Getting That First Laugh In Your Performance

Any comedian will tell you that getting that first laugh from an audience is critical. It establishes the mood for the performance and also positively connects the audience with the comedian. The longer the comedian goes without getting the laugh the more strained the event and the less spectacular the performance.

What about the items in your lineup today? What's the one or two things you simply must get done? How will delay on these items affect your ability to quickly connect to your purpose? Prolonging action on them could have disastrous results on getting what you want most-a standing ovation from others... and yourself.

The Phone Is For Me

It is important to be reminded on occasion that telephones/cell phones and email accounts are created as tools for you to use and that they also exist for your convenience. Just because the phone rings or the email pops up, doesn't mean that you have to respond, answer or read immediately. Subject lines and caller id are great tools to help you gauge whether or not you need to respond quickly (i.e. answer the phone or open the email). If you are doing something important or need to focus it is even better to turn off your phone and/or email completely.

You may have a job that requires you to answer and reply to calls and emails immediately. That is your job and you shouldn't ignore that responsibility. But more often than not, there are times when you should stay on task or give someone or something your undivided attention. Don't allow a call to interrupt your dinner with your family. Don't check email while you are having a conversation with a coworker or employee. Don't allow an email popup about "cute kittens doing funny things" interrupt your focus on your work. Schedule regular intervals to check email and voicemail so that you can stay in touch and respond appropriately but otherwise, try using the mute button.

Keeping a Time Log

Do you ever wonder where the time goes? Are you a manager and wonder how your people are spending their time? A great way for self reflection or to spot check the focus of your team is to keep a time log for a week.

It is a simple project. Just take a spreadsheet and label the days of the week across the top and the time you want to track in 15 or 30 minute increments down the side (depending on how detailed you want to be). Set an alarm (cell phone alarm, egg timer, watch alarm) for the top of each hour. When the alarm goes off (We know that this is an interruption – it is just for a week), stop what you are doing and record a detail of what you have done over the last hour – an entry for each 15 or 30 minute segment. We realize that it is an annoyance and a hassle. But, the result and the information that you can gather is very telling.

At the end of the week, review the week's activities. For fun, total up the amount of time you are spending in similar activities/categories like: meetings, returning calls, email, working on the XYZ report, talking with customers, eating meals, taking breaks, etc. You may be surprised at the totals. You also might be surprised at the time that you have wasted. Be honest with yourself – look at the spreadsheet and total up the time that you feel like you have been less than productive. Have your team do the same.

Now what are you going to do about it? Ask yourself these questions:

• What activities are getting the bulk of my time? Are they the most important activities?


• How can I alter what I am doing to become more efficient as well as focused on the most important items?


• What activities can be eliminated? What activities need to be added or receive a bigger allotment of my time?


• How much time am I spending in my work ring, my self ring and my relationship ring?

If you like this activity, try it for a month. It will give you a good indicator on how effectively you are using your time. Remember the quote from Ben Franklin, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."

A Picture to Improve Your Memory

Taking a picture is a great way to remind us of special moments in time and help create memories that we will hopefully never forget. We take pictures of important events like birthdays, graduations and anniversaries. We load up on photos of those we care about, vacations and places that we have visited. But what about those not so important items and events in your life that are worth remembering...even for a short while.

Consider using your digital camera (especially if your mobile phone has a camera) to help you remember the not so "important" events of your life:

• Take a picture of the row and space where you parked your car at the airport or large parking garage. It is more convenient than writing it down on a card or piece of paper that you have to keep track of. When you return from your trip or shopping, the information will be at your fingertips and then you can delete it.


• If you are in a traffic accident, take pictures of the scene, the cars involved, license plates, even the people. After an accident, your adrenalin is pumping and it is easy to forget details. "A picture is worth a thousand words!"


• If you rent a lot of cars for work or vacation, take a picture of the license plate so that you have the information available when you check into hotels (some hotels ask for car information for parking). It might also be helpful to take a picture of your hotel room number so you can remember which room is yours. If you travel a lot, you know how room numbers start to blur after awhile and it will save you a trip to the front desk.


• If you see a quote or thought on a sign, billboard or plaque that you would like to remember, rather than scrambling for paper and a pencil to write it down-take a picture!

Once you think of your digital camera as a resource, you will find many more uses to help you remember things. The value is that once you take a picture (record the information) you can forget about it and keep your mind clear for more important things. It's a snap!

Finally! A Brave Ringmaster

We got this automated response to an e mail sent out last week:

Thank you for your message. Due to some upcoming deadlines and my current workload, I will only be checking E-mail and phone messages a couple times each day. If you need immediate assistance, please call ______________ at xxx-xxx-xxxx. They will know how to reach me.

Isn't that the most beautiful e mail you have ever read? Okay... I know we are bit over the top, but it is encouraging to see. It educates others as to when they can expect a response to their inquiry. It helps any people who are communicating with this person by e mail to plan their own lineup instead of waiting on an immediate response. It also shows someone taking control of their circus-and we ALWAYS get excited when we see that happening.

What could you do today to take more control of your circus-and get more of your important tasks accomplished?