To-do lists Kanban style plus how to deal with a difficult customer and why pictures work

How are you going with your to-do list? Last week I read this article about doing it ‘kanban’ style. As I’ve been sinking a little under the weight of mine I thought I’d give Kanban style a whirl. What can I say? It’s fabulous. It works. And I should have done it ages ago.

With only six weeks to go to Christmas (and – I just realised – only four more weeks of school for my kids) I need some magic. It seems to have come in the way of these great little productivity techniques. ‘Getting active’ and ‘working with intention’ are my tops ones. Which are yours?

And so, with the arrival of the silly season, we also welcome the difficult customer! Here’s a useful guide to dealing with them. And my top tip: breathe, smile and move them on as quickly and as pleasantly as you can!

I’ve always enjoy a ‘how-they-did-it’ story. This one’s a little long (45 mins) but an interesting journey through the worlds of advertising, writing, publishing and design. Karen Salmansohn’s achievements include selling over 1 million books and she shares some interesting tips. So if you’ve got time grab a coffee and watch this, or download and listen in the car!

Finally, they say a picture is worth 1000 words, but it might be even more than that! This article explains how pictures make us think that whatever we are reading is more credible. A good reminder that a lovely picture goes a long way on a website or blog.