Productivity Planner (Part 2)

Synopsis

Ever wondered how Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk stays so productive? What about how Google, Asana, or LinkedIn plan their own productivity? In this explainer, we're going to review the techniques top companies use to increase their productivity. You'll learn how to run meetings, plan your day, schedule your week, and manage projects on a month-to-month basis just like the top business leaders in the world do.

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Can you compare the productivity planning methods of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk?

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Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, both have unique productivity planning methods. Bezos is known for his 'two pizza rule' where he ensures that teams are small enough to be fed by two pizzas, promoting efficiency and communication. He also advocates for high standards and long-term thinking. Musk, on the other hand, prefers working in intense time blocks, often working up to 120 hours a week. He believes in constant learning and iterating on ideas. Both emphasize the importance of decision making and prioritizing tasks.

What are the practical applications of the productivity planner in the tech industry?

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The practical applications of the productivity planner in the tech industry are numerous. It can be used to plan and manage projects on a monthly basis, schedule weekly tasks, and organize daily activities. It can also be used to run efficient meetings, similar to how top business leaders like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk do. Furthermore, tech companies like Google, Asana, and LinkedIn use productivity planning techniques to increase their overall productivity. These techniques can be applied to any tech company to improve time management, project execution, and team collaboration.

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Outcome

With this framework, you'll gain insights into the top tools for productivity management and how productivity planners can impact your day. Unlike quarterly or annual goals, these productivity planner tools are for immediate action, whether it's per day, per week, or per month. These tools can not only be used for yourself but shared across teams so everyone can plan their days accordingly, especially as remote work and digital nomad work styles become more common.

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Can you compare the productivity tools from the Productivity Planner with other productivity management tools?

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The Productivity Planner provides a unique approach to productivity management. Unlike other tools that focus on quarterly or annual goals, the Productivity Planner emphasizes immediate action on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used individually or shared across teams. It's particularly useful in remote work and digital nomad work styles. However, a direct comparison with other tools would depend on the specific tool in question, as each has its own strengths and features.

What are the common challenges in applying the productivity tools from the Productivity Planner and how can they be overcome?

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Common challenges in applying productivity tools from the Productivity Planner may include difficulty in maintaining consistency, lack of understanding of how to use the tools effectively, and resistance to change in established routines. Overcoming these challenges can be achieved by setting realistic goals, seeking guidance or training on how to use the tools, and gradually integrating the tools into daily routines.

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Tool highlights

Day planner

So how do you stay productive on a day-to-day basis? As the CEO of two major companies, Elon Musk needs to maximize his time management, which is why he uses a framework called MIT.

MIT, or the most important task, requires that you triage the day to begin with the tasks that are most critical. Then, you multitask less important tasks that can be done simultaneously. In 2018, a leaked email to Tesla employees revealed some additional advice on productivity. Musk advised Tesla employees to avoid excessive or frequent meetings and even suggested walking out of a meeting the second it stops providing value.

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Can you name a company that could benefit from the MIT productivity technique and explain how?

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A company like Amazon could benefit from the MIT productivity technique. This technique, which prioritizes the most important tasks, could help Amazon manage its vast and diverse operations more effectively. By focusing on the most critical tasks first, Amazon could ensure that key projects and initiatives are completed on time and to a high standard. Less important tasks, which can be done simultaneously, could then be delegated or automated, freeing up more time for strategic planning and decision making.

Are there any case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the MIT productivity technique?

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While the content does not provide specific case studies, the MIT (Most Important Task) productivity technique is widely recognized and used by successful individuals and companies. For instance, Elon Musk's advice to Tesla employees to prioritize critical tasks and avoid unnecessary meetings aligns with the MIT technique. However, for specific case studies demonstrating its effectiveness, further research would be required.

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To plan your own day, use this day planner visualization to view your day's schedule in a list format. List your responsibilities and meetings in an hour-by-hour format with a section to add any notes that are relevant to the task. To follow Elon Musk, start the day with your most important task. (Slide 3)

On the sidebar, you can write a brief summary for your goal for the day so you stay focused on your main objective even as you tackle a series of often unrelated tasks.

Weekly plan

So you've got your day to day planned out, but what about the week to week? How do you stay productive as you juggle daily tasks and weekly meetings? Jeff Bezos has an idea...

In 2018, the Amazon CEO shared some insights into the company culture around meetings. For starters, he uses a "two-pizza rule" to keep meetings small. If two pizzas won't feed the room, there are too many people at the meeting. Bezos also requires all meetings to provide a six-page memo that everyone reads together in silence at the beginning of each meeting before discussing the topic in depth. This is to provide a high-quality conversation where everyone has the same key details to work from, like a study hall.

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What are some case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the Productivity Planner?

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While specific case studies are not mentioned in the content provided, the Productivity Planner is designed using techniques employed by top companies like Amazon, Google, Asana, and LinkedIn. For instance, Amazon's practice of writing and rewriting memos for weeks before presentation is a testament to their focus on productivity. However, for detailed case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the Productivity Planner, one may need to refer to additional resources or the creators of the planner.

How can the techniques in the Productivity Planner be implemented in day-to-day operations?

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The techniques in the Productivity Planner can be implemented in day-to-day operations by setting clear goals, prioritizing tasks, and maintaining a disciplined schedule. It's important to focus on high-impact tasks and eliminate distractions. Regular reviews of progress and adjustments based on feedback are also crucial. The use of productivity tools and apps can further enhance efficiency.

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Amazon teaches its execs to write and rewrite these memos for weeks at a time before they are ready to present. The narrative presentation focuses the attention on what's important over what's not, and the high standard of the memo creates a culture where meetings are held only for the most important topics.

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What are the practical applications of the productivity planner in a business setting?

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The practical applications of a productivity planner in a business setting include planning and prioritizing tasks, managing time effectively, and improving overall productivity. It can be used to highlight the top four most important tasks on each day along with the associated time planned for each task. This helps in focusing attention on the most crucial tasks. It can also be used to limit meetings only to the most important topics, thereby saving time and increasing efficiency.

How can the productivity planner help in running meetings effectively?

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The productivity planner can help in running meetings effectively by allowing you to apply techniques like those used by Jeff Bezos. You can limit meetings only to the most important topics, thus ensuring that time is not wasted on less crucial matters. This focus on priority tasks can lead to more efficient and productive meetings.

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To plan your week, you can use a weekly plan to focus your attention like Bezos. Highlight your top four most important tasks on each given day along with the associated time you plan to work on each. You can apply Bezos' meeting technique to limit meetings only to the most important topics. (Slide 18)

For instance, if a topic of discussion doesn't relate to your top 4 most important tasks for the day, it might not be important enough to schedule a meeting. This will help you reduce your attention and time being taken away from what's most important to your business.

Weekly timeline

So you've got your day and your weekly plan. How do you make the most of the week to maximize your productivity?

Google pioneered the concept of the five-day sprint as a way to design, prototype, and test ideas in a quick and efficient process. The five-day sprint is used by product managers and product developers to build and launch a prototype that typically takes months to develop as an MVP over a five-day period instead. On Monday, you map out the problem you want to solve. On Tuesday, you come up with an idea. On Wednesday, you decide to move forward with the test. On Thursday you develop it, and on Friday you launch it as a test with customer interviews to get feedback.

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How can the Productivity Planner be used to manage projects on a month-to-month basis?

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The Productivity Planner can be used to manage projects on a month-to-month basis by setting up monthly goals and breaking them down into weekly and daily tasks. This can be done using the sprint framework mentioned in the content. Each day's priority can be highlighted with a sub-heading to expand on the task that needs to be accomplished. This way, the team can have a clear visualization of the tasks and their progress throughout the month.

Can you compare the sprint framework with other productivity planning techniques?

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The Sprint framework is a productivity planning technique that is part of the Agile methodology. It focuses on dividing the work into small, manageable parts called 'sprints', usually lasting for a week or two. Each sprint has a clear goal and the progress is reviewed at the end of each sprint. This allows for flexibility and quick adjustments to changes.

On the other hand, traditional productivity planning techniques, such as the Waterfall model, involve a linear approach where the entire project is planned at the beginning and changes are difficult to implement.

Another technique is the Kanban method, which visualizes the workflow, limits work-in-progress, and maximizes efficiency.

In comparison, the Sprint framework's strength lies in its adaptability and focus on continuous improvement. However, the best technique depends on the specific needs and context of the project.

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While Google designed this process around launching a product in a week, you can also use the SCRUM Sprint process to tackle backlogged features or assignments over a week to week period.

A weekly timeline view helps highlight the top priority each day. Using the sprint framework, you can highlight each day's priority with a sub-heading to expand on the task that needs to be accomplished. This visualization can be the source of truth for your team as you navigate the sprint process. (Slide 10)

Gantt charts

Weekly sprints are a great way to maximize productivity on a week to week basis. So how do you track your progress on longer term tasks?

Asana is a productivity SaaS tool that many businesses use for team management, and publishes a blog with productivity tips provided by its team. The company's Engineering Manager Greg Sabo recommends not to do any work before you have a task assigned for it, which includes checking your inbox. He also says you should always set a due date for every task. On or before a task's due date, you should either complete it or assign a new due date. This conscious focus on due dates helps you stay productive and focused on completing tasks in a timely manner.

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To track your productivity across these multiple tasks and assignments, a monthly Gantt chart with progress bars can help. The tracker bars can be extended as progress increases over a set period of time, so if you do find yourself moving a due date, you can extend the incomplete bar accordingly. (Slide 21)

Monthly assignments

So you've got your month-to-month productivity down. But what about when you want to track your progress towards long-term, more aspirational goals?

In 1999, Google was the 18th search engine to arrive on the web. The company needed to make tough choices, keep its team on track, and measure what mattered; Google used a tool called OKRs, or objectives and key results, as the key tool that helped lead the company to 10x growth many times over, according to Co-Founder Larry Page.

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By 2017, Google had built seven products, each with a billion or more users — Search, Chrome, Android, Maps, YouTube, GooglePlay, and Gmail.

While you can use Gantt charts to simply track progress towards completion, you can use this monthly assignment visualization to track your OKRs. In this instance, your progress is measured against your objective with the benchmarks for success set by your key results metrics.(Slide 24)

As LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner says, these objectives are "something you want to accomplish over a specific period of time that leans toward a stretch goal rather than a stated plan." Even though the goals are aspirational, they should have short duration timelines to create "greater urgency and greater mindshare"

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Additional tools

For more tools to increase your productivity, download this Productivity Planner (Part 2) presentation. You'll gain more variations and visualizations to help plan every type of productivity, with daily, weekly, and monthly views.