The most productive engineers I’ve ever worked with aren’t the engineers who pull all-nighters or clock in 80 hour work weeks. Nor are they the engineers who can effortlessly craft an elegant five lines of x86 assembly to succinctly and efficiently solve a problem.

Focus on the problem – each and every time

• Breathe
• Focus on your body
• Try saying a mantra
• Acknowledge and label your feelings
• Take a break

Imagine my surprise when he called me into his office that day and admonished me for being too efficient. My zeal to do everything on my to-do list—along with my reserved, even shy nature—made me come across as abrupt and cold. I started every meeting by jumping right in and left with every action under control.

"You have to wallow in it," he said. "Take time to get to know people. Understand where they are coming from, what is important to them. Make sure they are with you."

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly."

Writing intrinsically champions and improves creativity, critical thinking, and clarity.

1. "If" -- improves performance when describing a hypothetical positive.
   "What would you say if you did know?"

2. "Could" -- boosts creativity when used instead of "should."

3. "Together" -- makes teams work harder and smarter

4. "Choose to" -- reframing from "have to" makes a big difference.

5. "And" -- the best way to state a contrary opinion.
   "Here's what I'm thinking."
   "My perspective is based on the following assumptions... "
   "I came to this conclusion because... "
   "I'd love to hear your reaction to what I just said."
   "Do you see any flaws in my reasoning?"
   "Do you see the situation differently?"

6. "Because" -- makes whatever you ask sound objective and rational.

7. "(Your name)" -- we prefer things connected to ourselves.

8. "Willing" -- can turn a "no" into a "yes."

7 Words to Avoid:
Need Must Can't Easy Just Only Fast

Creativity: A Systems Approach

First, an individual must master her craft in a given domain (art, science, mathematics). Then, this person must offer the creative work to a field of influencers in that domain who are trusted experts. Finally, the gatekeepers decide if the work is worth being accepted as authoritative into the domain.

1. "It's not fair."
2. "This is the way it's always been done."
3. "No problem."
4. "I think ... /This may be a silly idea ... /I'm going to ask a stupid question."
5. "This will only take a minute."
6. "I'll try."
7. "He's lazy/incompetent/a jerk."
   (There is no upside to making a disparaging remark about a colleague.)
8. "That's not in my job description."
9. "It's not my fault."
10. "I can't."
    (If you really can't do something because you truly lack the necessary skills, you need to offer an alternative solution.)
11. "I hate this job."

Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Here’s what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc.

Reflect on what you learn by writing

Apart from becoming a better writer, blogging can help you organise your thoughts.

Blogging encourages deep thinking.

When you begin to share what you know with others, your ability to communicate gets better.

Blogging helps your brain to stay active.

You will also be able to link ideas and pieces of information better.

#1: How’s life?
#2: What are you worried about right now?
#3: What rumors are you hearing that you think I should know about?
#4: If you could be proud of one accomplishment between now and next year, what would it be?
#5: What are your biggest time wasters?
#6: Would you like more or less direction from me?
#7: Would you like more or less feedback on your work? If so, what additional feedback would you like?
#8: Are there any decisions you’re hung up on?

4. Be open to teaching and learning. When people get promoted at work it's because their managers can see that they are ready to operate at a higher altitude. Show your managers you're ready by staying open to teaching people what you know and learning from your co-workers, too.
5. Climb up in altitude. Once you understand and feel comfortable at your own job, think from a higher altitude about your department and its role in your company or institution. Think about the company's goals and get clear on your personal goals, also.
6. Thank and acknowledge people. You don't have to wait for a management title to thank and acknowledge your co-workers.
7. Get comfortable asking "What can I do differently next time?" Most people will not give you feedback unless you ask for it because they'll think you might find them presumptuous if they do. Find the people you trust in your workplace and enlist them as informal mentors by asking them "You saw my presentation. Be honest -- what could I do differently next time?" If you and they are comfortable, share your feedback with them too. We all need people in our corner and on our side.

Here are humans’ core needs in the BICEPS model:

Belonging
Improvement/​Progress
Choice
Equality/​Fairness
Predictability
Status

There’s a person I want to work with. I can’t find this person. I’ve literally searched the world, and I can hardly find a trace.

I’m not talking about someone specific. In fact, that’s the problem. I’m talking about a set of traits and an attitude which is more scarce than I realized until recently. I know a small handful of people who fit what I’m looking for, but they’re busy and unavailable right now.

He are the slides from my talk at #lpw2014 on how to conduct yourself as a Developer in an interview for further information please get in touch rick@eligo.co.uk

I call this planning method time blocking. I take time blocking seriously, dedicating ten to twenty minutes every evening to building my schedule for the next day. During this planning process I consult my task lists and calendars, as well as my weekly and quarterly planning notes. My goal is to make sure progress is being made on the right things at the right pace for the relevant deadlines.

I came in from my 10-foot commute once and my 3-year-old looked up from his snack and said, “What did you make today, papa?”

It took me by surprise, as I had always assumed that when I was out of sight I was out of mind. (I now know that children seem to be most interested in you when you’re not around. When you’re actually around, they love to ignore you.) “No, he asks about you all the time,” my wife said. “He always wants to know what you’re doing. I tell him, ‘Papa’s out in his studio making things.’”

By Charles Duhigg
Four years ago, when I began working on a book about the secrets of productivity, I had a hidden motivation: I wanted to figure out how to eat dinner with my kids.

“A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow.”

The Roman poet Ovid may have said this over 2,000 years ago, but his words are just as relevant today as they were then.

(From Uncle Ed - 02/22/2017)