Heather K Powers

How Poor communication affects productivity

April 24, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Planning & Goals, Productivity 1 Comment

Can I start with a rant about how poor communication affects productivity?

The Organizing industry has embraced productivity (for organizers who choose this specialty) and more and more of us are working to help individuals and businesses be more productive. Productivity is a buzz word right now!

But as I work on organizing projects I’m always mindful to be as productive as possible. There’s no doubt that communication affects productivity. Here’s an example of a recent stumble. I was working with someone to sort and organize “stationary” and since the client was not with me I interpreted what I thought she meant as all cards/envelopes and letterhead. BUT when the client returned they told me they didn’t consider the cards to be stationary…they were upset that I had taken time to work on this and they thought they had given clear instructions! You just never know which is why you must ask!

Poor communication can be the biggest obstacle to productivity!

Our thoughts and ideas are buzzing around in our heads and we often don’t know quite how to communicate our vision or expectation to others. This can be a huge stumbling block or in some cases a total road block to accomplish goals and meet deadlines. I have worked on teams that required me to communicate across different language barriers, technology hurdles and time zones, none of that made things easier…but they taught me to simplify and clarify communication!

But it’s those times when someone else isn’t available to answer questions that mus-understandings or other communication can break down, like my stationary example. Sometimes our own interpretation of other people’s ideas can cause major challenges. Those challenges can cause general annoyance as well as morale to plummet, which has been proven to lower productivity. So what can we do to prevent this?

Strategies for better communication:

Ask a lot of questions! When I’m working with others, I do this throughout, in a conversational manner. Sometimes I need to ask questions rapid fire, probably to the point of annoyance for some! Be very direct about what you need to know, list questions out before writing emails, making phone calls or going to a meeting. Really listen to the other person’s response! Are you hearing them or what you want to hear?

Beware of how technology impacts our communication. Our voice, tone, language and the words we use can be easily misinterpreted. Interpretation can be an especially dangerous game when sending messages in short formats’ such as text messages. Beware of email etiquette and take responsibility for how people may misinterpret by being short, sweet and to the point in your written communication.

Eliminate distractions and interruptions. When you are trying to communicate an idea or important topic, distractions and interruptions can totally derail our train of thought and leave us without important pieces of the “puzzle”. Turn your ringer off, shut your office door and give your direct attention to whatever it is you are needing to communicate.

Keep your communication short, simple and clear. Think about the idea you need to communicate from the receiving end and try to troubleshoot any potential pitfalls.

Timing, this one is huge! Are you being mindful of when and what the other person might be doing? Are you texting in the middle of the night? Are you expecting an answer right away? Be mindful of both the timing of your communication, your expectation of returned communication (send someone a gentile and kind reminder if you haven’t heard back in 24-48hrs) and are you being mindful of returning other communication in a timely manner or letting them know if you expect to be delayed?

Re-evaluate your own poor communication habits, such as interrupting, multitasking, not listening and avoiding direct contact. Good communication habits are about more than just delivering your message. It’s equally important to know how your message was received. It’s not about who is right or wrong and it’s always important to remember to listen (more than you speak).

Ultimately poor communication affects productivity but can lead to much bigger problems…it’s a downward spiral. Take a few moments to reflect on how your style of communication might be received by others.

Are there are some new tools you can implement that will help you be more productive in the way you communicate for success?

5 mind map tools for a deep dive

April 18, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Paper management, Planning & Goals, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset 1 Comment

Mind maps tools are increasingly popular among companies, business owners, individuals, and educators. Using mind maps for a deep dive into a specific topic, project, or goal allows you to throw it out “on paper” and get the order of your ideas.

All mind maps have one thing in common. They have a central structure that radiates out organizing ideas by using lines, symbols, photos, and text to support and provide additional information for each big idea or topic. Mind maps can be either paper or computer-based, both follow the same structure, breaking a topic out from a central idea. The wonderful thing about the process of mind mapping is that you can dive deeper into a subject as you radiate out and continue to brainstorm. The mind map process is both intellectual and creative and is such a wonderful tool for individuals and businesses’ that are more hands-on and intuitive in their goal setting and brainstorming process. The key is to find out which method works best for you, your needs, and capabilities.

Paper Mind Maps

Paper-based mind maps are easy to create – you don’t need a computer, internet access, or computer chargers. All you need is paper and a pen, easy peasy! You can quickly jot down everything that comes out of your mind and map it out exactly how you’d like it. A paper mind map is great for those who need to get all of their ideas out quickly and allow for refining later. It can also be a helpful tool for organizing ideas and actions for teams.

Paper mind maps wick and easy to access anywhere, but there are a few downsides to using traditional pen and paper – it could easily get lost, crumpled, or get eaten by your dog! You aren’t able to change your ideas with ease unless you use a pencil, and if you are creating a large mind map you’ll need a lot of paper (which isn’t so ecologically friendly) and can take up a lot of space.

Digital Mind Map Tools

There are dozens of mind map software to choose from, these are just some of the most popular and user-friendly systems that I’ve used myself, with clients or heard good things about.

Coggle

Coggle is a web browser-based mind mapping software that makes creating a mind map simple, easy, and fun. This software offers both a free and paid version and it is an excellent investment if you create a lot of mind maps. It allows you to collaborate easily with a team. You can add text, hyperlinks, and images anywhere on your map with Coggle. The attractive branches can be customized with color, making these mind maps easy to follow.

Inspiration Maps

Inspiration Maps offers both computer and web-based software that has been newly introduced for iPad and iPhone. Its key features include the ability to create an unlimited number of maps and outlines, a user-friendly interface, and the ability to customize, add graphics and photos to any part of your map. You are able to choose from over 100 pre-made mind map layouts and hundreds of graphics within the app. With its autosave feature, you can be certain you won’t lose any of your data if the internet goes down and you are able to share it on a variety of platforms. It is very inexpensive for all the features and is worth the purchase!

Mind Meister

In addition to its catchy name, Mind Meister is another great software for creating mind maps. It is focused more on business and educational use and has a variety of features that support a lot of users at one time. It is available for download and can be accessed on any platform and has intricate sharing capabilities.

When making your decision take into consideration the pros and cons of each, the features, cost, ease of interface, accessibility, and most importantly that it suits your needs. At the end of the day, mind maps are supposed to be a fun, interactive tool that helps you expel all the information out of your brain. Don’t lose sight of that and have fun mind mapping all your great ideas!

Do you already use the mind map process? If so are you using pen and paper or software? What are some of your favorite things to mind map?

Procrastination isn’t healthy…or is it?

April 12, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Planning & Goals, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset 2 Comments

Procrastination isn’t healthy, at least not when it’s chronic and habitual procrastination. Procrastination has been proven to impact every aspect of a person’s life, including our home, business and organizing projects. The scientific studies actually argue for and against procrastination so I’ll share a bit about both sides of the coin.

There are ways to overcome procrastination and to make it work in your favor. Some of us are more prone to procrastination than others. I find I often procrastinate for two different reasons and my theory is that the why behind the delay tactics can tell you a lot about healthy vs unhealthy procrastination. In my research about personality I discovered that certain people might be more inclined to procrastinate and for different reasons…so there ‘s no “RIGHT or WRONG” answer in this post, there’s both!

Scenario A involves my procrastinating when I’m really confident about a subject based on previous knowledge and experience. For example preparing for a presentation that I’ve done multiple times and have a good sense of how long preparation will take me. This is my most common form and what I consider GOOD procrastination. This type of procrastination isn’t fear based, I understand why and how to get to my outcome and that outcome doesn’t require a lot of decisions on my part. I’m confident that I will accomplish my goal and meet any deadline required. Some scientists consider this Active procrastination. We can recognize this type of procrastination when we make a conscious decision to delay our actions because we like a bit of pressure, may be currently working on more valuable tasks and are confident in our ability to complete the task on time.

Scenario B involves procrastination when I am totally overwhelmed, I don’t know where to begin and the subject is unfamiliar to me. I find or create excuses not to begin, which are usually fear based. If I’m honest with myself the only way to beat the head game is to admit that self talk is dragging me down and find my way through (perhaps by asking for help!), not around the task. This kind of procrastination crosses over to the BAD side… Some scientists consider this Passive procrastination. We can recognize this type of procrastination when we become paralyzed by indecision and we fail to take action and complete tasks on time. This type of procrastination isn’t healthy. It’s fear based, keeps us from making decisions, learning new things and moving forward.

The science behind procrastination goes much deeper than I cover here but the bottom line is that we procrastinate when we have to make decisions about what we are doing with our time and when we are going to do it (now or at the last possible moment?)!

The really important thing to understand about procrastination is what is behind your procrastination. Is it a delayed decision or are you making a conscious decision to do something later? If it’s the former, it might not be such a bad thing.

If you find that your stuck and overwhelmed then you need a SYSTEM to help you move beyond your procrastination. Some truths about procrastination…Procrastination begins with just one thing distracting us & taking us off track. Systems work to move us beyond procrastination, here’s how you can create your own…

Find your why & let that motivate you!
It only takes ONE small distraction to send us down procrastination alley…something like checking emails, or Facebook, grabbing a snack. You know your tactics.
Knowing why we are procrastinating can help us move beyond it. Is your procrastination a confident-I’ve got this scenario or fear based overwhelm?
Find an accountability partner or system
Work in intervals, using time boxing or other techniques to break larger projects into smaller tasks
Take healthy breaks between intervals-eat brain boosting snacks, drink water, rest your eyes, do a meditation, you get the picture, but set your clock and get back on task when the scheduled break is over
Eliminate distractions, turn email notifications off, close other browser windows, put your cell phone on silent, put a do no disturb message on your door etc

When do you find yourself actively or passively procrastinating and why? What systems do you use when you find your in a procrastination zone? Please share how procrastination impacts you in your daily life in the comments below.

How to ask for Help & get what you need

April 4, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources

It can be tough for some of us to ask for help when we need it! I’m guilty of this, and I’d much rather be of service to others than ask for what I need. This is why I began my work as a professional organizer, and it’s deeply satisfying to see others make massive transformations and shifts because they were courageous enough to ask for what they needed.

Starting my business (especially as an organizer) has required and inspired me to ask for help on a more frequent basis. There’s a certain mindset about this that many of us have learned, especially women! We often think needing help means showing weakness; we believe we should be able to do everything ourselves…or some of us are taught to feel this way.

This is an old programmed mindset that we can all choose to free ourselves from.

“No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you. -Althea Gibson”

As incredible as it is to be strong, independent women (or men), it’s also totally necessary collaborate and get encouragement in order to grow personally and professionally. Maybe we are afraid! But living in fear means we are limiting our growth, freedom, creativity, health and future. So absolutely YES, being fearless means asking for help! My clients model that for me on a daily basis.

How to Get the Help you Need

Determine what project or task you need assistance with

Make a list of people who you can help you with specific needs (identify individuals or types of professionals)

Match the task with the person

Ask and don’t do so in a way that belittles yourself, we all deserve to receive!

Whether you are paying a professional or someone is doing something just because they love you, remember that gratitude goes a long way so show it off a little or a lot.

Return the favor, pay it forward and return the favor ASAP!

What kind of help are you most afraid to ask for? What is easy to ask for?

Cultivate a Green Thumb

March 29, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques Leave a Comment

Ready to cultivate a green thumb and create a potting area for all your gardening supplies? Maybe you feel you have tried and failed because you just didn’t have the right tools and knowledge in place. If you are ready to whip your garden area and tools into shape for the most beautiful and successful spring garden, read on!

Your gardening supplies and growing area can be indoor or out. Think about your garage, a greenhouse, a shed, or a sunny spot in the house. For loads of inspiration, head over to my Garden, Storage and Organizing boards on Pinterest.

To begin, determine the area where you can conveniently store gardening supplies. Whether your in a condo or small space and plan to learn to better care for your indoor or patio garden or you are a master gardener planning to start seeds and do extensive gardening, some common sense storage tips and best practices for maintain tools will go a long way towards cultivating a green thumb!

Once you have determined where you can set up your gardening space, start by clearing out the area of anything that doesn’t belong or assigning zones for the space to keep like items together. If the space is shared, how else do you use it?

In this initial planning and research phase, wait to make those purchases until you have sorted, purged and determined your layout and needs.

Will you be starting seeds and need shelves, lighting and seed storage? Take a quick inventory of what you have and what you need while determining where you will do these activities or store the supplies and tools, either permanently or seasonally. List categories and quickly sketch “Zones” including measurements to determine what will fit before making larger purchases such as shelving, lighting, pegboards or other necessary supplies. Don’t overlook functionality (power access, mobility), lighting (windows, existing fixtures) and frequency of use (for each category). Try to keep systems modular if possible so they can be re-configured as needed.

Gather your supplies; gloves, bags and boxes (for giveaway and trash/recycling), sticky notes, permanent markers, label maker/labels, a variety of storage bins, various hooks (command and lg ‘ladder’ hooks) and any shelves or other items you need to install. Start with what you have and make a list of smaller storage and organizing tools you will need as you go.
Sort; I suggest working clockwise in the space (just easier to remember and follow this path with all organizing projects). Work your way around the room or space one wall at a time around sorting items into keep, donate and toss.
Repair & Clean the space as you go and make basic repairs/maintenance updates and taking note of damaged items and things that need to be cleaned. If you have time to do garden tool maintenance now, great! Garden tools should be cleaned, sharpened and oiled on a regular basis. This site has everything you need to know about maintaining your gardening tools!
Group items by category into bins or zones, and if you don’t have an immediate way to store/re-install an item make a note and set the item in the general zone where it needs to be stored and come back to it. If you are able to move everything out to a holding area (the lawn, a patio, middle of the garage etc) then keep things grouped by categories (potting tools, garden equipment, seed starting, hand tools etc) in bins to be returned when ready.
Install hooks, shelves, containers etc. This can be done one wall or zone at a time or with the whole space if it’s been cleared.
Return items to their new homes, this might require grouping and labeling items into bins, installing pegboards or slat walls with hooks, simple hooks or nails, shelving, bins/baskets etc.
Maintain, the most often overlooked step in all organizing projects! This will not put themselves back so you will have to do this, as well as clean, repair and replace plants and garden tools as needed.

Storage Tips: Go vertical and don’t forget overhead storage space! Make sure these systems are well secured!! Give them a good tug to make sure things don’t come tumbling down when you or the kids go to grab something.

Keep heavy and more frequently used items lower to the ground (but make sure they are water proof if necessary) and lighter and less frequently used or more dangerous tools mounted up high for safety.

Keep it practical! Your garden work space doesn’t have to look like a magazine shoot, it just has to be tidy, easy to use and functional!

I hope these tips will help you to cultivate a green thumb for all your planting projects this spring! Get out in your garden! What are you planting this Spring? Please share in the comments below!