When we talk about strategies for beating distraction during our workshops, I often mention the concept of white noise and find that this is not as commonly known as I thought.

I’ll date myself by saying I first learned about white noise as a kid when the one English-language television channel in Germany would go off the air at midnight. Between the final notes of the U.S. national anthem and the news at 6 a.m., there would be nothing on the tube but jumpy black and white dots and a steady “shhhhhh” sound all night long. My parents explained that some people liked to fall asleep with the TV static on because it drowned out other sounds in the neighborhood. They told me this masking effect of a constant sound was called white noise.

Since then people have figured out that white noise, also called ambient noise, is a great concentration aid during your waking hours. For people who work in an open-plan office, coffee shops, airport lounges or around kids, it’s a lifesaver. Kids and adults with ADHD find white noise to be soothing and a focus booster. Here are some links to good sources of white noise recordings:

Ambiance

First up is Ambiance, the application I use regularly on my iPhone. Get it at the App Store > Productivity > Ambiance. I pop in my headphones wherever I happen to be when I need to push through some work without distraction. The range of available recorded and looped sounds is impressive. My current favourites for working are ‘Large Wind Chimes’ and ‘Waterfall and River.’  To help us catch some shut-eye despite night road construction outside the window, it’s hard to beat ‘Rain on a Tin Roof.’  My hubby and I like the timer and slow fade-out features that ensure we drift slowly off to sleep without a sudden stop to the lulling sounds.

Simply Noise

A simple site that delivers steady static, just like my old TV. You can adjust the volume and oscillation of the ’soundscape’ to suit the circumstances and ‘enjoy auditory zen.’ You can also download the files of white noise, pink noise and brown noise. For more on this, put on your scientist hat and head over to Wikipedia’s explanation of the colors of noise. To listen to the different colours, check out this site.

White Noise 24/7

This site has a small selection of natural sounds and mechanical sounds available in streaming audio format. The second category includes a ventilator, washing machine and dishwasher…reminds me of that Thanksgiving weekend when my huge family was packed into my grandparents’ house, and I dragged my air mattress into the kitchen to sleep next to the dishwasher. It was the only thing that would drown out the sound of my uncles and grandpa snoring!

White Noise Machines

To create white noise for an entire room or office, consider some of these white noise machines or sound conditioners. For a good overview of how these machines work and why they boost productivity, read this article.

Do You Use White Noise?

Please vote on our Productivity Poll to let us know how/whether you use white noise. Thanks!

Do You Know of Other Good White Noise Resources?

Please let us know by commenting below – thanks!

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Last week I attended the breakfast put on by Community Business to present their survey findings around work-life balance issues in Hong Kong.

You can download the full survey report  here - and I think you will get a lot out of it if you make HR decisions for your company.

One of the best suggestions made during the morning was for businesses to study the questions asked in the survey and to find ways to get input from their own employees on the issues raised. This information will form the basis of a work-life balance initiative that makes sense for your corporate culture and values.

To give you the gist of the results – here’s my summary of the key findings:

• Most employees’ expectations of their employers’ obligations to address work-life balance issues remain unchanged, despite the economic recession.
• For Hong Kongers, the ideal work-life ratio would be 62:38.
• 30% would consider leaving their current jobs for a better work-life balance.
• Hong Kongers are working an average of 48.4 hours per week, down from 48.8 last year. This is 21% higher than the 40 hours recommended by the International Labour Organisation.
• Gen Y is more concerned with work-life balance than Gen X.
• Those making less than HK$10,000/month work the longest hours and struggle most with work-life balance.
• Financial security was rated the greatest challenge to achieving work-life balance. The 2nd greatest challenge is long working hours, 3rd is company downsizing and 4th is leader’s attitude.
• Work-life imbalance is causing prolonged fatigue, insomnia, poor diet and not enough time for partner and family.
• Employees cite a 5-day work week and more paid annual leave as the top priorities for employer intervention.
• Flexible work arrangements and the ability to work from home are also key areas for employers to address.

My response?

We have a lot of valuable data about where people’s time is going and how they want to be using it. Companies need to work out ways to measure the quality of this time, i.e. just how productive are these working hours?…and could the same output be achieved by employees who know how to work efficiently in non-traditional locations or at different times of the day/night? Could they actually get MORE done this way? Can management be tangibly assured their people are working hard even if they’re not sitting in a cubicle all day?

I say yes – The right people with the right skills and the right boss can definitely pull it off. Teams will need to learn new-fangled collaboration techniques in order to make it work, employees will need to manage their workloads effectively, and managers will need to focus on deliverables rather than seat time.

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We recently did a facilitation session with a group of senior sales managers whose team leader felt they needed to revisit the issues of work-life balance, prioritisation and boundary-setting. One of the most interesting conclusions to come out of the session was a need for a new model for thinking about balance, particularly for parents.

The group commented that what is commonly meant by the ‘life’ side of the work-life balance equation is ‘family,’ specifically time spent with the kids. While several participants felt there was room for improvement here, others stated that their job and their kids were indeed getting enough time; the missing piece was actually ‘self’ time. By this the group meant time for exercise, hobbies, adult relationships, reflection, and so on. Here are some thoughts on how to strike a Work-Life-Self Balance:

Put yourself first – in the day.

For many of us, the only part of our day we can truly control is first thing in the morning. This is the time to schedule exercise, meditation, reading and reflection. Build a ritual around it. We’re big fans of Leo Babauta of Zen Habits fame, and here’s his helpful piece on How to Become an Early Riser.

Plan in small ‘Bio-breaks’ during the day.

Your body and brain naturally cycle in 90-minute intervals called ultredian rhythms, and they will force a change of activity for you, even if you haven’t overtly changed your own activity. For example, when you try to push past 90 minutes in a meeting or on a project your brain will start to wander, and your focus will falter. Your body may start to ache, asking you for a stretch, drink or change of scenery. Take advantage of this natural cycle when planning your work day, and build in little boosts for yourself every 90-minutes or so. Don’t do anything work related during these little breaks. Instead – stand up, have a stretch, take a walk down the hall, make a personal phone call, flip through a magazine, or go get a smoothie. You will then be more productive in the next work session than you would have if you’d pushed straight through. Remember – your brain will take the break regardless of whether you officially give it permission.

Establish defined working hours, and stick to them.

Decide – and communicate to your team – when you will and will not be responding to email and calls. When you’re at home, don’t turn on the computer. Scan handheld email for emergencies if you must, but don’t respond unless the company is going to shut down without your immediate intervention. When you’re at work, don’t attend to personal issues. Keep the two separate, and deal with each in turn, efficiently and effectively. Harvard has proven yet again that this ‘work less/get more done’ approach actually makes you MORE productive than the always-on lifestyle you may be living now.

Get organised.

Get better systems in place at work and at home so less time is spent on the tedious, repetitive aspects of each. Streamline, simplify, cut back, create templates and share the load. Figure out how to do everything faster and better, with less time invested. This frees up more time for everyone to focus on the top professional and personal priorities. I really should mention that we can help you with all this – just get in touch!

Love what you do.

Make sure you’re doing work you love, so it doesn’t feel like such a slog. For help with this, turn to our friends Angela and Carole at Loving Your Work.

Get some help.

Get a life coach and/or personal trainer to help you develop the habits you know will make your life better. It makes all the difference in the world to have someone keeping you accountable and pointing out the progress you’re making. We recommend Ana Scherer of NRG Coaching and Andrew Cox of Innate Fitness. Andrew’s the guy who taught us about those ultredian rhythms!

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If you manage daily life for your kids (alone or with your partner), we call you a Family CEO.

That stands for ‘Chief Everything Officer,’ and we think it’s a pretty important role to play. In fact, we think it matters more than anything else!

Great Family CEOs spend their time and energy shaping a great future for all of us – through the people their children are becoming.

Unfortunately, we find that too many parents diminish this role one way or another. Some will sheepishly tell us that they’re just a stay-at-home parent. Others carry this huge responsibility in addition to working full-time or part-time jobs – and bear all the weight alone instead of sharing the load with partners, helpers and kids. Either way, these Family CEOs can learn a lot from the way effective corporate CEOs manage the business. Here are a few tips to help you improve the way you run things at home:

Stay focused on the big picture.

Not everything is worth getting fussed over. Pick a few key areas where it will really make a difference to establish some routines, and get these working consistently.

Get good technology.

It helps to have your own computer and handheld email device so that you can keep on top of things without waiting your turn for the family computer. Learn to use electronic organising tools. We strongly recommend synchronized electronic calendars for managing multiple schedules easily. Please ask us for help with this!

Draw lines between activities.

Try to do your computer work when the kids are at school or sleeping. Then stay focused, and work efficiently. Learn to manage your email, calendar and to-do lists effectively. When you’re with the kids, be fully present – mentally as well as physically. Build in time for yourself as well as time to nurture your relationship with your partner – and then get good at protecting this time.

Delegate.

You don’t have to do everything yourself. In fact, it’s bad for your kids if you do everything for them. Find things they can manage independently, and praise them for doing so. Learn to help your helper help you better. Have a discussion with your partner about how you can share the load.

Systemise.

Look for as many things in your regular routine that you can template as possible. Examples include a rotating meal plan, a cleaning schedule, and packing checklists for weekly activities. Think it through really well once – with everyone’s input – then put the whole thing on auto-pilot.

Don’t get emotional.

I know, I know…easier said than done. But does it ever actually help? Not so much. Remember what matters. Remember that you can’t un-say anything.

Communicate effectively.

If you apply even half the techniques in this book, your relationship with your kids will improve tremendously. Shouting doesn’t work.

Develop your team.

Take classes on parenting, organising, communicating, etc. Invest time in each other. Have meaningful conversations. Set goals together and celebrate your successes. Have fun together!

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Every year since 2005,  Hong Kong’s Community Business has promoted Work-Life Balance Day in order to raise awareness of balance as a business issue to the wider business community

Organising Solutions is proud to be a participating organisation, and we encourage you to find ways for your company to become involved.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Download Work-Life Balance: the Guide, a practical guide for small, medium and large companies in Hong Kong.
• Attend a Workshop: Adopting a Strategic Approach to Work-Life Balance
• Get the results of this year’s survey at the Breakfast Seminar October 19: The State of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong 2009 Survey – A Summary of Research Findings
• Sign up as a Participating Organisation by completing a simple survey to register your company’s planned activities.
• Have a look at the Work-Life Balance Day Toolkit for ideas on how to promote the day in your company.

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A 4-year Harvard study reveals the business benefits of forcing employees to unplug and take time off.

Here’s the data you needed; now put it into practice and enjoy the benefits!

To Work Better, Try Working Less

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There are a zillion productivity tools on the market that are designed to help you beat overload and get more done each day.

Some of the solutions are high-tech, some are lower-tech. Some are better for big companies, others are good for small companies and families.

On balance, here are the things we couldn’t live without:

List Manager

Some we like are Evernote, Remember the Milk and Toodle-Do.  A small ring binder with tabs works too, but there’s no sync/backup that way!

Shared Calendar

We like electronic calendars because they’re quick and easy to update, share with others and carry around (handheld sync). Google calendar and Microsoft Exchange are our favourites.

A Good Handheld Device

Our choices are Blackberry or iPhone for calls, email, SMS, calendar, electronic lists, access to online apps and music/white noise. Remember that these gadgets have off switches, voice mail and autoresponders. YOU are in control.

Integrated Email/Task Manager

Microsoft Outlook or Entourage – configured well and used wisely, these are fantastic. Out of the box and without a smart system, they’re just big, dumb email programs

Project Management Tools

We love Mind Manager (for whole brain thinking and collaborative planning) and Teamwork (linear but brilliant platform for driving action).

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It’s time to get the kids launched for a new school year.  As kids grow, your systems and routines must grow as well so you can keep up with busier schedules and heavier homework loads.

To help you stay on top of everything with minimal stress, here’s what we consider to be 5 essential areas to have sorted:

Family Calendar

There should be one master calendar into which all those important dates for the family get entered. We strongly recommend doing this electronically so you can quickly get the dates onto both parents’ calendars with one click. If you have a combo of PC and Mac machines in your family, set up a Google calendar and sync in the cloud – to computers and handhelds all in one go. We can help you with this – just call 2869 9687.

Family Time Map

This is a colour-coded grid showing everyone’s regular appointments, especially relevant for after school and weekend activities. Print it out and hang it on the fridge or a pinboard for everyone to see. Parents, kids and helpers should all know how to read this in order to plan and pack for the next day and discuss occasional changes to the usual schedule.

Entryway

Be sure you and the kids have clearly established places for them to put away their backpacks, lunch sacks, water bottles, activity equipment, sweaters and so on. Designate baskets, hooks, shelves, drawers and cupboards for the various items. For the first couple of weeks, be sure you and/or your helper stand near the front door as the kids come in so you can guide the unpacking process. Shouting doesn’t work; guided practice does.

Kids’ Workspaces

Make sure each child has an ergonomically-sound, pleasant workspace in which to complete homework. This doesn’t have to be a fancy desk in the bedroom. In fact, we prefer to see this happening in a family room/lounge or shared family study so everyone can be closely connected and productive together. All sorts of problems develop when kids are sent off on their own to try and get their homework done. It’s really not the way to go.

Meal Planners

Take a few minutes to write up a list of 10 snacks and 10 lunches your kids like. (Big hint – do this with them if you want the food to be eaten!) Do the same for a month’s worth of family dinners if you’re feeling really ambitious. Print it off each weekend and highlight what you’ll have that week for whoever does the grocery shopping. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy.

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