This week at C7group we spent a bit of time thinking about how David Allen’s system and principles coordinate with our project management, customer relationship management and document sharing. We mapped our tools to our favorite system for managing incoming information and processing it.
Great Mindmap of Steven Covey’s Effectiveness Quadrants
I like mindmaps and mind mapping tools [Mindmeister is a good one]. It's a natural fit for those like me with a lifehacker bent. This mindmap is of particular note, though, as it's a real user tool (perhaps as a desktop background) for managing your time effectively.
How Can I Be More Effective?
How can I be more effective? Is there a road-map I can use to improve my effectiveness? What system or process does Jeff Marmins evangelize? I hope to address these questions by establishing an amalgamation of ideas as a premise for *most* of what my ramblings are about here at jeffmarmins.com.
Time has shown that no one philosophy works for everyone. We are all a work in progress, attempting to execute and learn concurrently. I have a passion for examining ways to improve processes for efficiency in sales and relationship management. That kind of “workflow improvement” finds its way into other aspects of my life. I also made my share of mistakes in years past that push me to learn and encourage effectiveness through character, values and principles.
Core Values as the driving force to an improved level of effectiveness
This model is the root of the “system.”
The model states that time-tested values such as Vision, Identity, Purpose, Order, Concentration, Integrity, Harmony and Progression drive effectiveness to your desired level. Each of these can be explored with some depth. I’ll address each individually in separate posts. Collectively, they combat “resisting forces” like, “Too many things to do, Fatigue, lack of purpose, not enough money, not enough time, mental fragmentation, etc.”
The 7 Ps: Updated
I originally posted this years ago. I’ve since learned that the 7Ps have been around for a long time, and repeated often. The Air Force, the Boy Scouts and countless project oriented companies use this as a constant mantra.
I had the pleasure of attending a Microsoft Live Meeting this week entitled 
“Relationships For Revenue Growth,” featuring speaker Keith Ferrazzi. Keith is a friend and author of a great read, Never Eat Alone.
[Keith has since published Who’s Got Your Back
The meeting was energetic and focused on concepts I evangelize daily in my practice. I did want to pass along Keith’s reminding me of something I hadn’t heard for a long time but just love – it’s the 7 P’s:
Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance
I assure you that the 7Ps are a great acronym to keep in front of you. Keith was referring to preparing in advance and making the people you meet intentional. Learn about the person in advance – ways to make a cold call never really cold. In either case, planning sounds so basic but it is so taken for granted. Don’t waste your time climbing the ladder only to find it’s leaning up against the wrong wall.