UPSIDE DOWN EXCELLENCE

Quality that's simple

This phrase comes straight from the Navy SEALs.

And it’s just as true for quality as it is on the battlefield.

As quality professionals, we face 1,000 competing priorities from every direction. The successful ones know how to do two things: prioritize and execute.

I’m not going to lie and tell you there’s a magic bullet—because there isn’t. But I’ll share what has worked for me, in real-world quality terms. Hearing a productivity guru talk about “zero inbox” is fine, but it doesn’t always translate when the you-know-what hits the fan.

Here are some of the habits I’ve tested and still use today.

Journaling

This clears my head and sets the tone for my day. I’ve tried both morning and evening journaling, but I don’t do both.

• Morning prompts: What am I learning? What am I grateful for? What are my three priorities for the day?
• Evening prompts: What went well today? What could I improve? Write one short story about today.

Right now, the morning version fits better with my schedule.

Prioritize and Execute

This comes straight from Jocko Willink’s Extreme Ownership.

Every day I list the 1–3 things I must get done. These aren’t random tasks; they’re tied to organizational goals. I don’t go to bed until they’re done.

Be strategic with this list. People will always ask more of you. Your job is to protect your focus.

Time Blocking

Time is fleeting, and your calendar will get filled if you don’t take control.

I block 2–3 hour chunks of time each week for deep work. This keeps others from overcrowding my schedule.

Batch Emailing

I only check email 1 to 2 times a day, at noon and just before I leave.

Sounds crazy for a quality person, right? But it works. Here’s why:

• By making myself less available, I’m telling people they can do it on their own. Which means, they email less.
• Even when they ask me directly, I’ll challenge them to see if they can solve it themselves first. I want the entire organization doing quality.

To-Do Calendar (Instead of Lists)

When I get a request, I don’t write it on a list. I block time on my calendar.

That way, the task has a clear due date and a slot for completion.

Check out Time Ferris interviewing Sam Corcos:

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Meetings

Meetings deserve their own section because they can either fuel or destroy your productivity. Here are my rules:

1. No agenda, no meeting. Reply: “In order to prepare, please send me your questions.” Then answer them directly—often canceling the meeting entirely.
2. Status updates don’t belong in meetings. Suggest sending updates in advance so meeting time can be used to solve issues.
3. Meetings must have a decision. Put the required decision in the agenda. No endless discussion.
4. Shorter is better. With focus, you can resolve complex issues in 15–20 minutes.
5. Match meetings to your energy. I schedule them when my energy dips (after lunch or mid-afternoon). Save peak energy for real work.
6. Take notes. Most people don’t. Capture the key ideas, data, and assigned actions.
7. Always recap. Use the last 5 minutes to confirm the decision and next steps.

One Idea I Haven’t Tried Yet

A virtual administrative assistant.

For a relatively low cost, you can offload:

• Inbox management
• Calendar scheduling
• Research
• Customer support (the one I’m most interested in—having someone collect complaint details so I don’t waste time in endless back-and-forth).

Quality work isn’t about doing it all—it’s about doing the right things well.

Prioritize.

Execute.

Protect your time.

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If you want help improving your schedule so you can be more effective in your role, hit reply.

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