Bootstrapper » Leadership

75+ Tips on Becoming a Better Networker

Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 12:26am by admin

By Jessica Hupp

Networking can open you up to new opportunities, relationships, and more. But you have to know what you’re doing, or your attempts may quickly become an exercise in futility. Follow these tips to sharpen your skills and make networking work for you.

The Basics

Before you can become a better networker, you’ve got to master these essentials.

Always introduce yourself: Don’t get caught up in a conversation and forget to tell someone who you are. Be sure to say your name clearly and offer a business card when appropriate.
Shake hands: Create a physical connection and open yourself up with a handshake.
Bring lots of business cards: Never network empty-handed. Always have something to give to others for them to remember you by.
Outline your goals: Have a clear plan in sight for every event or contact, and you’ll be better prepared to reap success through networking.
Be genuine: No one wants to talk to someone who presents themselves awkwardly. Be authentic, and people will trust you.
Stay positive: Be an energizing force to those around you, and others will be attracted.
Keep a generous mindset: Don’t go to a meeting thinking about what you want. Rather, think about how you can help others, and you’ll earn what you’re looking for.

Your Body Language

When you’re meeting with others, it’s important that you convey yourself in a friendly, but professional manner. Make sure you’re communicating the right message with these body language tips.

Maintain good eye contact: This should go without saying, but be sure to look a person in the eye when you’re talking to them.
Smile: You should always convey that you’re a positive person, so smile and be happy.
Learn forward: You don’t need to get in someone’s face, but leaning slightly foward to get closer will show then you’re interested in what they have to say.
Stand confidently: No one wants to network with a person who lacks confidence. Present yourself proudly by throwing your shoulders back and standing up tall.
Walk like you know where you’re going: Walking around aimlessly will just make you look silly. Even if it’s just to the bar, make sure you look like you’re going somewhere.

Choosing Groups and Contacts

You can’t, and shouldn’t, attempt to join every group possible to talk to every person you possibly can. Rather, focus on the ones that matter using these tips.

Define what you’re looking for: Do you want to attend meetings for pure networking, or would you like to learn and volunteer at the same time?
Visit a variety of groups: When you’re just starting out or even if you’re shaking up your networking routine, try out a number of different groups until you find a handful that work for you.
Be strategic: Consider the value that each group brings, and only participate in those that offer something useful.
Join a news group: Seek out a group that will keep you updated on the latest news and developments in your industry.
Get targeted: Look for trade groups and meetings that have a narrow reach so you’ll be more likely to meet the right people.

Conversational Skills

Keep others engaged and interested by developing your conversational skills with these tips.

Ask open-ended questions: Don’t ask questions that can be answered with yes or no-keep the conversation going with questions that beg more information.
Have a concise description of yourself: Even if you’ve got your hands in a number of different industries and projects, make it easy for others to understand you in a nutshell. This will make it easier for them to refer you to others.
Ask lots of questions: By asking questions, you’ll actively engage the person you’re talking to, and you just might learn something new.
Be clear: Don’t make people read your mind. Ensure that the person you’re talking to knows exactly what you do and what you want from a relationship with them. Otherwise, they aren’t likely to help you.
Start small: Discuss the event’s turnout or current events, and move on to more interesting topics once you’ve broken the ice.

Relationship Building

Once you’ve made inital contact, use these tips to forge strong relationships with your new networking partners.

Make good: If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Whether it’s a referral, phone call, or favor, your actions reflect your strength as a networking contact.
Always follow up: When you meet someone that can be a valuable networking resource, give them a call and express how much you enjoyed meeting them. This will give you an opportunity to further develop your relationship and discuss ideas that you may not have thought of in your initial meeting.
Find common ground: Forge a relationship through something you have in common, whether it’s personal or professional, to stay visible.
Offer something: Give people something they want, whether it’s an idea, contact, or other resource, to stay visible and helpful.
Share your contacts: Become a networking node by introducing two people who can benefit from each other, and you’ll be able to both reconnect with them and deepen your relationship at the same time.
Focus on quality over quantity: Don’t worry about talking to everyone in the room. Rather, seek to build relationships with the people who have something of value to offer.
Go slowly: Don’t force your relationship to move too quickly. Get to know your contacts before asking them for huge favors.
Offer introductions: Flatter your networking friends by taking the time to introduce them to a group of people.
Form an inner circle: Once you’ve found a number of contacts, determine your inner circle and work to cultivate relationships and ask for referrals from these people more than anyone else.
Find the right person: Your intial contact isn’t always the right person for what you want. Don’t be shy about asking them to introduce you to someone more appropriate.

Looking Inward

Much of networking takes place with people you don’t know too well, but strong relationships can be built upon with people you already know. Use these tips to help build your network through those that are already close by.

Go to company events: You may not be crazy about golfing, but participating in your organization’s annual tournament can give you time to socialize one on one with people you may not have considered networking with.
Seek out a mentor: Find an experienced friend within your company to help you build relationships and meet new people.
Start a happy hour group: By organizing social events like happy hour outings, you’ll have a chance to connect with others in a relaxed setting.
Organize a company picnic: Create an internal networking event with your coworkers and encourage everyone to invite their favorite clients and other contacts.

Shaking Nerves

Networking is a little daunting for introverts, but these tips are designed to make you feel a bit more relaxed at networking events.

Be a volunteer: Give yourself an official reason to be at an event as well as something to do by signing up to help out.
Dress comfortably: Wear something that makes you feel good about yourself to boost your confidence.
Call when your energy is highest: Save conversations for when you’re more upbeat.
Show up early: Networking is often intimidating because there are just so many people, but if you get there earlier, you’ll be able to chat with just a few people in a more intimate setting.
Remind yourself of your worth: Think of the people who aren’t as capable and talented as you are that are mingling and making connections with the contacts you should be working with, and use this competitive ammunition to motivate yourself.
Bring a friend: If you can’t face the crowd by yourself, bring a friend from your industry and work the room together.
Go to events with a purpose: Events that are purely based around conversation can be intimidating, so go to gatherings like seminars, interactive classes, and workshops.
Know what to say: Create conversations in your mind and think of key points to bring up to help train your brain and calm your nerves.
Take a break: If you’re attending a long networking event or have plans for both the day and evening, make sure you take some time to yourself so that you can recharge.
Go one step at a time: You’re not going to become a master networker overnight, so don’t try to be. Focus on baby steps to ramp up your networking experience.

Getting Connected

Use these methods to find new people to network with.

Stand close to the entrance: Make small talk with new arrivals while they’re alone and looking for someone to talk to.
Pick a nametag: Stop by the registration table to see who will be attending, and if you see someone you’d really like to speak with, ask if you can put a note on their name tag to ask them to find you.
Seek out loners: Open up the shy and nervous types to get quality one-on-one networking.
Hang out near the grub: People are generally accessible around food and often linger near the food table, so seek out new contacts in this area. You can even use food conversation as an opener.
Diversify: Investors do it and so should you. Speak to a variety of different people to improve the quality of your contacts.
Don’t sell at meetings: Selling your services at a meeting is generally inappropriate and usually a turnoff. Instead, focus on developing relationships and schedule a time to get together later, at which point it will be appropriate to sell.
Differentiate yourself: Stand out from the crowd so the people you connect with will remember you after the event.
Stay active: Don’t stay too long in one place. Keep moving to meet lots of people.

Online Networking

Take your networking efforts online with these tips.

Keep an updated profile: Make sureyou’re offering the right impression about yourself by keeping information current.
Avoid inappropriate material: Don’t post photos of you and your drinking buddies in a place where networking and business contacts can see them.
Keep a moderate number of contacts: Be aware of the number of contacts on your profile. Too many will make prospective associates wonder how they’ll fit in, while too few will make you seem like you’re not connected enough.
Be connected to appropriate people: Make sure you’ve got your bases covered where contacts are concerned. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, you should be connected with venues, florists, dress makers, and others in the wedding industry.
Check in with school: Check out your alumni organization’s website to see if they have an online community.
Find an industry-specific community: Build higher quality contacts by joining a group specifically made for people like you.

Following Up

Keep things going with these follow-up tips.

Say something interesting: Don’t just send a generic email to everyone you meet. Bring up something you discussed or share an anectode instead.
Make future plans: Following up is useless unless you have a clear plan for how you’ll help each other or build your relationship in the future.
Follow up quickly: Don’t let too much time lapse between your meeting and follow up, or your contact just might forget about you.
Call just to say hi: If someone pops into your head for some reason, call and say hello, even if you don’t have an agenda.

Cashing In

Once you’ve got strong networking relationships in place, take advantage of them using these tips.

Don’t wait until the last minute: Make sure you’ve built relationships before you actually need them. People will be turned off if you’re desperate and have nothing to offer.
Reciprocate: If you’ve helped someone in the past, don’t be shy about asking for their help in return.
Don’t be selfish: You shouldn’t always be the one looking for a favor in the relationship. Offer to do something for your contacts once in a while.
Ask for advice, not favors: Go for the soft sell. If you’re looking for a job, ask for their opinion on how to get the job you want instead of asking them who they know that would like to hire you.

Business Cards

These are just a few ways you can use business cards more effectively when networking.

Make notes: When you receive a person’s business card, make notes on it about follow up items, or just items you’d like to remember.
Never deal out cards impersonally: Always wait until it’s appropriate to hand a business card to a contact and avoid giving them out before you’ve even started making conversation.
Get creative: Business cards are generally boring and don’t spark a second thought. Make your business card interesting with an engaging design, and contacts may be more receptive to remembering you and giving you a call.
Carry them everywhere: You never know when a networking opportunity will pop up, so always be prepared.
Be generous: Give out two cards at a time-one for your new associate to keep, and one to pass along to someone you should get to know.

Going Further

Take networking to the next level with these tips.

Be a leader: Hold a visible position within a group so you’ll be more noticed and respected.
Become a resource: Make yourself knowledgeable in your industry, and other people will come to you for advice, ideas, and connections, which will strengthen your relationships and make you more visible.
Go low tech: Email isn’t always the best way to communicate. Pick up the phone, send a handwritten note, or arrange for a face to face meeting, and your message will come across stronger.
Create a newsletter: Keep your contacts updated on new developments in your professional and personal life with a newsletter on a yearly or quarterly basis.

Comments (2) | Filed under: Tools + techniques, Leadership, Human resources

20 Fail-Proof Ways to Expose Lazy Employees

Monday, December 31, 2007 at 4:32pm by admin

By Laura Milligan

If you have a lazy employee in your office, you could find yourself working overtime to make up for missed deadlines and wondering if you should give your lackluster worker either a little extra motivation or the pink slip. While some employees simply take longer to perform certain tasks and think things through, this list is devoted to exposing those employees who purposefully show up to work late, waste time on the Internet and skip assignments, all in an effort to shave minutes off their work day. If you’re through putting up with it, check out this list of 20 fail-proof ways to expose your lazy employees.

Monitor their arrival and departure times: The easiest way to find out if your employee is deliberately trying to cut out time spent at the office is to monitor the exact times they show up to work in the mornings and duck out each evening. If they are arriving late and leaving significantly early each day, confront them, and ask if they will be willing to work out a new schedule or make up the time they’ve lost.
Cameras: If you’re having trouble tracking the arrival and departure time of your employees, or if you want to see exactly what they’re up to when you leave the room, consider putting a hidden camera somewhere in the office. You’ll have hard evidence of any slacking off, but just remember to be reasonable. No one wants to be known as their office’s Michael Scott.
Spectorsoft: If you have suspicions that your employees are playing on the Internet all day when they should be researching or typing up reports, install one of the spy software products from Spectorsoft onto their computers. These products will let you know who your office’s “worst offenders” are after analyzing which websites, chatrooms and keystrokes are used.
Send in an undercover customer: If you’re worried about how your lazy employee treats your customers, send in a fake client to request information or schedule a meeting. Have the undercover customer report back to you, detailing the employee’s efforts to make he or she feels welcome, give the correct information and adequately promote your company’s image.
Recruiting tests: Sometimes managers can expose a lazy employee during the recruiting process, saving them time and trouble down the road. This article describes how one hiring manager weeds out lazy workers by asking them to fill out two applications: one online before the interview, and another one during the interview. The manager ultimately “finds that people who skip the parts on the second application that they had previously filled out online, will eventually turn out to be lazy once hired.”
Monitor lunch hours: Just because you work through lunch each day, don’t expect your employees to consistently do the same; however, if you have one or two employees who make a habit out of strolling back into the office twenty minutes after their hour was up, you have reason to expose their negligence.
Track them with a GPS system: Lazy employees love running work-related errands out of the office because it gives them more control over the way they spend their day. If, however, you suspect them of running non work-related errands, install a GPS tracking system on the company vehicle, which will help you in “catching employees shopping, working out at the gym or otherwise loafing while on the clock.”
Schedule meetings early in the day or late in the afternoon: Within reason, schedule a meeting every once in a while at the very beginning of the work day or sometime in the late afternoon. If your employee takes major issue with the scheduling but can’t provide a reason for his tardiness (or absence), you will have successfully exposed their laziness.
Follow through with deadlines: By not enforcing deadlines, you give your employees the signal that it’s okay for them to procrastinate or turn in work late. Strictly follow through with deadlines, and hold employees accountable when they consistently fall behind. Document your efforts to remind them of deadlines, through email or by using the popular Monkey On Your Back tool, so that lazy workers can’t make up excuses.
Demand doctor’s notes: When an employee calls in sick practically every week, start demanding doctor’s notes from workers who have used more than one or two sick days. Just be aware of the fake doctor’s notes that can be bought online to trick managers.
Surf Logger: This “tiny add-on for Internet Explorer” records website history, so that you can track which sites your employees visit when they’re on the clock.
Guardian Software: Guardian Software is an Internet monitoring tool marketed towards parents who want to control what their children do online. Managers can use the same product to effectively expose lazy employees by blocking certain websites, recording e-mails from Yahoo, AOL and other accounts, and even “captures and records keystrokes.”
Cyberspy: If your office is on a budget, download Cyberspy to find out what your employees are doing on their computers. Cyberspy even captures whole images of a website or document in case you can’t properly evaluate the content from the file name alone.
Employee Loyalty Acid Test: If your employee isn’t performing his or her duties at your desired level, they could be planning to leave your company for another job. Give your employees this survey to gauge their company and job satisfaction.
Employee loyalty evaluator: If handing out surveys seems too obvious, check out this article to more discreetly evaluate an employee’s loyalty.
Motivate them: This post from Yahoo! Answers discusses the proper ways to motivate a lazy employee in order to gain positive results in the office. Give them a vested interest in the company’s success by talking to them in your free time, limiting harsh criticism and helping understand that their slow pace affects other workers.
Tell your boss: AskMen.com publishes this article, entitled “How to Complain About a Colleague.” Readers will find different ways to tell their supervisors about lazy employees without sounding like a tattle tale.
Award productive employees: If you can, set up a merit-based rewards system in your office that grants raises, gift certificates, or other perks to your most productive employees. Lazy workers may be so apathetic that you won’t see any change in their performance, despite the added bonus.
GPS-equip the company phone: While giving your employee a GPS-equipped company car might be way out of your budget, try investing in a company cell phone that comes with GPS. If you suspect your employee of leaving the office early, you might be able to catch them in the act with the GPS system.
Fire them: If you’ve tried to confront your lazy employee but he or she continues to miss work and deadlines, set a precedent in your office by firing them. Let your other employees know that you won’t put up with laziness any longer.

Before spying on your employees, discuss any problems you have with their less than desirable work performance. Laziness could be a reflection of a much bigger issue at home or in the office, and the problem could be solved in a more amicable way. If, however, your employee continues to be lazy at work, use these tips and tools to expose their listless behavior.

Comments (10) | Filed under: Productivity, Leadership, Human resources

Work Happy: 25 Ways to Improve Your Mood When People Around You Are Miserable

Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 2:02am by admin

By Christina Laun

Deadlines are looming, your clients aren’t happy, and there’s a nasty cold going around the office. It seems like everyone around you is in a completely miserable mood, and they have no problem taking it out on everyone else. You don’t have to let the ill temper of your office mates affect you and how you’re feeling, however. After all, going to work in a sour mood and concentrating on the stressful elements of your job can have an adverse affect on your health. So how can you keep the general unhappiness of your work environment from affecting you? Here are 25 things you can try to improve your mood and maybe even the mood of those around you.

Choose to be happy. It might sound overly simplistic, but the easiest way to rise above the cloud of negativity at work is simply to not let it affect you. Other people may have an impact on your mood, but the only one in charge of it is you, so choose to ignore the crankiness and find your own personal happiness.
Make friends. People are generally happier at work when they have a few coworkers that they can count on as genuine friends. Get together for lunch or take a quick coffee break. You’ll be surprised how much talking to a friend can help elevate your mood and make your outlook more positive.
Do things you love. If there are particular elements of your job that you love doing more than others, focus on these for at least a good portion of your day. Or, if you need to, use your lunch break to get away from the office for a massage, shop for a new pair of shoes, or spend it playing games at your desk so that the negativity of work won’t totally weigh you down.
Avoid particularly negative coworkers. Everyone has that one coworker that always seems to be in a bad mood, even when things are good. Whether the people around you are perpetually negative or are just having a bad week, try to avoid interactions with them that could make everyone more unhappy.
Meditate. Sometimes the key to being happier is to simply just spend more time relaxing. Meditation can be a great way to focus your thoughts and shake off all the unhappiness of the grumpy people around you.
Take a walk. Few things can help lift your mood like a little bit of exercise. Whether you walk around the building or around the block, getting up and moving around can help you clear your head and improve how your body feels.
Clean and organize your desk. A messy desk can sometimes make you feel overwhelmed and overburdened, even when you’re not. Set aside a few minutes to clean up your work area in the morning or before you leave at night. You’ll get to feel a sense of accomplishment that you got it done and get to enjoy having a desk that isn’t swimming with papers.
Listen to music. One way to avoid cranky coworkers is to tune them out with music. Put on your headphones and crank up your favorite tunes. You’ll likely get more done, and you won’t have to listen to the grumpy chatter around you.
Personalize your desktop. Working in the same boring gray cube day after day can take its toll. While you don’t have to go overboard, a few personal touches on your desk like photos of friends, family, or pets can make a big difference in your mental outlook plus you’ll have something to motivate you to get through the day.
Eat better. Studies have shown that foods can have a huge impact on not only our physical well-being but our moods as well. Try incorporating foods like milk, chocolate, whole grains, blueberries and fish in your diet, as they have been shown to have a marked effect on anxiety and stress levels.
Smile. Even if your smiles are only met with frowns, smiling can actually have an impact on your mood. If you think about it, it’s really hard to stay angry or upset when you’ve got a smile on your face, so even if you’re faking, it can help improve your day.
Concentrate on working towards a goal. Even if you’re bogged down with loads of work you can still maintain your happy mood by just concentrating on one thing at a time. Set a goal for yourself, say finishing a certain amount of work each day, and concentrate on working towards it.
Make someone’s day. Sometimes the best path to making you feel good is by making those around you feel good. Give a coworker a compliment or bring someone a coffee as a treat. Your kindness could be infectious and improve the mood of the whole office.
Count your blessings. Even if work is a complete nightmare at the moment, it’s unlikely that there isn’t anything in your life that makes you happy or that you enjoy. Try concentrating on these things instead of the negative things at work.
Find the humor in it. A good laugh can do wonders for your mood. Even the worst situations have a lighter side, so try to find it even if your coworkers can’t.
Use aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is an age old practice based on the idea that smells can impact your mood. Whether it’s true for you or not it doesn’t hurt to try. Try bringing in potpourri, air fresheners or even some fresh flowers. Any smell that reminds you of home or happy things will work.
Treat yourself. Whether your secret indulgence is a chocolate donut or an extra large order from your local Chinese restaurant, letting yourself indulge a little bit will make work seem less awful and put you in a better mood overall.
Change your lighting. While not everyone has the luxury of an office with a window, if you do, arrange your office so that you can see out or pull the blinds up to let natural light in. If you don’t have a window, try bringing in a softer and more personalized light to offset the glare of the fluorescent lights in your office. Either will help your work area to seem less harsh and much more pleasant to be in.
Shake it off. If people around you truly are miserable, chances are good that at some point they’re going to take it out on you. Learn to simply shake it off and not take things too personally, otherwise your coworkers will quickly bring you down to their level of unhappiness.
Help out coworkers. If it’s possible that your coworkers are unhappy because they are overworked and you happen to have a little extra time on your hands, offer to help out. You’ll foster a sense of teamwork and hopefully make others feel less stressed and upset.
Try to relate. While you shouldn’t let others’ bad moods affect your own, that doesn’t mean you can’t try to empathize with why your coworkers are so cranky in the first place. Try talking to them. Sometimes all people need to feel better is to get what’s bothering them off their chest.
Look your best. Want to improve how you feel about yourself when you go to work? Try spending some extra time getting ready. Wear your favorite clothes or spend a little more time styling your hair. Whatever makes you feel like you look good will undoubtedly improve your outlook on the day.
Get plenty of rest. It’s pretty easy to be cranky and short tempered when you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep, so make sure to set aside a solid block of time where you can sleep uninterrupted and wake up feeling rested.
Take your vitamins. Studies have shown that vitamin D can help boost your mood. Vitamin D boosts your brain’s level of serotonin, your body’s natural feel-good hormone, thereby improving your mental and emotional outlook.
Get out of the office. If nothing else works to boost your mood around your angry and unhappy coworkers, then just try to spend as little time as possible at the office. Leave on your lunch break and try to be more efficient with your work so that you can leave on time at night. If neither of those are possible, sometimes a quick walk outside can be just as helpful.

Comments (6) | Filed under: Productivity, Leadership, Resources

Just Do It: 67 Ways to Tame the Procrastination Beast

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 11:57pm by admin

By Christina Laun

Let’s face it: even the most diligent of entrepreneurs can fall victim to the lure of procrastination now and then. It’s hard to blame them: sometimes a TV show, the Internet, or even just staring out the window is more fun than doing the tasks that really need to get done. But being a serial procrastinator is a sure way to direct your business into some pretty dire straits if you’re not careful. How can you learn to tame your short attention span when you really need to get things done? While everyone has their own little tricks, here are 67 ways we’ve come up with to help you concentrate when it counts.

Take it one step at a time. A huge project can feel overwhelming and make it hard to figure out a place to start, encouraging you to put it off. Instead of trying to tackle all of it at once, break it into smaller, more manageable parts.
Set time limits. Projects have a way of expanding to fill the time allotted, so set a time limit for yourself to finish a project. By focusing your time, you’ll get more done and maybe even end up with a few free minutes for yourself.
Listen to yourself. Do you find yourself often saying that you “must”, “have to” or “should” do something? This kind of talk is a recipe for procrastination. Instead, tell yourself that you “choose to” do the things you do. Changing your mind set can have a big impact on your productivity.
Tackle your worst tasks early in the day. Often procrastination at work is due to avoidance of a particularly unpleasant task. If you make it a habit to get your least favorite tasks out of the way in the morning, the rest of your day will be a breeze.
Stay organized. Clutter and disorganization can be big contributors to procrastination. It can seem overwhelming just to sort through all the papers and emails you have, let alone take care of what they discuss, so create a system for yourself to handle any incoming files, emails, and anything else so that it will stay neat and less intimidating when you have time to work on them.
Plan your time. While this may sound a bit authoritarian, planning every hour of your workday can help you get a handle on the tasks you need to get done. Make sure to schedule in time for breaks and less stressful tasks as well.
Prepare for tomorrow. Start your day off right by spending a few minutes at the end of each day planning what you want to get done the next day. This way, you can start working immediately when you get to work rather than spending time gathering your thoughts.
Work around your most productive times of the day. Whether you’re dragging first thing in the morning or have a post lunch slump, don’t schedule important meetings or tasks around these times of day. Work with your natural rhythms to figure out your most productive times to get things done.
Prevent interruptions. Your day shouldn’t be completely without relief, nor can you plan for all interruptions, but do your best to scale back on the number of things that can disrupt you. Shut your door, close your email, and send your calls to voicemail for a few hours to get some things done.
Reward yourself. Give yourself little rewards for getting work done as motivation. After a few hours of uninterrupted work, allow yourself some time to surf the net or take a walk outside to break up your workday.
Arrange for follow-ups. If you can’t keep yourself on task or just want a little outside support, arrange for a work buddy to check in on you periodically to make sure you’re not slacking.
Stick to a routine. Following a routine can help you to get into the habit of not procrastinating. Doing the same activities each day might sound boring, but a routine can help you to prepare your body and mind for concentrating instead of running wild.
Turn on music. While music can be a distraction for some, it can also be a great motivator. Pick out songs that pep you up and get you motivated to work, and you might get more done.
Stop trying to make everything perfect. Procrastinators often feel that if they can’t do something perfectly, then they shouldn’t do it at all. The reality is that perfection is a subjective quality, and what you might consider imperfect might be just fine in reality. So, give yourself a break, do your best, and get done what you can.
Don’t view work as eating up your leisure time. You’re less likely to tackle a large project if you view it as something that will eat up all your personal time, require you to work long hours, and ruin your social life. Instead, schedule time for everything, including fun, and simply don’t allow work to take up time you allot for relaxation. Studies have shown that working like this will actually help you get more done in less time.
Allow some positive procrastination. Not all procrastination is bad. Sometimes we put off tasks by doing other smaller and easier tasks which need to get done as well. So long as you’re not missing deadlines or hurting your bottom line, this kind of procrastination isn’t necessarily a bad thing and you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.
Set a timer. One way to help reel in a wandering mind is to set a timer for a particular amount of time, whether it’s 5 minutes or an hour. When the timer goes off, stop and take a look at what you’re doing. If you’re off task, the timer can serve as a reminder to get back to what you should be doing. You can also use it to measure out intervals of time in which you’ll work, and when the timer goes off you can reward yourself for a job well done.
Don’t multitask. If you have trouble sticking to one task, chances are you won’t have any easier of a time trying to do several tasks simultaneously. Instead, concentrate on one thing at a time so you won’t become distracted or overwhelmed.
Modify your environment. You don’t have to turn your office into a sterile, unfriendly place to be, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors if you are surrounded by tons of distractions in your work area. Keep your desk and computer desktop simple, organized, and clean, and put away things that could serve as distractions from your work.
Prioritize your activities. It’s very tempting to put off tasks that may not seem particularly important, so set up a priority system for completing tasks. Things with impending deadlines or of great importance should of course take precedence, but don’t let little things go completely by the wayside.
Estimate your time. Before you begin a task, estimate how much time it will take you to complete it. This will help you to more effectively schedule your time throughout your day and keep you from feeling too stressed out or bored.
Keep your mind and body fit. Stress, depression and illness can all play a big part in the decision to procrastinate, so do your best to keep your mind and body as healthy as you can by working out, eating right, and practicing relaxation methods that work for you.
Don’t overdo it. It can be tempting to create a huge to-do list for yourself and overestimate your abilities, but don’t do it. You’ll be discouraged if you don’t finish everything you planned, so create short, manageable to-do lists that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment and a desire to feel just as productive tomorrow.
Limit Internet usage. While the Internet can be a great productivity tool, it can also be a great productivity thief, stealing hours that you could have spent doing much more productive things. If you can’t manage your net time on your own try a program that will help you or simply disconnect your computer for short amounts of time so you can get to work.
Create non-negotiable rules. Battle your procrastination with rules that you must absolutely follow, whether they stipulate that you will respond to emails for only one hour each morning or that you won’t ever leave unfiled papers on your desk. Share them with others and make sure you stick to them without exception.
Consider what it means to do nothing. Have you ever really thought about what it means not to do a particular task? Could it cost you your business or your reputation? Often just thinking about the potentially serious consequences of inaction will be enough to get you up and running.
Make a conscious effort to avoid excuses. Procrastinators are experts at making excuses both for themselves and others as to why they aren’t working. Anytime you hear yourself starting to make an excuse for not staying on task, stop and take a minute to think if you’re really justified in putting tasks off until later.
Make your commitments public. One sure way to get yourself motivated is through fear of letting others down or embarrassing yourself. It sounds terrible, but it works. You’ll be much less likely to put off starting things if you know others are counting on you to come through.
Put money on it. Depending on your level of commitment to procrastination, this could be a foolhardy mistake, but for most of us, the thought of wasting or losing money is motivation enough to step up. For entrepreneurs, many of the things you’re putting off doing are actually costing you money. Thinking about it like that can put things in a whole new perspective and give you motivation you didn’t know you had.
Realize that easy isn’t always the best solution. Sometimes we choose to do things the easy way because it’s faster in the short term and we forget about the long term ramifications. While it might be against your procrastinator’s nature, sometimes putting in a little extra effort in at the front end can save you hours of work later on.
Think less. Don’t over think tasks to the point of mental paralysis. Many people get stuck in the initial phases and fail to move on, but ideally you should be working as much as you are thinking or planning a project.
Commit to five minutes. There are certain tasks that we just can’t avoid but that really are unpleasant. Tackle these by promising yourself that you’ll do at least five minutes of uninterrupted work. If you make it through the five minutes commit to five more until the project is finally completed.
Balance your day. Don’t make your workday all work and no play. Make sure you take breaks and time to get away from your desk and relax.
Decide if something is worth keeping right away. It’s easy to let mail clutter up your workspaces, but you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you decide whether or not something is important enough to keep immediately, then put it in a place where you’ll work on it or file it right then. This keeps stuff from piling up on your desk and keeps you from procrastinating in taking care of it.
Use free time wisely. Have a few minutes waiting for your food to heat up in the microwave? Use that time to catch up on an email or file a few papers instead of just standing around. Those few minutes will add up over the course of the day.
Take responsibility. You’ll never stop procrastinating until you can stand up to yourself and say that you don’t want to procrastinate anymore and mean it. Demonstrate your dedication to ending procrastination through daily action and eventually you’ll start to see a long term change.
Identify where you procrastinate. Sometimes the key to beating your habit of putting things off is simply to figure out what it is you’re putting off. Maybe there are certain small tasks you hate or big projects you’re nervous about. Once you know what you’re avoiding you can start figuring out ways to make doing those tasks easier and more pleasant for you.
Don’t get discouraged. Everyone has days when they’re simply more productive than others, due to lack of sleep, emotional issues or even just natural rhythms, so if you have an off day don’t feel like you’ve ruined your whole week and give up. Just start over tomorrow!
Keep it simple. Don’t make getting things done more complicated than it needs to be. Clear off your desk, pare down the steps it takes to do tasks, and do whatever it takes to make accomplishing things as easy as possible.
Do it now. It might seem overly simplistic, but the easiest way to keep from putting off tasks is just to do them as soon as you think of them. If you know you need to send an email to a client, don’t wait, just get it done. You’ll feel better about accomplishing it and you won’t have to worry about it later.
Don’t put to-dos on your list that take longer than 30 minutes. This doesn’t mean that all your tasks should be quick, but if you have an item on your list that will take longer then you should try breaking it up into smaller chunks. This will keep you from feeling bogged down by one particular project.
Determine your limits. Everyone has a breaking point or limits of what they can or are willing to do. Figure out where yours lie and don’t try to exceed them just to squeeze more into a day. You’ll end up tired and cranky and with less done than if you had respected your working limits.
Alternate the pleasant with the unpleasant. It can be easier to jump into an unpleasant task if you know it will be followed by something you find pleasant. Almost everyone can muddle through an hour or two of more tedious work if they know there will be a period of relief or a reward afterwards.
Make it fun. Something is only a chore if you think about it as a chore. Make your tasks as enjoyable as you can and they’ll be easier to stomach getting through.
Be your own coach. Give yourself a little pep-rally before starting a big task. It might sound cheesy, but a little motivational thought can go a long way.
Maintain perspective. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day trivialities of our jobs that we forget to think about the big picture. Consider how getting smaller tasks done will affect your long term goals both for yourself and your business.
Remove uncertainty. Are you hesitating to start a task because you are uncertain of how to approach it or you just don’t know where to begin? Start figuring out where to begin as a separate task altogether and one that must be completed before you can move on. Do your research, ask questions, or just sit and think, whatever it takes to get you working.
Give yourself positive feedback. Make a big deal out of checking things off of your to-do list and rewarding yourself for a job well-done. After all, you not only completed the task but conquered your procrastination as well.
Work with others. Sometimes it can be helpful to seek the guidance and support of others to get motivated to work on a task. Use

Business Credit Cards

Subscribe (RSS)

Monthly Archives

Category Archives

Top 100 Motivational Blog Posts of All Time

75+ Tips on Becoming a Better Networker

20 Fail-Proof Ways to Expose Lazy Employees

Work Happy: 25 Ways to Improve Your Mood When People Around You Are Miserable

Just Do It: 67 Ways to Tame the Procrastination Beast

Business Credit Cards

Subscribe (RSS)

Monthly Archives

Category Archives

Newsletter

Top 100 Motivational Blog Posts of All Time

75+ Tips on Becoming a Better Networker

20 Fail-Proof Ways to Expose Lazy Employees

Work Happy: 25 Ways to Improve Your Mood When People Around You Are Miserable

Just Do It: 67 Ways to Tame the Procrastination Beast