How To Get More Done

A lot of time management advice treats people as if they were machines, ignoring the reality that human beings have temperaments, moods and biorhythms. 

Here are three tips on how to squeeze more productivity out of your busy day.

1. Stop Pretending to Multi-Task

We can't truly multi-task when two activities require conscious attention.  What we actually do is constantly switch attention, and part of our brain (Brodmann Area 10) creates the illusion that we are doing two things at once.  The result is that we pay poor quality attention to both tasks and, over the long term, we find it difficult to focus properly.

Brodmann Area 10

Constantly refocusing attention like this is hugely inefficient.

But many of us enjoy multi-tasking and find it hard to stop.  Like many of life's temptations the trick to overcoming it is to remove the temptation itself.  This means using Switch Busters.  A Switch Buster is something that stops you switching your attention.  Here are some examples:

• turn off your computer monitor when you are making a phone call.
• switch off your mobile phone and put it in your bag during meetings.
• change your email settings so that automatic retrieval is disabled (or pull out your network cable if you can't stop yourself manually checking - some of us are addicted to the dopamine hit stimulated by the arrival of a new message).

2. Make Fewer Decisions

Making decisions, even small ones such as how to respond to an email, can be mentally tiring.  View your mental energy as a precious resource that needs to be preserved and used judiciously during the day.  One way of reducing the time you spend taking decisions is to only check your email at particular times during the day.

3. Manage Your Elephant

Think of yourself as a rider on an elephant.  Your rider is full of good intentions and wants to maximise his or her productivity.  Your elephant, however....

• is alert at some times of day (typically the morning) and sluggish at others (mid-afternoon)
• likes sugary snacks and coffee
• is inclined to spend time cyberloafing (browsing the internet) if it didn't get enough sleep last night

The elephant is powerful and won't be pushed around by the rider.  The trick is to work with your elephant rather than fighting it.  In practice this means:

Using your Prime Time (the part of the day when you have most mental energy) to maximum advantage.  If you are at your best first thing in the morning, hit the ground running as soon as you arrive: tackle a mentally demanding task rather than chatting to colleagues, putting the kettle on and looking at your emails.

Making sugar and caffeine work for you.  They are stimulants, which can give you a short-lived boost when you need it.  Get into the habit of using them in a way that helps you to be productive (eg, when you hit your mid-afternoon slump).

Going to bed earlier.  Getting an early night has improved my productivity more than any other strategy. Flogging a tired elephant is no fun.

Managing Difficult Relationships Part 2: How to Handle Different Monkeys (and what they think of you)

Rapport is easier if you can identify the kind of person that you're dealing with.

In my last blog post I described the different kinds of primates that we encounter in the workplace, and how to spot them.  This post will show you how to tailor your approach to each type of monkey.

If you're dealing with a Chimp you'll know because they will want to focus on the task in hand, they'll use debate as a way of getting to the truth (which can come across as argumentative) and they will be conscious of power relationships.

If you're dealing with a Bonobo you'll know because they are responsive and smiley when you talk to them, they'll appear relaxed and friendly, and their primary focus will seem to be on the relationship - forming a connection with you.

If you tend to be a Chimp and you're dealing with a Chimp, then it's normally pretty straightforward - you 'get' each other.  Similarly, Bonobos recognise one another and can rely on their preferred way of working.

But if you're a Chimp and you have to work with a Bonobo (or vice versa) then you need to adapt your approach.

How a Chimp Views a Bonobo

The Chimp misinterprets the Bonobo's friendliness as weakness.

How a Bonobo Views a Chimp

The Bonobo misinterprets the Chimp's strongly task-focused approach as an attempt to dominate and bully.

Whether you're a Bonobo or a Chimp, if you are facing a difficult conversation and  you want to avoid being misread here are three tips to help you handle the situation:

Tip 1  Pay Careful Attention to Etiquette.
Small things matter.  If you are a Chimp, be very polite and solicitous (Bonobos place great emphasis on courtesy).  If you are a Bonobo, show respect for the other person and their environment but without demeaning yourself (Chimps get very agitated if their physical, organisational or psychological territory is threatened).

Tip 2  Use 'Safe Phrases'
The following phrases press the right buttons whether you are dealing with a Chimp or a Bonobo (they convey the message 'we are in the same troop'):

'We can handle this'

'We'll sort this'
'We'll get through this'

Tip 3  Get a Grip on Your Inner Primate
Recognise that we tend to act instinctively most of the time, and that this includes becoming defensive when we feel threatened (eg in a difficult conversation).  If you have the chance, make up your mind before the encounter in terms of:

• How you want to behave
• What you are going to say
• How you will respond if the other party behaves in a certain way.

Managing Difficult Relationships Part 1: What Kind of Monkey Are You Dealing With......?

We're all primates.

Many of our day-to-day behaviours have been hard-wired into us over thousands of years of evolution.  Our ancestors survived by being excellent threat-detectors (it was important to decide quickly whether an animal or situation was safe) and by being good at sucking up to the leader of the pack, to put it bluntly. According to the evolutionary psychologists, being friendly with the alpha male or female enhanced your survival prospects .

So, we've evolved to be vigilant and status-conscious.  Apparently when we meet someone, the first thing we unconsciously assess is their level of status - do I need to be wary of this person?  Do I need to keep on the right side of them?

And other primates are sniffing you, picking up cues as to how powerful you are, how much respect they need to give you.

If you want to master this game, it helps to know what kind of monkey you are dealing with.  Let's consider the Chimpanzee and the Bonobo.

In the wild, chimpanzees are very territorial, competitive and (particularly when threatened), ferociously aggressive.  There is a strict hierarchy with a male chimp at the top.

In your organisation, you know you're dealing with a chimp when:

• you feel like they're trying to dominate (often using their tone of voice and body language), and they are inclined to displays of power and status;
• the conversations often have an argumentative tone - there's a Win/Lose feel to the interaction;
• their focus is on the task in hand, with little or no attention paid to pleasantries.

Bonobos are very different.  They are far more relaxed about their territory. Rather than seeking to dominate, they engage in 'affable social networking'.  Bonobos are much less

hierarchical than chimps, and tend to form matriarchal groups.

You know you're dealing with a bonobo because:

• their body language is responsive and affirming - lots of smiling and nodding;
• the conversation is friendly and relaxed;
• you get the impression that their primary focus is 'mutual stroking', with the task being secondary.

Next time: how to handle each type of monkey (and what they think of you).