Author Archives: Gabriela Morales

An increasing number of companies operating in highly complex and demanding environments are finding it necessary to: Recognize that balance involves much deeper aspects than merely new office spaces or isolated wellness programs. Aspire to a transformational change in their ways of working, placing greater emphasis on prioritization, planning, daily efficiency, and energy management. Share and lead from the top down, while incorporating feedback and proposals from the bottom up—a project for everyone, with shared responsibility.   They understand that there is no magic formula, but they consider it essential to start with a method that serves as a shared framework to achieve greater individual and group effectiveness. They seek a formula that allows them to attain the necessary results, gain a sense of control in daily activities, and keep stress levels under control. All of this, with a formula that enables harmonious lives between personal and professional spheres. This is how many journeys with the FASE Method team begin. Fortunately, in many cases, they acknowledge that it is helping them improve the productivity and results of their teams, regardless of the sector’s complexity. Additionally, they achieve something they consider non-negotiable: a progressive improvement in the balance between personal and professional life, irrespective of how complex their positions or personal circumstances may be.

The quality of your YESes depends on the number of your NOs. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by daily demands, wondering if you’re saying YES to too many things? You’re not alone. According to a Harvard Business Review study, 80% of managers admit having difficulty saying “no.” Additionally, research from the University of California found that declining low-priority tasks can increase productivity by up to 20%. Imagine what you could achieve with 20% more time and energy! Therefore, in many cases, learning to say “no” could be the key to securing quality time for truly important matters. This also ties into a revelation shared by a client about contributing value to the organization in areas previously considered complex, such as the five-year strategic plan. He said, “I discovered that defining the strategy wasn’t so complex as long as I dedicated quality time well in advance.” Sound familiar? Often, the issues we need to address aren’t that complicated; it’s the lack of time and mental space to tackle them, due to the many less important matters we say yes to. This is where strategic ‘No’ comes into play. But how do we implement this in practice? Here are three strategies I’ve seen work: Relentlessly prioritize: Each month and week, write down the most important topics. Everything else is negotiable. Foster a culture around this by giving visibility to your team: Teach your team members to assess the value of focusing on what’s truly key, both at your level and theirs. Therefore, it’s important to know how to say no to certain matters without fear of repercussions. Communicate clearly: A well-explained “no” is better than a half-hearted “yes.” Offer alternatives when possible or simply decline, explaining the reason. In my personal experience, implementing these practices not only increased our productivity but also reduced stress and improved team satisfaction. It turns out that saying “no” allowed us to say “yes” to what truly mattered.

LEARNING MINDFULNESS or HAVING BEAUTIFUL OFFICES is not enough to prevent rising levels of burnout or to achieve balanced lives when you want to enjoy both personal and professional aspects without having to choose between them. Of course, these elements bring benefits, but they are not sufficient. Experience shows that everything comes down to truly learning how to organize ourselves. Moreover, this becomes a cultural issue within organizations: if there is no top-down change, it will be impossible to combat excessive workloads and stress. And even more so, achieving balance in certain personal or professional circumstances will remain out of reach. There is a solution, but it requires a transformation both at the individual and group levels, based on a shared method. This method is something that can be learned, internalized, and adapted, bringing changes to personal and collective ways of working. Step by step, progress is made at every level of the organization. This is exactly what we have been leading with PEPSICO and the FASE METHOD in recent years—helping to overcome this challenge: We don’t really know how to organize ourselves. This is a gap in the education system, much like the lack of emotional education in the past. Technology was meant to help, but it only does so when used correctly. For many, it has become the opposite: a time thief and a source of bad habits. The new way of organizing ourselves to become more effective, according to the FASE METHOD, involves introducing new behaviors. Over time, these behaviors turn into habits and routines that sustain an effective way of working in the long run. At its core, it is a shift in individual identity. On a business level, this leads to a collective transformation that impacts the organization’s culture—just as we have seen at PEPSICO. It’s a process similar to adopting exercise and healthy eating. At first, it starts with new behaviors, such as saying: I work out. Over time, as these behaviors become habits, it turns into: I am an athlete. The same applies to organization and effectiveness. We’ll be discussing this and much more at the event on October 15 at 09:30. If you’d like to attend, send us an email at gabriela@agustinperalt.es.

Having the Dutch invite a Spaniard to give a conference in Amsterdam titled “Work Smarter, Not Harder” and to present Método FASE, a Spanish productivity and time management methodology, might seem like a joke, and above all, not very credible. That’s why we added to the title: “Work Smarter, Not Harder and LIVE BETTER.” The idea of wanting to know the secrets of Spaniards to enjoy life is much more attractive. Jokes aside, last week we were in Amsterdam invited to this conference by QBE Amsterdam, thanks to Sebastián Ijaz and Beatriz Valenti, all of them clients of the method. First surprise: full house! And, knowing the place well, since some of us have worked in the country before, we were surprised that they valued the messages we usually convey so much. Second surprise: Very positive reception, much greater than expected. Full House: The Impact of the Productivity Conference in Amsterdam This made us think about the reasons behind such a good reception. Later, when talking with Joris, our coach who leads Northern Europe, we came to the following conclusion: technology, which came to help, has progressively and silently deteriorated high-productivity cultures like the Dutch, where they are now starting to have time management problems more than in the past. The misuse of technology for communication in all its forms – email, mobile, Teams – as well as the power of the internet to distract us, among other things, has led to multitasking taking over everything, making the rest difficult. It makes us not have enough time, unable to work with full attention on certain topics, and drains our energy during the day. And this leads us to the hamster wheel of silent and progressive deterioration, where we end up lacking time to think about our priorities or to plan well. What an irony. Our conclusion is clear: technology, or rather, the misuse of technology (as Jon Acuff says, “there is a whole industry that does not want me to grow, that does not want me to change, that does not want me to stay connected to what really matters”), has made productive people and cultures less so, and those that were not productive are in free fall. And that’s why we see so many cases of burn-out. It’s not the workload, nor the issues in the sectors, nor how complicated your company is, nor your boss, nor your team, nor your partner; it’s us and our inability to detect that, with this way of working, everything is much more complicated than it really is. We must change. Everyone can find balance, but effort is required to achieve it. Are you ready?

Pladis UK success: Helping teams work smarter, not harder, with the FASE Method® PLADIS, one of the world’s leading snacking companies with over 300 years of family baking and confectionery experience, and FASE METHOD®, one of the leading methodologies in Europe, help contributors and senior managers achieve a balanced life and better results. No one doubts that when our teams are committed and engaged, everything works much better, creating a virtuous cycle of greater goal achievement, better results, and more resources to take care of them. If there is something that serves as a solid foundation to prevent people from losing motivation, it is the sense of feeling overwhelmed and the increasing level of stress. Pladis UK understood more than 2 years ago that when its people are at their best, they will have motivated teams and the business will be a great place to work for everyone. That’s why they entrusted us to launch an innovative program to help their teams learn how to work smarter, not harder through our FASE METHOD®. Our mission More than a training program, this is a transformative individual program aiming to shift the culture towards more effectiveness, better well-being, and benefits for both the company and the employees. This initiative “FASE METHOD® implementation at PLADIS UK: Transforming how we work” that has recently been awarded the BEST INNOVATION INTERVENTION at the Global Pladis HR Awards. Pladis, like many of our other clients, has been a pioneer in understanding the necessity of helping people and teams learn how to WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER, through a methodology like the FASE Method®. We are deeply grateful for the trust and support of Pladis. Their commitment to employee well-being is an inspiring example for all companies looking to achieve exceptional results through a human and balanced approach. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Let’s continue working together to create work environments where everyone can thrive!