Viewing Category: Productivity
The Printable CEO has been very popular over the weekend...thanks for checking it out! If you are finding it useful, drop me an email via my contact form...I'm curious if people are actually finding it productive in the field.
I've already received a few suggestions from people, and have made a few additions to the family of forms.
MiniBook Format
Commenter Nick told me about pocketmod, a DIY organizer system that looks really cool. Paper rocks! I thought about adapting the Concrete Goals Tracker worksheet into it, but I wanted to try two-page spreads in my formatting. Plus, I didn't like the idea of signing away copyright when submitting a template, so I just made my own. Fold it the way you'd cut and fold a pocketmod. There are some mini-comic techniques that might work well with a double-sided format, but that's a project for another day.
There have been some changes. The main one is that the table has been reformatted to fit the width of the minibook pages. I also used the extra space to insert more bubbles; I had been running out of some of the 1s and 2s. Also, the continuity notes are designed to span the fold in the page so printer page registration isn't so critical.
Each minibook can handle 2 weeks, which are on Pages 1-2 and 5-6 respectively. Pages 3-4 have the general notes area.
As an added bonus, I put my current productivity mantra into the header and footer of the notes page. I haven't yet made a giant poster version yet, but this will do in the meantime:
- Focus
- Start Anywhere
- Small Steps
- Maintain Momentum
- Just Ask
- Commit
Make sure your printer on its high quality setting, with an output resolution of at least 360DPI. The fonts are pretty readable on my ancient Epson Stylus 900 if I set 360DPI InkJet, Best Quality. Otherwise, the text will be blurry.
» Download Foldable MiniBook
» PCEO-CGT01-MiniBook.pdf
If you want to combine just the bubble chart with PocketMod, use one of the following, and read the instructions.
» Download Foldable MiniBook Pages 1-2 or 5-6
» PCEO-CGT01-MiniBook12.pdf
» Download Foldable MiniBook Pages 3-4
» PCEO-CGT01-MiniBook34.pdf
Editable Versions
Commenter Peter suggested that I release the source files so people could edit and create their own versions of the CGT. The sources are probably not accessible to most people (they are Illustrator CS2 files), so I made a Microsoft Excel version for everyone to play with.
The picture on the right (go ahead, click it) shows what it looks like; it retains the clarity of the original, and for an Excel spreadsheet it's actually pretty darn swanky. The one thing I'm not happy about is the two-column When is Something Worth Doing List...this was a compromise made so I could include an ample Notes area and still keep everything on one sheet. I like the list better as a single column because that reflects its "ranked scale" nature better from a visual perspective.
» Download Excel Spreadsheet
» PrintableCEO-CGT01-Excel.zip
Additional information on editing:
If you don't like the way the Excel version looks, there's also a nifty reader-contributed Editable PowerPoint Version available.
You might find this followup article on how I made the Printable CEO useful when coming up with your task items. It's long, but informative.
If you are having trouble getting the Excel sheet to look right, you can use this sample PDF to see how it's supposed to appear. This was output from Microsoft Office 2003 on my Windows XP system with Acrobat 7 Pro.
More Forms to Explore
Check out The Printable CEO™ Series Page. Enjoy!
I love the freedom of being a freelancer, but sometimes I wish someone with vision and drive whispered encouragement in my ear: "Good work, Dave! This Flash project you're working on is a key part of our interactive marketing strategy! All the pieces are falling into place!" But since I work alone, it's my job to keep myself motivated and away from the dozens of daily distractions that suck productivity out of the day:
- You should backup and defrag the server, Dave, it's making funny noises...
- The time to investigate AJAX is now, Dave, before your skills completely rust into obsolesence...
- It's time to recatalog your MP3 collection, Dave, for maximum listening efficiency...
All of which are fine things to do, but do they move me forward in my career? NO! What I need is executive focus from a leader that understands how to grow my business, a manager that knows how to motivate me. I once read that the most effective executives ask themselves a simple question: What can I do to add value to the company? If the task at hand doesn't add value, then screw it! Do something else that does!
Hiring my own personal CEO would be great, but who has the time and money to do an executive search? I've got MP3s to sort! So I did the next best thing: I designed a printable form to motivate my business development activities.
First, I made this list of tasks that I've decided contribute to my business growth, with points assigned that reflect their relative power factor. Although they're all important, I gave lower weights to tasks that I already do frequently; I don't need the extra motivation for those tasks. If an activity is not on the list, it isn't worth any points. You'll see that the tasks here are primarily oriented toward getting money, landing new revenue, making contacts, and creating tangible assets.
In case you're wondering, the list is based on conversations I had with various business people I know; I'm sure the items will change as my focus shifts in the future.
There's a little video game theory at work here too: while the big points are earned by the big tasks, there are enough small tasks that guarantee that you'll do one or two of them every day. That feels good, and feeling good is an important part of maintaining a high level of engagement.
Next, I made this weekly progress chart that has nifty fill-in bubbles for use with a No.2 pencil. Whenever you do something on the list, you get to fill in the appropriate bubble(s) for the day. I can set an arbitrary minimum level for the day, like "I will make 5 points". When I meet or exceed that level, I know I've done a good day's work.
As stupid as this system may sound, it's actually working. When I get to fill in a bubble, I feel a little surge of pleasure...I've been conditioned by standardized testing, apparently. I also get visual confirmation that I've done something to move my business forward. This is an interesting example of feedback in a game design sense; over the course of a week, it's easy to evaluate your progress at any given time. It's also easy to pick something to do, based on what you've done before. The bubble chart becomes a kind of game board in itself. Instead of feeling guilty for not getting to all your tasks on your ToDo list, feel good that you did make progress. Look upon your worksheet for the proof, and feel the sense of accomplishment in your gut!
I deliberately did not make this a detailed tracking form, because that just slows things down. This isn't a tool for keeping track of how "efficient" you are every week so management can bust your ass. It's for keeping focused, and as a reward you get to fill out a lot of bubbles with a No.2 pencil. However, since maintaining task continuity is important, the bottom of the form (not shown) is for keeping notes on what you are doing.
Anyway, you keep this sheet of paper out for the week and log what you're doing, and hopefully it keeps you focused on things that will pay off in the long run. So far, it's been fun.
Give it a try, enjoy the pretty colors, and let me know what happens!
» Download PDF
For a look at how to create your own list of tasks, check out the article Creating New Years Resolutions with the Concrete Goals Tracker. For more forms, formats, and editable versions, visit The Printable CEO™ Series page.
I've been looking for an expanded way of managing my ToDo List for years. Currently, I just use a text editor, and set up my list something like this:
TODO LIST
JULY 27 2005
o Go grocery shopping
. Fix formatting bug in blog
x rewrite header function
o refactor code using header function
x Process party photos
What I like about this format is that it's pretty fast to edit, delete, and reorganize the list. It's no good for scheduling or keeping track of a large pool of ToDo items though, but it's way faster and more flexible. The only downside is that the text editor is dumb: the items in the todo list are not otherwise manipulable programmatically as you could in a real system. However, on the front lines of productivity, the quick-and-dirty list works just fine. I also miss the lack of formatting in a plain text editor, like with bold text (you know I'm fond of it if you read this blog regularly).
While I was browsing Digital Media Minute, I came across a link to WikidPad. A Wiki is a document system that allows you to create hyperlinked pages of information on the fly just by running words together. The beauty of the system is that you don't have to manually create pages in HTML, create new files, or worry about organization. The wiki software manages that for you by keeping track of the links you've created and providing search. So if you're the type of person that tends to branch off into tangeants, a Wiki might be a good way for you to capture the information as you're doing your brain dump.
The main problem I have with Wikis is that they're ugly. I have three criteria for applications I use on a daily basis, if I have a choice about it:
- Fast interactive entry via keyboard; workflow is self-evident without wizards; no bloat; fast startup,
- Flexible at accepting and depicting different kinds of information
- Formatted output is aesthetically pleasing, as is the organization of the GUI itself
Wikis tend to lose on the Formatted critera, because they just aren't nicely set up typographically. The in-line markup language also tends to make things look a little unfinished.
Anyway, I've just started using the WikidPad, which runs only on Windows. There are a couple of other options I have not yet tried: Project Forum is a self-contained version that can run on a desktop; Personal Wiki and VoodooPad, which are Mac OS X only. VoodooPad looks particularly cool...I'm going to try it on my PowerBook because it looks like it manages picture links.
A few weeks ago, tired of lacking contact with fellow designers, I formed an "interactive design" group by making a couple of posts to regional mailing list, targeting southern New Hampshire and northern Massachussetts. I've never tried to form a group before, so it's been an interesting experience.
Here's what I did:
- Posted on the Boston Macromedia User's Group mailing list, asking if there was anyone interested in getting together to talk technique and career in a non-business network setting. I got a few responses, all named Dave!
- Posted on Dave English' NH Jobs list, via Dave. Got a few more interested respondants.
- We had our first meeting in Burlington, MA, which was sort of equi-distant for everyone except for one fellow in Concord, NH. This meeting went well, getting to meet a couple new people and sharing our experiences. One result was we set up a Wiki for group collaboration and a mailing list to make email handling a little easier.
There are also some practical challenges that stand in the way:
Finding a good meeting place -- So far we've tried a couple of places, the Barnes & Noble in Burlington, and the Panera Bread in Manchester. I suspect the Manchester location is too inconvenient, and B&N is too crowded. We need to find someplace that's a little more off the beaten path. WiFi would be nice, but maybe if not crucial. Food is good for an informal, discussion based location
Establishing meetings regularly -- I think it's too early to establish a format, as we're still getting established, but we probably should do this. Once a month sounds good, with maybe small mixers erupting during the week.
For longer-term sustainability, I'm considering the following:
Establishing Things to Do -- What's the point of meeting if we don't get anything out of it? By establishing some kind of topic or takeaway from the meeting, people would be more likely to come.
Maintaining Focus -- Non-obtrusive reinforcement of who we are as a group, establishing a core resonating function! Or something :-)
I guess the main thing is to continue to have a reason to get together, and to establish some continuity. I'll have to reflect what I really expect to get out of a group. I've described this in the wiki, but it doesn't hurt for me to repeat it again:
- meet new people who are practicing interaction designers and are "into" it
- have excellent user group meetings that all benefit and learn from
- establish a persistent presence of useful stuff for people, become a resource
- establish a reputation of being a friendly, accessible group with a lot of expertise
It just occured to me that it would be nice to make some collateral for the group!
- business cards!
- newsletters!
- pamphlets!
The creative review process as I've experienced it tends to be somewhat chaotic, encumbered as it is with myriad notes, emails, and documents scattered across half a dozen people and computers. When describing a complex change or nuance, sometimes it's just easier to draw. But how to integrate that into the Digital Age, and not end up with tons more files or papers to shuffle?
This article on Millimeter describes Pixar's Review Sketch Tool, which was developed in-house for The Incredibles director Brad Bird by Pixar staff to leverage his preferred way of communicating changes and ideas to people. Fitting tools to existing strength to create a new workflow is the way I like things myself. Kind of a light article, but worth scanning. Via Slashdot.
