Another one of Monday’s sessions I really enjoyed was given by Scott Belsky of Behance. For those of you that don’t know about the company, they maintain several creative initiatives. They include the Behance network, an online creative community; a line of productivity products, a methodology for productivity and the core of their company: the Action Method, the newly-launched Creative Index, as well as various articles and tips. More projects are in the works.
I am a huge fan of the company and their products. I have my own profile up here. I haven’t gotten to use the site to its full potential just yet, but so far it’s been great to get feedback on my work and virtually meet some new people.
Belsky’s talk centered on the philosophy behind the action method and their process internally. But the bulk of the talk included an extensive list of tips for productivity. A few I found most helpful:
- Distinguish urgent vs. important
- Spend energy on staying organized > creativity x organization = impact
- Measure a meeting in action steps > protect your time
- Don’t meet just because it’s Monday
- Create a backburner ritual > keep a separate Word doc etc. and go through periodically
- Prioritize projects visually with an energy line
- Don’t become burdened by consensus
- Take the team’s temperature
- Always move the ball forward
- Seek restraints
