Introduction from Alana:
Cynthia Kyriazis is one of those truly special individuals who I feel lucky just to know. She’s a great strategist, thinker and especially productivity coach. You may recall the CLC Community first met Cynthia in back in November of 2014 when I wrote about her brilliant concept: The meeting isn’t finished until you’ve followed up.
I, for one, continue to lean on her as a personal advisor, mentor and friend in a number of areas. That is why it gives me great pleasure to share Cynthia’s genius with our CLC Community as she has just published a book, Get Organized. Get Focused. Get Moving. Whether you feel compelled to get organized at work, at home or through your networking efforts, Cynthia’s principles can help you get there.
What follows is, in her own words, a terrific summary of her great book.
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Cynthia Kyriazis, Productivity Strategist, Coach & Trainer, Productivity Partners
I didn’t intend to write a book. I almost didn’t write it because I kept…well…procrastinating. Seriously. Since that was a somewhat unusual experience for me, I wrote all about it in my blog and newsletter. Thank goodness I overcame it, because after all the time and effort it was an amazing and fun experience!
Getting organized, managing time and improving productivity are pretty much all I work on with interested parties. But since I began my business in 1992, I’ve been well aware that these topics don’t sound particularly exciting. Or fun. Or innovative. However, the truth is that the focus and skills around these topics touches each and every one of us in some way. Especially now in the age of ‘always on’. And I continue to wonder when do we have ‘sometimes off’?
The book covers all the major time management topics but it begins with getting organized. I’ve frequently said if I offered someone the ‘secret sauce’ to a solid, workable way to manage what they do with their time, that person would say ‘Thanks. That’s great. But would you help me organize my desk?’ There seems to be a need. But more than that, getting organized provides a structure for actually helping someone manage their time. It’s like needing the foundation and framework of a house to be solid before the roof can go on. Getting organized is the only side of time management where someone can see, and more importantly feel, the upside of a decluttered, workable desk and office environment. And keep in mind whatever is happening physically is usually happening electronically as well.
The next section of the book talks about the ability to set and accomplish Goals, manage Priorities and Schedule and plan how and when to execute on those priorities. I call this your productivity GPS. Learning about and owning these three areas creates the mental and emotional foundation for everything someone does or doesn’t do with their time.
Unfortunately a well-intentioned path doesn’t always work because potholes show up to slow down efforts. Productivity potholes to be exact. And there can be some big ones that can, and usually do, derail you. In addition to being unorganized, these potholes include interruptions, distractions and over-commitments, ineffective communications (think one-on-one, meetings, electronic, voice, etc.), procrastination, and micromanaging. And if there isn’t any focus or commitment to minimizing these, you know what happens. You get stuck. In a big hole. And it’s hard to get out. Which leads to a real question mark around the issue of work-life balance.
Time management and productivity types don’t lack for tips, approaches and checklists and my book has some of those as well. But what I really want people to walk away with is twofold.
First, when it comes to establishing and maintaining an organized environment there are three distinct styles. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s a one-size-fits-all approach!
And second, unless a person becomes clear about why they do what they do, they’ll never clear their desk or their mind and the potholes will win every single time. So for me, the book title says it all and I hope you agree!