Over the last month, I’ve worked with two clients who love using their Sharpies! Both clients have calendars in their kitchen – one’s a dry erase board and the other is a paper calendar. Both use color to identify the various things happening in their lives and their children’s lives.
- Client #1 – uses a different color Sharpie for each child and for herself
- Client #2 – uses one color for all kids, one for her schedule, and one for everything else
Moral of the Story: Put your stuff on a calendar. Use color to keep track of your stuff. Get some Sharpies!
Get Your Sharpies & Calendar!
How do you feel about deadlines? How do you feel about waiting – dare I say, procrastinating – until a few days before your deadline? What happens to the quality of your work when you wait? Do you love tight deadlines and make your best decision when under pressure?
In a recent Behance article, it was suggested that there are “advantages of a short deadline” when working with clients.
“In advertising, and also editorial, when people have 2 days, the briefing is much better, and the discussion is much better. It’s not that people just sign off on anything because they’re in a hurry. They’re just really looking at what they have, and trying to make the best product, and get it done.”
Is this shorter, procrastination-like approach industry specific? Does this work for you? …or is this really not procrastination, but a well thought out approach to help the decision making process along?
Have you ever thought that your “To Do” list could tell what your personality is like? I have to admit, it’s not top of mind when I’m working with clients, but a couple of weeks ago, I spent some time chatting with the fabulous architects, interior designers, and human resources reps at Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT) about that very notion. Though I have a degree in Psychology, I am by no means a psychologist – BUT is was super interesting to see how their personalities were revealed by how they wrote their “To Do’s” on paper. Now, will I ask for a writing sample before working with a client? Probably not. Can it help to know a client’s tendencies and learning style in order to help them get more organized? Absolutely.
This experience was a very interesting take on what we organizers focus on and I had tons of fun chatting with NBC reporter, Eun Yang (her cameraman was super nice, too!). Take a look at what I had to say to the nice ladies at WRIT and let me know what you think. Is this whole connection between “To Do” lists and personality hogwash or does it fly with you?
60% of office workers believe that being organized is a learned trait.
[Esselte, · Work Habits of the New Millennium Global Office Research · Esselte Powerpoint Presentation 03/30/2005 · Statistic by/from Greenfield Online online survey of 2611 global office workers (563 US respondents) · Source: http://napo.net]
Get a Grip on Filing
How does a guy with a busy travel schedule keep it all together? Did I mention that this guy is the co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk, the largest and fastest growing junk removal franchises in the United States? …and that he sits on the board of the Entrepreneur’s Organization? Well, that guy is Nick Friedman. He was named one of INC Magazine’s Top 30 Entrepreneurs in America Under 30 and he sat down with me (after a bit of rescheduling) at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, MD to tell me if he stays organized. But, c’mon, he’s a guy. Can he really be organized? Ok, don’t kill me for that last comment – just kidding! Watch our interview below to find out…
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Snacks are a huge (and necessary) part of my family’s life. With two toddlers, I don’t dare leave the house without Goldfish, pretzels, apple slices, etc. So for the past two years I have used hundreds of Ziploc bags, and I’ve felt guilty every minute of it.
While recently promoting a charity event my company is organizing in DC, I walked into a kid’s store and found my answer: Lunch Skins. They are cute, sealable, reusable, snack- sized, bags. They’re dishwasher-safe and were created by a local company called 3greenmoms. So now we can snack-away without environmental guilt.
Now, if only the kids would eat something green.
On Monday, I mentioned the Twitter conversation I had with Scott Gentzen about the utility of business cards. He thinks they’re necessary and I think we can go more tech with getting contact information at networking events. Well, out of that conversation came this little tidbit from Scott:
ScottGentzen: @dallisonlee To me, fiddling with gadgets is a big issue. I don’t tweet during tweetups either.
Alright, so perhaps this isn’t mind blowing information but, in my experience, men tend to love gadgets. Case in point, when I first got my iPhone, my husband played with it for 3 hours and now kidnaps it whenever he gets a chance. He also has a Playstation, a Blackberry, surround receiver (I only know this because I looked at the label), massive speakers, and other music/sound equipment stuff.
Still, a part of me can’t help but wonder if this is all in my head. Of all the “busy people” I’ve interviewed, I’ve gotten a bit of a mixed bag…
Girls
- Lindsey Mastis – Paper day planner + Outlook + Blackberry
- Monica Ricci – Didn’t say, but I’m guessing Blackbery or both (she had a BB with her on the day of the interview)
- Angie Goff - Paper day planner
- Chilli Amar – Paper day planner
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Guys
- Mr. Fresh – Blackberry
(…actually, I’ve interviewed another guy but his video isn’t published yet…stay tuned…)
So, am I just feeding the stereotype or is there a good number of men out there who don’t like to “fiddle with gadgets?” I asked Scott tell more about his non-love affair with technology and was surprised by his response…
I will have to caveat this with that I’m not really that social out there in the world. I don’t do a lot of tweet ups and I don’t get out a lot in general. Especially to tech-related things. Actually, I’ve only been to two tweet ups and I organized them both. I don’t tend to hang around with particularly technology-driven people. Most of the time when I’m asked what I do for a living, I say “I’m a computer guy” and most folks aren’t interested in the details. To me, introductions and exchange of contact info is kind of an awkward thing that’s best gotten out of the way early. Or at least as quickly and simply as possible. Typing someone’s contact info into a phone’s no different than whipping out a notepad and hand writing it…slow. That “Bump” iPhone app is great but not everyone has it. QR codes are good and more usable than iPhone-only apps but not universal either. Business cards, I can just hand to someone and it’s done.
So. I am a geek. I love gadgets. But I love gadgets of all kinds. I have a coffee roaster. My music gear is limited by my finances but my imagination’s sky high. I have an Android-based phone and I never leave home without it. I have an iPod Touch because I don’t like the music management options on Android and I almost never leave home without that. I’m lusting after B&N’s Nook like I never did for the Kindle. I write with fountain pens on paper for notes because nobody wants to sell a tablet computer the way I want. I’m distraction-prone so any time something comes up gadget-wise, I have to ask myself if it will make the things I do easier or harder…if it can replace some process/gadget I have, or is it something else that’s going to take up space. I’m not into gadgets for gadgets’ sake.
The fiddling with gadgets comment comes partly out of the fact that I don’t get out much, I think. If I’m actually out of the house and pretending to be a people person, I think I should be interacting with the people around me rather than with my phone. I can twitter, text, email, etc. when I’m at home on my couch or on the bus during my commute, etc.
I’m not so sure about the man/woman stereotype. It depends on the gadget, I think. True, a lot more guys are obsessed with gadgets just for the technology. I think women tend to obsess less about tech in general but obsess more about the potentially fewer pieces of tech they’re into.
The first tweet up I did, I got a group of people 12 to show up, I think. The ladies were pretty much twittering, emailing and texting the whole time. The guys had all put their phones away and were more focused on enjoying each others’ company. Except for my wife who’s not interested in Twitter, doesn’t do Facebook and might check her email twice a week. I was keeping an eye on my Twitter to see if anyone was trying to get there and having a hard time finding us, but was otherwise offline.
If we’re generalizing, I think men and women have equal capacity to obsess over goofy stuff. They just have different motivations for doing so.
Blah. That’s enough rambling. I think I’ve muddied the waters enough.
Catchya later.
Scott
Ok, Scott, yes, I’m completely muddied right now! =) Now, it sounds like you do love all things tech…sometimes.
So, is there really a battle of the sexes when it comes to gadgets? Do men use them more than women to stay on top things or vice versa? Do men just have more of them (both for fun and to stay organized) and do women just choose the one gadgety thing that keeps on track?
What do you think? …and if you’re someone who’s done a study or report on this, please share.
- It’s On: The Business Card vs “Bump” (dallisonlee.com/blog)
- Scan Your Business Cards On The Go With Business Card Reader (techcrunch.com)
Professional organizers, myself included, love to tell our clients to use their vertical space. When you mount an item on a wall, you’ll get more room on your counter or floor, and that item’s footprint won’t seem quite as large. You get bigger bang for your buck.
One untouched area of many homes is typically the space under the kitchen cabinets. It’s a great place to put things that you use fairly often but don’t want on your counter. Uncluttered counters = more space to prep for meals.
What can you mount under your kitchen cabinets?
- Radio/TV
- Can Opener
- Microwave
- Knives
Did you notice that last one? Yep, knives. Mounting them keeps them close by, out of reach of little hands, and you get a little more counter space. Check out the Knife Rack Pulldown by Merillat, and if you decide to buy it, let us know how you like it..
Merillat Product Description:
This rack can be installed under your cabinet to protect fine cutlery and provide easy access to your knives at all times (holds a maximum of 10 knives). Can also be concealed by folding rack back under cabinet to keep safely away from children. Clear acrylic base with white knife holder.
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I read a very interesting article last week about whether or not the business card can be retired. Afterall, isn’t that the way we keep in touch with the other entrepreneurs we meet? Well, if you’re an iPhone user, you might do away with the business card altogether. Yep, you guessed it, there’s an app for that and it’s called “Bump.” Basically, you “bump” your iPhones together and, presto! – you each get the other’s contact information.
Other benefits: you’ll save a bunch of trees and get rid of all that business card clutter on your desk (say goodbye to buying rolodexes and biz card binders). Sounds great, right? Well, at least one other professional organizer and I say yes. Here’s how we weighed in on the article, Can’t We Retire the Business Card, by Jennifer Walzer…
November 3, 2009 2:30 pm
Here are some tools for capturing b-card info: Using Evernote Mobile, you can take a picture of the card and the text becomes searchable. You could certainly take a picture of the person and add it to the same note.
And Bump technologies makes an iPhone app that allows you to transfer contact information by literally bumping iPhones.
Oh, and let go of the old business cards and make room for new opportunities!
— Lauren Halagarda
November 4, 2009 8:50 am
I’m with Lauren on this one. There are other options out there to explore. Evernote and Bump (I use both) are great at capturing the information you need.
If you make it a point of calling/e-mailing those people that you meet at networking events soon after meeting them, the problem of remembering that you have their contact info in your phone (or other gadget) will be a non-issue. Actually contacting the people that you meet seems to be a core networking principle, yes?
— Deb Lee
It turns out that Lauren and I were in the minority…
November 3, 2009 1:49 pm
I agree with many of the other commentators. Business cards help you to look established and they are a great way to have everything on one simple sheet that you can just pass over. In some industries I could almost see people going digital with them – especially tech industries – but for your average retail store owner or general business person I think they’ll stick around for a while yet.
First of all, not all of your customers are going to have smart phones or an easy way to copy the information – and giving your info to them then requires THEM to do something. One of the major rules of marketing is to make it as easy to understand/follow through on as possible. People aren’t as likely to do something complicated or that requires work on their part.
Business cards are a create chance to give someone something that makes a statement not just about you but about your company. I think that a physical reminder is much better than a digital file for networking/marketing and branding purposes.
— Melissa Breau
November 3, 2009 8:32 pm
I love the convenience of the digital information swap, but there is something lost in the exchange. The tactile feel of a business card, as well as a sharp design, can elicit a small Wow factor. It will make people recognize you more.
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…and what does being “green” have to do with it anyway?
November 3, 2009 2:10 pm
Green Solution? Come on! I’m with Bill P. I’m weary of hearing about “green solutions” to everything, especially non-existent problems of the politically correct crowd. Business cards are an essential and simple tool. Its the first thing I hand a prospect and I ask for theirs. It only takes a few minutes at my computer after the meeting to enter the data in the CRM along with the details of our discussions. It is polite, respectful, and does not require anyone to beam signals, or enter data interfering with the few relationship building moments you are looking for in the networking process.
— Steve N
November 3, 2009 2:43 pm
I have to say that I am partial to business cards, because that is a large part of what my business does. It can express your business in an instant if done right.
For people who are worried about their carbon footprint, try 100% recycled paper w/ soy inks. Make sure your printer is FSC Certified. You don’t lose print or paper quality anymore with recycled papers.
Also, only order the quantity that you need. Most of us change our information frequently enough that we end up throwing piles of our business cards away. Ordering smaller quantities really reduces waste.
Other people just find it too cumbersome (if you’re a non-iPhone user) to type in the name, phone, number, address, etc. in their smart phones. Here’s a chat I had with Scott Gentzen (@scottgentzen) on Twitter…
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Scott: I don’t think it’s possible til there’s an electronic alternative that’s as easy to use and universal (sorry iPhone Bump’ers)
Deb: Is it too time intensive to manually input contact info in non-iPhones? Perhaps limit it to just name and web address?
Scott: iPhone or not, that’s a lot of time spent spelling and typing that one could spend interacting in more meaningful ways. it just seems a clunky awkward way to exchange contact info to me.
Deb: Hmmm…we trade info after mtg, yes? …after the meaningful interaction is over? …on the walk back to the car…
Scott: I would tend to exchange info at the beginning but that’s just me. I’m not a biz guy though, or much of a networker. To me, fiddling with gadgets is a big issue. I don’t tweet during tweetups either.
Deb: Good point to make, i.e., networking style…hadn’t thought of giving card at the start of convo…
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Now this exchange led to a whole other conversation about about stereotypes about men, women, and gadgets (more on that later). So, what do you think? Who wins? Paper or Technology? Should we just accept the paper clutter generated by business cards and/or find a work around? …or should we start exploring tech options? If you use both, leave a comment with the paper (diary, notebook, etc.) and tech (Outlook, smartphone, etc.) that you use.
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“Women who color code their linen closets report spending more time with their friends than women who do not color code their linen closets.”
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