Jodi LeBlanc on the Canadian Government, Trello, Productivity, and stand up paddle boarding
In a few sentences, describe your career path
For most of my career to date, I have worked with the Government of Canada in a variety of roles. I have worked as a Community Development Officer negotiating million dollar contracts, as Chief of Access Management in an Information Technology Division, as well as Manager of Values and Ethics, Awards, and Recognition in a Human Resources Division. I have a wide array of experiences, including my involvement with "corner of desk" whole of government initiatives. In my spare time, I love to volunteer in my community and across Canada.
A scenic sunset shot taken from Jodi's backyard
What is the most creative use of Trello you've seen?
The Butlerbot fascinates me ☺ I love anything to do with automation and creating efficiencies for tedious and/or repetitive tasks. I also get ideas for my Trello boards via the Trello inspiration boards shared by amazing Trello users.
What was the first Trello board you made?
My first Trello board was my Master List: the board I use 80% of the time containing day-to-day tasks and to do list. I use the label feature to flag work, personal, committees, volunteer work etc. Since then, I have created many specialized boards for event planning, learning and development, vision and goals, and a bucket list board to name a few.
Tulips blooming in downtown Charlottetown
What's your best productivity tip?
To me, productivity is finding what works best for you. There is no one size fits all formula. A few things that work well for me are: handle things once, Trello everything (yes I used Trello as a verb), and don’t revert back to pen and paper to-do-lists. I love the checkbox feature in Trello cards (and via the checklists), where you can actually mark off that you completed the task, which gives that same satisfaction you get from crossing an item off your pen and paper list. I blogged the “Full Potential of a Day” and Doing Less but Better which is full of my favorite productivity and efficiency tips.
Jodi with Astronaut Commander, Chris Hadfield at a conference
What departments with the Government of Canada use Confluence? How does Confluence help your department?
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) uses Confluence for their internal wiki. It’s excellent for collaborating and sharing best practices. I will return to VAC in the fall after my current assignment ends and look forward to getting back to using it again. I also love it for virtual networking and getting to know my colleagues from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
A series of Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) shots taken on the Charlottetown Harbour
What do you do for fun?
My passion is Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Boarding and I do it as often as I can. I also enjoy yoga, writing for @moreloveletters initiative, blogging. I enjoy photography, lifelong learning, meeting new people and spending time with family and friends.
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Truckee, CA
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