How To Be More Productive

January flew by this year. Partly because my customary work got out of the gates quicker than normal (so many keynotes this January!) Also, because I'm pretending I have spare time and using that spare time to write a book.

I can't help myself. I think this book is desperately needed. You tell me...?

It's a book for managers who desperately want their teams to perform and prosper but struggle with too much to do and too few resources. They don't realize that their current ways of working are wasting time, energy, and potential.

The book's core message is that it's not the workload that's killing people; it's the thoughtload. If you decrease thoughtload, you can unlock performance and reduce stress.

'Thoughtload" is a function of our cognitive load, our emotional baggage, and our energy reserves.

I think too many experts are focused on the cognitive load and not paying enough attention to how emotionally triggering the workplace is right now.?

The promise to readers is that the book will show them how to create calm within the chaos.?

The way I'm framing my cuckoo-nuts schedule is that I'm doing?'field research' to commune with my readers. The good news is that I'm testing all the tools from the book on myself.

If you'd like to learn more about the book or join the small but mighty group of folks providing input, please let me know!

Multitasking Month

To support the writing process, I'm spending 2025 focused on the Thoughtload concept, working through the three components necessary to wrangle it. January was all about focusing your attention, which is the place to start.

But focusing attention seems to be out of fashion. We've become "respond to emails during Zoom calls people," "read articles while listening to podcasts people," or "eat lunch while typing with one hand people."?

So, I dug into the research to bring you the truth about multitasking (hint: it's just multi-toggling) and the dire effects it's having on our productivity, quality, engagement, and mental health. And, of course, I didn't stop until I found a few evidence-based things you can do to make it better.

1: Mono-tasking is the new Multitasking

I don't make New Year's resolutions. Instead, I've had some success with themes (and some failures). My theme for this year is focus. In Enough with Multitasking, I share the nine things I'm committing to do to reduce mental clutter and stress. I'd particularly love your thoughts about #9--some people are horrified!?

2: Maybe Just This Once?

Next, I settled in with a warm cup of mint tea to scour the research on multitasking. I was convinced there was more to the story and that grown-ups should be able to make informed decisions. In What You Can and Can't Multitask, I share the factors you might want to consider when choosing where to juggle two or more tasks at once.?

3: Focus!

For those of you trying to chair a meeting in 2025, bless you. It is NOT for the faint of heart. In 8 Things to Do to Prevent Multitasking in Meetings, I get tactical about changes you can make that will discourage multitasking, which is not only bad for the quality of the conversation but also for team dynamics.?

4. To Don't?

Do you have a piece of paper (or four) longer than your arm, listing all you should do today? Does it taunt you? Mock you for how many times you've transcribed the items onto a new list while?reassuring yourself, "Today's the day!?"?In A Better Alternative to a To-Do List, I share the planning strategy I use to get things out of my thoughtload.

Everything I learned about the cost of multitasking reinforced my commitment to stop the ruse that I'm being effective. I am already noticing the benefits of mono-tasking.?

Resource of the Month

Clear the Cache?

To get rid of my to-do list once and for all, I created a template based on Ryder Carroll's Bullet Journaling?technique. The post on a better alternative gives you instructions on how to use it. If you want to try for the low, low cost of one sheet of paper, here's my template.

I created the full-year version in Canva and had it printed and bound at my local print shop. If you want?it, I'm happy to share. Just let me know.

(Click on the image to download the template.)

On the Tube

There's?been two months of YouTube content since the last newsletter, so picking among all the options is tough. Here are a couple that you might find useful. Remember, there are now a couple hundred videos to help you make teamwork work. Let me know what's not there, and I'll add it to the schedule.?

One of the reasons that we multitask is the feeling that if we don't, we'll never get everything done. Here are some better alternatives to making your work week more efficient.?

My editor at Harvard Business Review asked if I would write an article about the pros, cons, and secrets of Performance Improvement Plans. I couldn't help but start with all the times you shouldn't use one. Here's my list.??

From My LinkedIn Couch

Ummm... yeah, about LinkedIn

As I embrace my theme of "focus" and revel in doing the most important things well, I've been a bit ruthless about what gets my attention. As I tell audiences, it's ok to let a ball drop, just make sure it's a rubber one not a glass one.

I'm proud to say that all my glass balls (consulting clients, keynote audiences, blog readers) made it safely through January. What fell by the wayside was LinkedIn. Sorry, not sorry. I'm glad to be back!

Thank You, Thank You!

Thanks to so many people, January was an amazing, rocket-fueled start to the year.

Thanks to the welcoming, curious, generous people who attended my coaching.com session: Better Development Dialogues: Feedback and Beyond. We busted a few myths and radically changed how people think about the limitations of feedback.

Thanks to the teams at KingSett Capital and Tory's, who invited me in to lead The Good Fight workshops on how they can use conflict as a force for good in their organizations.

Thanks to Q2 in Austin and FICP in Philadelphia for inviting me to discuss The Great Reset and how we need to foster accountability without eroding empathy.

Thanks to AstraZeneca's MAP team, who were the first to hear the new keynote on Managing Thoughtload. It was amazing to do this Phase I trial with you!

Most importantly, thanks to you for reading to the bottom. It's mostly lonely work, so knowing it's having an impact makes a huge difference.

Talk to you soon!?

Liane