Category Archives: Uncategorized

We thought we knew nearly everything about productivity… but no — we were missing one crucial piece: systematising ideation. That higher-level kind of thinking, done calmly and with perspective, which becomes essential at certain professional stages. This realisation dawned on me as I reflected on my own systems and considered the direction we want our consultancy to take. When reviewing how we organise our time, many of us have already optimised our calendars: more coherent schedules, focused on what truly matters. We’ve reduced meetings to only those that are strictly necessary, ensuring there’s ample time to prepare for them — and to dive deeper into those that require it. What’s more, we’ve become more efficient in handling those tasks that used to trap us in relentless multitasking (emails, mobile phones, and the like). However, despite all the progress we’ve made, something was still missing: deliberate time to “feed the brain” with essential ideas and knowledge — time to think from a distance about broader topics. Some refer to this as structured ideation. So, what does this “feeding my brain” involve? It’s that kind of space we all need to: Read articles and insights that expand our perspective Listen to voices different from those we usually engage with Observe the world around us with curiosity Converse with clients and colleagues on a deeper level We do engage in these activities — but not as systematically as we should. But here’s the real challenge: how do we transform all this input into valuable ideas? And this is where science offers a rather intriguing clue. Research shows that ideation mainly takes place during moments of scattered focus — those hazy mental spaces when we’re walking, showering, or driving. Our brains first need to absorb information and only then can they process it in the background. The paradox? We rarely schedule these two types of time in our calendars. We’re so focused on doing, that we forget to create space for thinking — for idea generation. Looking back, I realise this is exactly how the FASE method came to me… over ten years ago now.

The more we observe organizations implementing AI, the clearer it becomes that success depends on strong commitment from top management. Yet, many companies still delegate AI implementation to the IT or digital team. Time and time again, this approach has proven to be slow and ineffective. Why does this happen? Because real AI-driven transformation isn’t just a technical matter—it’s an organizational shift. And like any deep change, the leadership team must take the lead: communicating the vision, setting the example, driving change processes, and measuring progress. That’s why some of our most forward-thinking clients have realized that before discussing AI for personal effectiveness, the first ones who need to learn about it—even at a basic level—are them. But there’s an added benefit: when senior leadership experiences firsthand how AI can boost efficiency, they also clearly see its impact on time savings, process optimization, and eliminating repetitive tasks. In other words, they unlock a massive potential to streamline the company and free up resources. And here’s the key: AI adoption doesn’t start in IT—it starts with business strategy. IT will be a crucial partner, but real change happens when each leader understands and applies AI at their own level. So, let me ask you: Is your leadership team truly committed to AI, or are they still waiting for change to happen without getting involved? Have they experienced its impact on productivity and efficiency firsthand?

Taking Time to Think: So Simple, yet so Complex Every month, we try to spend a weekend away from our routine, visiting a new city or small town. We dedicate this time to long walks, good food, and reflecting—gaining distance from the everyday to focus on the topics that truly require it. And without fail, we always come back with at least one great idea. Thinking from a distance is a scarce resource in a world of immediacy, hyperactivity, and hyperconnectivity. Bill Gates had an interesting strategy to counter this when he was leading Microsoft: every six months, he would take two full weeks just to think—no meetings, no urgent emails, just reading, reflecting, and writing. At first glance, this might seem like a luxury only someone in his position could afford. But it reveals something fundamental: the immense value of uninterrupted time to reflect on what truly matters in life. Ironically, the best ideas often don’t come from meetings designed to generate them. Instead, they emerge in silence—in the shower, while driving, or during a walk in nature. That said, it helps to first prime the mind by immersing yourself in certain topics or questions. This all ties back to the difference between fast thinking and slow thinking. Fast thinking is spotting a mistake in a presentation and fixing it instantly. Slow thinking is absorbing information about a complex topic, letting it settle in your conscious mind, then your subconscious, and finally allowing your brain to connect the dots and reach breakthrough insights. Some might say that finding this kind of space is harder than ever today. But if the CEO of Microsoft could step away for two weeks a year without his company collapsing, chances are you can find a few hours now and then. And in that small pocket of calm, you just might discover the ideas that truly make a difference.

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!  

Many times, clients ask us how we managed to develop a methodology that is so simple yet so powerful and tailored to the current needs of managers. And we always have to correct them. We created the initial sketch back in 2015, and since then, we have progressively co-created the FASE Method with hundreds of our clients. And we continue to do so. Day by day, week by week, month by month, because the world evolves, and so do the roles of leaders and teams. And it happened again recently with a client. At a roundtable where we were presenting the implementation path of our method, new ideas emerged that further enriched it.   Xavier Marcet talks about avoiding the addiction to corporate inertia, that is, their resistance to change. This is our way to avoid it: by listening to and challenging our clients to think with us about how we can help them improve their way of working, to work smarter, not harder. All this with one goal, to aspire to the work lives we desire while maintaining a balance and harmony between personal and professional life. Let’s keep co-creating for many more years

“Owning a Rolex isn’t nearly as cool as owning your time.” Jade Bonacolta from The Quite Rich. Jade Bonacolta has created a lifestyle concept called Quite Rich, which defines wealth in terms of time, life experiences, relationships, and self-confidence, rather than monetary wealth. On the other hand, Paul Altieri, writes a post on Bob’s Watches website, claiming that the identity of those who own a Rolex reflects a “Supreme Focus”, meaning, these individuals are characterized by having a very clear and strong focus on their ambitious life aspirations, achieving a level of determination that suggests that, if desired, anything is possible. All this has made me think carefully about it, possibly due to the concept of FOCUS which is one of the pillars of our FASE Method. I have considered what would be a better gift for our children: a Rolex or teaching them to master their time management. And, extending this reflection to our teams, what is better? Offering them a bonus at the end of the year so they can buy a Rolex or investing that bonus in training to improve their time management and personal effectiveness, thus aligning with what Jade calls “Quite Rich”? I have come to the conclusion that, while we decide between the Rolex or the training on individual effectiveness, we can start with something that undoubtedly has no price for both them and us: As leaders, we must be examples to follow in our organization and time management so that they advance towards achieving results and become deserving of the bonus. As parents, if we are examples of good personal organization and time management, we will help our children, in their preparation for the future, acquiring the greatest number of differential competencies possible. And it is evident that personal organization is one of them, being the basis of many other differential competencies such as leadership and resilience. Investing in a Rolex or investing in winning time. That is the question to be resolved.