How to disaster-proof your business and your life

For most of us, the coronavirus pandemic has been the single greatest disruption we have experienced. As traumatic and unsettling as Sept. 11 and the Great Recession were, they were limited in their scope and direct impact. By contrast, this pandemic has affected the globe on many levels and remains a scourge that we are ill-prepared to contend with.

In response to this pandemic, I conducted a series of conversations with leading thinkers, business experts and LinkedIn influencers. I wanted to learn what we could have done (and should now be doing moving forward) to get ourselves ready -- mentally and with our businesses and learning -- to better position ourselves for this (and future) disruption.

The respondent focuses were wide-ranging but could, to a large degree, be boiled down to a handful of key areas.

Think positively. There’s a better day right around the corner.
Add value, early and often.
Continually work on making meaningful connections and building relationships.
Learn to ask the right questions.
Understand your clients’ wants and needs, even better than they do.
Plan for disruption before you need to.
Keep reading and learning.

Naphtali HoffJune 1, 2020Impactful Coaching & ConsultingComment

Preserving you: Preventing teacher burnout

Think of the first time you encountered teacher burnout. Where you were. What was going on at the time. The feelings. The experiences. The surroundings.

I'll tell you what it was for me. I was a new teacher in an Orthodox Jewish independent high school. I was fresh. I was idealistic. And I was going to change the world.

Each morning, my colleagues and I would convene in the teacher's lounge. On occasion, we would play a game.

Typically speaking, one doesn’t think of teacher lounges and games; there were no chess or Scrabble boards to be found. The game that we played had no name. I have named it in arrears the “make the calendar disappear” game.

How to get back into a routine

Mondays can be challenging. As the first day back to work, it requires us to leave behind our relaxing weekends and jump back into the grind. Making matters worse, we have to reestablish routines that got interrupted by the relative serenity of Saturday and Sunday. No wonder some studies find Monday to be the second least productive day of the work week, after Friday.

Compounding the problem is the fact that with COVID19, many of us struggle more than ever to keep to even a basic semblance of a schedule.

That said, it would be wise for us to review some ways to jump back into work feet first and get more done.

Since R+R is often associated with a weekend’s gift of “rest and relaxation”, let’s use R+S to connote Monday’s “return and success”.

Leading for maximal productivity

Since rolling out my “four-step” productivity plan, I have seen the need to include an added step that focuses on leadership. After all, if we are going to get more from our people, we need to use our leadership position to motivate others, create a healthy work environment and engage others in meaningful work.

The five components of this final step (step No. 5, and I do mean final this time) are:

Build workplace passion
Manage stress
Understand and leverage your leadership style
Set them up for success
Lead from the values up

How can we feel free when we're more restricted than ever?

One of the central components of the #passover seder is the idea that we must view ourselves - all participants, regardless of circumstance - as if we are physically leaving the land of Egypt and its oppressive regime and becoming free.

Normally, this is a tall order.

But this year, it's easy to feel confined and restricted.

It's also easy to feel helpless, hopeless and pained.

And alone.

Naphtali HoffApril 8, 2020Impactful Coaching & ConsultingComment

Stay positive and be grateful

It's so easy to get down. 😟

To focus on what's not working and what we're missing. 📉

Especially with the utter disruption and pain that is #covid19. 😷

All of us do it, at least on some level.

Sustaining for maximal productivity

The next and final step (step No. 4) towards increased productivity is to aim to ensure that our new productivity process is sustainable and doesn’t quickly fizzle out. So often, we get excited about a new process but lack the tools, commitment and/or mindset to see it to completion and long-term integration.

The goal of this post is to empower you to keep going in the face of expected setbacks and maintain the requisite level of well-being required for succeeding over the long haul.

The five components of this step are:

Decline/question as many non-critical meetings and tasks as possible; learn to say no
Focus on excellence, not perfection
Break often but briefly
Self-care (sharpen saw) -- sleep, exercise, nutrition
Use your commute wisely; read often

7 Action Steps to Pass Your Time Productively

Has your industry been deeply impacted by COVID19, such as education, travel, tourism, or event sales?

Are you stuck at home with little to do while you wait for the other coronavirus shoe to drop?

Many of us are experiencing unprecedented levels of disruption to our personal and professional lives.

We fear for our futures and wonder what we can do to make the best use of our time and position ourselves for immediate success as soon as the storm passes.

Here are some strategies for what to do with your newfound time:

Work on that neglected project – We all have things that we’ve wanted to do FOREVER, such as write that book, build that webpage, organize that event, whatever it is. Use the newfound time at your disposal to do that thing as if it was your actual job. Schedule it with meaningful time blocks and pursue it as if you have a deadline. Divide the job into chunks (such as X number of words typed per day) and stay focused on your goal until it is achieved. Click here for more about setting SMART goals that convert.

How to stay productive with the kids home

My wife and I got an email late Thursday night that our kids’ schools were closing for Friday and all of this week at the minimum.

So, how will we stay productive with the kids home?

And, of course, we are not alone.

As COVID19 becomes more and more disruptive, many working parents, particularly those with young kids and without regular domestic help, are dealing with the added challenge of managing their workloads while providing proper care for their children.

Here are some strategies that can help working parents get through this trying period while still getting things done.

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