Google+

00:02, 00:09
Hi I'm Bob Parsons. Here with Leeann. Welcome to episode #34 of my video blog.

00:09.5, 00:17
On this edition, I'm going to tell you how to supercharge your productivity, get more done, and make more money.

00:17, 00:32
Busy people know there just never seems to be enough time in the day. I used to work non-stop, and still never got caught up. Lucky for me, I've learned some neat things over the years that enable me to get a lot more done, in far less time.

00:32.5, 00:41
These things have allowed me to build my businesses and still have time for me, and golf, and motorcycles.

00:41, 00:49
Here are my tried and true secrets for cutting through the bull(bleep)... and gettin' more stuff done.

00:49, 00:52
Delegate, delegate, delegate.

00:52.5, 01:02
If you have employees, always delegate before doing things yourself.
And follow up, follow up, follow up. Do it often.

01:02, 01:11
If you can't count on your people to do what needs to be done, you've got a big problem. And that problem, more than likely, is you.

01:11, 01:16
Weak managers make the following statement:
"If I want it done right, I have to do it myself."

01:17, 01:22
Strong managers say:
"Hey no problem. I can get away anytime!"

01:23.5, 01:27
Productive people are selfish.

01:27, 01:31
Leeann means, selfish with your time.

01:31, 01:35
Avoid conversations that don't directly lead to what you need to accomplish.

01:35.5, 01:52
Distractions such as small talk, random phone calls, and salespeople who aren't immediately relevant to your success are all time wasters. Eliminate them, and you'll be surprised at how quickly you rip through your to-do list.

01:52, 01:59
Your time is the most valuable thing you can give anyone. Treat it like gold.

02:00.5, 02:04
Get right to the point.

02:04, 02:13
Make it your policy to be blunt and to the point, without being disrespectful. People will respect you for it.

02:13, 02:21
And frankly, beating around the bush is a tremendous drain on productivity.

02:23, 02:27
T.C.B. Baby. Take care of business.

02:27, 02:32
Thank you Leeann. Thank you very much.

02:32, 02:39
Immediately handle anything that gets in the way of your productivity.

02:39, 02:44
Deal head-on with problem vendors or non-productive employees.

02:44, 02:54
Often times, a problem is like your backside. The longer you sit on it, the bigger it gets.

02:55.7, 02:59
Give employees the power!

02:59.5, 03:08
Empower your employees to make routine business decisions. Review the decisions being made on an exceptions basis. This will do three things.

03:08.5, 03:15
1. It'll help you quickly weed out the good decision makers from the bad ones.

03:15, 03:26
2. It'll give your top performers a sense of ownership. Those employees who feel like they are an important part of your organization will move heaven and earth to make your business better.

03:26, 03:38
3. Because you're not tied down with the small daily decisions, you'll have time to focus on the bigger picture. And golf. And motorcycles.

03:39.5, 03:45
Keep your meetings short and sweet.

03:45, 03:53
There is no bigger time waster than long, drawn-out meetings. If you have to have a meeting, for god's sake keep it short.

03:53.7, 04:00
A big sign of an inefficient and troubled company is long, boring, drawn-out meetings.

04:01, 04:08
My policy at GoDaddy.com is that no meeting will exceed one hour. No exceptions. Period.

04:08.5, 04:20
This causes everyone to get to the point, before it adjourns. It also encourages employees to refocus the meeting and interrupt others who get off point or drone on.

04:22, 04:27
Avoid business lunches like the plague.

04:27, 04:45
Mostly, business lunches are a waste of time. So I don't go to them. When I do eat lunch, I have it in my office. If I have someone who wants to meet over lunch, I invite them to my office for a very quick bite. This is much more productive.

04:46.5, 04:52
The most effective committee is a committee of three, when two of them are out of town.

04:52.5, 05:10
This one's simple, but important. Avoid group decision making. The process takes way too long, and usually decisions made by a group are all about compromise and doing the safe thing. That's the wrong thing to do, and no way to move your company forward.

05:10, 05:19
When it comes to making big decisions about your business, you should be making the call. Be quick to decide, and quick to put a plan in motion.

05:20, 05:25
*phone ringing*
Never answer your phone.

05:25, 05:37
You're going to think I'm rude for this one, but this is one of my most important tips. Unless you're feeling lonely and want someone to talk to, don't answer your phone.

05:37, 05:47
The reason is simple... you're going to get lots of calls from people asking you for this or that, or trying to sell you this or that. That's got nothing to do with what you want to do.

05:47, 05:57
Ask callers to leave a message stating what their business is, have the call screened, and only return the ones that are really important and critical to what you're doing.

05:58, 06:06
Put these secrets to work for you, and I assure you you'll get more done and have more time to do the things you want to do.

06:06, 06:16
*phone ringing*
This one I have to take. It's Renee, my wife.
"Yes dear."

06:16, 06:24
Well that's a wrap for this episode. If you have any comments or questions, please post them here. I'm always interested in what you have to say.

06:24, 06:30
For Leeann, and myself, thank you for watching.
We'll see you next time.

06:30, 06:41
During my life, I've assembled a collection of 16 rules. Most of them, I learned the hard way. These rules helped me in business and my personal life. Hopefully, they can help you too.

06:41.5, 06:55
Today's rule is #8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

06:55.5, 07:02
Want more Bob? Follow Bob on Twitter. Search DrBobParsons.