It’s Monday again and it’s time to get s*** done!
Monday Productive is a weekly interview format, featuring peak-performers from my network, who share 5 quick ideas on how to boost your productivity and stay at the top of your game.
Today’s guest is Mela Chu, she is a innovation evangelist, design thinker and founder & CEO of the Innovation Consulting Blckswn, working with corporate clients like AUDI AG, ARAG Insurances, Sparkasse Financial Group, Autodesk, etc and doing a lot of speeches about bringing humanity into business.
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1. When you have a productive day, what makes it one? What habits, strategies and routines help you to be more effective and get the right things done?
▶ I have a productive day, when I manage to get up early in the morning and get into my morning routine. However, this requires that I manage to get into bed early in the evening and think carefully about what I have to do that day and where my priorities lie. In other words: clarity and good sleep. 🎯😴
2. Why do you do what you do? What gives you inspiration and motivation to show up and serve your clients?
▶ On the meta level I try to make clear to myself what I want exactly: to help people to feel sense in their working life and to be happier. I want to bring more humanity into business. Digitalization usually thinks only of technologies and processes, people are often forgotten in digital transformation. I would like to change that. I would like to see more eye-level cooperation between people. More empathy and respect.
3. Germans are well known for being extremely efficient at work. Can the focus on results sometimes be taken too far, so that the human factor gets neglected? What is your observation from the work you do with large companies on culture and innovation?
▶ It is indeed the case that many managers can adhere to figures, data, facts and thus measure themselves more easily. Success can thus be made visible more efficiently. After all, we are all striving for recognition. Unfortunately, however, the world has become more complex and complicated. The human factor is a driving force in innovation, creativity and – as far as I am concerned – effectiveness. Because dissatisfied and unhappy people don’t do the best work from an employer’s point of view. And we don’t want to spend most of our lives unhappily. Many large companies have understood that. Because it’s not easy to find junior staff and it’s not easy to retain existing employees.
In addition, a corporate culture that grates and creaks is a great risk for the success of a company. Motivation, inventiveness and creativity, good communication and networks need a good corporate culture as a basis. This in turn requires changes in leadership, organizational structure, and human resources, as well as in the way we work together. – still a long way.
4. In the last few years – what habit or belief have you acquired, that helps you to be an effective professional today?
▶ I have booked myself for professional reasons a personal trainer, who is also a mental trainer. This means that I try to keep my mind and my body equally fit. Sometimes more sometimes less. I have built up a morning routine for myself:
✅ Drink at least half a litre of water.
✅ Walk for at least 10 minutes.
✅ Meditate.
5. What do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed or unproductive, but you have a lot on your to-do list?
▶ I’m dividing my time exactly according to the 50/10 principle. I set a time timer for 50 minutes and work concentrated. Then 10 minutes break. By pause I mean away from the desk, no social media, nothing else on the computer. (If I am very tired, I take a short break of about 5 minutes every 30 minutes) During the breaks I listen to music and dance or jump to activate my body. -Drink water!
[BONUS] Name one to three books that helped you to become a better leader?
Search inside yourself, Chade-Meng Tan
High Performance Habits, Brendon Burchard
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey
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If you have any questions to Mela, please leave your comment below!
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Thank you for reading!
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Happy Monday! 👊
Stoyan
#MondayProductive #perform #Productivity #culture #innovation #teameffectiveness
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