Some suggestions to make your work as a lobbyist easier

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I was recently asked for suggestions on managing my workload as a lobbyist.

Here are some things I try and practice.

They took time and pain to learn.

  1. You can’t do two different things well at once.  If you try, you’ll spend 3 x more time correcting it.
  2. You can only have a small circle of competence. For anything outside that,  delegate to someone else or turn it down.
  3. Energy levels are vital. Work with your energy levels. Arrange your week and day around it.
  4. You only have a certain amount of energy every day. If you try and push through it with caffeine, etc., it does not work and it  will harm you.
  5. Do one thing once before moving on to the next task.  It frees up your day and week.
  6. To understand what needs to be done, chunk down the steps by Sticky Notes. You’ll then identify the dependencies in what’s being asked of you.
  7. Double the time estimate you give yourself for doing anything. Humans are really bad at making accurate estimations of how much time is needed to do something.
  8. Distractions – notifications, calls, white noise conversations in the background – stop focused work. Library rules were invented for a reason.
  9. Deep work requires silence.
  10. Chunk your work into similar areas.
  11. Good ideas and solutions come from outside – going for a walk, chatting with 3 different people, reading a book/article on the point.
  12. Pick up the phone and ask someone who has first hand knowledge the question.  Don’t speculate. And don’t do group speculation. It leads quickly into weird fantasy genres.
  13. A great way to tap the ideas and solutions from the greats. I’ve learned more about communicating information from spending a few days reading Edward Tufte than anywhere else.
  14. There is often a person who has the answer you are looking for. You’ll get a better answer by asking them, than spending hours trying to find it.
  15. Knocking your head repeatedly hard on a wall is unlikely to lead to a useful discovery.
  16. Fresh air and walking near trees/ relaxation are one of the greatest ways to discover solutions. A notebook/voice recording on your phone is useful. Showeing with Post-It notes may be a thing.
  17. An accountability buddy is a great way to nudge you to deliver on your own daily commitments.
  18. Most of what we do as knowledge workers is nearly identical every day. There is no need to re-invent every day.
  19. You can’t perform miracles all the time.
  20. Build in generous buffers and free time in your schedule. It will free up head space.
  21. Don’t be a slave to your email/notifications.
  22. Say No more often. Political miracles in a minute don’t exist. 200 hours of work can’t be done in 30 minutes.
  23. If people want political miracles from you, tell them you are not a wizard.
  24. Thinking on paper is likely the best way to see if you understand an issue.
  25. Shut down early at the end of the day. I’ve not found good solutions at 11 pm.
  26. Alcohol does not make you more creative,
  27. Sleep is the most useful thing you’ll do every day. Don’t skip it.
  28. Your work is just a job. It is not a spiritual vocation.  Your family, health and health are what is important.
  29. Try and work for the best people in your field. You’ll learn a lot.
  30. If a meeting does not have an agenda and a pre-read, avoid it.
  31. Schedule meetings for your low-energy hours – often PM.