How Omar Woodard gets it all done in a day

Welcome to Work Hacks!

In our new, semi-regular Q&A series, some of Philly’s busiest impact leaders will share how they get their work done. We can all stand to learn some best practices about juggling priorities and that elusive work-life balance, right?

For the first edition, we checked in with Omar Woodard, one of the 15 people whose careers we’re following most closely in 2017.

Woodard leads both GreenLight Fund Philadelphia and Lutheran Settlement House’s Men Can steering committee and is always down to comment on social justice. Here’s how he juggles it all. (Hint: Hip hop helps.)

###

With so many professional balls in the air, how do you make sure you make time for your priorities?

I’ve learned over time that I need to put a ball down, before it gets dropped. I review my goals and to-do lists frequently, so if there is something that isn’t mission-critical it will get pushed to the next day or next week. I need to get much better at this!

What do you do to relax on stressful days?

If the weather is good, I’ll sit on the top steps of the Art Museum at night. The view is beautiful and it’s one of my favorite places in the city. It reminds me of my college years in Washington D.C., and on stressful days I would sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and look out on the National Mall. It gives me that same feeling of awe, and a sense of history and place.

What’s the first thing you do every day before doing any job-related work?

I’ve adopted a daily process of writing down key personal priorities for the day. It gives me time to reflect, and be intentional in how I engage myself in the world.

(Photo by Tony Abraham)

What’s your preferred workday soundtrack?

If I need inspiration during the day, it’s going to be the Diplomats, Young Jeezy or Pusha T. I have a very well-curated Spotify playlist that’s gets me through!

Where do you work? Coffee shops, home office, company office?

I work in Center City at the ExchangePHL, a coworking space that is a collaboration between nonprofits, foundations, and the Friends Center. The goal is to build common ground and a common space for connecting and increasing our collective impact. It is a joy to work in close quarters with other mission-focused people who work across domains, whether it is on child welfare or solar energy.

What’s your KPI for every day? How do you know it’s been a productive day?

My major KPI is percent of priority tasks completed by close of business. I’ll take work home, but I’d like to get that percentage as high as possible before 6 p.m.

What motivates you about your work?

GreenLight Fund is about finding solutions to poverty in our city. As a North Philadelphia native and resident, I wake up every morning trying to reduce the poverty in which I was raised. I’ve found tremendous synergy between my personal and professional goals, and it motivates me to do more everyday.