the unconscious has had time to process the inputs are always better.   I also wrote in an earlier blog entry about how going for a walk is part of my creative process.

Here’s how to let your unconscious mind do the work:

1. Present, read or discuss information relating to the situation.
2. Brainstorm either alone or in a group.  Get your ideas flowing.   What ideas may be useful?  DON’T ask for a decision or agreement to a solution.
3. Take a break.  Do something completely unrelated to the topic at hand, particularly any activity that will help you relax. Don’t even TRY to think about the situation.  However, if ideas come up, let it flow.    Make notes of any solutions.
4. Bring your ideas back to your client, team or office.   You’ll probably find your ideas flow more easily and you are more confident in your decisions.

This is most useful when there’s an important decision to be made, or an opportunity or challenge to respond to.  Decisions about what to have for dinner can probably still be made in the moment!

We’ve been hearing for a while now that multi-tasking doesn’t work.   The good news is, if we focus doing one thing at a time, we can double our productivity.

Tony Schwartz says in his article The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time that he gets “two to three times as much writing accomplished when I focus without interruption for a designated period of time.”    Brian Tracy agrees.  Referring to the concept of single-handling, he says:  “You can actually double your productivity even if you do nothing else.”

What to Focus On?

Doing one thing at a time only works if we know we’ve chosen the right thing and feel that other things are under control.       It requires being organized.   It’s not possible to focus if our minds are chattering away about all of the other things we could or should be doing.     To resist the feeling of wanting to switch to email, send a text or look up something on the web, we need to feel that our work, in general, is under control.

To be organized and feel my work is under control, I use David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” system.    The first three steps involved in his system for mastering workflow are: collect, process and organize. Collecting is bringing together all of the things I might have to do, by looking in places such as email, written notes, calendar items and so on.  Processing is figuring out what I need to do about each item.  Organizing is putting everything in the right place (files, lists, project plans, calendar and so on).   When I’ve done this, I can look at my lists and see what  makes sense for me to do right now.      I feel confident that I’ve made the right decision on what to do, by clearly defining and organizing my other work before I start.

How to Start

Make a list – what are all the things that you could or should be doing, right now?  What are your key projects?  What do your clients or colleagues need from you right now?

Look at your calendar – what’s coming up in the next week or the next month that you need to plan for?  Add your actions to your growing list!

Pick a task and do only that – Now that you can see all of your tasks in one place, pick one and work on it.      Avoid all distractions – turn off new email notifiers and put your smartphone out of sight!

Keith Sawyer, a professor of psychology and education at Washington University in St. Louis, replies: “Reviewing all of the studies of creativity and extroversion using the “five-factor” personality model, most studies don’t show any relation between creativity and either introversion or extraversion.”

I’m a big fan of brainstorming.  It’s fast and energetic.  As an extravert, I find it an enjoyable way to come up with creative ideas.

However, creativity is only ONE benefit of brainstorming.   Brainstorming also promotes buy-in by getting the team involved in the process and having everyone in the room to make a decision.

Brainstorming is important or helpful when:

• It is necessary to share different perspectives on an issue
• There are many paths to success
• Consensus is essential

Brainstorming works when:

• Participants have the opportunity to express their doubts/concerns
• The session is designed so the group will hear from everyone
• Strong personalities are not allowed to dominate

As a professional facilitator, I design brainstorming sessions to ensure that everyone gets their say, that concerns are shared and real buy-in is achieved.     Within a brainstorming event, different processes can be used to draw out ideas from a range of personality types.  For example, giving participants a minute or two to silently write ideas on post-it notes before sharing will appeal to introverts, while calling out ideas spontaneously will appeal to extraverts.   Why not use both?

Creativity and innovation require contribution from diverse personality types and a range of tools to draw out ideas.  Let’s keep the conversation going about how we can all contribute our talents.

It’s a methodology of innovation, that involves:

• Analytical thinking AND intuitive thinking
• Distinct stages, including: gathering information, framing opportunities, generating ideas and trying experiments
• Tools and techniques to help move through the stages

There are many examples of Design Thinking applied to products and environments.   Design Thinking also has relevance to creating services, processes and experiences.

Why is it Helpful to Think Like a Designer?

If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have said “a faster horse”.  This quote is attributed to Henry Ford.   I love the simple way it conveys this message: Don’t base innovation on market research.   To be truly innovative, meaning to create something NEW, you have no reference points for what will work.      Designers use analytical thinking and creative thinking to come up with new solutions to existing opportunities or problems.

In “The Design of Business” Roger Martin describes the way the hugely successful Aeron chair was developed.    It started with the designers observing that people who sit in chairs all day often shift as the upholstery gets too warm.   The design for the Aeron chair features a seat and back made of mesh that allows air to flow to the body.   When it was tested in the market, people hated it.  They asked to see what it would look like when it was finished (i.e. with upholstery!).      The company, Herman Miller, trusted their designers’ instincts and launched the chair.   The chair has since won multiple design awards, achieved phenomenal sales and has a place in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.

How Do I Get Started?

One of the early stages in Design Thinking is making observations.  Last week, I sat down with Mette Keating, an interior designer who uses “human-centered design” to create collaborative spaces.  Mette described how she begins projects by going into a space and observing the staff.    She described that often sees people who will block their computer screens with their bodies when people behind them.   She also observes  how people work together and move about in the space.    The observations she makes help her to redesign space to allow for different needs such as privacy, collaboration and flow of work.

Design Thinker Workshop

ExperiencePoint, in partnership with IDEO, designed a workshop that features a technology-based game that helps teach the concepts of Design Thinking.   I’m excited that I’m now certified to offer this course.  It’s available for groups of 12 to 40.   Please contact me for more information.

I’m not an artist, but I recently realized the value of allowing myself my own creative process for my work.   For example, I’m working on designing a course and what I find works well is to read the documents, make some notes and then go for a walk.   Taking a walk is not my break – it’s part of my working process.  When I go for a walk, my thoughts tend to flow and I get good ideas for my project.     Sitting at my desk, my thoughts tend to stagnate and good work doesn’t happen.

Although I’m an independent consultant and when I’m alone I can work any way I want, I had an idea of what work looks like and what it doesn’t.      It looks like sitting at a desk, typing, making notes.  It doesn’t look like going for a walk, or chatting over coffee with someone who is in a different industry – though these might be just the inspiration I need to move forward.    I’ve decided to stop judging my own creative process – I’m going to use what works and ditch what doesn’t!

What’s your creative process?

Here are some questions to get you thinking:

What do you think work looks like or should look like?

What helps and what doesn’t when you’re working?

Are there any ways of working that you’ve avoided, as you feel it doesn’t “look like work”?

Which of your preferred ways of working can you give yourself permission to do, even if they’re unconventional?

If you’re trying something new, is there anyone you need to communicate this to, so they know that you are working?

Final note:

I’d love to hear about your creative process for getting work done and if this entry has inspired you to do anything differently!

1. Go to your RingTone Profile setting (the one where you change what kind of ring/vibrate that you want)
2. Scroll down and click on Advanced
3. Click into your Ringtone Profile
4. Click on “Level 1 Messages”
5. Click on “Repeat Notification” and change it from “LED Flashing” to “none”
6. (Make sure that you do it for what is called “In Holster” and “Out of Holster”)

These steps were originally posted on Amelia Torode’s blog and here is the original post.    Thanks Judi and Amelia!  I’ve just implemented this and am glad to have removed one more distraction from my busy life!