With so much talk around the efficiencies that AI can bring, are we forgetting the more ‘old school’ ways to achieve similar efficiencies? Jo Campbell, Chief Operating Officer at Verve, is here with her efficiency triangle to offer tips-a-plenty.
I recently spoke around how AI need not be the enemy to the paraplanner and how it can be used to improve efficiencies and be if not a friend, then at least a frenemy.
However, there are a lot of people and firms who are not yet allowing the use of AI and rightfully so in a lot of instances.
We recently did a due diligence exercise and the amount of tech and AI firms who failed it is a little alarming.
In addition, there are a lot of people who are opposed to AI due to environmental concerns and so I thought we could go a bit old school and look at some other ways you can get efficiency into your day without the use of new technology.
I look after a team of dozens of paraplanners and administrators and over the years have culminated a streamlined efficiency triangle which has proven to be very effective with improving output, reducing stress and improving mental health as a result.
Plan, focus, know thyself.
Plan. Effectively manage your day. I love me a to-do list, with time slots. It won’t always work perfectly but it will help to keep you to account and see what you have coming up that day and week.
Before starting a report or large piece of research, make sure you have everything you need. You have the illustration, you have the client details.
You know the objectives and have all the research you need. Going in and out of different clients and cases is the easiest way to get confused and mess up and is a huge time drain.
Focus. Turn off your comms (where possible). Teams/Skype/messages, they can all draw you away from the task at hand. I could spend a whole day just answering messages.
Instead I assign myself times throughout the day where I will check in. Usually at the beginning and end of the day with a quick review at midday.
There’s not much that cannot wait a couple of hours and if someone does need you urgently, that thing I carry about in my pocket to use for TikTok sometimes rings (it’s frightening, but I’m easily startled).
Remember long periods of focus aren’t focus. They’re procrastination stations. You start off strong then find yourself thinking about what’s for dinner and that time you waved at someone across the street but they weren’t waving at you but someone behind you.
Set yourself twenty minute time slots to get things done. Take a breather and dive back in. It’s much more efficient that way. The pomodoro technique is a good one I’ve used which sets timers to remind you to realign and refocus.
Know thyself. Work to your own rhythms and don’t fight it. Are you an early bird or a night owl? When are you more productive? Personally, I’m a 6am to 2pm person.
I can work beyond that, but not as effective as I am first thing in the morning. That means if I have a complex piece of work I tend to do it first thing and leave the more mundane aspects to later in the day. The ones that take less brainpower.
Similarly manage your day how you work best. Eat your frog, or don’t. Whatever works best for you. If you feel like you have a job you hate and you want to ease yourself in with some tasks you enjoy, then leave it to a specific time in the afternoon.
If you know it’s going to be on your mind all day, it’s better to get it out of the way and clear your headspace for the day. Your afternoon you will thank your morning you.
I’m not breaking any new ground here I’m sure, and there are many nuances held within these three areas but if any one of them helps make any paraplanners day a little bit easier, then my job here is done (written at 6.10am, in twenty minute slots, by the way).
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