1.
HUMAN
AT WORK
Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying
and Get Better at My Job
2014 HighEdWeb Annual Conference
October 19-22 — Portland, OR
#HEWEB14 #MPD9

2.
I
IV U
Hello
O

3.
@DaveCameron

4.
A Case Study
of Myself

5.
Challenges I’ve struggled with
since I started in Higher Ed
Goals for changing my habits and
improving my productivity
Tools and tactics
I have been exploring
to achieve those goals
Lessons learned along the way

6.
This is not
a talk about
"Work Hacks"

7.
How to be an
imperfect
human who
gets stuff done

8.
"In the
Before time…
in the Long,
Long Ago…"

9.
September 1992

10.
http://bit.ly/11pqobu

11.
September 1992

12.
June 2010

13.
This is most of my job

14.
And sometimes also this:
+

15.
I understood how
websites work.
I didn’t know how
mar-com offices work.

16.
Stuff I wasn’t
prepared for
• Shifting responsibilities
• Staffing turnovers
• Changes in strategic priorities
• Planning for what is consistent
• Preparing for the unexpected

17.
I couldn’t see the road
AND
I was drowning

18.
Books

19.
Utilities

20.
Task Managers

21.
Then I remembered…

22.
Goals
Before
Tools

23.
What specific
goals will help
me get better
at my job?

24.
Cognitive
Overload

25.
http://bit.ly/1Cj5iXF

26.
"Our
problem isn’t
information
overload;
it’s potential
meaning
overload."
- David Allen
bit.ly/GTDmpu219

27.
How I learned to
stop worrying about
all the things and
get better at my job.

28.
Goals
Tools
Habits

29.
Goal: wake up in the morning
Tool: an alarm clock
Habit: set the alarm for 6:00 am

30.
Goals
Tools
Habits

31.
Five Goals
for Being a
Productive
Human

32.
Goal #1:
BE
HONEST

33.
Honest with
YOURSELF

34.
Subjectively Honest
Objectively Honest

35.
Subjective Honesty
• what you know in your gut to be true
• the stuff we lie to ourselves about
• internalized priorities
• accuracy when interpreting our performance

36.
Objective Honesty
• measuring and capturing data
• developing reports from that data
• analyzing progress over time
• maintaining a record

37.
desktime.com

38.
rescuetime.com

39.
Honest With
OTHERS

40.
(within reason)
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3b11ewIM31r0jeh0o5_250.gif

41.
Honest with others
• don’t exaggerate your abilities or bandwidth
• admit when you don't understand something
• admit to your mistakes
• give the feedback you would want to hear

42.
Goal #2:
BE
UNAFRAID

43.
Mistakes are
how we learn.

44.
"I have no
idea what
I’m doing,
but I know
I’m doing it
really, really
well."
- Andy
Dwyer

45.
CONFIDENCE

46.
Don’t be intimidated
by those rock stars.
http://abcn.ws/1FoHJRA

47.
Let Go of
Irrational Fears
• Change and the unfamiliar
• New Tools
• Gossip and rumor
• Ebola

48.
Don’t be overwhelmed
by complexity

49.
U/Aatto 4-WHEN LOST
IN ThE WOODS
A CLEAR HEAD WILL FIND ITSF. If everyone remwbered this,
there would be fewer reports of persons lost in the mountain and
forests, according to United States Forest Service rangers.
Merely being out of sight of others in a strange forest gives
ny a man the creeps- a natural feeling but a dangerous ore. Never
yield to it. In the mountains the grip of panic is too often the
grip of death.
"Firilirig oneself then lost is the test of a man," says a
vete ran of the Forest Service who s seen n, n and even child-ren
save themselves by sheer pluck and preserte of mind. Loss of
ntal control is more serious than lack of food, water, clothing
or possible proximity of wild animals. The man 'io keeps his head
has t best ch arx e to ce through in safety.
The following helpful rules are worth rmbering:-
Stop, sit down and try to figure out ithere you are.
Use your head, not your legs.
If caught by night, fog, or a storm, stop at otice
and make camp in a sheltered spot. Build a fire
in a safe place. Gather plenty of dry el.
Don't wander about. Travel only down hill.
If injured, choose a clear spot ona prcontory and
.ke a signal smoke.
Don't yell, don't run, n't worry, and above all,
don't quit.
If caught out toward nightfall, the traveler is urged to tind
a shelter quickly- a ledge, a Large houlder or a fa1li tree- clear
a sp*ce of ground arii build a fire. If without a bla.nk., he may
build his fire in a deep hole, cover six incks of hot coaLs with
six Inches of earth and sleep on this. Failing fire, cme shoild
use leaves and branches to shelter himself as best he can. A boy
(over)

50.
Goal #3:
BE
MINDFUL

51.
via http://xkcd.com/1411/

52.
Focus
Your Time
and Attention

53.
TOOLS
http://bit.ly/1sWarEd

54.
Use your tools,
don’t let them
use you.

55.
Use good habits
to keep your tools
sharp and ready

56.
OUR PRIMARY TOOLS:
Email
Tasks
Calendars
Meetings

57.
APPLE USER BIAS
(Not Yet)

58.
EMAIL

59.
The average
office worker
spends 28%
of their day
reading,
writing, or
responding
to email.
- McKinsey & Company, 2012
http://bit.ly/1zdGtjB

60.
My Email Use in September 2014
RescueTime reported email = 22% DeskTime reported email = 23%

61.
EMAIL IS
AWESOME FOR:
• Communicating information and ideas
to individuals or groups
• Documenting and archiving information
• Sending assets and files
• Viral sharing

62.
EMAIL IS NOT:
• A telephone
• Instant messenger
• A project management system
• The boss of you

63.
Turn off those inbox
notification icons.
Fetch email, don’t push.
(if something is truly urgent, there are better
options than email for letting me know)

64.
#MakingFetchHappen
Thank you @nagmay!

65.
Create an
email habit.

66.
This is mine:
1. Decide if this needs to be acted on now
or later.
2. If it takes less than 2 min. then do it
now.
3. Get what I need for other work, send
what I need to send.
4. Be quick but thorough. Pay attention to
details.
5. Quit mail app until ready for it again.

67.
Use
Rules to
Filter
and
Focus

68.
Use keyboard shortcuts
System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts
-> App Shortcuts

69.
http://www.cheatsheetapp.com/CheatSheet/

70.
Be thoughtful

71.
TASKS

72.
“The most difficult
thing you can do,
and the most
helpful thing, is to
pick one thing.”
–Merlin Mann
bit.ly/b2wpdcst

73.
Task Habits
• Capture and get them out of your head
• Organize them with project
milestones and deadlines
• Review and update regularly
• Seriously, review and update your
tasks weekly if you can

74.
Task Managers

75.
Social Media is a
task for me.

76.
Social Media
• Too distracting if it’s always there
• Block time when I need to use it as
part of my job.
• Use for personal Twitter
content @DaveCameron
bufferapp.com

77.
CALENDARS

78.
Calendar Habits
• Schedule focused work periods
• Schedule break periods
• Review and update regularly
• Communicate

79.
No-Meeting
Mondays

80.
"Fix-It"
Fridays

81.
MEETINGS

82.
Meeting Habits
• Be in the meeting, not on your phone
• Capture decisions and next actions
• Report and share
• Use Email & Tasks & Calendar to be
sure you follow through

83.
Two
Notepads
• Large notebook just for
capturing meeting
notes and doodles.
• Small yellow pad for
random other stuff
triggered by meetings.

84.
Use
Checklists

85.
Goal #4:
BE
ACTIVE
http://bit.ly/1yGTq4o

86.
Our Bodies,
Our Routines

87.
How do our daily
routines affect us?
Disrupt them
and you’ll feel it.

88.
Goals
Tools
Habits

89.
Goals
Tools
Habits Routines

90.
Goal: wake up in the morning
Tool: an alarm clock
Habits:
• set the alarm for 6:00 am
• hit snooze when it wakes me
• finally turn off alarm
• head to the shower…

91.
My Routine
Used to Be

92.
http://bit.ly/1Cj5iXF

93.
My Routine
Today

94.
Start with a
card trick
(seriously)

95.
An
Ideal
Day

96.
An
Ideal
Day

97.
"Everything
In Its Place"

98.
“Un-complicate
yourself.”
– Marcus Aurelius

99.
Give Yourself
The Gift of
Fewer Decisions

100.
Habit Minder Apps
Learning New Skills
by Building New Habits

101.
WORKSPACE

102.
My office in February

103.
My office in October

104.
Whiteboard!

105.
Sit or Stand

106.
THESE
are my
HEADPHONES
!
There Are
Many Like
Them,
But THESE
Are Mine.

107.
Music & Sound
Collaborative Playlists
Human at Work: Focus
bit.ly/heweb14_HAWfocus
!!
Human at Work: Boost
bit.ly/heweb14_HAWboost

108.
Goal #5:
BE
NICE

109.
Be Nice to Your
Fellow Humans

110.
Be a Proud Member
of Your Team
• Support your co-workers
• Give a heads-up when you can
• Take ownership of your role
• Don’t cheat
• Be at least a little bit social

111.
Communicate
This is where "Push" can be
better than "Fetch"

112.
@AustinKleon

113.
Take a
Real Vacation

114.
Get some sleep

115.
(unless you’re at HighEdWeb)

116.
“No matter how you
feel, get up, dress
up and show up.”
–Regina Brett

117.
(But please don’t
come to the
office if you’re
actually sick.)

118.
Treat others
the way
you want to
be treated.

119.
Goals
Tools
Habits

120.
HONEST
UNAFRAID
MINDFUL
ACTIVE
NICE

121.
HONEST
UNAFRAID
MINDFUL
ACTIVE
NICE

122.
H ONEST
U NAFRAID
M INDFUL
A CTIVE
N ICE

123.
H
UMAN

124.
H U M A N

125.
HUMAN

126.
1OO%
HUMAN

127.
"There’s only one thing that I
know how to do well
And I've often been told that
you only can do
What you know how to do well
And that's be you,
Be what you're like,
Be like yourself…"
–They Might Be Giants
"Whistling in the Dark"

128.
1OO%
HUMAN

129.
1OO%
HUMAN

130.
OM
UIVI

131.
OMU
IVI

132.
O
IMVI
U

133.
O
IV
U
M I
Hooray!

134.
RESOURCES

135.
Don’t miss this the slides from another presentation that
bookended this one very nicely at HighEdWeb 2014:
@JesseLavery
slideshare.net/jesselavery/

136.
@KarlynMB
Karlyn gave another amazing presentation from
our conference track that you must check out:
zenworkplace.com/playingpolitics
karlynruns.org

137.
Apps
rescuetime.com desktime.com
1secondeveryday.com

138.
Podcasts
@HigherEdLive
"2014 Work Hacks" (05/22/14) - bit.ly/hel2014
"Work Hacks and Getting Stuff Done"
(01/24/13) -bit.ly/hel2013
Episode #185 - bit.ly/b2wpdcst
with Merlin Mann & Dan Benjamin
discussion of email
Episode #219 - bit.ly/GTDmpu219
with David Allen, author of
"Getting Things Done"

139.
Books

140.
bit.ly/HumanAtWork
@DaveCameron
Sketch Rockwell by Artill Fonts
http://www.urbanfonts.com/fonts/sketch_rockwell.htm