We have a saying at our office, “keep the monkey.” Yeah, it’s weird, but here is the point. You’ve heard people say, “I have a monkey on my back.” They’re referring to a problem or issue they can’t resolve that is hanging over their head. Human nature is to pass the monkey off to someone else so you get it off your back and move on. The issue is, the monkey is now the next person’s problem.

It’s also really f*cking lazy and kind of a dick move to just “pass the buck” or monkey, if you will. Basically you didn’t feel like solving it so you made it someone else’s problem. It drives me INSANE. For example, you ask, “hey so and so, where is the file for this?” Instead of looking where you know the file is, you are asking someone else to do it for you, cause it was easier to make them do it then to find the answer yourself. Stop it.

I was actually just chatting with some of my staff today about this! Someone reached out to us with a question, something they could’ve easily resolved themselves. In fact, they asked the exact same question the month before…let me repeat…exact same question. What do we do? We drop everything to respond and find the answer for them. Here’s the issue with that.

• Productivity for the day was thrown off to be reactive to another person’s “question.”
• Multiple team members also jumped into assist…cause that’s how we do at 8THIRTYFOUR. Now several people are working on this person’s issue ahem question.
• Now we’re all frustrated and venting to each other, so there’s that.
• And now I’m writing this blog cause I’m annoyed.

This is not an uncommon occurrence within companies, in fact, we’ve addressed it multiple times as a team. You might be asking yourself, “what’s the big deal, just find the answer and move on.” Sure, sure – fair enough. What if you receive 15 emails, chats, or calls like this every day? Suddenly you’re spending half your day “putting out fires.” Other people’s fires.

Here’s what you do.

• Don’t respond immediately.
• Set aside time in your schedule/calendar to dig into the issue.
• Respond to said lazy person with “I’ll check into this sometime this week and circle back (throw some passive-aggressiveness in there) once I’ve had a chance to look into.”
• Then wait…9 times out of 10, the person will solve their issue before you even have to do anything.
• If that doesn’t work, push back. Do it respectfully (that’s where don’t respond immediately comes in), give it a breather, and then deal with it.

The best thing you can do is to not respond right away, you have to set boundaries or you’ll continue to be derailed by these damn monkeys and before you know it, you’re running a f*cking zoo (and writing blogs about it).

Ever find yourself scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn…all the photos in your phone…the latest Ann Taylor sale…basically doing anything but tackling the looming project that is due?

I’m convinced it is human nature to procrastinate, it just feels natural to find reasons to not do something. It’s like we are wired to avoid emptying the dishwasher, riding the Peloton, or writing that blog.

Putting things off, actually hurts us emotionally, physically and monetarily. In a survey of 10,000 people by Carleton University’s Procrastination Research Group, 94 percent of respondents said that procrastination negatively affects their happiness. A full 19 percent said the effect is extremely negative.

Side Note: There is a group that studies procrastination, how often do they put something off…I wonder?

There is no secret formula for motivation, for me…guilt and the fear of letting someone down drives me. It doesn’t mean I’m jumping out of bed at 6:00 a.m. to ride 10 miles on the bike, meditate for 30 minutes or read a book…it does mean, I get shit done.

You have to force yourself to do it, even when you don’t want to. 

I tell staff, do the item on your to-do list that you are avoiding doing. Get it over with, you’ll find yourself a hell of a lot more productive when that one task isn’t hanging over your head.

Make yourself be motivated, there is no magic wand to suddenly make yourself productive. It is just pushing yourself and doing the crap you don’t want to do…first.

Set a routine

My mornings consist of me getting up, getting ready and getting out the door. Some people like to run a marathon, write a novel, achieve world peace…all before 6:00 a.m. Well, good for them.

No routine is right or wrong, do what works for you. I work in the evening, after I leave the office, I tackle things that are ‘quick wins’ so I can focus on the big stuff the next day.

Celebrate success

Acknowledge your wins. When you knock out a 35-page strategy, reward yourself with a bottle or two of wine.

It’s never to late to end the cycle of procrastination. Be realistic with yourself, you’ll have good and bad days.

Dear Michiganders,

We find ourselves, once again, in the midst of a blustery winter storm (Snowmageddeon) that has seemingly caught us by surprise…even though it is winter in Michigan. I view snow days as an opportunity to crush my to-do list and catch up on all the tasks I keep putting off.

Here are my tips for this windy, snowy and cozy day.

1. Wear PJs all day. It is statistically proven that working in lounge wear increases output (we are still looking for the report that backs this up). If you don’t have to worry about showering, dressing and doing your hair; you can jump right into your tasks for the day.
2. Start with a mimosa, after coffee of course. Nothing says “bring on the day,” like an alcoholic beverage at 7:00 a.m. Champagne is for celebrating, and a snow day is cause for celebration.
3. Light a candle. A flickering, scented candle will give you a warm, cozy feel. It completes your workspace and adds the needed ambience to crush that to-do list.
4. Surround yourself with dogs. Missing your co-workers? No problem. Dogs are avid listeners, be sure to brainstorm client campaigns with your furry staff, their input will be invaluable.
5. Register to attend the Nothing Party. What do you have to look forward to when January turns into February? Nothing. February is the month of nothing, so we are giving you something to look forward to, a party full of nothingness. I mean, what else do you have to do?
6. Jam out to The Greatest Showman soundtrack. Get motivated with show tunes, the best part being that co-workers won’t get annoyed when you play the album repeatedly in an 8 hour period.

In all seriousness, take advantage of the quiet, uninterrupted work time. You’ll be shocked how much you accomplish.

Don’t have a heart attack, but I currently have 1,215 emails in my inbox. Are you hyperventilating? Take a deep breath, here’s a paper bag – I hear you can breath into it and it helps.

If it makes you feel any better, I don’t categorize or file my emails. If I am at 1,214, I know that I have 0 unread emails. I have a system, it is just a system that gives other people anxiety. I sent an article around the office the other day by Tim Herrera of Smarter Living; the article addressed procrastination. If we are honest with ourselves, we all put off the tasks we like the least. I bet you just thought of that task right now…

So how the hell do we go about changing what is so ingrained in us to naturally do?

1. To steal from Nike, JUST DO IT. Start out your day tackling the one thing you have been putting off for heaven knows how long. Schedule time on your calendar, say an hour or two to focus on that one task.
2. If it is a larger project, then spread it out over a few days or weeks (as needed – don’t get carried away). My suggestion would be to do it first thing in the a.m. that is when I am at my most focused. It probably has something to do with the mass amount of caffeine I have consumed.
3. If you are feeling truly introspective, you can write down all the reasons you have avoided that certain task. Is it time? Does it require confronting someone? It is something that does not come naturally to you; such as writing?

If you take my inbox as an example, I know it will take me HOURS to organize it and there are other tasks that are more pressing. Here is the deal though, it hangs over my head and I know that it affects productivity because I spend a lot of my time searching for certain emails. If they were categorized by clients or type of communication, I would be able to find it in less time – leaving more time for those other important tasks.

What do you think? What tips do you have for avoiding procrastination (get it)?

Negotiation is a part of every aspect of our life. In your personal life it could be trying to get your spouse to do a chore or run an errand. In your professional life it might involve a raise, increase in a client’s budget or a lease on new office space.

Negotiation is a bit like conflict resolution, it makes people uncomfortable. Asking for more money or a concession is not easy, what it is…is necessary and part of life.

So…how do you become a better negotiator? Here are a few tips from me and Harvard Business Review (HBR), we’ll see if you can tell the difference.

1. Use humor. Not everything in life has to be so damn serious. The first thing I do when entering an awkward conversation is admit it is awkward. This usually sets people at ease and opens the floor for an honest discussion.
2. Change the setting. Go grab a beer and review that contract. Taking someone out of their everyday setting can lighten the mood and loosen everyone up. I mean, a cocktail or two helps lessen the tension.
3. Smartness or as they say IQ. According to Harvard Business Review, people with higher IQs tend to approach negotiations in a more cooperative or collaborative way. They also have some really witty, intelligent responses. Some people are just good on their feet. For those of us that are not, refer to #1.
4. Self-awareness. HBR has this to say about those of us that are self reflective – we all have mental models to interpret other people’s behaviors, and awareness of these models is key to influencing how people think of us. What this also means is narcissistic individuals are at a disadvantage, as they have no ability to see past themselves.

The deal is you get the ability to choose how you approach the convo, what you say and ultimately how you react.

What tips do you have for negotiation?

When do you put the phone away for the night? When do you close your laptop?

Boundaries is something a small business owner will never have. We don’t shut it off, we don’t put it down and we sure as hell never stop thinking about.

BUT…this is should not the case for your employees and it is a lesson I learned in the last few years. I wasn’t keeping them at the office til 9:00 p.m. at night or demanding they work on weekends…but I was sending them emails, assigning things through our project management system and sometimes g-chatting them at all hours of the night.

The sad thing is, I had no idea it was affecting them and stressing them out. They felt they needed to respond immediately to my emails or take care of whatever item was mentioned. I had no idea they felt this way.  Thankfully, I had an employee speak up on behalf of other team members and I made changes in my communication.

For me, this meant drafting emails and then sending Monday morning instead of Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. I try to be much more deliberate in the way I word communication, as it can be interpreted as a bit too aggressive or blunt. Hard to imagine, am I right?

When you move from being just a business of one, the focus changes. Change isn’t easy for business owners, but it is necessary for growth.

I just got back from being gone for 15 days. It was the longest I have traveled away from 834, my team and my dogs. It was amazing, scary, frustrating and anxiety ridden (and that was just the people I communicated with). Even though I was ‘on’ and checking emails, talking to my team and clients – it is still an adjustment when you get home.

Instead of rushing into the office and feeling frantic and overwhelmed, I gave myself a day to get shit in order on the home front. I cleaned, organized, grocery shopped, went to the vet and meal-prepped. I then sat down and planned out the next day to ensure I was the most productive.

If I hadn’t taken that extra day, there is no way I would’ve accomplished anything.

My point is, as a business owner, give yourself a break. We are never truly on vacation or not running our businesses, so do what you have got to do to get yourself back on track.

By the way, Ireland was amazing. Highly recommend.

The first day back after the holidays can be overwhelming. If you are like me, I tried to avoid even thinking about work while I was off, which proved to be fruitless.

How do you retool and refocus after a break? Do you sit down at your desk and then freeze? How are you supposed to get everything done? How do you even get excited about it? Do you immediately get frustrated and want to cry?

Here are my tips for getting back in the swing of things and not dreading all that is on your plate.

1. Office supplies. Purchase a new notebook or planner. I don’t know what it is about office supplies but I get really excited to use which then gets me excited about the tasks I am outlining.
2. Team meeting. On your first day back, ease into it. Convene with the team and chat about priorities, deadlines and life in general. By making sure you are all on the same page, you will feel ready to tackle that to-do list. Ease into the day with some socializing and then get shit done.
3. Make a list. Break out that new notebook and map out what you absolutely have to get done that day. A colleague of mine once said, your top priorities should fit on a post-it note. If your list is any longer, you will get overwhelmed and productivity goes out the window.
4. Out-of-office. Keep your out-of-office on. It won’t hurt for clients to think you are out of the office one more day. This will give you the chance to catch up on tasks and catch-up on emails.
5. Cut yourself a break. You are not going to get everything done in one day and no one expects you to. Be realistic with yourself and give yourself a break.

Take a deep breath. You got this.

When you are managing over 30 clients, overseeing 20+ social channels and communicating with 100 or more media outlets on a monthly basis…you need to have your organizational shit down.

From 834 to you, here are our top time management tips, served with a side of sarcasm and swear words.

1. Never procrastinate. Do it NOW! Do the shittiest task on your list first. Once you get that off your plate, everything else is a cake walk.
2. Use tools: There are a ton of free tools that will do work and remember things for you. Use them! Google Calendar, iCalendar, Apple Reminders, Boomerang, Basecamp. The list goes on.
3. Prioritize. What needs to be done first? Map out your to-do list with the most important tasks being first.
4. Eliminate distractions. If you have a deadline you are working under and have to take shit home with you, don’t work in the same room as your significant other. They don’t care that you have things to do and WILL NOT STOP TALKING.
5. Find your power jams, turn them on and tune it all out. Might we suggest, Work Bitch by Britney Spears.

Have some great tips we should add to the list? Drop them in the comments and we’ll update the blog.