Summer Giveaway: Work Hacks and Rules of Thumb

Writer Dad says on August 26th, 2008 at 12:28 pm

I so want that wallet pen. I’ll gladly trade two boxes of unused diapers. Anyone….. anyone?

Maggie says on August 26th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Inadvertant (I hope) pen theft is a big pain in the neck for me - so I have a few pens in a can, and they’re epoxied to badge reels. (4 for $1.29 ar Wally World) Those are clipped to the side of the can.

Yes, I know - it’s very 2nd grade. But it works!

jdp says on August 26th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

Work hack or rule of thumb? Use “Search” not “file”. Or “don’t put off what can be done THIS minute”. I found myself swamped with long to-do lists of nuisance things that I didn’t want to do so I’d add them to a list when I could have just handled it at the moment and never have to look at it again lol.

wordsmythe says on August 26th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Perhaps it’s not so much a work hack as a “quit wasting so much time on Firefox” hack, but I have found the guilt-inducing powers of the TimeTracker add-on to be very useful.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1887

A good rule of thumb I had to learn is that your boss doesn’t care how much work your projects take, so much as she cares about how important the result is. Spinning your wheels all day on a less important project is much less useful than finishing a more important (though perhaps smaller or easier) project.

Chris says on August 26th, 2008 at 1:29 pm

Using the Eat That Frog approach (doing the task you want to do least) has worked wonders for me.

When I still find myself wasting time online, I use the LeechBlock add-on for firefox to help keep me focused.

Josh says on August 26th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

My favorite work hack is for transferring all of the offices old paper documents into electronic form.

1) Scan the documents as .tiff images
2) Import them into evernote in a single workbook
3) Let evernote index them
4) Share the workbook to the public
5) Email everyone in my office the url.

Viola: Instantly all the old “useless” file cabinet documents are searchable and useful again. (We had hundreds, so it’s an ongoing process)

That is my favorite use of new technology to help out everyone in my office.

Shelle says on August 26th, 2008 at 1:41 pm

The work hack that keeps me organized: I always carry a notebook and in the notebook I have a page where I write my tasks. Before each task, I draw a check box and I check the box when the task is complete. When the page gets too full, I move the incomplete tasks to a new page and start fresh.

Allan says on August 26th, 2008 at 1:56 pm

Levenger’s Circa notebooks are an absolute lifesaver!! I become frustrated with my Moleskine because I didn’t have the flexibility to move pages around and reorganize. But with Circa, I am able to change my organizational system whenever I need to. And the important thing is, of course, to never become too tied up in one organizational system. My needs change over time, so I allow my systems to evolve as well.

Keith says on August 26th, 2008 at 2:02 pm

I find myself waiting at odd moments (long lines, Dr.’s office, etc. I used to sit an be bored, but I keep a book, a notebook, and a pen in the glovebox of my car at all times, so I can be productive if I want to be, or read if I do not. Of course, now with Blackberries, iPhones, etc. you can take the web and the cloud with you, but it is nice to always have something analog to do.

Carl says on August 26th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

As a project manager I often use the rule “one third design / one third build / one third test” to confirm plans and effort estimates for technology deployment projects. It works as a sanity check to ensure projects have sufficient time at the “front” and “back” end (usually they don’t).

ratatoskr says on August 26th, 2008 at 3:09 pm

My best work hack is doing always your best, that doesn’t mean to do the best, but doing as much and as good as you can just at the moment, and if you can’t do anything, to relax as good as you can at the moment.

Success Professor says on August 26th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

My hack is very basic and many Lifehack readers will already know about it, but do you do it?

Carry around a notebook and pen at all times, to record ideas, measure progress and track your activities. A basic notebook with one divider allows me to keep four sections. One section from the front of both parts of the book,and another section starting from the back of each section. The notes and ideas I record are very useful for later.

When I’m going to be somewhere that a full sized notebook isn’t useful, I bring along small pocket notebooks - 4 for $1 a the local dollar store.

Arjan Zuidhof says on August 26th, 2008 at 3:58 pm

My work hack: I use Outlook’s tasks religiously. As long as the email client is opened, it will dutifully remind you of every TODO item, apart from any meeting reminders of course. As you can set items far away in the future, you can schedule your complete working life if you want.
hth, your mileage may vary of course…

Calee says on August 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

I’ve found that having a beautiful pen makes all the difference–both for me just mentally and for my clients.

FFB says on August 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm

Best work hack? Know your team and delegate! Figure out those tasks that you no longer have to do. Have your team take care of them. You get work off your plate and you give your team more responsibility. Win-Win!

Michael Cortes says on August 26th, 2008 at 5:12 pm

Rule of Thumb: You cannot read others’ minds. How often do you assume that the person you are speaking with meant ill? Do you assume the worst, or decide you know what they meant? Use your best judgment, but always confirm.

Nyssa says on August 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm

You need to warm up your mind to face the day just like you need to stretch and warm up your muscles before you begin a workout. I found doing quick game of mahjongg or a bit of a crossword or other brain-teaser gets my brain in gear to face the rest of the workday.

Friedrich says on August 26th, 2008 at 5:32 pm

Best work hack for me: Stand up when someone comes into talk to you. It keeps the conversations shorter and to the point when they dont feel like they can settle into your office.

Eric Stevens says on August 26th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

I try to identify small time-wasters and destroy them one-by-one…. you see, there are some things that we ALL do that, alone, do not take up a significant amount of time… but end up snowballing in to an hour or two over the day! For instance, I work at an insurance office answering phones all day… every time I got off a call, I would look at my email and read each email as it came. It usually only took 30 seconds or so..no big deal.
Well, considering I take 100 calls PER DAY, I’m wasting 50 MINUTES just reading my email! When I could just do it at the end of the day or split it up into quarters.

Chase says on August 26th, 2008 at 6:05 pm

When I have to memorize things for a meeting or presentation, I put on instrumental music from one of my favorite bands (currently listening to the instrumental songs of Led Zepp) and try to memorize the notes accordingly and in rhythm with the song. Listening to instrumental music really helps in memorization!

Avonelle Lovhaug says on August 26th, 2008 at 6:20 pm

My work hack: ask for advice! I’m a freelance programmer, so I am fairly self-sufficient. But I’ve learned that when I ask for advice, I will sometimes get ideas that I never would have come up with on my own. It is okay to not have all the answers.

Josh says on August 26th, 2008 at 6:22 pm

Best idea when working: get something done before you check any email, voicemail, or make a single phone call. If you can just finish one small task as soon as you get in, you’ll get that feeling of accomplishment for the whole day and want to keep working. If you check email first, you’ll feel swamped with everything, and not have enough motivation to work. So start your day by finishing off that document you’ve been working on, finishing the drawing or the test plan, and you’re on your way to a very productive day. (Sorry, I didn’t actually mean to rhyme…)

Nicole (ikkinlala) says on August 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm

I wish I had a creative tip to share, but for me the thing that seems to make the most difference is getting enough sleep. Sometimes I’ll even have a short nap at lunch.

Dan says on August 26th, 2008 at 7:48 pm

Look at your todo list before going home for the day, and know what you’re going to start on in the morning. Next morning work on this item right away (without checking email or the internet) to get a jump start.

Carlos says on August 26th, 2008 at 7:48 pm

I try to use the Most Important Tasks method as often as I can. It is quite simple and lets me know at the end of the day that, at least, I have done some of the things I should.

Jennifer says on August 26th, 2008 at 8:06 pm

I installed WorkRave a couple months ago after a carpal tunnel episode - it’s a timer that you can set to pop up at different intervals. There’s a ‘micro-break’ (mine is set for 10 seconds every ten minutes), a ‘rest-break’ (mine is 5 minutes every hour) and a daily limit (when you are supposed to stop for the day). Although the original purpose was to get me to stop and stretch, I’ve found that it’s really useful for keeping me from wasting too much time on things like social media. Like in the morning, I start my day by reading news and my feeds and catching up with tweets but if the ‘rest-break’ alarm pops up, I know I’ve spent an hour and it’s time to move on to being productive. Similarly, I only let myself check twitter throughout the day when the rest-break alarm goes off (so I know I’m not checking more than once an hour).

mel says on August 26th, 2008 at 8:22 pm

Set a(realistic) time frame for your task and when the time is up, stop. You are done. Playing with it for a few more hours is not going to substancually improve it in most cases.

Garland Walton says on August 26th, 2008 at 8:25 pm

I’ll be living in France this fall for 3.5 months but am taking a small weekender bag, so space is tight. I like to use stickie notes, so instead of taking a pad of them, I have stuck them individually throughout my combo journal/organizer. Not only will I save space, but I’ll have them with me all the time, and they’ll stay neater than if they were at the bottom of my purse or backpack.

Bryan Price says on August 26th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

I like that pen! I’ve also got my eye on a tungsten pen for $60 that goes on your keyring. They have a steel version for $25 IIRC.

I’ve used PicoPads before, but the pens never seem to hold up. I’ve got plenty of refills, but no real pens to use with them. Like sticky notes, but sized to fit your wallet.

My rule of thumb? Don’t Panic! Seriously.

Robert in SF says on August 26th, 2008 at 10:38 pm

Where I work, a “hack” for maintaining some privacy when you are in the bathroom:

If you prefer to have privacy when you are in the bathroom and don’t want anyone around to make you feel self conscious sitting there, use the *middle* stall instead of the handicap one at the end. While you may appreciate the extra room in the handicap stall, an empty stall in between it and the end stall sometimes gives people a sense of space that leaves them comfortable with using the facilities at the same time as you.

Odds are, they don’t want to sit next to someone who is also using the facility, so they will come back later…

Or is being self conscious in there just me? :)

Jesse says on August 26th, 2008 at 11:48 pm

I have one of those memo books - tiny little books styled like composition notebooks but only about 11 by 8 cm. I carry it with me everywhere, and whenever I think of something I need to do I just write it down in the notebook. I check things off as I do them, and when a page is full and I’ve done everything on it, I just rip it out. It’s done miracles for me remembering to do things.

Rick says on August 27th, 2008 at 2:03 am

The best hack I know being the procrastinator I am, is to do simple tasks right away. When multiple simple tasks pile up is when it becomes overwhelming leading to further procrastination.

Alan says on August 27th, 2008 at 3:49 am

Hi,

Rule of thumb, most software apps will have short cut keys and they will speed you up. The trick is to find them and then learn them.

Jeridan says on August 27th, 2008 at 3:57 am

If you are easily stressed or find it hard to maintain calmness, bite yourself hard so that your mind will be on the pain instead of the stress.
Since your brain prioritizes things in and around your environment involuntarily, this action can give you a small break from your worries.

Prashant Sharma says on August 27th, 2008 at 5:04 am

As a software engineer, what really comes in handy for me is the habit of keeping text records or notes for all activities that I undertake. This includes automation instructions, important chat transcripts, and even mails of appreciation.

Meryl K. Evans says on August 27th, 2008 at 8:28 am

I rely on my PDA and its desktop application. I enter most of the stuff through the computer rather than through the handheld (except when making appts while out).

I passed on the iPhone simply because it doesn’t have a desktop application for syncing with the computer (windows not mac). I know the iPhone syncs Outlook, but it won’t sync notes. I avoid Outlook where possible.

Apple should consider developing its own app or working with Palm as Palm has a far better app even though it has not innovated in years (and still be compatible with Outlook for those stuck with it).

Chris says on August 27th, 2008 at 8:49 am

Single-tasking. One task at a time with no interruptions (i.e. no email pop-ups, im, nothing).

michael kastler says on August 27th, 2008 at 9:08 am

A major work hack for me is to MAKE MEETINGS MEANINGFUL! I can’t stand to sit for 2 hours in a meeting and then at the end everyone stands up, says “how productive!” and we wander back to our offices.

To handle this one thing i do at the end of every meeting is send out a brief meeting summary with DEFINED NEXT ACTIONS. If none were explicitly defined I will oftentimes make some up myself - people occasionally disagree, but at least we’re talking about actually doing something now, and not just having YAM (yet another meeting).

Another thing I like to do is to schedule follow-up meetings to DISCUSS PROGRESS. With that explicitly set as the meeting goal, it forces people to review their projects, goals, and accomplishments because they know they will be held accountable and asked to discuss what they got done.

These tactics work even when I’m not the boss - I perform the same actions in meetings with my superiors and it’s amazing the respect and response that is given to me and my department (if you do it in a friendly, useful, and humble way of course). IT is now considered the most accountable and responsive department because through these managed meetings we actually get projects done!

Bryan says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:01 am

This hack is for creative types who need to carve out creative time while remaining on task.

HACK: Struggling to stay on task? Use a “Day Long” macro with prompts to guide you through regular daily tasks.

I’m a musician by nature and profession. Unfortunately, because I have musicians’ traits — I have a hard time staying FOCUSED on the weekly workflow of tasks. You know, the regular tasks that you wish you would outsource, but can’t for whatever reason. Here’s how I stay on task.

Using Apple’s program “Automator,” I have it setup to launch programs, manipulate text, and guide me with PROMPTS through those routine tasks that simply have to get done on a particular day. The value in a “day-long” macro is that it reminds me of the NOW - the task at hand. If I was interrupted by a phone call, friend in the office, or those other bazillion hiccups in the day — when I come back to the computer, it’s telling me what I was working on and what the next step is.

I could post a screencast of how it works if anyone thinks this hack might help them stay focused to get through the nitty gritty to get up doing the creative stuff or big project.

Got to get back to work, my macro just prompted me to start my Wednesday workflow for today. Seriously. I have to go.

Groovymarlin says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:06 am

My work hack is to buy my own office supplies. I’ve given up on trying to work with what the office manager feels like ordering from Staples. There are certain folders that I like, and certain pens, and certain note pads - so I just buy my own and bring them in!

Gabe says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:16 am

The single biggest work improvement (not sure if it qualifies as a ‘hack’) I’ve made in recent years is just going with the flow. By that, I’m referring to interruptions or autocratic demands. I found I was spending more time and energy trying to mitigate unplanned interruptions or non-optimal demands, than the time that they would otherwise take up. Just accepting them and moving on has let me spend my energy on more important things, like the tasks I need to get done.

John says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:18 am

My rule of thumb - when I delegate tasks, I always follow five principles:

WHAT - What am I asking them to do? I keep it clear and concise.

WHEN - When do they need to reply by? I always set a realistic timescale, and FOLLOW UP before it’s due to allow me to re-assign it or get more help for the task if the person I’ve delegated to is struggling.

WHY - Why have I asked them to do the task? I make it clear that they are either the best person for the job, or have the best chance of providing me the quality response I need. (If I can’t think of a why, then I may not be delegating it to the right person).

WHERE - Do they need to be right next to me when working on the task, or do they need to have access to specific resources to comoplete it? I also use this to assign ‘priorities’ to the people I delegate to, based on previous history.

HOW - What sort of response do I need? What length, format, and are there any style guides I can give them to make their job easier?

A bit lengthy, but I use these five principles religiously!

Brenden says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:56 am

My hack isn’t anything special…have something to write with and write on at all times and when you think of something you need to do or want to do…write it down! As I get older I just can’t remember as much anymore…but ink on paper tends to not forget, as long as I can find what I wrote on.

D. Lee says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:59 am

I feel a bit lame for posting something so obvious and widely-used (since it’s not likely to be new or helpful to many here), but for me, it’s still got to be the two-minute rule I picked up from Getting Things Done: if it takes two minutes or less, just knock it out. My productivity and effectiveness skyrocketed overnight when I implemented it.

Nuruddeen Lewis says on August 27th, 2008 at 11:33 am

Don’t do today, what you can put off ’till tomorrow. Oops, scratch that. Reverse it.

TechieBird says on August 27th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Eric Stevens’ comment reminded me of a rule-of-thumb I used a lot when I was a database developer. People used to ask us to run ad-hoc reports whenever they needed a ‘number’ (e.g. % of new hires in x department since May), and generally we’d turn them around pretty quickly. However, we started to suspect that some of this data was just to satisfy someone’s personal curiosity rather than for any real purpose, so one week we decided to try a little social experiment. Regardless of how busy we were, unless it was one of a small number of trusted people who we knew didn’t waste our time, our response to any reporting request was always to defer them by a few hours. “Sure, I can get that for you but it won’t be until this afternoon.” Surprise! Over half the requesters mailed back to say it didn’t matter or that they’d get the data some other way (like by adding two numbers together from one of the standard reports).

Ryan says on August 27th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

My work hack is to either come in early or late, but never on time. If I come in early, I usually get an hour to knock out important leftovers from the previous day, before the 8am distractions start. If I come in late, I avoid the 8am distractions, and get an extra hour on the tail of the day to knock out stuff so I don’t have anything leftover for the next day.

TechieBird says on August 27th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

Oh, and I forgot to post my hack. I use a filofax Mini instead of a notebook. All I have in it is notepaper of different colours and some dividers - it works just like a normal notebook except it’s refillable, it has a pen loop, and it has pockets for receipts and other paper debris that would otherwise collect in my bag.

Summy says on August 27th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

My rule of thumb for success is:
Do more of what you like. Do less of what you don’t like.

eli skipp says on August 27th, 2008 at 1:58 pm

My favorite method is to set a timer for half an hour during which I absolutely have to work on a set task. Once the half an hour is up I have the option to stop and do something else or keep going, but by that point I’ll usually either be done or choose to keep going because I’m so involved.

Peter says on August 27th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

A simple rule of thumb:

If I’m thinking, “This will be cool. This will look great!” then I’m doing it wrong. That’s my ego talking, and my ego is a lousy task-master.

Katie says on August 27th, 2008 at 2:26 pm

I try to batch things together as much as I can. Blog posts, errands, etc. I plan out how I can get things done as efficiently as possible.

Todor Christov says on August 27th, 2008 at 3:01 pm

One simple advise from me - use Gmail, with all its tagging and search functions.

You can keep safe and archive almost everything in Gmail - e-mails, files, notes, tasks, etc.

jason says on August 27th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

as a programmer my best work hack is headphones. without them the people around me would drive me absolutely crazy. they help drown out hte noise of the rest of the office and keep me focused on my current project. they have also helped deter people from interrupting me on a few occasions.

karen (klz) says on August 27th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

My work hack would be (if I could ever get my act together) to stop following RSS at work!!! It gets in the way. But, when I do remember to turn it off, I can breeze through a task without realizing it. I guess the hack would then be to SINGLE TASK and stop goofing off!

karen says on August 27th, 2008 at 7:00 pm

My best work hack - when I do it - is to pay attention to the job at hand! Not easy for me.

Carolyn says on August 27th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

Make a list! Do what you can and be proud that you accomplished something.

Sean says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:01 pm

My heuristic is to use autoresponders ala http://www.awayfind.com

Bon Temps says on August 27th, 2008 at 10:52 pm

I’ve started doing LESS formal organizing. With advanced search features and tags, there’s no need to have 100 different folders to file my emails into. I just archive everything and do a search when I need to retrieve a particular piece of info.

malia says on August 27th, 2008 at 11:33 pm

i think the biggest work hack is to take care of things as they arise, and to utilize a to-do list to prioritize and get things done quickly. =)

Rob says on August 28th, 2008 at 1:32 am

When starting a new job, find the office gossip. They’ll give you the real inside scoop about the people there, the company, and everything else. Just don’t get roped into their gossiping.

Also get to know the disgruntled employee that has been there forever. They’ll let you know what’s up and who you should know and who you should avoid.

Andy says on August 28th, 2008 at 11:14 am

I found a program called BusySync that lets Mac users coordinate their iCals. I work at an all-Mac office with three people, and we love this handy app.

Dorothy says on August 28th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

One of the other commentors said, “Don’t do today, what you can put off ’till tomorrow. Oops, scratch that. Reverse it.”

Actually, the skillful lifehacker learns what CAN be put off until tomorrow — or indefinitely. Learn what demands, commands, requests and suggestions can be ignored — then ignore ‘em. Every communication that flows past you most likely does NOT need your response. Eery situation does NOT need your input. A humbling notion, but a true one and a freeing one!

Aaron says on August 28th, 2008 at 5:16 pm

Hey Lifehack! My workhack tip is to allot yourself an extra 30 mins for appointments, errands, or getting to work…things always take longer than one expects.

reddie says on August 29th, 2008 at 4:53 am

My rule of the thumb while working? Simple — there’s no such thing as multitasking. Concentration on whatever you’re doing is everything. Doing multiple things at a time would only slow you down.

Mike says on August 29th, 2008 at 11:43 am

“Six months from now, it’s not going to matter.” This isn’t a fatalistic world view, but a reminder to keep the argument, bitter wrangling, and emotional investment under control. I’ve been in meetings where hours were spent over minor wording changes in marketing briefs. Was it really worth getting fired up, passionate, and dogmatic about? No, not really.

It’s okay to be passionate, but have perspective. Be passionate about the big things that truly make a difference, not the daily things that will be forgotten in six months.

Hyou says on August 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pm

“Will I care about the result of this action a month from now?” If not, drop the action and go do something that actually is worthwhile. Focusing solely on the important things gives better results than trying to do everything on a to-do list.

Autumn says on August 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pm

I never leave any paperwork on my desk, even if it just goes into my generic pending file, and I spend at least 20 minutes the next morning looking at the pending file and planning my day, instead of jumping in and failing to prioritize properly.

George says on August 29th, 2008 at 4:18 pm

If your stuck on a bigger task, back away from it, do a few smaller tasks, give yourself some wins, gain some momentum, then attach the larger task.

Mike Vardy says on August 30th, 2008 at 5:11 am

My work hack would be to get through the routine stuff early. At my job, I can check on my orders, do follow-up email and set up my day before things really get going. Then I systematically go through the remainder of the day using GTD to prioritize accordingly and get through the tougher things. The key is to establish something and stick with it.

Sam Rodriguez says on August 30th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

Using the “Todo” app on my iPhone to reference and add to my lists on the go David Allen style.

Tony Scarfone says on August 31st, 2008 at 1:49 pm

I make a PENDING folder in my email. When I get to work, I zip through each email and the ones that require a response I slide into my pending folder. Then as I work through the day I also wade through the pending folder as time allows. Keeps my inbox clean and sort of makes a to do list for me.

DL says on August 31st, 2008 at 10:40 pm

Never, ever, ever give in to the temptation to answer emails from family members during work hours, even when you’re working at home or working on a personal project at home. The best that can happen is an amusing distraction but, more often then not, it’s someone trying to drag you into their problems.

Kathy says on September 1st, 2008 at 9:01 am

Since my days are filled with constant meetings, interruptions, and changing priorities, I’ve found that starting my day by identifying a single MIT (most important task) helps focus my effort to get that one thing done. Until I started doing this, there were days when I couldn’t even get a single task completed. Now I carve out time between meetings and close and lock my office door to focus time on that single task - yes, some people are rude enough to open a closed office door! When my door is closed, I do not answer when someone knocks and I put the phone on auto voice mail. Since doing this, tasks that never seemed to make progress or get done are now getting checked off the list and my sanity is returning. And quite amazing, people who were looking for me find their own answers when I’m not available.

pacheco says on September 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 am

Cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness….

Cleanliness, cleanliness….

Layne says on September 2nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm

My tip is more of a life hack that applies well to work. I am a faithful user of the hipster PDA. The Inherent features of the hPDA make this hack work - the two sides (front and back index cards) and the clip. One side I designate as the “work” side, and the other as the “personal” side. But this designation is shallow on it’s own - which is where the clip comes in. I then label the respective sides of the clip as such - “work” and “personal.” I rest the hPDA “work”-side up, and the visual of the “work” tag staring straight at me keeps me focused on the work tasks (and not the personal ones) that I have to accomplish. (and, if necessary, the hPDA can be temporarily flipped over to write down to pick up something at the store, etc).

Sergio Schuler says on September 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm

just start doing it