Jim Ries
by Jim Ries
As Director of Business Development, Jim Ries drives revenue growth for Offit Kurman by helping business leaders and families of wealth address some their most difficult challenges. He also identifies and develops strategic partnerships and market opportunities. Jim has access to a deep network of attorneys in every practice area, and he is able to connect his clients to the right attorney who can resolve their legal disputes and protect their assets. Jim is a master networker, and his high-level connections call him for solutions when they don't know who to call. Let Jim be your Google. Contact Jim.
How do you define productivity? Is your productivity marked by the amount of time you spend on your projects on any given day, or by how much you’ve accomplished by the end of the week?
To me, productivity is all about knowing how best to optimise my daily schedule with my personal work habits. Some of us thrive when working with tight deadlines, while others can shift from heavy and light workloads on different days of the week.
Regardless of how you choose to define your version of productivity, I think we can all resolve to be more productive. That’s why I want to share some of my productivity strategies that I believe can work with any schedule. I hope you find them useful.
Have a morning routine
Without a consistent morning routine, I often find that I start the workday much foggier than I would like. If you have the opportunity, take some time to do whatever you need to do to clear your mind before you sit down at your desk for the day. Whether that be taking a walk, taking an exercise class, reading a chapter of a book, meditating, or mindfully making your preferred morning drink – don’t try to beat the clock. There’s no need to rush to get everything done as soon as possible first thing in the morning.
Set up calendar blocks
With digital tools, setting up blocks of time for different types of work has never been simpler. Use your calendar to segment portions of the day for client work, personal work, business development, and so on. By telling yourself, “I’ll work on this project for the next two hours before I shift focus to the next one for the rest of the afternoon”, you can better ensure that you’re getting done what needs to get done without veering off track and losing the day. Setting up a schedule is one thing but sticking to it is another thing entirely. At the very least, calendar blocks establish a workable framework for productivity.
Delegate your tasks
When we are too focused on the small tasks, our productivity towards the bigger, more time-intensive projects can quickly diminish. Consider where you can begin to delegate more –either by using technology or getting help from your team. And if you are spending too much time on administrative tasks outside of your zone of genius, consider hiring an outsourced professional like a bookkeeper or a payroll service.
Ask others to keep you accountable
Don’t fully trust yourself to stay on task? Reach out to colleagues or members of your team to ask if they would be willing to serve as accountability partners for you. Personally, I can’t think of a stronger motivator than the risk of losing face with your friends and co-workers.
Use online productivity tools
I cannot overstate the utility of online productivity tools and apps. Scheduling tools such as Calendly can help you block off specific times for networking. And task management systems such as Trello, Monday, or Asana can help you stay organised and keep track of your daily to-do lists.
Prepare the night before
The night before each workday, I make a list of the people I need to talk to the next day with notes about where they work, what their role is, how we were introduced, and what we are planning to discuss. This way, I have my notes ready to go for my meetings without needing to worry about getting everything sorted out and organised first thing in the morning.
Limit your distractions
Hooked on an app or social media platform? You’re not alone. So much of our surroundings, both online and off, is explicitly designed to keep our minds occupied and distracted. If possible, consider keeping your mobile device turned off or in a separate location during the workday. If your device is needed throughout the day, try exploring productivity apps and browser add-ons designed to block distracting websites and social media platforms.
Offit Kurman is a full-service law firm that serves dynamic businesses, individuals and families. With 16 offices and nearly 250 lawyers, Offit Kurman provides innovative and entrepreneurial counsel that focuses on clients’ business objectives across more than 30 areas of practice.
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