Step up this September - how 7 steps could improve your effectiveness

The roads are busier. There are less seats on the train....yes it's that time of year again! School's are back and the kids are on the move. After the summer holidays are packed away and the sense of routine beckons I always see the start of September as an opportunity to evaluate and re-set the switch on the year and what I wanted to achieve. I used to feel deflated with only 4 months of the year to go and those New Years Resolutions I made are a long and distant memory but a few years ago when I started my "Step Up September" habit I reframed my thinking. There are still 4 months of the year left! And for someone that works better under pressure that really focuses my mind and energy on the things I really want to get done.

My colleague Stuart Brazington shared an interesting article with me that prompted me to think about how others may find a review of their own habits useful at this time of year. The article is one of many that can be found based on the work of Stephen Covey. In 1989, Stephen published the famous self-help book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Here are some links to the articles I found which you might find useful.

https://www.legal-eye.co.uk/the-seven-habits-of-highly-effective-lawyers/

https://www.successstore.com/blog/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-in-house-lawyers.html

Here, I look at some of the main ideas from Covey's work that you could consider to improve your effectiveness.

1. Prioritise

The ‘rule of three’ is a great way to focus your intention. By writing a to-do list that only has three items on it for the day, you are less likely to be overwhelmed and more likely to work efficiently. It really helps to focus on what really matters for that day as opposed to getting distracted an overly long to-do list. I use post-it notes when I really need to prioritise. I love ripping the post-it note from my laptop screen or notebook and throwing it in the bin when the task is complete! Especially the tasks I have been putting off :-)

2. Get it done

Procrastination gets you nowhere, fast. Become mindful of when you're mind is wandering off the task in hand and have those 3 "must do's" close to hand. It might be that's not enough. Getting active can be the first literal step to moving from procrastination to productivity so take a break from the desk, make a cup of tea or instead of replying to that e-mail take a walk or pick up the phone to talk to the person.

3. Instil routine in your day

Adopting a ‘see how the day pans out’ approach rarely maximises on efficiency. However for someone like me that actively avoids structure and routine it is often the route to solving my productivity "lulls".

I like to reframe routine as habits. If I'm working on a document for example I shut down my e-mail so I can't be distracted by the notifications. On the train on the way home, instead of dealing with work e-mails I do my Linked In activity so I don't have to be on my work phone when I get home. Small habits, or routines, can make a real difference to how you make the most of your day.

4. Keep the end in sight

The art to being productive and highly effective relies on an element of "trusting the process", especially when what needs to be done is significant and long-term. Knowing what the end result will allow for, create and mean to you, your client or your team is a really good way of remaining focussed and motivated.

5. Show empathy

When you are up against it, the clock is ticking and you are already late for the school pick avoid losing connection with your emotional intelligence for others and for yourself. Asking for help or an extension on a deadline is better than losing the plot with your colleagues or clients. Empathy helps you to deposit in the Credibility, Reliability and Intimacy buckets of the Trust Equation*.

6. Collaborate for Win-win

Covey talks of the ‘abundance mindset’ – there will be enough success for everyone to benefit from, so work together. As respected professionals in our fields of expertise, asking for help can feel like an admission of defeat or failing. In professional services, where we carry our own targets that link to reward and recognition it can drive behaviour to "go it alone" and we lose sight of what other potential opportunities we might be missing out on for ourselves, others teams and perhaps mostly for the client. There is risk with collaboration that, in the early stages it might slow progress down but the story of the Hare and the Tortoise should remind us that sometimes to go further you have to slow down.

7. Explore synergies

Playing it safe will get results. But will it get the best results? And the best for results, for whom?

Accepting new responsibilities, early adoption of new technology, challenging the status quo and speaking up in a meeting when you don’t agree with the majority – these are all ways that can lead to improvements in productivity and effectiveness for you, your team and your clients.

*https://trustedadvisor.com/why-trust-matters/understanding-trust/understanding-the-trust-equation