The Productivity Mastery Programme

19 January – 19 April 2012

Hi, I’m Gerrit Cloete of Productivity Pit Stop.

Would you like to have 3-4 extra weeks every year to use at your discretion, be more in control, find information fast, delegate and follow up effortlessly, have less stress, be more relaxed and enjoy a balanced lifestyle?

The Productivity Mastery Programme is a 13 week programme for executives, entrepreneurs and managers that will leave you happy at the end of every day that you have done what you wanted to do and are on track to achieve the things that are most important in all areas of your life.

 

The Productivity Mastery Programme doesn’t work with any secret “Silver Bullet” productivity techniques and strategies but by mastering the fundamentals of working productively and then taking them to the next level and beyond.

You will not be alone in this. Up to a maximum of 11 other people who also qualify for the programme will be joining you. I limit the number of participants in this programme to twelve to ensure individual attention and interaction.

And you don’t have to worry about travel time and costs because we will not be meeting in person. We will be using web based technology and you will participate from the comfort of your office or home. One week we will have a group meeting with everyone on the call, and the next week will be my individual coaching session with you.

It’s as simple and as hard as that. Below I’ll tell you all about the Productivity Mastery Programme, what you can expect if you join it and how it is structured to produce such powerful results.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For simplicity when I use the term “business” below, I mean your own business/company/division/department/team/career.)

Not for Beginners

This program is not for beginners in business. It is for those who already have achieved a certain level of success and want to take it to a new level of success and achievement. The Productivity Mastery Programme will include people from varied industries and professions, making it hugely beneficial to learn from others.

Is this you?

• You are an executive, manager or entrepreneur.
• You already have success in your business.
• You are committed to making a measurable difference in your productivity.
• You want more time to achieve even more success.
• You want to enjoy a balanced lifestyle.

Everyone wants more success, but at what price? If you are working longer hours, even over weekends and not having a life outside of your business, what’s the use? That’s not Productivity Mastery.

Isn’t this what you want in your business?

• You work fewer hours but are more successful and earn more.
• You work very focused and effective, taking minimal time to get things done.
• You delegate and follow up effortlessly.
• You have a good work/life balance and business is fun.

Objectives of the Programme

In this programme you will learn and implement these key disciplines of productive living:

1. You will create and implement a step-by-step plan to successfully integrate new habits of thinking and doing into your self management system. I’ll help you get up to speed as quickly as possible to put your plan into action.
2. You will master a proven system designed to efficiently manage your workflow from the moment any input appears on your “radar” until it has been completely dealt with.
3. Project and Time Management -I’ll coach you on how you can use proven processes to manage information for your projects and your day-to-day actions. This includes using mindmapping as planning tool. You will see where your time goes to and select to do the things that you enjoy and energise you – delegate or outsource the rest.
4. You will delegate and follow up effortlessly – You should only do what only you can do. I will guide you to discover things that you enjoy doing – and how to do more of that – and also get to know the things that drain your energy – and do less of that.
5. Productive Mindset – I’ll teach you advanced skills for overcoming any limiting mindset related to increasing productivity and ways of working. I want to make sure that limiting attitudes and beliefs are not holding you back.
6. You will use technology appropriately – Our resident technology expert Duncan Hattingh will assist you to use your current technology tools more efficiently, including Outlook, BlackBerry, iPad and other systems you may be using.
7. You will get the insights and tools to help you live according to the principles of “SLOW Productivity: The Art and Science of Slowing Down to Speed Up”. This does not mean living at a snail’s pace but at the appropriate pace. I will work with you to create your special “SLOW Productivity” project to help you have more energy for the times you run in the fast lane.

The Results and Benefits You Can Expect

The Productivity Mastery Programme is about increasing your productivity and learning the systems and tools that will enable you to keep working effectively and efficiently year after year. But it’s also about having an enjoyable “total life”. Here are some other benefits and results you can expect to achieve through the Productivity Mastery Programme.

Take Your Productivity To The Next Level (Whatever That Is For You). You will determine your current “Productivity Index” at the beginning of the programme and then again immediately after the programme and again 2 months later. Our aim is to get you on an increasing curve of your Productivity Index.

Have Balance In Your Life. This means managing your time and energy so that you run your business, your business doesn’t run you. It also means loving your business and making a lasting contribution to your colleagues, family and community.

Make It Fun to Work More Productively. “Fun” has been defined as “enjoying both the process and the result”. Anything can be fun once you know how to do it and create consistent results. The same goes for productivity. It’s really fun when you can achieve everything you want to achieve with relative ease.

Discover the Power of Collaboration. Often the best way to achieve your goals is with the support of others. In this programme you will work with one or two of the other participants in a “mastermind group”, collaborating and supporting each other during – and after – this programme. To quote Napoleon Hill who coined the phrase, a “Mastermind Group” is about “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

Two Big Things that Make the Mastery Programme Different

What makes this programme different? After all, there are many ways, workshops, books and programmes that could help you increase your productivity.

1. The Participants

The key difference in this programme is the level of the participants. This is not a “how to increase your productivity” programme for beginners. It is for those who already have achieved success in business and in life and are willing to share what they have learned with you.

In the Productivity Mastery Programme, participants work together to brainstorm, share resources and expertise, give emotional support and even create projects on which they collaborate.

2. The Hands-On Coaching

The information, strategies and techniques in this programme are proven to help you get things done easier, faster and with less hassle – if you use them. But that’s the problem with most programmes, courses and books. The information goes in one ear and out the other. It’s rarely translated into action.

In this Mastery Programme I go beyond information, strategies and techniques and work with you closely and intensively to make sure you implement what you learn. Each step of the way you’ll get training, guidance, and coaching to put what you’ve learned into action. As a result, this programme ensures you get results.

Developing Best Practices

In the course of the Productivity Mastery Programme, you’ll learn, study and implement best practices of working more productively. You won’t just learn “general skills” but step-by-step practices proven to consistently produce results. Here are a few examples.

How to identify what matters most to you right now.

How to integrate your priorities and actions into your planning and calendar tool.

How to implement a time-proven system of high performance workflow management in your electronic and physical workspaces.

How to make sure you are living a well balanced life at the appropriate pace.

Why do professionals at your level need a programme like this?

Because you want to take your business and personal life to places that your current efforts will simply not get you. You know the kind of work it took to get you where you are now. It wasn’t easy. And along the way, you got support in the form of books, programmes, coaching and workshops. (Or perhaps you were one of the rare few who did it mostly on their own.)

What I discovered (a lot later than a I wish I had), is that some kind of structured support makes all the difference. But not all support is created equal. Some support is rather random, with a few ideas and inspiration here and there. This might be good if you are just getting started with your business, but isn’t sufficient to build a solid foundation on which you can continue to build and profit month in and month out for years on end.

We tend to go only as far as our current knowledge, plans and limitations.

With new knowledge, plans and attitudes, what we can accomplish is virtually unlimited. Sadly, very few people even reach a fraction of their potential in their businesses (or other areas of their life, for that matter).

Within the structure of the Productivity Mastery Programme, you will play and work at a level that you have rarely experienced.

In the Productivity Mastery Programme you will:

• Step outside your comfort zone and take on challenges that you once considered impossible.
• Work with a level of commitment and excellence that will accelerate your results beyond the expected.
• Get past limiting beliefs, states of mind and behaviours that could have been holding you back for your whole life.
• Experience wins and successes that are not just episodic, but that are repeatable and predictable.
• Feel true fulfilment in all areas of your life.

How do you know if you’re right for this programme?

As I’ve said, this programme is not for everyone. Typically participants in this programme fit the following criteria.

1. You are an executive, manager or entrepreneur – and you enjoy what you are doing.
2. You are successful in your business already. Typically participants have been in their current role for one year or more.
3. You are disciplined and are good at getting things done. You demonstrate this by your quality and consistency of work, and high standards of integrity. You likely exercise regularly, manage your life well and are interested in personal growth and life balance.
4. You are a lifelong learner. You are focused on discovering ways to make things work better, make a bigger contribution and earn more money. You want to take your business to a whole new level of success and productivity.
5. You have the ability to increase your performance, but have an inadequate system to get you where you want to be. Despite your success, you are mostly self-taught when it comes to getting things done both as effectively and efficiently as possible.

When I talk to people about the Productivity Mastery Programme, they often ask about the quality of the other participants. Well, I screen them according to the criteria above, so that’s your answer! As I said earlier, we have the best people you can imagine in this programme.

Some concerns or fears you may have

It is quite an undertaking to join a 13 week programme! Above all else, you want to make sure you get the value you’re looking for and actually gain the skills to increase productivity, not to mention implement these ideas and be successful.

Here are a few of the concerns you may have:

Will the information in this programme address my needs? Will I be able to apply what I learn?

If you are an executive, manager or entrepreneur, the information and models taught in this programme has been used successfully with hundreds of people over the 10 years I have been working with clients in workshops or one-on-one coaching. If you are willing to make the effort to learn and apply this information, it will work for you. We have seen no exceptions to this up to this point.

Will the other participants be quality business people?

I make a great effort to screen the people who participate in this programme. They are successful, professional and fun people! You will learn as much from them as you will learn from me – and more. You’ll have ample opportunity to work with the other participants, through the group coaching sessions and your mastermind group.

What if I get stuck? After all, I’ve tried many different things to be more productive! How can I be sure I’ll implement it during the Mastery Programme?

Good question. The short answer is, we hold your feet to the fire and give you continual support in moving into action. In the first part of the programme you will share your desired results with me. Everyone does that. And then you get the coaching and hands-on support to make sure it happens and move you forward.

What if I have to miss one or more of the Group Teleconference or Webinar Sessions?

This happens with everyone. You may have prescheduled vacations or an emergency. However, we ask you to make these a priority, and not to schedule anything over these sessions unless absolutely necessary.

The good news is that all these sessions are recorded and available to you online right after the session.

What if I don’t like the programme (for whatever reason)?

I can’t guarantee you’ll always like the programme. In the program we push you past your comfort zone. We make you question your limiting beliefs. We challenge you to do things you’ve never done before. And this isn’t always fun! However I want to assure you that I’m always working to make this programme an experience you will remember and value for a lifetime. Although it won’t always be easy, the final results will be more than worth the effort.

One thing is absolutely guaranteed: You’ll spend a lot of time laughing as you learn. I take this programme and the participants seriously, but I try not to take myself too seriously, and one of my big priorities is to have fun myself. I note that if I’m having fun everyone is getting the value they came for.

The Structure of the Programme Includes:

1. Two Group Sessions by webinar or teleseminar per month. Each meeting will be approximately 90 minutes long. Sessions will be recorded.
2. One (or more) small group meeting per month with your “Mastermind Group” of 1-2 programme participants where you’ll work on assignments, share expertise and resources and give support in moving forward.
3. Two individual meetings with Gerrit Cloete by telephone/webinar format each month. Depending on what you are working on, we often schedule them more often. Sessions are typically 60 to 90 minutes.

What is required to participate in the Productivity Mastery Programme?

As I said above, this programme is not for beginners. It’s for those who already have a certain level of success and who are serious in getting more out of life without dying in the process.

You must, at minimum, be an executive, entrepreneur or manager who has experience in either running your own business or leading and managing teams.

Dates of the Programme

Dates of the Programme

Application period – The official programme launch was on Monday 14 November 2011. The initial application period will go until 7 December 2011.

Teleconference/Webinar Group Sessions – Starts on 19 January 2012. Twice monthly (on Thursday mornings) through 12 April 2012 with a special closing session on 26 April. You’ll get the complete schedule available to you once you apply.

Individual Coaching Sessions – Scheduled bi-weekly (or more if needed) at 08:00, 10:30, 13:00 and 15:30 Tuesday to Thursday. We will make special arrangements for dates that clash with public holidays.

Fee for Programme

Once you apply for the Productivity Mastery Programme, I will send you the fee and payment terms. Please don’t ask me what the fee is before you apply. I break the fee down into affordable monthly payments.

Why I don’t share the fee with you before you apply? Some people feel this is manipulative, to trick you into applying. No, the reason is that the answer to the question, “Do I want to do it?” is a completely different question than, “Can I afford it?” If you really want to do it, you’ll find a way to afford it. But if you think you can’t afford it first, you may give up on your interest in doing it.

So, do you want to do it? If so, please apply. Then you’ll receive the price and you can determine if you can fit it into your budget or not.

Get a Complimentary “Productivity Strategy Session”

The next Mastery Programme will begin in January of 2012. Once you have applied I will read over your application and determine if you are a good candidate for the programme. If you are, I’ll set up a focused “Productivity Strategy Session” to discuss your goals and challenges and explore whether this programme is for you or not.

If I don’t think you’re a good candidate for the programme, you’ll receive a personal email with my reasons and suggestions for next steps.

Apply now for the Productivity Mastery Programme

If you think this programme may be for you, here’s what to do: Fill out the application below completely so I know about your situation in some depth. Then I’ll get back to you and, if appropriate, offer you a complimentary one-hour “Productivity Strategy Session”.

In this session we’ll explore, in terms of your current productivity and results, where you are now, where you’d like to see yourself, what challenges might stop you in getting there, and what steps you need to take to ensure your success. I’ll also answer any questions you might have about the Productivity Mastery Programme and we’ll see if it’s the right step for you or not.

Please fill out the Productivity Mastery Application Form below. If you are serious about this programme, please fill out the application completely with in-depth answers. This gives me the information to determine whether or not this programme is for you.

Yes, I ask many questions, but I know that as you respond to the questions you will gain some valuable insights at this stage.

Allocation of seats

Seats on the Productivity Mastery Programme are allocated as we receive payment of the enrolment fee. It is therefore important to suggest dates/times for your 30 minute phone call (referred to in the application form) to discuss your participation in the programme as soon as possible, after which the enrolment fee will be due, should you choose to accept my invitation to join the programme.

Note that the deadline for applications is Wednesday 7 December 2011.