OUTPUTYou Have Enough Time
Feeling like you don’t have enough time to get everything done? Welcome to the club … but don’t blame the modern world. “Lack of time is actually a lack of priorities. If you don’t have time, the truth is, you don’t have priorities. Think harder, don’t work harder,” says John C. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
EVENTSSound Advice
Back in 1959, physicists worked out that noise levels at social gatherings remained manageable as long as people having conversations could hear each other over the “background noise.” As soon as indirect sound exceeds direct sound, people begin to raise their voices, starting a chain reaction that will cause the volume in the room to skyrocket. According to WIRED magazine, researchers in Italy have now figured out a ratio to determine when that threshold is reached in a room: If you want to throw an event where guests can hear each other — or more important, your salespeople — invite no more than one person for every 21 square feet.
PRODUCTIVITYSchedule Your To-Do List
Got a to-do list that just won’t shrink? Try treating each item on the list like a doctor’s appointment that you would never consider skipping. “And if you list not only what you need to do, but when and where you will actually do it, you are much more likely to cross it off that to-do list once and for all,” says social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson, associate director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia University and author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals.
MANAGEMENTThe Five Chimps Theory
“There’s a theory that I call ‘the five chimps,’” tech investor and writer Naval Ravikant says. “In zoology, you can predict the mood and behavior patterns of any chimp by which five chimps they hang out with the most.” The lesson for business and life: “Choose your five chimps carefully.”
ENGAGEMENTGo First
In a world where it feels people are increasingly opting out of engagement, a “go first” mindset can be a game-changer, says podcaster and former pro volleyball player Gabby Reece: “If I’m checking out at the store, I’ll say hello first. If I’m coming across somebody and make eye contact, I’ll smile first. [I wish] people would experiment with that. Be first, because — not all times, but most times — it comes in your favor.”
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MANAGEMENTGive Staff Access to Vendor Logins
Ensure your team has access to vendor logins, store consultant Megan Crabtree says: “This enables easy retrieval of images, pricing and marketing materials, especially when vendors are closed on weekends.” Providing access to these things at the click of a button can also empower associates to better assist customers in a timely manner when you are not there, she adds.
SALESForce That Smile
Having trouble getting in the mood for selling? Place a pen or pencil horizontally between your teeth, and bite. Doing this essentially forces you to smile. The muscles around your mouth and eyes contract, your brain gets the message that you’re relaxed, and sure enough your mood improves — and you feel warm and ready to engage with other humans. Social psychologists call this facial feedback.
SKILLSEnd on a Strong Note
There’s something to be said for ending on a high note, business coach and author Josh Waitzkin says, citing a lesson he learned from World Cup skier Billy Kidd, who insisted on ending his runs on the flat with as much intention as the more critical parts of the slope. “As Billy points out, if your last three turns are precise, then what you’re internalizing on the lift ride up is precision. So, I carry this on to the guys I train in the finance world, for example: ending the workday with very high quality, which for one thing means you’re internalizing quality overnight.”
