60 seconds with....Jack Edmonds

In this week's feature I traveled back to the Midlands to chat with Jack Edmonds, a Manager within our Accounts & Outsourcing team in our Midlands office and also Accredited Mindshop Advisor.

3 facts about Jack....

• For those that receive the daily MSW update email…..contrary to Johnathan Dudley’s comments last week… I hate to inform you all that I am not a plasterer.
• Once upon a time I was a grade 6 piano player! The Brummie Elton John.
• Last year I was on Sunday Brunch after my dad thought it would be funny to send a photo of me in a wedding dress (on my stag do I must add) to them… I thought I’d got away with it until one or two people in the office mentioned it!

What is your home-working set-up like?

Fortunately, I was able to grab a keyboard, mouse and computer stand so that I can have my laptop and spare screen set up as if I were in the office. Also, after many arguments with my wife towards the back end of last year (she won, as always), we agreed to keep her old office chair “just in case!”. Well how I was proven wrong! It’s been a life saver for my back. 

What practices work well for you that you think might work well for others?

For me, its all about time management. Through Mindshop I run a number of workshops for clients focused on becoming more effective with their time management… so I like to think I have this under control, but there’s always room for improvement! As we went in to lock down, I decided to turn off email notifications and the little envelope that hovers over outlook when you get an email. This really helped me to stay focused on the task I was doing rather than be distracted by incoming work/emails. I then use the RAFT model to filter through my emails at intervals throughout the day.

How do you stay positive, motivated and productive in such an environment?

I’ve always been a very positive and motivated person but the situation with Covid-19 and lockdown really did test me mentally at the beginning. You have to ensure you make time for yourself and the family, and focus on the positives in life! I would like to give a massive shout out to Ross Prince - we’ve been working on a project for the last few months which we usually look at first thing in the morning, a few times per week. The work we have been doing has really energised me and put me in the right frame of mind when I’ve had a few tough days. This just emphasises the point of focusing on the positives, don’t dwell on the negatives! I’ve also turned into a bit of a craft ale connoisseur during the last 4 months, so a few cold tipples lined up in the fridge always helps!

What routines do you practice that help to keep you in the right frame of mind for the working day?

As many people will say, I follow a strict routine, whatever that may be. One thing I did read and subsequently decided to try was to not go on any electronic devices for the first half hour/45 minutes after waking up. This allows your brain to “come round” to being awake and really does help to not overload first thing. I then always review my to-do list and order them into Must, Should, Could… and get cracking! 

During this time, what would you say has been the biggest challenge for you?

Switching off. During March, April and May, my time was spent assisting clients with all their challenges. I felt a sense of responsibility to give them everything I could to get them through such a challenging time, but it really did result in some sleepless nights and very long hours. However, I feel like we have done everything possible and I am proud to have contributed to the Midlands 100% success rate on our CBILS applications. Not sure if we could have done it without Julie Mole though, she is the queen of funding!

What are your top 3 tips for others working from home?

1. Have a routine and stick to it! Invest some time at the end of each week to plan your following week. This will allow you to prepare, focus and achieve what you planned.
2. Tidy away at the end of the night so you get “your home” back… this really lets you switch off and recharge the batteries.
3. As many have said before, the do-not-disturb function on Skype is a winner!

What stories or experiences can you share (good or bad!) about working from home?

I’m now on first name terms with the postman and if in the morning I suddenly remember I forgot to get the meat out for tea, I only have to walk a few feet and not stop off at the shop on the way home. I won’t get into moaning about traffic….

Tell us a bit more about Mindshop and how things are going on that front?

When I was a trainee, I specifically remember one meeting watching Johnathan Dudley do his thing and thinking, that’s what I want to do… and the rest is history. Mindshop is a network of international business advisors and we help our clients through different offerings. From coaching business leaders or their teams, to running retainer -based sessions, we help our clients overcome a vast range of challenges, including revenue growth, profit improvement, change success, time management, coaching and developing people, and many, many more! We provide the business support, tools and ideas to identify practical opportunities and then help them to crystallise actions and strategies and implement change in their business or personal life. We are currently working on our business model which we hope to have finalised in the near future which will allow us to drive this offering even further. If you’d like to have a chat about how we can help our clients or about getting involved, just let me know.

How have the services that you offer to clients changed/ adapted during this crisis?

From submitting VAT returns through FaceTime to running workshops with clients through Zoom, I had to quickly adapt to the change. However, I think we all have. Every person has had to change rapidly and it’s a testament to our hard work and determination that has got us through these last 4 months. Everyone I speak to has still been able to service their clients, and it’s been a real team effort!

What will you take forward as a learning point / positive from the new way of working you have adopted?

The email notifications will never come back, the routines will always be a part of my day and ensuring I make time for the smaller things in life has become even more apparent during all of this.

Follow the link below to hear about how the RAFT Model that Jack refers to in this article can help you manage email and correspondence in a more effective way:

Click here