productivity
31 articlesStop asking me: configuring Claude Code permissions for uninterrupted flow
A practitioner guide to eliminating Claude Code approval prompt fatigue. Why granular command patterns fail for compound commands, the Bash(*) plus deny list ap
The Tiered Context Architecture: Managing AI Working Memory at Scale
When AI context files grow to 1,000+ lines, they degrade the collaboration they were built to support. The tiered context architecture solves this with three in
Synthesis Project Management
A lightweight project management system for human-AI collaboration. Designed for context preservation across conversation sessions and context compaction events
Travel Checklist for Personal & Business Trips (2024 Edition)
A comprehensive travel packing checklist covering fitness gear, technology, documents, attire by climate, and pre/post-trip preparations for business and person
The Power of Being Present: Why Working 24/7 Reduces Your Productivity & Innovation
Why constant connectivity kills productivity and innovation, with research-backed strategies for mindfulness, boundary-setting, and being fully present at work
Every Year, Restart in Your Current Job
The practice of approaching your current role as if you were just hired: listening tours, relationship building, fresh eyes on old problems.
The Evolution of the 50/25 Meeting Format: Why Starting Late is the New On-Time
An updated take on the 50/25 meeting format: why starting meetings 5-10 minutes late creates buffer time that improves focus, reduces stress, and boosts product
An Executive’s Daily Routine for Productivity and Balance (Summer 2023)
A CPTO’s daily routine from 5am workouts to structured deep work and evening wind-down, designed to maximize executive productivity while maintaining balance.
Why I Recommend Using Spike for Email, Instant Messaging, and Video Chat (Review)
A review of Spike, the email app that combines email, instant messaging, video chat, and calendar into one streamlined interface.
Activities, Outputs, and Outcomes — A framework for your job
A framework for distinguishing activities, outputs, and outcomes in your work, replacing static job descriptions with a living system for creating real value.
An Example of Respectfully Declining a Meeting at Work That is Already in Your Calendar
A practical example and template for respectfully declining a workplace meeting you previously accepted, with guidance on time prioritization.
OKRs in Media Companies
OKRs work differently in media than in pure tech companies. The editorial side creates unique challenges. Here is what I learned implementing them at the Wall S
Dear Makers, On Fridays My Office is Yours — An Experiment
A CTO's experiment sharing his private office with software engineers on Fridays to support maker's schedule productivity and workplace culture.
3-5-7 Meeting Format for Weekly Staff Meetings
The 3-5-7 staff meeting format gives each team member 3-5 minutes to answer 7 structured questions covering work, learnings, issues, and collaboration.
Posted Signs for Productive Meetings
Downloadable slides to post as signs in meeting rooms and offices that promote productive meeting habits, available as PDF and Google Slides.
Template For Requesting an Outcome-Focused Meeting
An outcome-focused meeting request template that transforms meetings from time-consuming rituals into results-producing collaborations, with patterns and exampl
Templates for Replying to Meeting Requests & Polite Ways to Decline Meetings
Templates for replying to meeting requests and politely declining meetings where your participation would not add value, with time management tips.
When to have and when not to schedule meetings
Why companies should avoid scheduling meetings before 10am or after 5pm, and why makers need a four-hour uninterrupted block each day.
50/25 Meeting Format
The 50/25 meeting format shortens hour-long meetings to 50 minutes and half-hour meetings to 25 minutes, giving teams time to recharge between sessions.
Using Laptops or Smartphones in Meetings
Why using your phone under the table is like picking your nose, and what to do about device culture in meetings.
Maker’s Schedule (For Managers Too)
How to implement a maker's schedule with meeting-free Friday afternoons for focused coding and creative work, presented as a team policy memo with FAQ.
5 Productivity Tips for Executives in Leadership & Management Roles
Five productivity tips for executives built around the number five, covering daily priorities, concise emails, short presentations, and time management.
Your Brain At Work (Book Review)
Review of David Rock's Your Brain At Work, a neuroscience-based guide to improving professional performance, personal relationships, and daily productivity.
A Book That Changed How I Think About Meetings
Patrick Lencioni's Death by Meeting and the principle that has shaped my calendar discipline ever since: a meeting must solve a problem, make a decision, or sha
Schedule Time to Think Every Day
Scheduling dedicated thinking time every workday, separate from meetings and email, is the most important and most neglected habit a leader can develop.
On Busyness, Idleness, and the Courage to Do Less
Tim Kreider's 'The Busy Trap' in the NYT crystallized what I've observed in technology organizations: most busyness is self-imposed, and idleness has real value
Productive Business Meetings
A comprehensive guide to productive business meetings with links to formats, templates, scheduling guidelines, and device etiquette.
How to Avoid Duplicate Search Results when using Apple Mail.app with Gmail
How to configure Gmail IMAP and Apple Mail.app to eliminate duplicate messages in Spotlight search results using Advanced IMAP Controls.
7 Tips for Effective Email
Seven practical tips for effective email communication at work, covering highlighting recipients, avoiding sneaky BCCs, and reply-all etiquette.
List of Open Source or Free Software for Home and Business Use
A curated list of open-source desktop software for home and business: OpenOffice, Firefox, GIMP, Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Linux distributions.
Personal & Business Travel Checklist
A comprehensive personal and business travel packing checklist covering clothes, fitness gear, electronics, documents, and pre-trip preparation.