Dave Crenshaw's Blog, page 24

When Your Boss Needs Help with Time Management

What happens when you and your manager aren’t aligned? It’s one thing to free yourself from the bad habit of multitasking, re-think your work routines and watch your productivity skyrocket. But what do you do when your colleagues–or even your manager–don’t exactly have the same time management skills that you do? You may have heard … Continue reading "When Your Boss Needs Help with Time Management"

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Asking Effective Questions

When you really want to inspire change and growth in others, what kinds of questions do you ask them? Ones that require reflection and thought, or those that are more of the yes/no variety? The management strategy of asking more participatory questions reminds me of a certain Calvin and Hobbes cartoon. Calvin has—not surprisingly—got himself … Continue reading "Asking Effective Questions"

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How to Test Your Focus

  I heard the most ridiculous word the other day. In fact, it was more than ridiculous—it was dirty. Maybe you’ve heard it, too. The word is “foci.” Foci is the plural of “focus.” Yeah, you heard right. The plural. Of focus. Did you get a chuckle out of that, too? This oxymoronic overture is … Continue reading "How to Test Your Focus"

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Are you focused on your most valuable customers?

Not every customer is your dream customer. In fact, some can siphon the focus right out of you. First, a quick confession: I’m a big geek who plays video games almost every day. Scheduling time for leisure helps me manage my day more effectively. I both work and play on my Xidax computer. Xidax allows geeks … Continue reading "Are you focused on your most valuable customers?"

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Why “ASAP” isn’t clear communication—and what to use instead

Recently, I found myself saying the very word I’ve cautioned others against using many times. Here’s what happened. I noticed something was wrong on my website, so I reached out to my project manager, John. John’s a reliable guy and I knew he could help with this issue. My fingers were flying, as this was … Continue reading "Why “ASAP” isn’t clear communication—and what to use instead"

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How Repetitive Training Creates Mastery and Magic

The most powerful way to master a skill is the one thing most people seek to avoid: Practice. Practice? Practice?! Yes, Allan Iverson from 2002…we’re talking about practice. Specifically, the character-building process of repetition. Consider the skills you never really think about anymore. Perhaps your fine motor skills. As a baby, you were brand new … Continue reading "How Repetitive Training Creates Mastery and Magic"

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The Hidden Costs of Multitasking – Keynote Sample

Time-out! Does it seem like there’s a referee somewhere hidden in your office, constantly stopping the clock and taking your focus out of the game? Just about anything can pull your focus from the task at hand, can’t it? Someone could ask a question. Your spouse could text you. You might get an email from … Continue reading "The Hidden Costs of Multitasking – Keynote Sample"

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What does it mean to be prepared?

You know that bad dream you keep having? The one where you’re suddenly in school again taking a test for a class you’ve been skipping…in your underwear. On a recent visit to New York City, I had an Uber driver that probably experienced this. “Do you know how to get to this place?” he asked … Continue reading "What does it mean to be prepared?"

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Q & Dave: Tips for cancelled appointments

Who do you think is most responsible for cancelled appointments? The “cancel-er” or the “cancel-ee”? You should probably never say this to your manager, but isn’t there something oddly satisfying about a cancelled appointment? Of course, there are critical appointments so time-sensitive that you absolutely can’t miss. But, then there are those not-so-important appointments…perhaps too … Continue reading "Q & Dave: Tips for cancelled appointments"

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Invest in your workspace productivity

Think working from home is as simple as rolling out of bed and opening a laptop? Think again. First, kudos to you if you have the privilege of working from home. In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “You’ve taken your first step into a larger world.” Working from home, either temporarily or permanently, can be … Continue reading "Invest in your workspace productivity"

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