Monthly Archives: August 2015

Strategic Thinking - it’s not just for “them” anymore

Posted on by

It’s Friday.

Would you like to save time, lead better and get more done with influence?

Our next Get Momentum theme is titled:

Strategic Leadership, How to Think Strategically/Work Tactically:
The Intersection of Strategy, Leadership & Productivity

According to MIT Sloan Executive Education, “A recent survey of more than 400 global CEOs revealed that the ability to execute strategy was their number one challenge, ahead of innovation, geopolitical instability, and top-line growth.”

How important would YOU say executing strategy is to you?

In order to get you thinking strategically, I suggest you ask yourself THESE 3 questions right now:

What do I do to think strategically?
How (specifically) can I think more strategically?
How do I demonstrate excellence as a strategic thinker in my career AND in my life?

If, as you’re answering them, you think, “I probably need to spend some more time on this,” then Join Get Momentum. If you are left wondering - as many of our readers tell me they are - how your TEAM would answer those questions, consider joining Get Momentum as a group.

In September, I will coach you all to practice SPECIFIC strategic thinking skills that can make a difference to your career - and, in your life.

How important is Strategic Thinking? Well, according to Harvard Business School, “a strategic approach to leadership was, on average, 10 times more important to the perception of effectiveness than other behaviors studied.”

Get Momentum, click here…

Get Momentum is a highly-personalized online coaching program in response to the need for continuous, lifelong learning among professionals in today’s working world. As your coaches, we support you in practicing the specific skills that make leaders better.

You’ll save time, lead better and get more done with influence.

If you really want to learn what the MOST SUCCESSFUL leaders know (and I’m guessing you do or you wouldn’t be reading this email), then this is the ideal first step.

The schedule for September:

  • Get Momentum Theme Launch: 9/1
  • Master Class (live webinar): “Strategic Leadership” on 9/3
  • Coaching Call: “Accountability and Practice” on 9/8
  • Coaching Call: “Get Ahead Every Day” on 9/22

More Productive Meetings (ready?)

Posted on by

A “checklist” changed my meetings (for the #better)

Teaching high school for 5 years in the 1990’s taught me ONE thing: ALWAYS have a purpose. Maybe it’s why I roll my eyes when another author/speaker/guru gains all kinds of attention when they admonish us that we should “start with why.”

CLICK HERE to download a PDF to fill out before our next meeting

You see, I taught 3-4 lessons a day, every day, for 5 years. Before I created the “activities” of the lesson plan, I answered this question:

“At the end of this class less, students will have achieved…”

Look, if you’re a leader in a large company, if you own a small business, or if you are a volunteer in a non-profit organization, you attend meetings. For the sake of an argument, let’s say that a “meeting” is a “lesson,” ok?

Now, here’s the truth…According to a survey by Atlassian, most C-level executives spend almost 20 hours a week in meetings.

Imagine if ½ of EVERY day was spent sitting in a room, or on the phone, or across from someone via video, talking about what you need to be doing (but, not doing a lot of it). According to that study, more than 40% of attendees claim that meetings are most significant time waster of their day.

But, don’t just go by the research. Instead, start a tracking exercise. For the next 5 days, keep track of the number of minutes you spend in meetings (on the phone, via video, or in a conference room). Next to each number (of minutes) give the meeting a binary score:

+ = that was a productive meeting

- = that was NOT a productive meeting

No “kinda,” no “some of it.” You want straight-up YES or NO.

At the end of a week (or, 20 meetings, whichever happens first) give me a call and we’ll debrief your meetings for 15 minutes. (Yes, we’re going to have a meeting…about meetings.)

Now, if you’re too busy to call, but you do the tracking, let me share with you one of the most POWERFUL meeting tools I’ve ever created. You see, every month we meet with dozens of Get Momentum members from around the world. Now, if you’ve ever scheduled multiple 1:1 meetings in one week, you know how stressful that can be. Well, we took the stress out of it by asking each person to fill out an Agenda prior to us meeting.

Click here to see a sample agenda that I’ve used for more than 2 years…

You are committed to having a successful career

Posted on by

There are 5 questions I hope you’ll ask yourself today:

  • Do you need to control your overwhelming projects list - in your life AND career?
  • Do you wonder what you might be missing, that other successful people already know?
  • Do you need clarity and focus in my life?
  • Is it time for a “Productivity Makeover” for your work/life balance?
  • Are you 100% certain you are “on the right track”?

I believe you are committed to having a successful career AND a high quality of life.

You really want to have it all, be it all, and do it all.

But, you’re struggling.


You don’t have time to get everything done. You don’t have the energy you need for your family at night, or your friends on the weekend. And, you can’t seem to focus on your priorities because of all the “fires” you’re putting out all the time.

One thing you know about me is that I don’t follow those “get rich quick schemes” AND, I don’t believe in working myself to death.

This is why Jodi and I started The Jason Womack Company. It’s also why we are writing our next book together. It’s called “Get Momentum: How to Start, When You’re Stuck” by Jodi Womack and Jason W. Womack (Wiley, 2016)

You see, I believe in personal success. I want a profitable company that I look forward to working in each day. AND I want to be efficient enough, so I have TIME to be with my family, play, cook, travel and you know… have a life!

In April of 2014, Jodi and I created the Get Momentum program to coach you. For more than 2 years, we have taught these “Leadership and Productivity” techniques to clients around the world.

You might be wondering, “Who IS the kind of person who joins the Get Momentum Academy? Do they have special goals, are they in a unique career?”

We don’t share the traditional demographic categories as a group like: age, gender, career titles…

IMG 2723

Who IS the kind of person to join Get Momentum?

  1. People who positively influence people
  2. People who aspire to create something meaningful
  3. People who know there’s more to BE in the world, than just doing all the time
  4. People who thrive as they learn and practice better habits
  5. People who have super-interesting hobbies and love their side projects, and want more from their career

Go back to the top of this email, and re-read those 5 questions. 

Let us coach you for a month as you build better, more sustainable answers to the questions that we know keep people up at night.

If this sounds like you, check out which Get Momentum level is right for you.

You can find out what we study in August AND sign up right here.

How are you #CreatingMomentum ???

Posted on by

Thanks to American Express, I’ve got these “GoGo inflight” passes. In all transparency, the past three flights are the FIRST ones I’ve connected to the Internet through the flight. Anyway, as an experiment I posted this via twitter with 2 hours left in the flight…

It’s high-time we start sharing with one another. Hey, as YOU are reading this, consider jumping over to YOUR social media place of choice an sharing YOUR answer to the question:

“How Are You #CreatingMomentum?”

 

Do you #Empower others?

Posted on by

Efficient, Effective, Empowering…

One of the (many) responsibilities of an effective leader is to “sense” when people around them are feeling (or acting) dis-empowered. Yes, to empower others. You’ll empower them to take on more than they think they can handle by setting stretch goals. You’ll empower them by acknowledging them for a job well done, when they do a job well. You’ll empower them by noticing that feeling you get when they are about to go a “wrong way,” or make a mistake; you’ll help them before they know they need help.

During the month of August, you’re going to learn how to empower others. You’ll learn how to empower people at work…and in life.

It’s not always easy, in the day-to-day busy-ness of life, and the incredible pressures of managing life, to take the time to “listen intuitively” to notice whether or not people around you are giving their all, if they’re 100% “bought in” to your vision and the mission.

What if, instead of trying to guess, you simply start doing what you need to ensure that the people who work around you feel empowered, say they’re engaged, work effectively and work efficiently. Look, your organization doesn’t have a “Productivity” problem; you have a “working-together-together” problem.

This month (August, 2015) at Get Momentum, you’re going to explore the reason, strategy and tactics necessary to create an “empowering” workplace for yourself, and for others.

If you’re a member, click here to start your program now.

Not yet a member? Here’s a :42 second overview (video) of the FIVE skills you’ll learn this month.

Don’t be “rookie” on me (I’ve got $399 on the table)

Posted on by

Let me guess… over the past week you have said, “I don’t have enough time.”

Rookie comment.

It really is.

I mean, c’mon, anyone can say that; because it is absolutely true! You DON’T. And, you NEVER will. No one - and I mean not a SINGLE one - reading THIS blog at Get Momentum dot co has gotten to the end of the day and said aloud, “Wow, I had WAY too much time today, I really need some more things to do to fill my time.” Nope, not one of you.

The Brutal Truth (sometimes hurts)

But here’s the brutal truth, “not having enough time” is a great excuse for not getting things done. No one has enough. Nobody. And you know what? You never will. So, stop saying it.

Everyone you know, all the people you haven’t (yet) met, and every person alive up until recently* was under the same limit you and I experience: 24 hours in a day.

That’s 1,440 minutes which divides itself up to 96 blocks of 15 minutes each. And, with just one of those blocks I’m going to show you how to make more progress on one of your goals than you ever thought possible.

15 minutes is enough time time.

Enough…

  • To read 15 pages of that professional skills-development book on your desk.
  • To write a heartfelt thank you card to someone who helped you last week.
  • To continue an important discussion with your significant other.
  • To review next quarter’s goals and objectives.

I can almost hear you now, “Jason, I need more than 15 minutes…”

Rookie comment.

Stop it. You don’t have more time. You won’t get more time. And, I don’t believe you; you don’t need more time. In fact, I’m going to put $399 on the table:

Pick something you need to have done between now and December 1st, 2015…something that you have not “had time for” over the past few weeks.

Today, I want you to sit down by yourself in a well-lit, quiet, comfortable place.

Then, open a notebook to a fresh page, and with your favorite pen on top of that piece of paper write down the following:

  • Name of the “thing” you need more time for
  • The date 90 days from TODAY
  • What (specifically) you’re LOSING by NOT having it done [I want details and numbers here: $, #, etc]

Ok, once you’ve done that, set a countdown timer for 15 minutes by clicking here. And do NOTHING except think about finishing that goal within the next 90 days. I want you to write down your thoughts, ideas, plans, questions, possibilities, and actions.

You have between now and Monday to do this and until Tuesday to process it. And, here’s the deal:

If you do this 15 minute activity by Tuesday, email me a picture of all your work. If it’s multiple pages, that’s fine. Just send them all in. Oh, be sure to include your mobile phone number.

Then, you have until Thursday, at midnight to prove this doesn’t make a difference. IF, by Thursday night, midnight Pacific time, you don’t make RADICAL progress on that project, email me (by Friday, 6am Pacific). I will offer you a MONTH-LONG Premium Membership at getmomentum.com - you’ll get me AND Jodi as your personal coaches for 30 days.

If this works…

If this works, we personally invite to join as a year-long member of the Get Momentum Academy coaching program. (Click here to PRINT the Academy Curriculum.) If you make as much progress in one week as I KNOW you will make, think about what would happen over the course of a year.

Ready?

Wishing you the best…