Inspiring testimonials about Smoffing and the 2ease SMan System
Is good for everyone; at work as well as at home. Higher productivity and merit guaranteed
Note: All original audio files are in German
Janine L. | Early 30s | HR Assistant
Q: You enrolled on smoff.ch for 8-9 weeks and started Smoffing without guidance. What experience did you make with Smoffing?
A: So even before enrolling I regularly made daily preparations and took notes. If something comes to my mind I write it down and think about it. Now, I click on my (Smoff Start) Link and take the time for myself. And then I realize that I can confidently say this, this and this has priority and needs to be done.
Q: Did Smoffing make you more productive?
A: Yes. I believe that is the case.
Q: What other impact does Smoffing have when you come home? Does it have an effect there as well?
A: Yes. When I’m at home, work doesn’t exist anymore. That’s when I’m private. And I know that on the next morning, I can (during Smoffing) plan my day from scratch and start the day.
Simon W. | Early 30s | Engineer in construction
Q: How did you experience Smoffing?
A: Smoffing helped me quite a lot personally. I’ve already tried many ways to organize myself; using ToDo lists etc. And my problem was not being consistent enough.
I followed it for one or two weeks. It worked. However, you start to put it off, do something else. And with Smoffing I get the feeling that I’ve found something that I’m following through with and that I can work with in the long run.
Q: Does that mean you would have stopped with self-management if it weren’t for Smoffing?
A: Yes. Well, I’m being reminded everytime. Starting with the mails (Smups) in the morning you have a small form of control.
Q: And what do you feel like after Smoffing?
A: What I’ve realized is that on my way home I used to think about what I had done that day and what I had to do the next day. I did that in the evening. And now I go home and catch myself thinking you don’t have to think about that because you’re going to to sit down tomorrow morning to figure it out anyways.
Markus H.| Mid-40s | Branch Manager, Engineering Management
Q: Please tell me how you experienced Smoffing.
A: It (Smoffing) really helps me in a sense that the day doesn’t just zoom past me. Instead, I take a few minutes to think what do you have to do today. There are a lot of things that come into my mind over the day. That’s why I keep my book (Smoffbook) opened beside me with a pen on it all day, so I can add thoughts all the time. Fewer thoughts get lost. You have a substantially better feeling after each work day.
Hubert S. | Mid-50s | Division Manager Technology
Q: How did the 2ease SMan self-management course change your work life?
A: I rate the change two times plus (++).
Q: Did the positive effect stay after the end of the course (5 months ago), did it strengthen or did it weaken?
A: At the moment, it’s actually still strengthening because I adapted my own structure to it. I worked out additional tools so that I have an easier time following my daily routine and remembering all sorts of things.
Conny W. | Early 50s | Commercial Executive at KMU
Q: You began Smoffing about 2 or 3 years ago, so you regularly used this (Smoff-) App to take a bit of time out of your mornings. Please tell me about your experiences with Smoffing.
A: So Smoffing tought me to forget things even when I didn’t finish them. I write them down for later. Smoffing helps me work on things that I don’t like doing because i give them a set time frame in my (SMan) daily or weekly plan. And it is amazingly satisfying to put in green check marks.
I work more effectively – definitely.
Q: Aside from business, did Smoffing have an effect on your personal life?
A: Yes, sometimes it did for my men at home. When I tell them we agreed to this 3 weeks ago and you still haven’t done this.
Dr. S | Early 60s | Biochemist, Life crisis
Q: So Doctor S you started using the Smoff-App about half a year ago. Would you like to tell me which experiences you’ve made with regular Smoffing?
A: I’ve had a very good experience. Due to a death in my family, I developed a severe depression and lost any structure to my day. I had no motivation at all. That was when a relative introduced me to Smoffing. We decided I should give it a try, and that’s what I did. And I have to say it really did help me a lot even from the first day on. With Smoffing, I started to develop a plan for each day which I would consistently follow. That was the first time that I felt good in the evening instead of feeling completely empty and desperate. I Smoff everyday and I honestly have to say it helped me more than any anti-depressant.
Lisa O. | Late 20s | CEO Assistant
Q: Which effects did daily Smoffing have on you?
A: I would say it’s very calming since I commence my day by sitting down, concentrating and compiling what I want to do. And this moment, this time is very calming for me since I prepare for each new day.
Q: Does Smoffing in the morning give you a better feeling throughout the day?
A: Yes, you can certainly say that. I notice how I am a bit fidgety if I haven’t done something. It is good to sit down in the morning to prepare yourself and get the feeling that you’ve already completed a part of it and being finished with most of the organization.
Dennis A. | Late 30s | Commercial Department Head
Q: You have been Smoffing for one year. What did Smoffing feel like when you were just getting started?
A: I was relatively unbiased at the beginning and just tested Smoffing for myself. As I said without any inhibitions. And early on, I already noticed the more effective working. The biggest advantage for beginners is that you kind of can’t forget things. That is because when you think about your schedule, you have everything in mind. Also, you utilise the time you have in one day surprisingly effectively since your plan tells you exactly what is on the list for that day and where you want to be in 2-3 weeks.
Q: Did Smoffing have an effect on you outside of work, in your private life?
A: On me not that much as I am someone who can easily leave stuff like that behind. But it does give you more security that you’ve actually worked on the important topics and it definitely makes you more relaxed in your private life.
Q: So Smoffing gives you a good feeling after work?
A: I have a good feeling after work most of the time, but Smoffing makes you more certain and you obviously have a better feeling since you won’t forget anything.
Q: Did Smoffing and SMan together make you more productive?
A: I believe that is the case. I’m actually quite sure that it’s true. If you set your goals right, you’ll automatically become more productive.
Q: How big was your gain in productivity, 10%, 20%, 5%, 30%? What would you guess, as a rough estimation?
A: 20% higher productivity is a good estimate.
Andeas B. | Late 30s | HR Manager
|
12:15 29.1.2019 |
Good Morning Mr. Lauber,
I’ve been testing Smoffing for a few days and it definitely helps with organizing yourself. I am confident that Smoffing will change our working culture for the better.
Greetings from V
Andreas B
Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards
i.V. Andreas B.
Personalleiter/
Head of Human Resources Department
K.B. | Late 40s | Main Division Manager Operations, Middle Management
Q: You Smoff on a daily Basis?
A: Yes.
Q: And what about your employees, might I ask?
A: Not until now. I was able to convince one emloyee to do it. He also recieved the yearly goal. It’s Team-Smoffing in a sense where you ask yourself how can I improve the team configuration and team planning with the help of the Masterplan.
Q: So you would like to have your whole team become a Smoffer-Team. Is that correct?
A: Basically yes, although it depends on the individual. Not everyone is suitable for Smoffing, but still basically yes.
Q: Can you give me a personality trait that would make people unfit for it?
A: People with explicit hands-on tasks such as assembly-line workers. In my opinion, it’s a little less useful for them.
Patrick H. | Mid-20s | Technical Sales Assistant
Q: For how Long have you been using the Smoffing Web-App to start every day well-thought-out?
A: I’ve been using the Smoff-App since January.
Q: What effects and benefits did you get from using the Smoffing-Web-App which makes you take a break to think about your day every morning?
A: Just thinking about things like this lead to me being more thoughtful about my tasks and helped me create a structure for them to be solved.
Q: Did it make you feel better in your work life?
A: Smoffing certainly made me feel better, yes.
Q: Aside from the Smoffing-Web-App, you’ve also been using the Smart-Self-Management System SMan. That means you’re using web applications & paper DIN A5-Agenda to practice daily/ weekly self-management. How did the Smart-Self-Management System SMan affect you and your work life, specifically?
A: Because I consciously write down all thoughts that come to my mind over the day and give each day a plan or structure, I feel like I can’t forget anything. It also gives an organization to it all and just the feeling of ticking a box every evening is very rewarding to me.
Q: Did the usage of the Smart-Self-Management System SMan make you more productive?
A: I definitely feel more productive and valueable.
Q: Do you feel better?
A: Yes.
Q: Would you recommend the SMan System to others?
A: I would certainly recommend it to others since it also promotes mutual contact, simplifies your work day and simplifies contact with relatives and friends. SMan just has a certain plan, a certain structure.
Q: Did the Smart-Self-Management System SMan have an impact on your private life?
A: Yes, definitely.
Q: Did your private life get better?
A: Yes, by all means.
Thorsten V. | Mid-40s | Division Manager
Excerpt from the interview – full-length in german here
Mister V is a learned technician. 6 months ago, he was surprisingly promoted from head of department to division manager. Suddenly, he was responsible for results and around 80 employees. Now, he directly reports to the CEO/ owner of a fortune 500 corporation. 4 months ago, he began with 2ease Smart-Self-management. Here, he talks about his experiences with working more well-thought-out (Smoffing) and using the 2ease SMan System (Snotebook + Masterplan).
V: Well to a point I’ve always had self-management where I wrote down certain notes. What I like About Smoffing is that it’s a lot more structured and detailed…
So daily Smoffing became second nature to me and I like it. Now, I also get the acceptance that I don’t want to be disturbed for ten minutes a day. That wasn’t so easy in the beginning but now it’s awesome.
Q: What effect did it have on your life? how would you describe it?
A: There is an impact. I’m sure that sounds weird but you come home more relaxed…
…And that’s why I would say I became even more relaxed. And yes, I have a good feeling. I believe that I work well and complete my tasks well because of it.
Q: Do you feel like it made you more productive?
A: I’m certain it made me more productive.
Q: Can you give me a percentage?
A: I’d say with me it was around 20 percent higher.
Mister D.S. | Mid-30s | executive in corporate headquarters
Excerpt from the interview – Full text and illustrated web page here
Mister D.S. is in his mid-30s. He is responsible for a group-based key role in swiss corporate headquarters (>10.000 employees). He has managerial responsibility for six employees. Mister S would like to advance his carreer and develop himself. To lead himself and others systematically better, Mister S received a few hours of face-to-face private coaching with the SMan System. As a base, he received a DIN A5 2ease SNotebook and a professional user account for e-Coaching on www.smoff.ch. // Hyperlink to the Audio File (German)
Q: You started daily Smoffing in early April… Please describe how you experienced this new way of working and organizing?
A.: …I get reminders every morning that I should Smoff. I click on the button and take a few minutes. And it brought me a lot of benefits. My day is structured. Before you even begin your work day you start to think in the morning, what appointments do I have, who are you going to meet, where do you want to play a part. It’s really benefitting…
…… I really like that and it gives me a good feeling. I honestly have to say that ….
Q: Did you also get more productive?
A: …. I believe that you get more productive, I mean you forget absolutely nothing. And I think you’re more balanced. When you’re more balanced, you obviously get more productive.
Q: Do you get more appreciation from your colleagues?
A: I see it in their faces… And that is a form of appreciation, to not forget things and repeatedly discuss and think about important matters even though you lead multiple empployees directly.
Professional self-management for secure career advancement and company change
Mister K from Hesse | late 40s | Chief HR manager at a corporation
Three years ago, Mister K was successfully promoted to chief HR manager at a family-led medium-sized corporation. Professional SMan Self-management and daily Smoffing is a standard for him and his corporation.
Excerpt – main topics:
I: Interviewer R: Respondent
R: …I’ve always been intuitively working with self-management…. 2ease SMan just took my self-management to a whole new level……. It really helped me ease into my new position and getting to know my new scope of duties.
R: …Thanks to my own Smoff-Profile, I can always see if I strive for my goals strategically and do my own framing. Or if I’m just reacting.
I: What about a normal employee, say a project manager, how many minutes would they need per week for professional self-management with SMan?
R: They’ll need about 40 minutes per week.
Mister S from Mannheim | Early 30s | director for automation
Mister S just made the career advancement from working in an engineering management staff section of a US-based corporation in Germany to being in a technological leadership position at a start-up. Early in the preparation phase of his transition, he started with professional SMan self-management and daily Smoffig.
Excerpt – main topics:
I: Interviewer R: Respondent
R: …You are not being planned by someone else (US corporation), but you have to do the planning yourself (Start-Up). And not only did Smoffing make it massively easier for me to transition, it maybe also helped me be ahead of my coworkers.
R: …And being able to master deadlines or time targets easily and with flying colours.
I: Do you feel good about it?
R: Very good about it.
Mister E from Mainz | mid-30s | Executive for product management marketing
Mister E is in his mid-30s. In 2012, he finished his studies and started off in product management at a Swiss industrial enterprise. Soon, he transitioned to the German headquarters of a US-based corporation, working as a product manager. After working his way up, Mister E is now the head of the entire product management and is responsible for 15 coworkers and two division managers.
Excerpt – main topics:
I: Interviewer R: Respondent
R: ….They replaced the entire management and a lot of new people without any knowledge about this field of business were brought in. I believe one of the factors why everything went on well was that everyone had a plan for the future, at least for the next half or three quarter year so that it didn’t come crashing down immediately.
I : You believe you would have went down without this professional self-management? #00:03:55-0#
R: Yes, quite certainly. There was noone to tell me, “watch here, this is how we do it and keep doing it like this”. I was thrown into a sort of vacuum. #00:04:07-0#
R: By now, I lead the whole department of product management. Before, I only had a product group, the smallest of our three groups, and now I head all three teams of product management for our entire portfolio. #00:04:45-0#
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Smoffing increases well-being and productivity in everyone!
All seven participants of an on-the-Job SMan workshop at Welle7 in Bern share their unedited experiences with the 2ease SMan system. The system’s foundation: daily Smoffing. (Audio in German)
00.00 Andrea, Mid-30s, leads a large sales division.
Already very well-organized. 30-40% increase in productivity. Can now go home on time and feel safe and well.
05.20 Thomas, around 40, division manager IT.
Is shocked at amazing results. Is now able to impress his boss and enjoys more wellbeing at home and at work.
09.04 Markus, Late 30, division manager engineering
Is finally able to procrastinate less and more disciplined with himself.
14.21 Markus, mid-40s, team leader sales.
Feels better and expects an even bigger increase in productivity with the SMan Masterplan.
23.05 Marcel, Early 40, development manager.
Has been using parts of SMan since 2010 (back then SEMAN).
26.01 Ivan, Late 40, CEO.
Has been using parts of SMan since 2009 (back then SEMAN)
30.22 Conny, Mid 20, psychology Master, entry-level
Experienced amazing positive effects of Smoffing on herself. Lead the interviews above.
Mister N is an executive at a international energy and infrastructure company. In his Berlin office, mister N and his team are responsible for the technological configuration of buildings, ranging from planning to execution and handover to the owner. He only received about two hours of instruction on professional self-management and shares his experiences here.
Excerpt – main topics:
I: Interviewer R: Respondent
I: Do you feel more productive because of it? #00:01:31-7#
R: I am most certainly more productive. #00:01:33-2#
Mister H works as a senior software engineer at a medium-sized business for automation technology and is responsible for multiple coworkers. He is specialised in systems engineering and central building control systems. He received two two-hour workshops for professional self-management and was attended via e-mentoring.
Excerpt – main topics:
I: Interviewer R: Respondent
I: Can you tell me, how did you experience Smoffing, what did it change for you? #00:00:29-3#
R: I definitely forgot less things… I thought more about or for my trainees. It gives me more security since I go into a day more organized.
I: So you became more certain? #00:01:46-7#
B: Definitely! If I don’t Smoff in the morning, I feel like I start like a barber without scissors. That’s an expression we like to use. #00:01:56-4#
I: Due to your self-management, what do you expect from your professional future?
R: I expect a better performance and higher effectivity. Higher quality, meaning nothing gets lost that you afterwards realize should have been done. Also being better at leading my coworkers
Misses W is part of the executive board of a medium-sized business. Her business promotes professional self-management with 2ease SMan as a standard and actively facilitates it.
Excerpt – main topics:
I: Interviewer R: Respondent
I: Last year, you began promoting professional self-management to your coworkers with short workshops and on-the-job supervision. Why did you do this?
R: … It just raises efficiency and nothing is forgotten.
I: Do your coworkers feel good with it? #00:01:35-3#
R: Yes, definitely. They are content when they go home in the evening.#00:01:39-7#
R: … Everyone in our business gets a mentor. The mentor can look at the individual’s daily plan, how is it going with the new colleague? Does he organize himself, what does he think like?
I: Would you also like to use Smoffing for testing before you hire new people? #00:03:16-1#
R: If I have to hire a new executive I’d love to test it beforehand since Smoffing is indispensable for leadership tasks.
Miss M. | Mid-40s | Salaried interior designer
I: So, Miss M, two months ago, you started to professionalize your self-management with the 2ease SMan System. This means you started to reflect on your previous day each morning and planned out your day. Can you please explain to me what that meant for you and what that changed for you, how do you feel now?
R: Now I feel more at ease in a sense that I know I wrote everything down in my daily project. I get to see what I’ve accomplished on the previous day, what I didn’t manage to do and I make sure I work on it soon. I’m just assured it doesn’t get lost.
I: You don’t forget anything, you don’t lose sight of anything, anything important?
R: No, I transfer it and, if I don’t get it solved, look where I can put it so I can finally complete it. And I change my priorities accordingly.
I: Do you feel better?
R: Yes. With daily planning, yes.
R: … I feel more free because even when there are external factors, I can work out how to plan with them in the next days. Which means there is less of a vortex.
Mister M. | Project manager at a mid-sized HVAC company
I: So, Mister M., two months ago, you started to professionalize your self-management with the 2ease SMan System. This means you started to reflect on your previous day each morning and planned out your day. Can you please explain to me how you experienced it and what that changed for you?
R: In the beginning, getting to know the system was a bit hard because you really had to think what’s on my agenda today. I was already rather well-organized before since I had a folder for every single day. I put everything in there and if something didn’t get done it just went over to the next day. Then, in the evening, you had a bad feeling because the day just became more full and you didn’t know what didn’t get done and why didn’t I work on it. With Smoffing, I can now see exactly what I finished, what I worked on and what I didn’t get done because the telephone just didn’t stop ringing. And you have a better feeling when you can see something isn’t completed, why is the next day so full and why isn’t it finished.
I: What does it mean for you personally, for your well-being, your productivity? How do you feel?
R: I feel well with it because I can see how my day was, thanks to the SMiley-rating, and I can reflect on what I could have done better or faster. And I don’t have the feeling of I didn’t finish this but I don’t know why, now I can see roughly why that was the case.
I: So you feel better, right?
R: Yes.
I:In the evening too?
R: In the evening too, yes. I can just take a quick look and see yes, alright, good, close my book and do Smoffing on the next day and tick all the boxes.
Mister S. | Mid-40s | Service manager at a mid-sized HVAC firm
I: So, Mister S., two months ago, you started to professionalize your self-management with the 2ease SMan System. This means you started to reflect on your previous day and planned out your day. Can you please tell me how you experienced that and what it means to you?
R: So previously I have to say that I was a bit sceptical in the beginning. I’m a guy who likes to take a good look first and… I was quite surprised how much it benefited me, just the daily planning alone really helped me.
I: What does that mean to you, as a human?
R: …Before, I usually thought about my day on the way to work. What’s my schedule etc., but the problem is that it’s just in my head. So after three calls in the morning it’s all gone. You have to think again, what did I want to do today. With SMan, I can basically take a quick look and immediately recognize: Right, that’s how I planned my day, that’s what I wanted to accomplish and that’s what I have to complete. That means you can work more well-structured and complete tasks that don’t work out now together with others or put them off to the next day without letting them fall into the memory hole. I used to work with some smaller makeshift memos, but then three bigger memos pile on top of them and you forget about it until you get a call. That’s not acceptable. Now, everything is nice and organized.
I: Relating to memory hole, everything is organized. Do you feel better?
R: I forget nothing. Since I don’t have to constantly ask myself if I forgot something it’s obviously a lot more comfortable and you do feel better.
I: Ok.
R: You basically already go home more balanced. Yes, you have to get used to things like weekly planning and so on, but you have the advantage of not forgetting anything. Thanks to weekly planning, notes that you look at in the regular and take into the next week etc. Always being ready to know what you want.