As we enter a period of renewal and change, Your Clear Next Step is committed to helping our customers make their businesses and workdays even better. We will be here to walk beside you, to listen, to connect, and to aid in your search for clarity. In doing so, we are offering a free, daily Zoom call, called Daily Connections, at 1:15pm (CDT) every weekday from 3/19/2020-5/1/2020.
These calls are a chance for us to share tips and discussion about relevant topics (working remotely, maintaining consistency in uncertain times, building relationships across geography, staying motivated, staying connected, etc) and network with each other to provide help and support during this time of change.
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us today! The next call will be Friday, March 27th at 1:15pm (CDT). Click here to join.
On today's call...
Sinikka shared a few tips about taking inventory.
- Take inventory of your work
- What matters, what needs to be done, what needs to be eliminated, what needs to be scheduled?
- What are the tasks that still need to be completed?
- Regular, daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly
- That stuff that wasn’t done before Spring Break became something more extended
- That stuff that’s been on your “to do” list for ages
- Take inventory of your team
- Who are they, how are they doing, how do you reach them?
- Each individual who reports to you
- Your leader
- Your peers
- The folks in your organization who count on you to do specific work
- Your customers
- Who are they, how are they doing, how do you reach them?
- Take inventory of your calendar
- What are the daily habits you want to capture/create?
- What are the daily/weekly/monthly touch-points you can/will have with your team and customers?
- What are the things you can do to balance your work and your home life?
- Take inventory of your connections
- Friends (new and old)
- Family
- Work acquaintances
- New and budding relationships
- Take inventory of your basics
- Supplies to do the work that you do
- Equipment to do the work that you do
- If applied to personal life – food, necessities, laundry soap, etc.
- Take inventory of your blessings
- What are you grateful for?
- How have you made time to express that gratitude?
Here were some ideas and questions tossed out and answered by group
- Consider taking inventory of what we have that we can give. Resources, time, food.
- Many of us are likely spending less money right now, and we have lots of extra time on our hands, so this feels like a great time to give.
- If you are able to leave the house safety (you aren't considered high risk), Consider checking with those you know who can’t or shouldn’t leave the house and offer to run errands for them
- I think many of us, when we saw the situation starting to change, just went to the store and “got a bunch of stuff” to help us prepare (or feel like we were prepared). Now that we have settled in a bit, maybe now is the time to take stock of the things that we “stocked up on” in those early days and consider if we really still need them, or if they would be better served elsewhere.
- If taking inventory of your calendar feels especially difficult right now, as you balance crisis work and your normal, day-to-day tasks, consider these tips:
- First, know that many of us will feel a dip in productivity and that’s okay. The things that have been at our fingertips are not anymore which will cause us to be less productive. Many of us are feeling extra stress, anxiety, worry, or fear which will all cause us to be less productive.
- Start by taking inventory of your work. If you skip this step you won't know what items need to go on your calendar.
- If your calendar looks exactly like it did before all of this, consider if it’s really still realistic. It’s possible the days of back-to-back-to-back meetings are behind us for now. Maybe you need a bit more fluidity or flexibility or white space on your calendar.
- Think about when your brain works best. Schedule focused work in that window of time. Think about when you do your best collaborative work with others. Schedule group work during that time.
- Don’t forget to leave time for the social connections and the friendships.
- Identify the one or two things that can't be compromised by urgent fires to put out. Reserve space for the most important, isolate that time.
- We shared more tips about establishing a routine the other day. Those tips might be helpful here as well. Check them out here.
- Take inventory of emotional needs. Touch base with everyone, ask them how they are doing, and just spend time talking with them
- Take inventory of your passions. Don’t forget to “take your temperature on your passion”. Keep your energy and focus high by spending some time each morning to turn up the music, move, do some affirmations, remember past success, and re-fire your passion.
- Take inventory of the help available to you. If that means keeping up with the news, or the governor’s announcements, do so. If that means being a little more vulnerable in asking for help from a family member, a friend, or even your community, do so.
