The simple art of the pen and paper

Why author and former CEO Laura Morgan starts her day by prioritising her to-do tasks on a simple piece of paper

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Management Today

After years of experimentation and technological development, Laura Morgan has concluded that her best ideas still come from a blank piece of paper and a pen.

“I’m a very early bird,” Laura explains. “Sometimes I decide not to open my laptop, but just put a blank piece of paper in front of me. I relentlessly write and rewrite the priorities that are going to profitably give return. If you prioritise by profit, then every day you start afresh, knowing the business is going to take you further, faster.

“Sometimes I also start with a blank piece of paper on those early mornings and ask, ‘What are we not doing right?’ At the moment, on every agenda, the word ‘sustainability’ comes first. It is a business imperative that we put sustainability alongside the customer and digital at the heart of the business. If we don’t, we’re toast. 

“The best advice I can give to other leaders is to get up a bit earlier, write your ‘to do’ list and then prioritise it by profit. The outcome is that you will complete the things you really need to get done and you’re ahead of the game before people get up.

“Doing this religiously keeps me on the straight and narrow because I’m always getting something smart done”.