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.
Folsom Lake Crossing Human Chain of Gratitude
It will come as no surprise that when Julie Bjorgum introduced her idea to demonstrate gratitude – I jumped. We have a new bridge opening in Folsom, CA. It's a rare event -and has become an opportunity to express gratitude and thanks. 970 feet of bridge joining communities together.
Show your “gratitude attitude” by joining the Human Chain of
Gratitude stretching across the Folsom Lake Crossing during the Grand Opening Festival on Saturday,
March 28 at 12:00.
DETAILS on Eventbrite or Facebook
What would it be like if we all gave up and believed in
hopelessness, doom, despair? Great
things are accomplished because despite the odds, there were people who tried,
people who believed in the possible, who weren’t afraid to fail if it furthered
the greater good. We are humbled by our
present circumstances, but that does not make us losers. Our society does not support the idea of
coming in 2nd, but I believe it is by our efforts that we are all
winners. Folsom’s newest bridge next to
Folsom Dam is certainly an inspiring example of seemingly insurmountable odds
made possible by hard work, commitment and positive thinking. We pay tribute to all who made it a reality.
I am grateful that a smile is more contagious than a
disease.
What are you grateful for?
Author; Julie Bjorgum
We'll be making a cool video to be shared publicly.
Come show your gratitude!
Staying on task
Our family trip back east was a great one. We were fortunate to make some great memories. A common thread was the importance of focus and concentration.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Michael J. Bowers, former Attorney General of Georgia, and a twenty year mentor and friend to my brother, David. Mr. Bowers will tell you that the three most important factors for success are focus, focus and focus. It's one of his favorite mantras to new associates at their firm, Balch and Bingham LLP.
Another great example came from my nephew, Alec. He gave me a great tour of The Lovett School. Aside from getting choked up from Alec's beaming pride in his campus, I found the emphasis on maintaining focus by "Staying on task," remarkable. How fortunate to be learning this kind of focus in elementary school as a primary ideal.
My presentation, "Tips on Being an Effective Human" has a popular slide
entitled, Harness the Sun – like burning Ants with a magnifying glass.
The idea is concentrating your efforts like the rays of a sun through a
magnifying glass. Not so pleasant I guess, if you're an ant fan, but
you get the idea, right?
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.”
Essential People you need in your life
I like lists. And, I love Keith Ferrazzi and his book Never Eat Alone. Yesterday’s post on the Never East Alone Blog by Ian Yberra has the following with a link to good descriptions of the first five or so on Kai Chang’s Blog:
"How many essential people in your life?
My friend Kai Chang lists his 16 and a few descriptions on his blog. Here’s the list for quick viewing.
1. Headhunter
2. Computer Security Guru
3. Realtor
4. Criminal Defense Attorney
5. Personal Finance Advisor/CPA
6. Medical Doctor
7. Police/Law Enforcement Officer
8. "The Wolf"/"The Cleaner"
9. The Event/Ticket Connection
10. The Local Celebrity
11. Big Money Guy
12. Local Politician
13. Auto Mechanic
14. Consigliere
15. Mr. Connections
16. Best Friend
It’s valuable to have a list of categories such as these but also make sure you fill them with friends. Some should be a few people deep just in case your first stringer ends up unavailable. As Ian said, "How long is your list and Who’s on it?"