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#ProdChat – 04/01/15 – Teaching Productivity
On April 1, 2015, #ProdChat discussed the topic, Teaching Productivity. As productivity enthusiasts, we are beneficiaries of learning to be more productive and see the value of the time and energy spent doing so. As well, we can also gain compound benefits by making others in our lives more productive. That’s the discussion topic for this #ProdChat. Watch the slideshow to see what the productivity enthusiasts on #ProdChat had to say about teaching productivity. Enjoy!
Raw transcript:
| Tweet | Time (GMT) | |
| rsidneysmith | Welcome to #ProdChat, #productivity enthusiasts! Today we’ll be discussing “Teaching Productivity”! | 2/4/2015 0:59 |
| rsidneysmith | Let’s start with introductions! We will throw out question 1 in a few minutes while others join us! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:00 |
| halduauthor | Hey #prodchat, this should be a good topic today | 2/4/2015 1:00 |
| Carlaibarra14 | Hi #prodchat im excited about this topic! | 2/4/2015 1:02 |
| rsidneysmith | @Carlaibarra14 Hey, Carla! Welcome to #prodchat! | 2/4/2015 1:03 |
| halduauthor | Hi I am Ben, I do a little bit of everything, productivity helps me do a little more #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:03 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Hey, Ben! How’re you doing today? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:04 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith a little sick but ok #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:04 |
| rsidneysmith | Q1: How do you approach teaching yourself #productivity? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:05 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Sorry to hear that, mate! I hope you feel better soon. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:05 |
| MarkDealMBA | Hi all. I’m Mark and do a few things well. Productivity helps me expand my wings #ProdChat | 2/4/2015 1:06 |
| MarkDealMBA | A1: I’ve studied the few systems, listened to even more people. And try bits and pieces to see what works for me #teaching #ProdChat | 2/4/2015 1:07 |
| Carlaibarra14 | Hi! Im Carla, I am a student and an intern so I have to make sure my days are productive in order to get everything done #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:07 |
| rsidneysmith | @MarkDealMBA Hey, Mark! Welcome to #ProdChat. How’re you today? | 2/4/2015 1:07 |
| MarkDealMBA | @rsidneysmith I had poop outcome at City Hall two hours ago, but looking forward to turning around this evening with a good #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:08 |
| halduauthor | A1: mostly I get info on the web, from blogs, podcasts, etc. then I try to apply the parts I think will help me #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:08 |
| rsidneysmith | @MarkDealMBA Well, I’m sorry to hear about that, and I hope #prodchat does just that! 🙂 | 2/4/2015 1:09 |
| Carlaibarra14 | @rsidneysmith i make sure i am always aware of what is coming up so that i can schedule a little time each day to complete tasks #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:09 |
| rsidneysmith | Q2: Since we all have opportunities to teach #productivity, how do you approach showing others how to be more productive? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:10 |
| halduauthor | A2: I try to frame it in terms of how they can accomplish what they are trying to get out of life, how they can be extraordinary #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:14 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith Hi Ray, all. sorry to be late. Was doing the most important thing to be doing – dinner with family. #GTD #ProdChat | 2/4/2015 1:14 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek Wonderful to have you here on the #ProdChat today, Lee! Cheers! | 2/4/2015 1:15 |
| halduauthor | @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith tasks have to align with values #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:16 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor @rsidneysmith yes, important to do the RIGHT things, not just get any things done. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:16 |
| halduauthor | @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith so GTRTD? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:17 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor: @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith so GTRTD? #prodchat <- I love it! | 2/4/2015 1:18 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor @rsidneysmith after all, that is what 50K and other higher level views are about establishing, along with bottom up. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:19 |
| rsidneysmith | A2: I think being a role model is the best way I can show others how to be productive. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:19 |
| rsidneysmith | Q3: What are some good tools for teaching #productivity? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:20 |
| rsidneysmith | A2: I review every interaction with people as an #productivity teaching opportunity. (But, then, it’s what I do!) 😉 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:20 |
| AntonioToday | RT @halduauthor: A2: I try to frame it in terms of how they can accomplish what they are trying to get out of life, how they can be extraor… | 2/4/2015 1:20 |
| lifesmithk | A2: First – stop doing things and hit the pause button – get clear, then engage #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:20 |
| halduauthor | So this is what I tell my students: the power is not in spinning all the plates, but in choosing which plates fall #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:20 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith A3 I don’t see teaching #productivity as a tools based activity. much more about approach and process, GTD or other #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:21 |
| rsidneysmith | @lifesmithk Welcome, Kathleen! Glad you could make it to the #ProdChat tweet tonight! (Kathleen is speaking to @gtdnyc this month!) | 2/4/2015 1:21 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith also a learning opportunity #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:21 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek In a way, #GTD is your tool. 🙂 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:22 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Exactly. You can do everything mediocre, or you can do a few things well! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:22 |
| lifesmithk | @rsidneysmith @gtdnyc Thanks Ray! entering the 22nd century of #prodchat twitter world! | 2/4/2015 1:23 |
| halduauthor | A3: a white board, a way to show your screen, some quotes from Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Covey, and David Allen #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:23 |
| gtdnyc | RT @lifesmithk: @rsidneysmith @gtdnyc Thanks Ray! entering the 22nd century of #prodchat twitter world! | 2/4/2015 1:23 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @lifesmithk: @rsidneysmith @gtdnyc Thanks Ray! entering the 22nd century of #prodchat twitter world! | 2/4/2015 1:23 |
| prodchat | RT @lifesmithk: @rsidneysmith @gtdnyc Thanks Ray! entering the 22nd century of #prodchat twitter world! | 2/4/2015 1:23 |
| rsidneysmith | A3: I have a tendency to gush about the #productivity tools that I enjoy using, and that’s usually how I end up opening the dialog.#prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:23 |
| Carlaibarra14 | @halduauthor i agree. You cant give 100% to everything if you are overwhelmed its best to prioritize #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:24 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @halduauthor: A3: a white board, a way to show your screen, some quotes from Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Covey, and David Allen #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:24 |
| joshmccormack | RT @macbikegeek: @rsidneysmith A3 I don’t see teaching #productivity as a tools based activity. much more about approach and process, GTD o… | 2/4/2015 1:24 |
| rsidneysmith | A3: Definitely using other highly productive people as examples is a great “tool” (or their tools) to teach productivity. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:24 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith I don’t even know that you can do everything mediocre… #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:24 |
| rsidneysmith | A3: The power of the story is one way I feel like teaching #productivity makes it real to others. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:25 |
| lifesmithk | A2: Also, sometime people need to be reassured that productivity is actually possible / versus business and churning paper #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:25 |
| halduauthor | RT @macbikegeek: @rsidneysmith A3 I don’t see teaching #productivity as a tools based activity. much more about approach and process, GTD o… | 2/4/2015 1:25 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor That’s fair. “Everything” is rather broad. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:25 |
| halduauthor | @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith I agree #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:25 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith A3 same for me (gushing abt tools) or it’s an intervention/rescue of someone I see drowning. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:25 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek Yes, that’s always great when you can use a moment of trouble to help them learn (w/o patronizing or belittling)! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:26 |
| rsidneysmith | @lifesmithk Yes, it’s tough to overcome inertia, overwhelm, procrastination, but reassurance can help people stop digging! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:27 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor That’s true…when you teach something, you learn it twice. (Who said that?) #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:27 |
| halduauthor | Like this @rsidneysmith “oh man did you forget the milk? Well *gush* I have a tool to help you remember the milk” #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:27 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @halduauthor: Like this @rsidneysmith “oh man did you forget the milk? Well *gush* I have a tool to help you remember the milk” #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:27 |
| halduauthor | RT @rsidneysmith: A3: The power of the story is one way I feel like teaching #productivity makes it real to others. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:28 |
| macbikegeek | @halduauthor: Like this @rsidneysmith “oh man did you forget the milk? Well *gush* I have a tool to help remember the milk” #prodchat <- lol | 2/4/2015 1:28 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith yep, evidence is a great teacher #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:28 |
| rsidneysmith | A3: Another great #productivity teaching tool is great literature, podcasts, blogs, etc., in the area most needed. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:29 |
| lifesmithk | A3: Have people do a reality check of how they use the 168 hours in their week – fundamentals use a bunch of it – gasp #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:29 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith something will always fall. Wouldn’t you like to make that the thing you care about the least? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:29 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith not sure… #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:30 |
| rsidneysmith | A3: If I can direct someone to material that’s going to immerse/engage them into the answer, that’s the best teaching tool. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:30 |
| rsidneysmith | Q4: What are our big hurdles when trying to teach ourselves or others productive skills? (Time, task, project or other management) #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:30 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith A4: I don’t have time for that! 😉 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:30 |
| halduauthor | @lifesmithk I had my students do this. They didn’t like it, but it was eye opening for them #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:31 |
| rsidneysmith | A4: Some people are just not open to change! Change is hard; no question about that. But, some resist it…dead on arrival. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:31 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @halduauthor: @rsidneysmith something will always fall. Wouldn’t you like to make that the thing you care about the least? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:31 |
| Carlaibarra14 | @rsidneysmith @halduauthor according to google it was Joseph Jouber a french moralist… You learn something new every day #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:32 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @Carlaibarra14: @rsidneysmith @halduauthor according to google it was Joseph Jouber a french moralist… You learn something new every d… | 2/4/2015 1:32 |
| rsidneysmith | @Carlaibarra14 @halduauthor Haha. Thank you, Carla (and Google)! :)) #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:32 |
| halduauthor | A4: the blame game. Productivity is really about responsibility and people hate giving up their blame card #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:32 |
| rsidneysmith | A4: Some people don’t handle the relationship dynamic (coworker feeling like he or she doesn’t need to learn from peers). #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:33 |
| lifesmithk | @halduauthor yes reality makes some people crazy! haha #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:33 |
| halduauthor | RT @Carlaibarra14: @rsidneysmith @halduauthor according to google it was Joseph Jouber a french moralist… You learn something new every d… | 2/4/2015 1:33 |
| rsidneysmith | A4: Or, a boss/supervisor not feeling like he or she needs to learn from staff. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:33 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Well said, sir! Personal responsibility / accountability is the name of the game, not blaming others. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:34 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith how many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the bulb has to want to change. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:34 |
| halduauthor | Let’s face it getting into something GTD is extremely stressful because you actually have to face what you’ve done to yourself #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:35 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Yet, we’re in a society where people are quick to point a finger… #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:35 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor …instead of, “We have a problem. Here are solutions. Let’s fix this together!” #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:35 |
| rsidneysmith | Hehe 😉 #prodchat https://t.co/pbnvt3A0su | 2/4/2015 1:36 |
| lifesmithk | A4: Being consistent enough to get to the other side of the ‘struggle zone’ and reap the rewards of the new practice #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:36 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith its the hardest thing to give up, but that’s the most liberating thing you can do #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:36 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith anywhere but me! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:37 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith @halduauthor collaboration is vastly more productive in many situations than competition but means letting go of ego #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:37 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor And there are many complexities, learning #GTD, dealing with self-judgment, habitualizing the practices, reiterating. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:37 |
| halduauthor | @lifesmithk so true #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:37 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @halduauthor: @rsidneysmith its the hardest thing to give up, but that’s the most liberating thing you can do #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:38 |
| halduauthor | Here is the thing, it might actually be somebody else’s fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that you only control YOU #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:39 |
| rsidneysmith | A4: I’m such a solutions-oriented person, so sometimes knowing the right time to intervene with teaching #productivity. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:40 |
| rsidneysmith | Q5: Were you taught #productivity in school at any point? What was your experience in getting into productivity? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:40 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @halduauthor: Here is the thing, it might actually be somebody else’s fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that you only control YOU … | 2/4/2015 1:40 |
| rsidneysmith | A5: I don’t think there were any overt courses I ever took in school about #productivity. I hope to change that about society. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:41 |
| rsidneysmith | (At least, start the ball rolling as it relates to American society.) #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:41 |
| halduauthor | The biggest hurdle that people have to get past is that THEY have to make choices that line up with THEIR values #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:41 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith A5 I dimly remember being taught how to study & get homework done in middle school – essentially #productivity stuff #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:42 |
| halduauthor | Then tools and systems can help, but before that they will be crippled in effectiveness #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:42 |
| rsidneysmith | A5: However, I did have a typing course in high school and it was by far, the best skill I ever learned in school! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:42 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek That’s pretty awesome! It seems much more like a rarity than the norm. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:43 |
| MarkDealMBA | GQ: Do you teach productivity unsolicited, or do you sell the end value of productivity? #ProdChat | 2/4/2015 1:43 |
| halduauthor | A5: I was homeschooled, so yes my mother taught me how to make lists, I had opportunities to make choices, prioritize, etc #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:43 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith it was a long time ago. I went to a small town Ohio public school system that was pretty remarkable for its time #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:44 |
| rsidneysmith | We don’t teach about how to learn best, and we don’t offer productivity skills training in academia as much as I think we should. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:44 |
| TonyLydell | RT @rsidneysmith: We don’t teach about how to learn best, and we don’t offer productivity skills training in academia as much as I think we… | 2/4/2015 1:44 |
| halduauthor | A5b: let me just say that @IsaPinaud, @cooperjohnj and I have talked about addressing this issue #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:44 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek It sounds pretty remarkable. Kinda of like the Reggio (spelling?) schools of today! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:44 |
| rsidneysmith | RT @MarkDealMBA: GQ: Do you teach productivity unsolicited, or do you sell the end value of productivity? #ProdChat | 2/4/2015 1:45 |
| macbikegeek | @MarkDealMBA other than the gushing @rsidneysmith mentioned, more selling value and life benefits and great feelings that result #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:45 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith would you come tell my students that 🙂 they don’t believe me #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:45 |
| Carlaibarra14 | Q5: i wasnt directly taught it but having to juggle my time has helped me develop skills that allow me to be more productive #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:45 |
| rsidneysmith | @MarkDealMBA That’s a great Q! // “GQ: Do you teach productivity unsolicited, or do you sell the end value of productivity?” #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:46 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor Wow! That’s something we should definitely talk about when I interview you on my upcoming podcast! 🙂 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:46 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith for sure! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:47 |
| MarkDealMBA | @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith sounds like someone selling religion. 🙂 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:47 |
| rsidneysmith | @halduauthor @IsaPinaud @cooperjohnj Nice! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:47 |
| rsidneysmith | @MarkDealMBA I would say, for me, I always take opportunities when solicited, and then sell end value when someone feels pain. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:48 |
| halduauthor | @MarkDealMBA @macbikegeek @rsidneysmith like those Mormons 😉 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:48 |
| macbikegeek | @MarkDealMBA @rsidneysmith religion,cult,movement…there is an element of belief,though I think there is pretty objective evidence #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:48 |
| rsidneysmith | @MarkDealMBA Someone is more open to saying, “Can we discuss how you manage your calendar next week?” when they’ve messed up. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:49 |
| rsidneysmith | Q6: How we can expand the possibilities of teaching #productivity to our everyday lives? #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:50 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek @MarkDealMBA As with all things related to hope, we must believe in things we may not tangibly see in front of us. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:50 |
| rsidneysmith | Oh, Ben. You have dropped that in a while. You’re slacking! 😉 #prodchat https://t.co/BhHcTtkQ92 | 2/4/2015 1:50 |
| rsidneysmith | Correction: Oh, Ben. You *haven’t* dropped that in a while. … https://t.co/BhHcTtkQ92 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:51 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith A6: the first is what you said before, modeling the behaviors. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:52 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith A6b: also, being aware of openings to share w people who might be interested or need help with #productivity #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:52 |
| rsidneysmith | A6: Deeply personally, I love teaching #productivity, so at every opportunity I let others know greater fulfillment is possible. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:53 |
| Carlaibarra14 | @halduauthor i would totally back you up! I cant imagine what college would be like if i was bad at typing #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:53 |
| rsidneysmith | A6a: Fulfillment is different than happiness. This is the direct observation of a work providing reward, as opposed to feelings. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:54 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith though I think fulfillment frequently brings happiness/satisfaction. 🙂 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:55 |
| rsidneysmith | @macbikegeek Exactly! That’s my point. Positive affect is a byproduct of doing fulfilling activities in life. 🙂 #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:55 |
| halduauthor | RT @rsidneysmith: A6: Deeply personally, I love teaching #productivity, so at every opportunity I let others know greater fulfillment is po… | 2/4/2015 1:56 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith ditto #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:56 |
| rsidneysmith | A6: Sharing #productivity resources with others, opens new opportunities to teach. It’s how a pebble in the pond beget ripples. #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:56 |
| halduauthor | @rsidneysmith good thing my pebble is water proof #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:57 |
| rsidneysmith | Before I forget, our next Productivity Book Group will discuss “Joy of Less, a Minimalist Guide” by Francine Joy! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:58 |
| halduauthor | It’s been fun #prodchat, now gotta go exercise | 2/4/2015 1:58 |
| rsidneysmith | And, our next Google Hangout on Air for Productivity Cafe will be on “Quantified Self, Technology and Productivity”! Details soon! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 1:58 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith great chat, thanks. Hope to read the book quickly this time! Can’t wait for quantified self discussion! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 2:00 |
| rsidneysmith | I’ll post links to those activities in the next day. Stay tuned! It’s been great, #productivity enthusiasts! See you next week! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 2:00 |
| Carlaibarra14 | Thanks everyone! #prodchat | 2/4/2015 2:03 |
| macbikegeek | @rsidneysmith Enjoyable quick read on simplifying: download PDF at http://t.co/h0eORRdOyS #prodchat | 2/4/2015 2:09 |
| louisa_jo | RT @halduauthor: Here is the thing, it might actually be somebody else’s fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that you only control YOU … | 2/4/2015 2:56 |
| IsaPinaud | RT @halduauthor: A5b: let me just say that @IsaPinaud, @cooperjohnj and I have talked about addressing this issue #prodchat | 2/4/2015 5:52 |
| IsaPinaud | RT @halduauthor: A5b: let me just say that @IsaPinaud, @cooperjohnj and I have talked about addressing this issue #prodchat | 2/4/2015 5:52 |
| IsaPinaud | I am so sad that I missed this #prodchat !! LOVE LOVE LOVE the subject! @rsidneysmith Looking forward to reading the transcript | 2/4/2015 5:55 |
| CloudEase | Cloud tools that save #tradies time, work and money http://t.co/QuWpVEhvgm #cloudtalk #prodchat #smallbiz #startup http://t.co/pgd26Q7P4W | 2/4/2015 7:30 |
| MarkDealMBA | @rsidneysmith we missed you too @IsaPinaud. It was eye opening being surrounded by ‘productivity teachers’ on #prodchat | 2/4/2015 11:49 |