Work Smarter, Not Harder: A Q&A With Wendy Ellin

Wendy Ellin is a workplace productivity consultant, international speaker, and the #1 bestselling author of the book “Working From Home…How’s That Working For You?” Wendy has drawn from her 20-plus successful years in the corporate arena to help others master the real-life work challenges we all experience, from email overload and task prioritization to taking control of physical clutter, and more.

Wendy has shared her productivity tips with The Coca-Cola Company, Cox Broadcasting & Communications, American Cancer Society, iHeart Radio, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Southern Company, to name a few. She has been featured in Real Simple Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, ABC TV, NPR Radio, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and on multiple national podcasts.

We recently caught up with Wendy to discuss her organizational approach for gaining greater business productivity and peace of mind.

Hi, Wendy! Can you tell us about your background and what led you to productivity consulting as a career path?

WE: I spent over two decades in the corporate world, first in advertising before moving into sales. During that time, I did a lot of observing how others handled their daily workloads, including the stress that came with it. My observation wasn’t judgmental but was more curious as to why my colleagues seemed to be perpetually operating from a place of chaos when I wasn’t, as I certainly had equal responsibilities. It may be a bit of a “gift,” but I think it’s also because I learned from an early age the importance of organization for maximizing productivity.

I developed Wendy Ellin’s 3P Academy to teach others my organizational and productivity approaches so they can get more done, faster, and have more balance in their lives.

Why do so many people seem to operate from a “culture of chaos”?

WE: I think the answer is that they just don’t know any differently. Maybe they grew up in a household that was disorganized or chaotic, so the lack of organization is systemic. You certainly aren’t taught time management or how to be organized in high school or college. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you if you don’t yet have these skills—you just need to learn them.

I help others understand how they can exercise control over their environments. Look at it this way: When you buy a home, it’s a blank slate when you move in. Whether it becomes a cluttered, chaotic place or not is up to you. It just requires learning the skills to keep it tidy and managed. The same can be applied to the workplace.

What about the latest twist on working, meaning WFH or hybrid office environments? Have these situations made things worse?

WE: Blame is often placed on the pandemic and the remote work environments it necessitated, but I truly don’t believe that COVID-19 is the cause for our current state of disorganization. It really just shed a light on what has been plaguing so many of us for years. When your workplace begins to bleed into your home life, the productivity problems that already existed are magnified and the resulting chaos becomes 24×7.

For businesses, teaching their employees organizational and productivity skills is a huge show of support, since it can augment their quality of life and just make it so much easier to get done the things they need to do. The need for organization and prioritization is a constant no matter where you work.

You have a ton of productivity tips, but let’s focus on email. What can we do to take greater control over the daily tsunami in our inbox?

WE: Think of your email inbox as the electronic equivalent of your home’s physical mailbox. When your mail-person delivers mail, you walk to that box every day, take everything out and process it—what goes into the trashcan, what has to be acted on, etc. You don’t leave all those pieces of mail in the mailbox to pile up.

Treat your email inbox the same way, as it was never meant to be a place for things to permanently reside. Every morning (or as often as needed), delete the spam, keep what you need to save, delegate what you can to others, or put it somewhere that you can act on it when you need to. Just like a physical mailbox, you have no control over what comes in, but you do have control over what happens once it’s in.

Similarly, for those of us still dealing with paper (and there are more of us than you think), keep your desk neat, with only the top-priority items laid out. Anything relegated to being a future task needs to be out of sight (but in a place where you know where it is and can easily find it) until it needs your attention. There’s nothing that supports chaos more than stacks of paper everywhere!

Do you have a morning ritual that helps to facilitate your productivity?

WE: Morning rituals are personal for everyone, but I try to keep the same routine of a 10-minute morning meditation upon rising, followed by lemon water for hydration (always important before coffee), writing in my gratitude journal including what I hope to get accomplished that day, and then exercise, because I know if I don’t address that need first thing it won’t get done. After that, I start planning out my day. Keeping a ritual not only supports self-care, but sets you up for an organized, productive workday.

Any other last advice for harried business professionals?

WE: Be realistic about what you can get done in a single day. Decide each morning what “to dos” are an absolute must (I call them my MITs or “most important things”), and then list and prioritize other tasks for later. That way, you stay mentally organized, you get the big events checked off, and you go to sleep at night feeling that the “must do’s” have been accomplished.

Thanks for the great advice, Wendy! You can learn more about Wendy Ellin’s 3P Academy for yourself or your team here.