17 things I’ve learned that make my life more productive

Smart phones allow me to do a significant part of my workload without being tied to my computer
A daily “productivity” schedule works for me by making sure that all the projects I have are attended to on a regular basis
Object oriented software templates allow me to not have to be a code wizard to do things like design websites
The best way to be more productive as a leader is to let people who know more about something than you, do that job so you don’t have to
Flexibility and the ability to react quickly is generally more useful than rigidity when it comes to an opportunity that is presented to me
Saying “no” to some things is an absolute necessity or I will be paralyzed by too many good opportunities
Adding a single question (“Is there anything I should be asking/doing/understanding that I haven’t?”) to the end of any conversation saves me from missing out on things or doing something stupid
Even if you know you have the best idea amongst a group of people it is often better to “speak last” rather than first in a meeting
Arriving with a written proposal for a solution is the best way to make a meeting more productive in solving a problem about which there has been or will be considerable discussion
There is a time to stop reading about what you want to do and start doing it…right or wrong something actually gets done and you learn about what you need to do in a way that is specific rather than generic
Making the process of cleaning my desk the last item in a project schedule ensures that I am more productive on my next project
If you are not casting the vision, you will be working on somebody else’s vision
People tend to be either employees or entrepreneurs, and when you figure that out, giving them tasks that suit their work preference will make everybody happier
Some times it is better to tell stories…and sometimes it is better to give orders
Until you earn people’s trust by showing them you contribute value to things that matter to them, it is difficult to change any corporate culture
Most people like to do what they like, and if you do well something they don’t like, they perceive value in working together
There will always be people who do what you do better than you do: learn from them; there will always be people who do what you do worse than you: teach them