Posted by Philip Morley
Try this.
Think of someone who does something different. And ask yourself if there’s a way that they work that could improve the way you do things.
Could be your butcher. Or your doctor. In my case it was my dentist.
As a creative person I’m used to being governed by the deadline. The deadline is king. If you need your work on Friday and today is Monday, your work will be done in between Monday and Friday.
One day, whilst having a root canal done, I thought ‘how could I be more like my dentist?’ with regards to workflow.
The result was what I call the Dental Planner, which I use to this day. To people not in the creative industries it will seem like the bleeding obvious but it’s a diary into which you plan when to do the work, not simply a calendar of deadlines. This is not the usual way of doing things.
What sparked this?
The dentist knows you are coming and knows what needs doing. He also knows how long it will take. When you arrive, he is not interrupted and he has allowed time for you to ask questions. You finish on time and you are given a large bill. There are no surprises.
Philip|Morley 