The reference is about the “spiritual” gratification some (most in my experience) get from helping others – it is something that is often overlooked as it can be seen as “non-commercial”.

There are some great quotes about this in literature – one of my favourites is the Chinese Proverb:

If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness for a month — get married. If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.

Churchill also said:

It is more agreeable to have the power to give than to receive.

But possibly it was Mark Twain who said it best:

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

Thanks for your reply.

Kind regards,
Matthew

I don’t know of any specific fora out there that deal with this type of topic specifically (unfortunately). It’s more a matter of having a look around and seeing what you can find.

Best of luck with your search and if you find anything, please let me know.

Thank you for your kind feedback.

Just read your article in Charter. We moved to the same model in the same year as you (using Ron Baker’s work as our model). It felt good reading your article to know that there are others who think like this (builds confidence).

Your article will only grow the number of firms operating this way and improve the profession. Thank you.

No timesheets, no WIP, no invoices, no debtors, no trips to the bank – its a wonderful world isn’t it – and an unexpected outcome from our move was that my postage and stationary costs fell as I was no longer sending so all those invoices and statements.

Taking possession of your own mind by taking possession of your communication time is a powerful thing to do … and is definitely worth the effort!

How can you do this in relation to the constant flow of communication coming your way?

Firstly, simplify your approach to email, in particular, by using the Out of Office (… unavailable for now) Reply on your mail system to let people know that you will be checking your Inbox twice a day only; and if it’s truly urgent (… and define what constitutes “truly urgent” in your “Out of Office” response system), then a phone call is needed, and will get to you quicker.

Having used this system, I’ve found that most people appreciate the effort you take to let them know what your situation is, and how you are handling your work flow. They also appreciate that you have clarity around your situation; and respect them enough to let them know what’s happening … and handle it as a professional courtesy. Most people can handle any “What”, if they are given a strong enough “Why”, and have reasonable alternatives for urgent access.

Once you’ve done this, switch off the sound or visual notifications to your email box. The noise and visual interruption can damage and sabotage your current focus & concentration. Instead, let your mind go to work on the high or higher value stuff you have chosen to work on right now!

Allocate an amount of time … say no more than 60 -90 minutes to each of these “Inbox Check-in times”; and track how many emails, on average, you are able to read and respond to in these times. (That will be revealing and illuminating all in one go!)

Once you’ve quantified the number, you have a clear benchmark on your realistic capacity in this area of communication. Having done this, check who you email and respond to most.

Ask yourself: “Are these emails related to High Payoff work or Core Values?”.

If they are, then keep the (email) doorway open to them. If not, use the “Rules” section of your Inbox to delegate this items to someone else, or somewhere (e.g. The “Do Later” or “Deleted Items” Folders). Check the “Do Later” Folder twice a week and make a judgement call from there.

Taking control of your communication is great for your self-esteem too! And, if you make an appointment with yourself and read and respond to your emails at those times, people will get used to … and appreciate the consistency and reliability of your improved communication system.

Simplicity leads to genius … and simplicity starts with focussing and concentrating.

Remember: “All you can do, is all you can do … and all you can do is enough!”

I see that the message got through in spite of what John Chisholm refers to as “local non-English words”.

It can be difficult! Mostly I look for opportunities that come up during our work here at the business – a lot of the issues we deal with a relevant across a range of businesses and those that have some particular value are the ones that we look to post (have a look at my post later today).

Thanks for your post.

I ask this question alot of my clients too-surprising how many struggle to answer it.