SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best

367 Pages·2010·1.94 MB·English

by  Laura Stack

Table of Contents

Praise
Also by Laura Stack
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
THE SUPERCOMPETENT ASSESSMENT
PART 1 - SuperCompetent Key 1: Activity

CHAPTER 1 - What’s It All About, Alfie?
Know What Makes You Tick
Luke, It’s Your Destiny
Stay Focused on Your Mission
How Do You Know When You’re Being Productive?
Do You Plan Your Day?
Do You Have Written Goals?
Grab Your Dreams by the Horns and Get Going!
CHAPTER 2 - Why the Heck Are We Doing It This Way?!?
Be a Must-Have Person
Revisit Your Objectives
Know Your Job Inside and Out
Practice Purposeful Abandonment
Specify the Appropriate Detail Level
Reevaluate Your Productivity Habits
Rattle the Cage!
CHAPTER 3 - Greater Living Through Technology
Schlimmbesserung, Anyone?
Schlimmbesserung!
Schlimmbesserung!
Where Does the Time Go?
Take Back Your Time
CHAPTER 4 - All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull . . . Something
Take a Break Before You Break
Guilt Starts with a G for Garbage
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (in the Summer Sun)
Quit Banging Your Head Against the Wall
Rest, for Goodness Sake!
CHAPTER 5 - My To-Do List Has 117 Things on It!
Eliminate To-Do List Anxiety
This Task Is Dying a Slow Death on My To-Do List
Handling Low-Priority Items
Taming the To-Do Tyranny
SUMMARY: ACTIVITY
ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ACTIVITY
PART 2 - SuperCompetent Key 2: Availability

CHAPTER 6 - You Want It WHEN?
No Isn’t a Four-Letter Word
Break Habits, Build Systems
Refuse to Let Yourself Be Overwhelmed
CHAPTER 7 - YOU! Off My Planet!
The Six Ds of Interruptions
Divert Those Diversions
CHAPTER 8 - Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
Let Some Tasks Go
Train Someone
Know Your Limits
Gasp! You Could Be the Problem
Create Your Outsource Team
This Looks Like a Job for . . . Superman’s Sidekick!
CHAPTER 9 - Savvy Scheduling Secrets
Take Control of Your Scheduling Online
Block Out Time to Work
Keep Your Calendar Up to Date
Sorry, My Schedule Is Full Until March 2139
CHAPTER 10 - Stop the Meeting Madness!
Refuse Face-to-Face Meetings When Unnecessary
Cancel Meetings
Limit Attendees
Multiply Your Hands
Avoid Meetings on Fridays
Distribute Your Agenda Early
Set Your Meeting’s Length Yourself
Use Online Scheduling for Outside Parties
Allow Enough Breaks
Be Considerate of Those in Other Time Zones
Strike a Balance on Scheduling
Immediately Inform the Meeting Leader of Conflicts
Confirm Everything
Journal Your Meeting Notes
Scheduling Meetings
Develop Effective Teleconferencing Guidelines
Sorry, He’s in a Meeting
SUMMARY: AVAILABILITY
ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: AVAILABILITY
PART 3 - SuperCompetent Key 3: Attention

CHAPTER 11 - Don’t Open That!
Control the Reflex
Take Back Everyday Activities
Schlimmbesserung Revisited
CHAPTER 12 - eBay and Yahoo! and YouTube, Oh My!
It Starts at Home with the Television
How Now, Technogeek?
CHAPTER 13 - The Harder I Work, the Behinder I Get!
Multitasked to Overwhelmed
If You Think It, Ink It
Metacognition: Get Above It All
Stop the Self-Sabotage
CHAPTER 14 - Socializing for Success
Separate Your Business and Personal Lives
Get Into a Regular Social Media Routine
Embrace Third-Party Applications to Automate Manual Processes
Decide What You’re Trying to Do
Connect, Listen, and Contribute
Back to Work, You!
CHAPTER 15 - BlackBerry/ CrackBerry
No Nosing in on Family Time
Call Your Doctor Immediately If You Develop Antisocial Tendencies
Do Not Drive or Operate Heavy Machinery
Break the Addiction
SUMMARY: ATTENTION
ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ATTENTION
PART 4 - SuperCompetent Key 4: Accessibility

CHAPTER 16 - I Know I Have a System Around Here Somewhere . . .
Paper Planners
Desktop Software
Web-Based Applications
Handheld Devices Are Tying My Hands
The Solution—a Hybrid Method!
Find a System That Works for You
CHAPTER 17 - Um, What Was I Supposed to Do Today?
Things to Do
Appointments and Meetings
Prime Your Productivity
CHAPTER 18 - You’re the Boss, Not Your Inbox!
Best Practices for E-mail Organization
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude
CHAPTER 19 - We Don’t Need No Steenking Rolodexes!
Contact Information: What Is Your Name Again?
History: Where Were You, and What Did You Say?
Where’s That Card Again . . . ?
CHAPTER 20 - On the Road Again . . .
The Plane Is My Mobile Office
Pack Efficiently
Don’t Check Your Briefcase or Laptop
Have a Plan Before Your Trip
Embrace the Smart Phone (in Moderation)
Use a Jump/Thumb Drive, Just in Case
Simplify with a Docking Station
Access Your Computer Remotely
Load Up a Phone Card
Pick Up an Extra Set of Chargers and Connectors
Use the Latest Tools and Technology
Get EVDO
Get Personal Broadband
Carry a Pocket Folder or Portfolio
Finish One Trip Before Starting the Next
Spending Money Means Saving Time
Preparation Is the Key to . . . Preparedness
A Second Saved Is a Second Earned
SUMMARY: ACCESSIBILITY
ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ACCESSIBILITY
PART 5 - SuperCompetent Key 5: Accountability

CHAPTER 21 - Accept the Credit When It’s Due—and the Blame, Too
Master the Necessary Knowledge
Fine-Tune Your Behavior
Get Feedback
Hone Your Ethics
Conquer OCSMD
So . . . Are You Off Your Butt Yet?
CHAPTER 22 - The Squeaky Wheel . . . Makes Things Better
Create a Process to Simplify the Task
Complete the Task in Less Time
Focus, Focus, Focus
Don’t Forget About Technology
Try to Change the Scope
Streamline Your Life
CHAPTER 23 - Crack That Whip!
Procrastination: Can We Talk About This Later?
The Early Bird Gets the Worm; the Tardy Bird Gets . . . Eaten Alive
Find a Reasonable Work-Life Balance
Working on Mundane Tasks and Not-Fun Things
Put Perfection in Its Place
Give Yourself a Deadline
Just Do It!
CHAPTER 24 - Let’s Get On With It!
Successful Decision-Making Tools
Slippery Activities
Get a Move On!
CHAPTER 25 - Tweaking Time Wasters
The 80/20 Principle
The Two Pains
Keys to Productivity
Time Wasters to Watch Out For
Always Running, Always Running Behind
SUMMARY: ACCOUNTABILITY
ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ACCOUNTABILITY
PART 6 - SuperCompetent Key 6: Attitude

CHAPTER 26 - If You Stew in Your Own Juices, You’ll End Up Overcooked
Get a Grip
Give Yourself a Break from the World
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
What Do You Mean I’m Not In Charge of the World?
CHAPTER 27 - Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever Give In
The Qualities of Perseverance
Practice Does Make Perfect
When the Going Gets Tough . . .
CHAPTER 28 - Monkey See, Monkey Do
Unleash Your Creativity
Refuse to Accept the Status Quo
Take Calculated Risks
Resistance to Change
CHAPTER 29 - Why Can’t You Just Read My Mind?
I’m Okay, You’re Okay?
Dealing with Difficult Personalities
The 12 Dysfunctional Productivity Personalities
Focusing on Teamwork
Play Nice
CHAPTER 30 - Hello There, Pollyanna!
Perky Is as Perky Does
SUMMARY: ATTITUDE
ACTION PLANNING WORKSHEET: ATTITUDE
CONCLUSION
APPENDIX - Popular Productivity Blogs
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Praise for SuperCompetent

“The Productivity Pro, Laura Stack, should be known as the Productivity Doctor. This book is like a
medical clinic for those seeking to become more productive. I know it has helped me, but more
importantly, the remedies offered by Laura have benefited the people I coach in my professional life.
These people keep asking, ‘Jeff, how do you know how to solve my productivity problems?’ My
secret weapon . . . this book.”
—Jeff Bettinger, Director Talent Development,
Fluor Corporation

“This content-rich book is a must read for even those who thought they were productive. Laura Stack
delivers specific strategies that will definitely boost your performance and productivity. Her relevant
ideas will take you beyond good to SuperCompetent. This book will change how you think about
yourself, your time, your use of technology, and your time with others.”
—Lisa Ford, Author of a number one selling training series,
How to Give Exceptional Customer Service

“Ask executives which employees are most valuable to the organization, and they will almost
invariably respond, ‘The people whom I can point to a problem or opportunity and know that they
will get the job done every single time.’ These are the SuperCompetent people—who are in control
of their work—not the other way around. Laura Stack teaches us how to stress less, get much more
done, and have more fun while doing it. Reading this book will make a positive impact in your work
and your life. Fabulous!”
—Joe Calloway, Author,
Becoming a Category of One

“Laura is a master at her craft and offers innovative ideas on how to squeeze the most out of our daily
lives. Productivity is more than just staying busy; it’s about achieving success and significance in
everything you do. She unlocks the secrets to how we can all do more, be more, and have more each
and every day.”