Exploring Professionalism and Productivity in GIS - PowerPoint Presentation

Exploring Professionalism and Productivity in GIS Ohio GIS Conference September 23, 2019 Kelly Wright, MS, GISP

Professionalism Definition and ContextAttireBehaviorAttitudeCommunication“Persona”Pitfalls and Cultural ImplicationsImplications for GIS Professionals2 Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Productivity Defining ProductivityMultitasking MythMinimize DistractionsTools for SuccessImplications for GIS Professionals3Image Credit: Getty Images/ iStockphoto

Professionalism What is it that make someone a “Professional?” 4

Definition I know it when I see itThe Merriam-Webster dictionary defines professionalism as "the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person"; and it defines a profession as "a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation.“TL; DR – Professionalism is what makes people take you seriously. 5

Context The way we identify professionalism changes based on situational contextProfessionalism as Authority Professionalism as ExpertiseThe context of the profession defines what professionalism means then and thereLab Coat versus Three-Piece SuitDress versus ScrubsWork Boots versus OxfordsThe context of a situation (interview, meeting, daily work) also changes what we view as “acceptable professionalism”Professionalism as IdentityWho do you look to for leadership? 6

Professional Attire 7

Professional Attire Wear What Makes You PowerfulRecent Phenomenon“A Neat Appearance”Be CleanClothes Should FitNo Ripped AnythingAvoid Workout ClothesDress Appropriately for the EnvironmentDress for the Role you Want, Not the Role you Have8

Professional Behavior 9

Professional Behavior Show Up!DoArrive on time and ready to workOrganize materials and information before meetingsTake notes and keep a calendar (up to date!)Seek Mentorship and provide mentorship to othersRemove negativity from you vocabularyDon’tComplain about assignmentsGossip about co-workersTalk negatively about the bossDisrespect the work schedule10

Professional Attitude 11

Professional Attitude Walk the Talk Be honest, reliable, a hard worker and positive DAY IN AND DAY OUT.Respects the valuable time of othersFollows supervisors’ instructions and supports the business’ goalsRespects private, public, and intellectual propertyObservant – sees what needs to be done, and then does what needs to be doneMaintains a safe, civilized workplacePerceived as a representative of the organization and acts in a manner that reflects favorably on the organization. Asks questions rather than risks making a mistakeReceives constructive criticism well12

Professional Communication 13

Professional Communication Talk the TalkCommunication should be calm and assertiveBe an Active ListenerBe cognizant of differing abilitiesCC SelectivelyFind the Right Time and PlaceKeep it ShortDon’t attribute intent or “read into” situationsDon’t Reply to emails right awayRein in your Ego14

Professional “Persona” 15

Professional “Persona” Bring it all together in one packageCombine behavior, attitude, communication, attire and service into one package that you “put on” every morning before workThe Persona is the person that you present yourself as in your work environmentImagine you are getting into your superhero costume!16

Professional Pitfalls and Cultural Implications17

Professional Pitfalls Don’t damage your reputation unintentionallySocial MediaFriendships and Romantic Relationships at workGossip, Office Politics, and Real PoliticsReligion, Beliefs, OpinionsInsensitivity to illness or disability – especially invisible illnessesBeing loud or rudeUse all 5 senses to make sure you are respecting others’ space and environmentKnow your leadership by sightAlways check, re-check, and re-read emails18

Cultural Implications We live in a wide-open world now—be sensitive to othersUnconscious BiasGender BiasRacial BiasAge BiasCode SwitchingDis/Abilities and Invisible IllnessesSocioeconomic differences and difference of opportunityIssues unique to women and women of colorStyle choices affect your available productive time19

Implications for GIS Professionals Professionalism 20

Implications for GIS Professionals A wide diversity of GIS jobs makes it hard to apply rulesDoes attire matter in your workplace?Do you work on your own?Do you work with the public?How do you communicate your professionalism?Share with us!21

Productivity a.k.a. squeezing blood out of a turnip 22

Productivity Do More With Less?Possible DefinitionsMeasure of efficiency in completing a task. Getting more things done each day. Getting important things done consistently. Results in Satisfaction and a feeling of “Done (Enough)” 23

The Myth of Multitasking 24

25 The Myth of Multitasking You probably think you’re good at it What is multitasking, anyway? Performing more than one task at the same time. Splitting your attention between multiple tasks at once. Switching back and forth from one thing to another. Performing a number of tasks in rapid succession. Overall Getting more done in the same amount of time.

The Myth of Multitasking You still probably think you’re good at it 26 BUT Is this really feasible? Might this affect the quality of your work? Are we disserving ourselves when we try to multitask? Is “multitasking” just another way of saying “constantly distracted?” Even among famous composers like Bach, Chopin and Beethoven, only Mozart worked on more than one composition at a time. You are not the exception!

The Myth of Multitasking a.k.a. getting interrupted a lotWhat really happens when we multitask?Context SwitchingCognitive Process ImpairmentInsufficient AttentionIncreased risk of error or omission Slowed response timeSome researchers suggest that multitasking can actually reduce productivity by as much as 40 percent! 27

Minimize Distractions 28

Minimizing Distractions Understanding the costs29How we process DistractionIt takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to your task.If you get distracted three times a day, you are losing an HOUR of time just recovering your attention. Attention distraction can lead to higher stress, a bad mood, and lower productivity. Image Credits: IDoneThis

Internal versus External Distractions None of us are immuneInternal or Self-Inflicted“I’ll just check into Facebook for a minute – I deserve a break!”“30 seconds to check Twitter” (isn’t just 30 seconds)“It’ll only take a minute to answer this email”“Of course I can listen to this webinar and answer emails at the same time”External Phone ringing, Email arrivingCo-worker walking over to talk (even if to talk about work, this is still a distraction)Fulfilling a request from supervisorFire drill, spilling a drink, dog peeing on floor 30

An Ounce of Prevention… Set yourself up for successEliminate Digital PressureTurn off/limit smartphone notificationsLog out of social media accountsKeep email closedDon’t answer the phoneSet status to ‘Do Not Disturb’Take Frequent BreaksStand up and walk at least once an hourGive yourself time away from workPhysical exercise/motion spurs creative thought 31

What to Do? Eliminate distractions and set yourself up to succeedSet aside uninterrupted blocks of time to focus on one task at a timeDon’t answer emails or phone calls during this timeIt can wait. Would you have answered if you were on the toilet?Share your strategy with co-workers for better buy-inSet aside time to answer emails and respond to phone callsFor example, set aside one hour at 9:00 a.m. and one hour at 1:00 p.m.Provides an opportunity to reflect and mentally prepare your responses“Batch” email responses when possibleSchedule these times on a calendar and send yourself remindersKeep an interruption log to identify common distractions 32 Image Credits: gusto.com

What to Do? Eliminate distractions and set yourself up to succeedDo First What You Dread MostPut the most unpleasant task first. When it's done, the rest of the list feels easier.Use HeadphonesMusic choice can play a huge part in productivity and emotional state. Practice Saying NoWe are eager to help out, but help yourself out first!Saying “Yes” is important, but not to the detriment of work that must be completed.No can be better than MaybeBe polite, but be firm33 Image Credits: Harvard Business Review

Distractions from Co-Workers Sometimes you gotta fake a bathroom emergency…Work-related distractionsCreate calendar appointments for uninterrupted work time.In Outlook, you can mark an appointment as “Private” or mark yourself as “Busy” or “Working Offsite”Use (large) headphones to indicate you are unavailableEven if you are listening to nothing, it gets the messageSet your Skype status to Do Not DisturbCreate a real (funny) signIf a co-worker parks at your deskStand up as though you are leavingPolitely let them know you have deadlines to meet and offer to have lunch with them later to talk about their new house/kid/dog/car/significant otherIf all else fails, fake a bathroom emergency 34 Image Credit: imgur.com/ VampirezKing

Minimize Distraction Using Geography If you aren’t at your desk you can’t get trapped there… 35 If Possible: Work from home for uninterrupted time Work in an empty conference room Work in a library or Starbucks Close the door to your office (if you have the luxury of a door) Work before or after normal business hours Work through lunch (save money, too!) Take Care of Yourself First Take a break! Walk away from your desk. Go outdoors for a quick walk around the building. Make sure you are eating and drinking enough water.

Tools for Success 36

Tools For Success Strategize your work timePomodoro MethodThere are six steps in the original technique:Decide on the task to be done.Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).[2]Work on the task.End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.[6]If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.Source: Wikipedia 37

Tools For Success 38Image Credit: Jamesclear.comDetermine Task PriorityEisenhower MatrixHelps you to decide “Where to Start”Break through Analysis ParalysisData-Driven Decision-Making Forces you to literally evaluate each task:Important/Urgent quadrant are done immediately and personally (e.g. crises, deadlines, problems)Important/Not Urgent quadrant get an end date and are done personally (e.g. relationships, planning, recreation)Unimportant/Urgent quadrant are delegated (e.g. interruptions, meetings, activities)Unimportant/Not Urgent quadrant are dropped (e.g. time wasters, pleasant activities, trivia) Source: Wikipedia and Jamesclear.com

Tools For Success Free your mind for the important stuffGetting Things Done by David AllenMove planned tasks and projects out of the mind by recording them externally and then break them into actionable work items. Allows attention to be focused on taking action on tasks, instead of recalling themCapture your ideas ‘on paper’Clarify into actionable stepsOrganize by category and priorityReflect on your to-do listEngage and get to workWeekly ReviewSource: lifehacker.com and fastertomaster.com 39 Source: whywhathow.xyz

Tools For Success Arm yourself with optionsGoogle KeepShare to-do lists, websites, text, audioColor code itemsSimilar to sticky notesSyncs across all devicesCompatible with Google Docs and other Google Suite appsNotes App on iOSSupports handwritten notes on tabletsMicrosoft OneNoteKelly’s Favorite40 Source: zapier.com

Tools For Success Arm yourself with optionsTrelloBoards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize projectsGood for team collaboration and project managementTons of add-ins41Source: trello.com

What Tools Do You Use? 42

Implications for GIS Professionals Productivity 43

Implications for GIS Professionals The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry…Reactive versus Proactive workHow can you plan for the fires that inevitably pop up?Whose priority is your priority?What tasks MUST be completed?Sometimes Done is EnoughYou can always improve on something, but is the result of the improvement worth the time invested?Who is the audience?How long will the audience engage with the result?Will it make a difference to the end user if you don’t perfect the result?Your standards may be too high for the level of effort required to meet them 44

Implications for GIS Professionals The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry…‘Schedule’ Time for Fires and CatastrophesAsk yourself what the worst case could be, and then plan how to put out that fire. Set aside time in your day for the inevitable GIS fire. You won’t end up with ‘extra’ time but you’ll be aware that you shouldn’t fill your entire schedule. Automate Repetitive WorkflowsModelBuilderPython scriptsGeoprocessesAsk for help! You don’t know what you don’t know. Schedule Time For Training 45

References http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/faculty/stierman/fall2005/4610/pa.htmhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-professionalism-does-mean-you-daniel-w-porcupile/https://careertrend.com/facts-5387877-characteristics-professionalism.htmlhttps://www.wikihow.com/Be-Professional-at-Workhttps://www.themuse.com/advice/this-is-nuts-it-takes-nearly-30-minutes-to-refocus-after-you-get-distractedhttp://blog.idonethis.com/distractions-at-work/https://blog.trello.com/eisenhower-matrix-productivity-tool-trello-boardhttps://hbr.org/2018/01/the-art-of-strategy-is-about-knowing-when-to-say-nohttps://lifehacker.com/productivity-101-a-primer-to-the-getting-things-done-1551880955https://fastertomaster.com/getting-things-done-david-allen/https://zapier.com/blog/google-keep-vs-evernote/ 46

Discussion and Questions 47

Thank You Kelly Wright, MS, GISP (937) 259-5172 kwright@ljbinc.com https://www.ljbinc.com/