Learn how to save 8 hours a week with 3 Harvard questions. Find out the results of a productivity experiment, how to delegate tasks, and discover online services for assistance. Explore the growth of outsourcing and remote work, and get tips on outsourcing tasks for efficiency. Plus, learn about LeadX Academy for personal development.
Knowledge workers can achieve massive time gains by asking three key questions: What items can I drop? Can I delegate this task? Can I find a more time-efficient way to accomplish this task?
Even small business owners and freelancers can benefit from delegating tasks by utilizing on-demand services and online platforms to outsource various activities and chores.
Deep dives
Three questions for extreme productivity
In a productivity experiment by professors Julian Birkenshaw and Jordan Cone, they found that knowledge workers spent 41% of their time on discretionary activities and achieved massive time gains when trained to ask three questions. The first question was, 'What items can I drop from my list?' The second question was about delegating tasks, and the third question focused on finding more time-efficient ways to accomplish tasks.
Applying the three questions
Even for small business owners or freelancers, the concept of delegating tasks can be helpful. With the rise of on-demand services like Uber, Instacart, and TaskRabbit, it is possible to delegate or outsource various chores and activities. Using online platforms and apps, freelancers can hire virtual assistants, research and marketing providers, website maintenance teams, and more.
Adding efficiency to personal and professional life
By applying the three questions - drop, delegate, and redesign - individuals can identify tasks that are of low value and can be let go, delegated, or redesigned for greater efficiency. This approach is not limited to the workplace but can also be applied to personal life by outsourcing activities like lawn care, home maintenance, bookkeeping, and more.
In this episode, I’m going to give you 3 Harvard questions that can save you 8 hours each week on average.
What you’re going to learn:
The results of a productivity experiment conducted by Harvard professors Julian Birkinshaw and Jordan Cone that helped participants achieve massive time gains
How to delegate your tasks (even if you don’t have a staff to delegate to)
Online services you can use to take over annoying tasks like grocery shopping, internet research, making doctor appointments (the list goes on and on)
How I manage my own company with a completely virtual team
Key Quotes:
“41% of knowledge workers time is spent on discretionary activities that weren’t very satisfying and could also be done by others.”
“From general freelancers to miscellaneous chores, you can get help for almost any task and probably for less money than you think.”
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