Neen James, Attention Pays – InnovaBuzz 111
Neen James, Author, Attention Pays
In this episode, I’m really excited to welcome to the InnovaBuzz Podcast, Neen James, author of Folding Time™ and Attention Pays™. In 2017, she was named one of the Top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Guru because of her work with companies like Viacom, Comcast, and Abbott Pharmaceuticals among others.
Neen is full of energy, quick-witted and shares some powerful strategies for paying attention to what matters so you can get more done and create change more easily.
Ian Altman on Episode 97 recommended we interview Neen.
Listen to the podcast to find out more.
Time is the great equalizer. Time is not prejudiced. We can’t manage time but we can manage our attention. @neenjames on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To Tweet
Show Notes from this episode with Neen James, author of Attention Pays™
Key points and take-aways from this episode include:
- When people pay attention, companies make more money. We have stronger relationships and we take care of the planet that we live on.
- Attention is the evolution of productivity.
- Time is the great equalizer. Time is not prejudiced. We can’t manage time but we can manage our attention.
- The “Attention Pays” framework: We pay attention in three ways: Personally – being thoughtful of who deserves our attention, Professionally – being productive, and Globally – being responsible and how we pay attention to the world.
- Attention is so much more than just the person who is in front of us. It’s really what we want to focus on and how we’re showing that to the world.
- “Over Trilogy” – people are feeling very overwhelmed, over stressed, and over tired, and it is because of the choices we make in this attention deficit society.
- Technology is not the enemy of our attention, we are, because we choose to make technology more important than people. As leaders, we are the people who have to make the choices we make and actions we take especially with our attention.
- Create a 15 minute appointment with yourself everyday to identify your top 3 non-negotiable activities you must achieve. These 3 things become a decision filtering system on how you want to spend your day. We need to think about what are the most important things we need to achieve today to bring our business and our goals forward.
- Public accountability drives private accountability. Being accountable for the things you want to achieve and telling someone about them is a really powerful way to make sure you focus your attention because interestingly, we don’t mind letting ourselves down but we don’t want to let someone else down. When other people have an awareness of your goals, they do things to help you get closer to those goals. When we know what other people are working on, it makes it so much easier for us to support them as well.
- Create forums and opportunities for remote teams to feel connected so that they don’t feel that they are on the outside of everything. Think about how you can encourage the team to be involved and support each other.
- Leveraging technology with systems helps strengthen relationships.
- Listen with your eyes.
Attention is so much more than just the person who is in front of us. It’s really what we want to focus on and how we’re showing that to the world. @neenjames on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To Tweet
The Buzz – Our Innovation Round
Here are Neen’s answers to the questions of our Innovation round. Listen to the interview to get the full scoop.
- #1 thing to be more innovative – Look at what’s common and see how we can change it. People who are very innovative look at the world very differently. Innovation comes by doing something that no one else had ever thought about.
- Best thing for new ideas – Hiring experts. Look to those who have mastered something to accelerate learning. When trying to work out a better way to do it, go to the best. Innovation is taking on board what they are suggesting and then putting your distinctive touch around it.
- Favourite tool for innovation – Evernote. It has become a really great central place of information that synchronises on so many devices.
- Keep project / client on track – Written accountability. An actual accountability plan that spans the life of a project with regular check-ins.
- Differentiate – Being the best version of yourself. Amplify the best of you. Distinction comes because you see the world through a very unique lens. Appreciate the lens you see the world through so that you can be the best version of yourself and share that with people.
To Be a Leader
Do it overwhelmed! As leaders, we are constantly in a state where there is always more to do. Find a more interesting way to do it and a different way to look at it. Replace the words “I have to do this” with “I choose to do this”, because the words we use have massive impact on our focus and productivity.
Reach Out
You can reach out and thank Neen through her website, Facebook or Twitter.
Suggested Guest
Neen suggested I interview Tamsen Webster, keynote message speaker, message strategist and creator of the “Red Thread” Process.
So Tamsen, keep an eye on your inbox, for an invitation from us to the InnovaBuzz podcast, courtesy of Neen James.
Links
Books
- Attention Pays™: How to Drive Profitability, Productivity, and Accountability, Neen James
- Folding Time, Neen James
Cool things about Neen:
- She liked watching sitcoms when she was a teenager.
- She is a Certified Speaking Professional, a valuable accreditation earned by less than 10% of speakers worldwide.
- She loves riding her Harley-Davidson motorbikes.
When people pay attention, companies make more money. We have stronger relationships and we take care of the planet that we live on. @neenjames on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To Tweet
Listen to the Podcast
Neen has kindly shared a pdf copy of her book Folding Time with the InnovaBuzz Podcast audience. Thank you, Neen!
Get your copy here