Mike Bainbridge's Linkedin Analytics

My biggest problem. I'm too optimistic 😆 This sounds like one of those awful interview answers (What is your biggest weakness? I'm too organised). What I mean is I'm bad at planning my time. Things always take longer than I expect. I'll block 30 mins for a task that ends up taking 1 hour. The larger and more complex the task the worse this becomes. It's so common it even has a name. It's called "The Planning Fallacy". The phenomenon was identified by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979. A follow up study in 1994 showed that an average project estimate of 33 days was completed in 55 days. With only 30% delivered on time. The reason it happens is: • We get distracted and lose focus • Large tasks are hard to tackle in one go • We misjudge the speed we work at Instead, adjust the way you measure productivity. Evaluate yourself by what you deliver rather than the time it takes to get something done. How do you do it? • Don't start the day with a list of 20 things to do, keep the number low (up to 3 items). • Break projects up into smaller, simpler tasks. • Block chunks of time for work - but allow 50% more than you'll need. We all like to be positive and optimistic - but sometimes it can pay to embrace some pessimism! Tell me I'm not the only one. Does this happen with you too? 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

I get very easily distracted. In fact... So do you. You are addicted to distraction. It’s okay. We all are 😢 The biggest distraction is the smartphone we carry with us all day 📱 → They've built them to distract us. → The apps are built to distract us. There are documentaries about it - they admit it! Just look at how many people are staring down at their phone. It's become a habit. ✅ The great thing about smartphones is you have unlimited access to all the world’s knowledge at your fingertips. ❌ The awful thing about smartphones is you have unlimited access to all the world’s knowledge at your fingertips. Want to break the cycle? Reduce your screen time. We all know that context switching makes us less effective. It takes 23 minutes to recover focus once you've been distracted. → Remove temptation → Work smarter 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

"Sorry I'm late, I had back to back calls." I hear this all the time. As remote calls/meeting became the normal during Covid. Turning up a few minutes late also became normal. It seems that happens way more than it used to. I don't mind if someone is a few minutes late. It happens, sometimes we get delayed. But I do think Back2Bback has become a problem. Without a short break it means: • No time to adjust to a new topic • Hours on video without a break • Missing out on reflection • Failure to capture action points For some reason, people have normalised this behaviour 😬 I see colleagues who have calendars without any gaps. Here's what you can do: → Take control of your calendar 🗓️ • Be proactive in proposing time for calls as opposed to letting others "find free space". • Become disciplined about blocking 15 mins after every scheduled call. • Have the confidence to say "no" when a calendar invite isn't suitable. How can you put it into practice? → Build scheduling habits 🛠️ • Review your calendar every morning (5 mins). Know what lies ahead. • As soon as you send or accept an invite for a call, block the following 15 mins. • Treat others time as you would you own. Practice saying "no" 3 times per week. If you're like me, there will be occasions when you just can't avoid B2B calls. That's okay. The main thing is to try to avoid B2B2B. Those are the real killers 😢 How do you avoid B2B? What tips would you share - let me know 👍 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

I'd like your opinion on something... What do you want from your job? These are non-negotiable for me: 1. Doing something I enjoy 2. Building new relationships 3. Able to be myself at work 4. A chance to grow and learn 5. Being part of a high-performance team What about you? Let's make a list. 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

Don't be the dinosaur 🐘 Be the surfer 🏄♂️ The world is changing. It's always changing. But this time a big shift is coming. You can't escape the hype around AI - it's been going on for some time. Get used to it, it's not going away. And you have 2 choices: • Do nothing, carry on as usual • Embrace and learn to use it The dinosaur just carries on as usual and eventually the meteor hits. They are wiped out. The surfer uses the momentum of the wave to carry them, in spectacular fashion to the beach. A lesson I heard recently that resonated with me was this: "It's not the AI that will take your job, but the people who can use the AI better than you." If you spend more than 50% of your time using a computer then you can't afford to ignore this. So, what can you do? My recommendation: 1 - Do an introductory course (start with Udemy). Learn the basics. 2 - Use an AI tool for 15 mins every day. Try new things and see what happens. 3 - Sign up to a newsletter. Things are changing fast, stay up to date. These are the steps I've taken. My newsletter recommendations are: Superhuman and The Rundown AI (both top results on a google search). AI is the greatest productivity tool you'll ever use. What do you think? (btw - if you're wondering, I used the elephant because there is no dinosaur emoji) 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

I love a challenge! Work is the ultimate challenge 😀 The work is never done. Your to do list will never end. Get comfortable with it. Once you realise this everything changes: - You’ll be less anxious about a “long list” - You can develop a system - It becomes something you can rely on Our brains are not designed to remember long lists of data. When you start recording things in a consistent way, you’ll always know what is coming up. Here’s how I do it: 4 EASY STEPS 1️⃣ Make a note of everything (no matter how small) and add it to the list. 2️⃣ At the end of each day review the things you added and work out when you’ll be able to do them. 3️⃣ I use 3 folders: (1) Today, (2) Later this week, (3) Next week and beyond. 4️⃣ At the beginning of each day, plan what you’ll do What I’ve learned: - I never complete all the tasks for “today” - Tasks are rescheduled depending on changing priorities - I can trust the list How do I do it? - I use the Todoist app. It’s on my phone and my laptop so it’s easy to add things to the list wherever I am. How about you? Do you have a system or do you just take things as they come? I really believe having a reliable list takes away a lot of problems. Let me know if you have any questions or need some help 😀 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

Do you know the parable of the hare and the tortoise? The hare speeds ahead but gets distracted and takes a nap. The tortoise is slow and steady, but wins the race. There's a reason why this lesson is as relevant today as ever. Consistency always wins. Here's how I've done it. I built 3 daily habits: (1) Morning start-up 🚀 Schedule 15 minutes at the start of every day to set you up: • Review your calendar • Plan your tasks This short preparation will save you hours of procrastination. (2) Daily shut-down ✅ Schedule 15 minutes at the end of every day to perform a review: • What went well, what could be improved? • What new tasks need to be scheduled for tomorrow? (3) Weekly review 🔄 Block out 1 hour on Friday evening: • Review the past week • Plan for 2 weeks ahead • Revisit your goals • Update your to-do list • Prioritise 3-tasks for the following week Step back from everything, reflect, and intentionally plan ahead. Block time in your calendar for these 3 activities every week and track that you complete them. It's only 30 mins per day, plus an hour on Friday. Notice how you start to feel more organised and get more done. Planning in advance doesn’t need to take long, but it does need to happen regularly. What daily or weekly habits do you use to help you at work? Try these and you won’t regret it! 😁 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

I bet you will send an email today. I also bet you could do it better! Writing emails is a daily task for most of us - but why don't we have training to deliver our message more clearly?! Take a look at these 3 simple steps to writing more effective emails: (1) Consider your audience (2) Keep your message simple (3) Provide a clear CTA I'd love to hear your tips for a great email 😁 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

This is going to sound a bit weird. But I've had to learn how to manage my time. Time management is a critical skill ⏰ But no one teaches you how to do it! We learn important skills (reading, writing etc) at school. But we follow a daily timetable so we don't have to think about planning our day. It’s typically something you pick up as a "life skill" at work. However, that means it can be pretty random. But by learning in a structured way you can improve. The reason it’s important: • Everything you do is a task. • Every task takes time. Master your schedule and you’ll master your life 🚀 First, you have to recognise it's something you can work on. → Notice when things goes well → Understand what good looks like → Realise when it's not great → Make an effort to change This does not just mean work! You will also master your private life and personal goals. For each domain (work, life, health, fitness) you should set goals. Then, you can review your time and effort in those areas: 1. Review where you spend your time in each area. 2. Stop doing things that don’t align with your goal. 3. Add things that you want to do, but never have time for. Step 2 is the one we often skip. It’s subtraction. Learning to STOP doing things and saying “no” when there is no benefit will give you more time on the important things. Far too often we spread ourselves thin by trying to do too much. Make this small adjustment and see the impact it can have. Try for yourself! 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

An important lesson I’ve learned: "Perfection is the enemy of good." What does it mean? If you wait for something to be perfect, you’ll never be satisfied and it means you won’t make progress. Or even worse - this will become a lie you tell yourself not to even start! Doing something, even if it's 5 mins and breaking momentum is better than putting things off. I learned this by posting here on LinkedIn. • I spent ages working out what i would want to share. • Then, I used to spend over an hour carefully crafting each post. • I would edit and re-edit to make sure the language was right. I quickly worked out that wasn’t sustainable. I’d never be able to keep up daily posting with that level of effort! Today, I'm much quicker but I often make mistakes. Even last week, I spotted a typo in one of my posts - the urge to fix it was real! • Now, I've learned to be more comfortable just getting it out there. • The message is the important thing. • People will forgive the odd mistake. • In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. This last point is the big one. Honestly, it really doesn't matter. Does perfection hold you back too? What have you done to learn to embrace mistakes? 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

I have started 100s of fun projects. But many of them are unfinished 😫 Sound familiar? I have a great idea, make a plan, do a bit of work on it... and then. I get another great idea, try something else, and end up not finishing. A few examples: → Writing a book → Launching a newsletter → Daily strength training I've worked out what my problem is. There’s a reason short-term gains don’t stick. Good intentions don’t work! 😢 What do I mean? We all start out with good intentions. We promise ourselves we'll write a weekly blog post, keep to inbox zero, learn a new language every day, or to go to the gym 3 times each week. We start strong and it maybe lasts a week or two. Then we slip back into old habits. → The reason it’s so hard is that you’re asking yourself to change. → Long-term change requires a consistent habit. → You need the right motivation. Be honest, how many new habits have you built that lasted? I mean really lasted. It’s hard. Successful habit building requires these 5 steps: • Write down the “why” • Define the process • Track your progress • Reward yourself • Review, iterate, and improve Have you built a new habit? How did you do it? 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

You often hear people talk about "focus". I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what this meant. Over the last few years, I've realised what it's all about. • Just doing one thing really well • Cutting out the noise • Getting the job done That feeling of being "in the zone". But how do you do it? Just like anything else, learning to focus your mind and commit to a single task is a skill that can be improved with practice. The more you do it, the better you'll become. But focusing is hard. Intense concentration for more than 1 hour without a short break to recharge, is even harder. Elite athletes talk about getting "in the zone" for an important game or during training. It's exactly the same thing. Here's what works well for me: • Work on something without distraction for 30 mins • Take a short break (10 mins) • Repeat the cycle • Stop after 2 hours of focused work Once you start to improve, you can increase the work block to 35, then 40 mins In order to do focused work, you'll need to: • Plan your task, know what you'll be working on • Avoid distraction • Stick to the one task (no context switching!) The good news is, the more you do this the easier it comes. Have you tried this? Does it work for you? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks! 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

One thing I've learned about great leaders. They are decisive. No hesitation. They can evaluate and take a high-quality decision quickly. This is one key leadership ability that inspires your teams to follow. It's so tempting to just wait a bit and let someone else make the first move. Leaders worry more about delay that about getting it wrong. Quality decision making is a superpower. It's a hard skill to master. The more important a decision, the harder it is. Why? 🤔 Because we can get paralysed by worrying about the outcome. The good news is, there are 3 simple steps you can take to improve decision making: (1) Who should make this decision? 🔍 • Start by identifying the person responsible for the outcome. • If someone more senior has the final say, then make sure they take ownership. • Aligning the decision maker with the owner is a quick way to move faster. TIP: Start by looking for a team manager or the budget owner. (2) Ask yourself: “Is it reversible?” 🔄 • Too often we worry about the consequences of reversible decisions. • If you can go back without much impact, then move faster. • One-way decisions need more time and care but start by understanding the impact. TIP: To help with this, write a simple “pros vs cons” list. (3) Don’t wait until you have all the data. ⏳ • At Amazon we aim to make decisions with 70% data. • If you wait until you have everything you need, you’re moving too slowly. • Get comfortable making judgement calls and taking calculated risks. TIP: Start by asking what information we know and what is still unknown. Taking faster decisions is a skill that you can practice and improve. By being more decisive, you will: • Be recognised by your peers as a leader. • Gain confidence. • Have more career opportunities. This is an easy skill to practice every day! 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

One of my biggest challenges. Is working out what to do when. No one teaches you how to do this, but it's a vital skill to learn and master. It's "ruthless prioritisation". Not just picking an order, but being specific and making it work for you. If everything is important... "Important" becomes meaningless. You often see people say, "Just use the Eisenhower matrix to prioritise." But they never tell you how to do it! The good news, it's actually pretty easy. Once you learn how to do it, the benefits are: • Clarity in what you need to deliver. • Always meeting deadlines. • You work on what really matters. This 5-minute activity will save you hours of procrastination (at least it does for me). • Make the list • Prioritise • Get working Give my 5 STEP PLAN a try and let me know how you get on 😁 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

I have some big presentations coming up. And I always get nervous. I think it's normal. • My heart rate goes up. • I get butterflies in my stomach. • I start to fidget. It used to be a huge problem as I would rush into my content. You could see how nervous I was 😬 It meant I lost credibility. If you don’t sound confident, your audience won’t connect with your message. Then I learned a simple technique that helped solve the problem. Box breathing. It is used by US Navy Seals (elite special forces) to keep them calm before high stress situations. How does it work? • Take a slow deep breath in, count 1, 2, 3, 4 • Hold the air in your lungs, count 1, 2, 3, 4 • Slowly breathe out, count 1, 2, 3, 4 • Keep your lungs empty, count 1, 2, 3, 4 • Repeat This rhythm slows your heart rate and brings it under control. By focusing on breathing (and counting in your head) you quiet your inner voice. You stop thinking about the stressful situation. You start to relax. Do it 4/5 times and see how calm you start to feel. Now I do this every time before I go on stage. It's made a big difference! Give it a try and see what you think! 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.

Managers vs Leaders Underrated skills in leadership: • Asking how you can help • Saying "I don't know" • Showing that you care • Listening more, talking less • Celebrating the success of others • Showing that you care What else? 👍 If you like today's post. 💬 To let me know what you think. 🔁 To help share.