Pillar 1: The Outcome Obsession
Stop managing tasks. Start managing outcomes.
The Outcome Definition Process: 1. What does success look like? (Specific, measurable) 2. What's the minimum viable path? 3. What's the 80/20 approach? 4. What can be eliminated without impacting outcome?
Example Transformation: - Task-focused: "Create comprehensive project report" - Outcome-focused: "Secure $2M funding approval"
Michael's Approach: - Identified that executives only read executive summaries - Created 2-page visual summary instead of 50-page report - Time saved: 15 hours - Outcome: Approved faster than detailed reports
Pillar 2: The Decision Velocity System
Slow decisions kill efficiency and income opportunity.
The 10-10-10 Rule: - How will I feel about this in 10 minutes? - How will this matter in 10 months? - What's the impact in 10 years?
The Decision Framework:
Type A: Reversible Decisions (Make in 5 minutes) - Tool choices - Meeting schedules - Task prioritization - Communication methods
Type B: One-Way Doors (Make in 24 hours) - Job changes - Major investments - Strategic pivots - Key hires
Michael's Decision Acceleration: - Created decision templates - Set maximum decision times - Delegated reversible decisions - Time saved: 5 hours weekly
Pillar 3: The Communication Compression
Most professionals waste 40% of their time on inefficient communication.
The BRIEF Method: - Bottom line upfront - Relevant details only - Impact clearly stated - Expectations defined - Follow-up scheduled
Email Efficiency:
Before: "Hi John, Hope you're doing well. I wanted to touch base about the project we discussed last week. There are a few things I wanted to run by you. When you get a chance, could we possibly schedule some time to discuss? I have some concerns about the timeline and budget that I think we should address. Let me know what works for your schedule."
After: "John,
Decision needed by Friday: Adjust project timeline or increase budget by $50K?
Issue: Current scope requires 3 extra weeks or additional resources Recommendation: Add 2 weeks to timeline (minimal business impact) Alternative: Hire contractor for $50K to maintain date
Call tomorrow at 2 PM to decide?
Michael"
Meeting Efficiency:
The 25-Minute Meeting: - 5 min: Context and objective - 15 min: Discussion and solutions - 5 min: Decisions and next steps
Michael's Rules: - No meeting without agenda - No agenda item without owner - No discussion without decision - Default to 25 minutes, not 60
Pillar 4: The Tool Stack Mastery
The right tools can 10x your efficiency—the wrong ones drain it.
Michael's Essential Stack:
Task Management: Notion - All projects in one place - Templates for everything - Automated workflows - Time saved: 3 hours/week
Communication: Loom - Record video explanations - Async communication - Clearer than written - Time saved: 5 hours/week
Automation: Zapier + Python - Connected all tools - Automated reporting - Eliminated data entry - Time saved: 8 hours/week
Knowledge: Obsidian - Personal wiki - Instant retrieval - Linked thinking - Time saved: 2 hours/week
Total time saved: 18 hours/week Value of time: $150/hour × 18 × 50 weeks = $135,000/year
Pillar 5: The Batch Processing Revolution
Context switching costs 23 minutes per interruption. Batching eliminates this tax.
Michael's Batching Schedule:
Monday Morning: Communication Batch - All email responses - Slack messages - Calendar scheduling - Stakeholder updates
Tuesday Afternoon: Administrative Batch - Expense reports - Documentation - Process updates - Tool maintenance
Thursday Morning: Strategic Batch - Planning sessions - Strategy documents - Proposal writing - Innovation time
Results: - 70% reduction in context switching - 50% faster task completion - Higher quality output - Freed 10+ hours weekly
Pillar 6: The No-List Protocol
What you don't do is as important as what you do.
Michael's No-List: - No meetings before 11 AM - No email on phone - No same-day urgent requests - No projects without clear ROI - No work communication after 6 PM - No perfectionism on B-priority tasks
The Elegant No Templates:
For Low-Value Requests: "Thanks for thinking of me. I'm fully committed to [current priority] through [date]. Happy to recommend [alternative person] who would be great for this."
For Scope Creep: "Great idea. This would add approximately [X hours] to the timeline. Should we deprioritize [current task] or push the deadline to [new date]?"
For Urgent Non-Urgent: "I can definitely help with this. I have time on [future date]. If it needs attention before then, [colleague] might be able to assist."