Friday 31 May 2013
Thursday 30 May 2013
How to Ask the Right Questions
Asking questions is a crucial part of problem solving of any type, especially when it comes to creative and commercial excellence. Author of Glimmer and innovation speaker Warren Berger shows you how to ask better questions in this Fast Company article — by considering multiple point of views, with an emphasis on one particular perspective:
Innovation is driven by questions that are original, bold, counterintuitive, and perceptive. Some of the designers I’ve talked to about questioning–people like Wurman, Stefan Sagmeister, Yves Behar, and others–have observed that coming up with the right question, the one that casts a familiar challenge in a new light, is an art and science in itself. It demands that the questioner be able to look at an existing reality from multiple viewpoints, including, perhaps most importantly, that of the “naïve outsider.”
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/jlWmqxKuNXQ/how-to-ask-the-right-questions
The 3 Types of “Time Dashes” To Get Things Done
Writer and speaker Merlin Mann suggests this method for beating procrastination:
The key is to pick a goal that’s laughably modest. Seriously, this is not the place for extravagant predictions and overly ambitious goals (that’s probably what helped land you here, right?).
Once you set your small goal, choose one of three types of dashes:
Time-based dash – Most jobs lend themselves to a time-based dash, so pick up a kitchen timer at your local drugstore. Choose an amount of time that gives you enough room to do something but that’s brief enough to seem completely unintimidating. For some reason, eight minutes seems to work well for most of my own dashes.
Unit-based dash – Alternatively, depending on the tasks you’ve been avoiding, you could go with a unit-based dash, during which you agree to plow through an arbitrary number of pieces associated with your project (such as pages to read, words to write, glasses to wash, etc.).
Combination dash – In many cases, the best solution is a combination dash, in which you get to stop the hated work whenever you reach either the time or unit goal first.
Above all, remember that this is all about doing something, so pick a goal at which you can’t possibly fail.
When you find that you’re on an article spree instead of making progress on work, use a dash to build momentum and beat procrastination. Small wins also has the side benefit of enhanced motivation, as Teresa Amabile shares.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/J0qct8es-b8/the-3-types-of-time-dashes-to-get-things-done
Wednesday 29 May 2013
Save Time with a Reading Hierarchy
The large of majority of us are time-starved and overloaded with information. It often seems impossible to manage what we’re doing and work on the tasks, or learn the lessons, we need to get to the next level. How do other people do it?
Here’s how Farhan Thawar, VP of Engineering at Xtreme Labs, saves a lot of his time:
There’s been one tip in the past five years that has given me the most amount of time in my life; it’s called, “Don’t read the news.” It has been amazing. I literally don’t read the news, I try to limit my news to what people tell me, and I’ll look it up later… I can really focus on things that have non-temporal value, that don’t just become obsolete.
Thawar goes on to give an example of a “reading hierarchy,” which looks like this:
- Books
- Magazines
- Blogs
While it can be extremely satisfying to know the news before everyone else, it’s important to pay important to the evergreen information that will be valuable not only for the next week, but for the years to come.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/FSiN7p9V7oo/save-time-with-a-reading-hierarchy
Tim Ferriss: Thin on Time? Use the “Not Todo” List
In addition to having a todo list, it’s also very beneficial to create a list of activities and habits not to do. This way, you can start breaking bad habits in order to free up time and energy to focus on good habits and creative work. Bestselling author, entrepreneur, and angel investor Tim Ferriss writes:
‘Not-to-do’ lists are often more effective than to-do lists for upgrading performance. The reason is simple: what you don’t do determines what you can do.
Here’s his Not-to-do list:
1. Do not answer calls from unrecognized phone numbers
2. Do not e-mail first thing in the morning or last thing at night
3. Do not agree to meetings or calls with no clear agenda or end time
4. Do not let people ramble
5. Do not check e-mail constantly — “batch” and check at set times only
6. Do not over-communicate with low-profit, high-maintenance customers
7. Do not work more to fix overwhelm — prioritize
8. Do not carry a cellphone or “Crackberry” 24/7
9. Do not expect work to fill a void that non-work relationships and activities should
Ferriss’ list is a great starting point, but it’s also important to tailor your Not-todo list to you. Other Not-todo items can include not checking social networks till a certain time, or limiting the amount and type of media consumed throughout the day.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/XqpvjqaQCVE/thin-on-time-use-the-not-todo-list
Tuesday 28 May 2013
Monday 27 May 2013
Sunday 26 May 2013
Saturday 25 May 2013
Friday 24 May 2013
Thursday 23 May 2013
Ignorance is Your Best Weapon
Brault writes about diffusing the excuse mechanism by embracing ignorance. We often see notable creatives say their success happened because they had no idea what was and wasn’t possible. The next time you find yourself in over your head, don’t panic. Embrace the uncertainty as a chance to push your limits. As Brault writers:
You already are who you are and the very want for doing it is the only call you need to make it happen. You don’t need permission and you don’t need to “become” something first.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/44FB-iG1o-Q/ignorance-is-your-best-weapon
Biz Stone: Abandon Your Failures
Biz Stone is best known as the founder of Twitter. But things weren’t always so rosey for him:
My first startup, an online reviews site called Xanga, was struggling, and, tired of being broke in New York, I quit. My wife and I headed back to my hometown of Wellesley, Massachusetts, with tens of thousands of dollars of credit card debt in tow. We moved into the basement of my mom’s house. I had no job. I tried to sell an old copy of Photoshop on eBay, but no one bought it.
Meanwhile Stone religiously kept a blog, and began to think of himself as an expert. On a whim he called Ev Williams who ran Blogger as part of Google and convinced him to bring him on. But even with Williams on his side, he had trouble getting the gig:
Larry and Sergey flat out said that he couldn’t hire me. Ev persisted. Finally, they begrudgingly agreed that Wayne Rosing—then Google’s senior VP of engineering—could talk to me on the phone. I waited nervously in my attic apartment. The phone rang, and as I reached for it something came over me. In that instant I decided to abandon all the failure I’d been carrying around. Instead, I would embody my alter ego.
…
It worked. Wayne told Larry and Sergey to hire me. Working at Google, my virtual and physical worlds collided: With the seemingly limitless resources, scientists, and secret projects, the place was practically Genius Labs.
Years later Williams and Stone would quit, leaving lots of pre-IPO money on the table to start their next project: Twitter.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/7G0cQ8un2hA/biz-stone-abandon-your-failures
Wednesday 22 May 2013
In Defense of Dumb Questions
Programmer Chris Maddox writes about the time he realized the benefit of expressing his opinions, even when he knew he had a lot to learn. He recalls a college economics class where Christina Romer, former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, was guest a lecturer:
Far too often, I have seen peers cowed in the face of brilliance and, as such, failed to leave with any useful knowledge. Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure if sending checks to Americans during the recession was a good idea. But I bet that if I told Christina Romer that the economics taught in our ivory tower ignored fundamental tenets of human psychology, she’d have a profoundly interesting answer. [So I asked.] She laughed…then tore me to pieces.
Those 90 seconds taught me more about economics than two semesters of lecture, problem sets, and pretty graphs.
Read his entire essay here.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/A8QkTIWabSY/in-defense-of-dumb-questions
Tuesday 21 May 2013
When Stuck, Talk It Out
The difference between success and failure often lies in bouncing back and re-igniting the artistic fire we need to work. So how exactly can we bounce back into creating? Fred Waitzkin, author of Searching for Bobby Fisher, says bouncing ideas off his wife (or anyone, really) helps:
I have a couple of friends that I rely upon. They are very perceptive about the human heart. I’ll talk quite specifically about what isn’t working in a section of my book. I listen closely to what they think. I’ve done this many times. My wife Bonnie has helped me many times like this.
Here is the curious thing. Often her advice or the idea of a friend isn’t what I end up doing. But listening to the ideas engenders a new idea. The whole point is that you have to get moving. Movement begets movement. You need to get unstuck.
The principle is to do anything that builds momentum. For example, if it’s writer’s block, and you truly can’t write – then tape yourself talking/ranting/raving about a subject, then type it out in a word processor. Talk to a friend about your concept. Or, lay out the overall structure of the piece.
Defeat your analysis paralysis by moving. Just make a move.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/fnza2rA_n9Q/when-stuck-talk-it-out
How To Talk To Important People
It doesn’t matter how creative you are, if you can’t communicate your vision to decision makers, you’ll forever be relegated to a supporting role. Like all communication, talking to busy people is all about empathy for the other person’s goals and priorities.
Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins write about the issue for the Harvard Business Review, using a client named Jason as an example:
Jason often got mired in the details when communicating with higher level colleagues, and therefore missed opportunities to share his insights. To stop this from happening, he started to prepare two to three key messages before every meeting, and made sure to focus on how his group’s analytical work drove value for the organization. In essence, Jason conditioned himself for the expected, leaving his “thinking on his feet” energy for those situations that were least predictable.
Even if you’re the youngest person at the table, you’re at the table. Don’t be afraid to make your voice heard. Just make it count.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/WJOS4rFb7YM/how-to-talk-to-important-people
Monday 20 May 2013
Sunday 19 May 2013
Friday 17 May 2013
Thursday 16 May 2013
Wednesday 15 May 2013
Tuesday 14 May 2013
Monday 13 May 2013
How to Spot a Weak Argument
Daniel Dennett on how to spot a weak argument:
When you’re reading or skimming argumentative essays, especially by philosophers, here is a quick trick that may save you much time and effort, especially in this age of simple searching by computer: look for “surely” in the document, and check each occurrence. Not always, not even most of the time, but often the word “surely” is as good as a blinking light locating a weak point in the argument.
Surely, we should be careful when making our case to others.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/1OsiR4TikmQ/how-to-spot-a-weak-argument
Friday 10 May 2013
The Benefits of Being T-shaped
Leonardo da Vinci was a master artist but dabbled in anatomy, mechanics, and architecture (to name a few). Each of these sub-disciplines also served to make him a better artist. The Art of Manliness shares a couple of ideas for becoming a T-shaped individual:
- Gain mastery in one discipline
- Read broadly
- Remain curious
- Actively dabble
Having skills in multiple disciplines allows you to gain more insights into your area of expertise since creativity is largely about making connections between disparate ideas. Additionally, life simply becomes more interesting when you’re constantly on the lookout for ways to strengthen your range of interests.
Previously: Picasso, Kepler, and the Benefits of Being an Expert Generalist
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/D7l5MFefYv8/the-benefits-of-being-t-shaped
Wednesday 8 May 2013
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Inbox Zero Has Little to Do With Email and Everything to Do With Great Work
It feels good to empty your email inbox. It feels even better to focus on the stuff you’ve committed to making happen. Don’t let managing the unknown distract you from the known. Merlin Mann is the creator of “Inbox Zero”, a simple email management philosophy that’s not really about email at all.
At the end of the day a box full of email is just a box full of stuff that may or may not hold any relevance to your work and life. Obsessing over keeping that box empty at the expense of the really cool projects you’ve already accepted responsibility for isn’t a great trade-off.
From the man who literally coined the phrase “Inbox Zero” — you have permission to close your email and do something awesome.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/poAb3Nwb9ts/inbox-zero-has-little-to-do-with-email-and-everything-to-do-with-great-work
Friday 3 May 2013
A Conversation About Being Busy Is Barely a Conversation at All
Saying, “Busy!” has become the automatic non-answer when somebody asks, “How are you?” It immediately shuts down an interaction and any opportunity for constructive conversation is dashed upon the rocks of ineloquence. If you find yourself responding this way a lot, it may be worth some effort to figure out why you’re so busy (or at least saying you are).
- Track your time with software like Rescue Time or with pen-and-paper to help you discover what is causing you to feel so busy.
- Became more mindful of your language. Try responding by saying what you’re working on right now.
Saying you’re busy is a verbal crutch that means nothing in today’s work reality.
via 99U http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/The99Percent/~3/_E_MPjqmanA/a-conversation-about-being-busy-is-barely-a-conversation-at-all
Thursday 2 May 2013
Is Our Trust in Technology Trumping Our Natual Instincts?
Whatever happened to spontaneity? Remember when you used to wake up and say, “What do I want to do today?” Now, we wake up and look to our phones for a directive. We check the weather app to see what we should wear, we check our email to tell us what we should do.
As designer James Victore writes in our new 99U book:
We have become so trusting of technology that we have lost faith in ourselves and our born instincts. There are still parts of life that we do not need to “better” with technology. It’s important to understand that you are smarter than your smartphone. To paraphrase, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your Google. Mistakes are a part of life and often the path to profound new insights—so why try to remove them completely? Getting lost while driving or visiting a new city used to be an adventure and a good story. Now we just follow the GPS.
To “know thyself” is hard work. Harder still is to believe that you, with all your flaws, are enough—without checking in, tweeting an update, or sharing a photo as proof of your existence for the approval of your 719 followers. A healthy relationship with your devices is all about taking ownership of your time and making an investment in your life. I’m not calling for any radical, neo-Luddite movement here. Carving out time for yourself is as easy as doing one thing. Walk your dog. Stroll your baby. Go on a date—without your handheld holding your hand.
This is an excerpt from Manage Your Day-to-Day , the new book from 99U, with contributions from James Victore, Gretchen Rubin, Scott Belsky, Seth Godin, Stefan Sagmeister, and many more.
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Illustration courtesy of James Victore.
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