How to get more done by lunchtime — when you’re working online from home…

We’re all broadcasters now, aren’t we?

I regularly broadcast the lunchtime news on BBC South East Today. That means I’m part of a team of people needing to make a lot of decisions as story priorities change and camera crews are deployed. Then breaking news comes along twenty minutes before we go on air, and everything goes out the window.

So let me share three tips that could help you get more done by lunchtime … especially when your meetings are all in broadcast mode. 

News stories contain an infinite amount of facts. Interviewees will speak at great length about the subjects we ask them about. More pictures are available for news stories than was imaginable just a decade ago, because we all have mobile phones. We have to make quick decisions about what to include in our reports, and what to leave out. As long as what we choose is fair and accurate, we’ve done our job.

Remember — it’s okay to weigh up what really matters, and what doesn’t, in your business world. You may agonise over details, but your audience probably won’t. It’s probably more important that you get the job done on time, than you get the job done to perfection. This is even more true when you’re doing the agonising while juggling home-schooling and the laundry cycle. 

There’s a reason TV and radio news bulletins start with headlines. We want to get your attention. And we don’t simply headline the first couple of stories — we usually headline something lighter and more entertaining coming up at the end, to keep you watching.

Try this approach next time you’re hosting a meeting with your team from your home. Spell out what you’re going to get through in the next half hour — and maybe tease with a promise of something light, fun, a bit of gossip at the end. You could put the ‘headlines’ on a slide, and share your screen. Have some fun with it. 

Remember that, the phone? It’s a really great gadget for getting hold of someone immediately, in order to get some facts immediately, and maybe make some decisions immediately. If we need to check a fact for a news story 20 minutes before we go to air, we haven’t got time to tap out an email and hope it gets noticed.

We hit the phones. If you’re serious about getting more done by lunchtime, I’d recommend it. It won’t always get a result — but in my experience, more often than not, it will. Meaning that you can cross that task off your list, and move onto the next. By lunchtime. 

You can download John's quick-read guide "Getting it done by lunchtime" on his homepage.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk