Lara Roche of The Talent Sphere consulting firm outlines a day planning model to maximize productivity. The model involves starting with the most hated task to overcome procrastination, focusing on 1-3 most important tasks, prioritizing other tasks by urgency and importance, maintaining a "to don't" list to avoid distractions, entering flow state by limiting interruptions, and ending with a done list to feel accomplished. The overall approach aims to help individuals and teams work smarter by focusing on high impact work and eliminating low priority tasks and distractions.

1. Maximise Your Day
Lara Roche – The Talent Sphere

2. Hello – Lara Roche
• The Talent Sphere – people strategy and
learning consultancy, biggest client base
the Third Sector
• Board level Head of People/HR for over
a decade
• Chartered FCIPD
• Awards: Best Talent Strategy, Investors
in People Gold and Champions, Britain’s
Top Employers

3. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

4. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

5. MHT – Most hated task
• Most Hated Task first short-
circuits you approaching
your day emotionally
• How:
– Continual reward
– Delayed reward
– Just do it…for x minutes
“Procrastination is not a time management problem, it is an
emotion management problem”
(6 Myths You’ve Been Told About Procrastination and Productivity)

6. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

7. MIT – Most important task
• 1-3 MITs builds achievement
and focuses the mind on high
impact tasks
• How:
– What are the tasks that will
create the biggest
difference?
– Create time and headspace
early in the day
“Everything on your plate is not critically important, so don’t
treat all of your tasks equally”
(The Personal MBA)

8. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

9. Prioritised to do list
Task is urgent and important
Task is not urgent and important
Task is urgent and not important
A
B
C
Task is not urgent and not
important
D / IGNORE

10. Prioritised to do list
Task Pritority
Final rehearsal of tomorrow’s training course A
Make travel arrangements for tomorrow’s training course A
Research next week’s training course B
Reply to imminent seminar invites C

11. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

12. To don’t list
• To Don’t List eliminates low
impact tasks and distractions
• How:
– Make a list
– Swop perfection for
pragmatism
– Be mindful
“What you decide not to do is probably more important than
what you decide to do”
(The Little Big Things – 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence)

13. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

14. FLOW
• FLOW creates your optimum
performance, quality and quantity
• How:
– Eliminate distractions including
email
– Book a meeting with yourself
– Use the power of 15 minutes
– Do it as an individual and team
“FLOW bridges the gap between the extreme and the
mainstream”
(The Rise of Superman – Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance)

15. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

16. Done list
• Done List reinforces your
self-perception as a
capable, productive person
• How:
– Use the commute
– Write it
– Track it as an individual
and team
“Of all the things that can boost emotions and motivation in a
workday, the most important is progress in meaningful work ”
(HBR – The Power of Small Wins)

17. Day plan model
Do MHT Do 1-3 MITs Do A, B, C Done List
Maximise FLOW
To Don’t List

18. Keeping in touch – Lara Roche
• The Talent Sphere – learning for the
Third Sector on working smarter and
much more
• Case studies collection
• lara@thetalentsphere.co.uk
• 07852 962 099
• LinkedIn: Lara Roche

19. Maximise Your Day
Lara Roche – The Talent Sphere

20. Doing more with less:
tips for busy communicators
24 May 2018
Seminar
London
#CCmorewithless
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