Getting Things Done

I implemented this system in June 2007 when I was overwhelmed with extra duties as an individual contributor (a succession of people left department, and as senior most person in a small department guess who picked up the slack for a year+). It helped greatly. To paraphase David Allen: it freed up the mental resources devoted to remembering & reminding to be used productively to accomplishing things.

You don't have to do it the "full monty," but it improves the leakiness of the system if you do. For instance, I don't have a very complicated schedule, so I have found the 43 folders tickler file more hassle than value. I use Outlook Calendar for Work, and iCal for home stuff. They aren't synced, but I have very few conflicts (work is work, home is home). If I travelled a lot, or had 5 hours of meetings a day and an assistant, the tickler file would be invaluable.

I listened to the audio book first, and read the book six months post-implementation. The audio book is great for commuting, and you can get everything you need to do it from the audio book. Hoever, the audio files are abridged, and does not have some of the specific how-to tips in Chapter 7 on configuring e-mail which is useful. e.g. automatically setting up an Outlook rule to forward anything you cc: yourself into a "@Waiting For" folder, for later follow-up (p. 153).

Best Tips:
1) Do 2-minute tasks immediately. It takes longer to record them than complete them.
2) Evaluate each item to see what next action is required, either reject it, do it immediately (2 minute task), or record as a task/project To Do.

Observation. After implementing system, you cannot understand why people around you leave half-completed items lying in piles everywhere. .e.g half-read, opened bills / statements (personal pet peeve).

That's my experience,
Darrell

The book is fantastic and gives you a glimpse of a happy future we can all create with everyday dedication.

In ways you have to treat it like a huge instruction manual, read the whole book once , re-read a chapter and implement, re-read the next and implement, keep going and once everything is complete, re-read the book to see how it all flows and maintain consistency. The book is extremely easy and motivating to read also!

Even just "trying" Getting Things Done is improving the way I look and complete ideas :).

I wish David Allen would come over to my house :p.

Jorrian Gelink

I know this maybe a little late in the game, but I just finished reading Mark Linnenberger's Total Workday Control using Microsoft Outlook, and he actually takes a more technical approach to David Allen's GTD methodology. He simply puts to practice a large portion of his principles in extreme detail - breaking down how to create master lists, daily taskpad, email management, etc.

I would certainly recommend this book for anyone wanting to utilize a more efficient approach to Microsoft application.

Tom's right: 43folders is great.

Mark

www.43folders.com

A general personal productivity website inspired by GTD. Using your favorite netcast client you can find an hour long interview with David Allen in either one cast or 8 individual casts. Also a link about halfway down the site in the center. Definitely worth the listen. The site also has some great tips on getting through email and general life organization. Check it out.

Tom-

Thanks for the disclaimer, and so, yes.

WELL DONE!!!!

Mark

Doing much better. Did a mind sweep. Managing my email and actions. Just scratching the surface and already making a difference! I found a great 1 hour interview with David Allen on another podcast. Can I post the link here? No affiliation or monetary motives.

I think I just need to have someone step me through it. I probably have to pay Mark for a week! My biggest problem is email management which is really knowledge and action item management. Ug. Okay. I started last week, got completely frazzled by the "okay now what" stuff. I've got to push on and let it sink in. Starting...now!

As recommended by Mike, I bought this book and was impressed. When I finish implementing it I'm confident I'll have everything collected in one place and have no mental post it notes keeping me awake at night.

Wow... I thought it was quite prescriptive, and have used it twice now to great results. Sure, there are some holes, but even our stuff needs elaboration and extension at times.

We're hesitant to spend a great deal of time with it, in deference to intellectual property concerns... but we have some ideas.

Mark

Okay, I really didn't like this book at all! To me, it was very 50,000 foot level. Lots of concepts and philosophies on what to do. But, as I love MT, I want the 12 steps! Show me a system of how Outlook is set up. What all the Task lists look like. How they are managed. Using reminders. How to actually use a calendar effectively. Walk me through some detailed examples! Any books on actually how to do it? Step by step? Personally, I found the MT netcasts much more useful for those reasons. So, this book is more, let me tell you why we're doing this, now I need the follow up on the HOW we're going to do it. Suggestions?

This book totally changed the way I do things daily. The most significant thing I got from the book and Robert Allen - the great tickler system it allows you to file things in folders marked by each day of the month. You will never forgot those important dates which includes birthdays and anniversaries. GREAT BOOK for everyone.

Susan-

Thanks for your kind words. And, thanks for the guidance.

We will do a cast on small companies. And, I've used these techniques in my small company for years, and all of them work. Sure, I don't have a job description... but one on ones, coaching and feedback - yes, even with outsiders - all work fabulously regardless of size. This is about people, not things or actions. We do use big company examples because the majority of our listeners are at bigger firms.

Keep sharing your thoughts, and we'll keep listening. I think we have a small business cast set up for later in the year.

Thanks again - glad you're a member.

Mark

Hi!

I listen to your podcast regularly and it's proven helpful in many, many ways - thank you for lending your insight and expertise. I do, however, have to agree with Lisa regarding the "large company" feel of your podcasts. While I am often able to take your tools and suggestions and make them applicable to my small company - 3 staffers and four to five freelancers - the scenarios you sometimes refer to seem to fit big corporations much more than small fry's like me.

I am hoping you might be able to do a small business episode as the dynamics of such a fluid and compact environment can be dramatically different from the "biggies." I don't have an HR department, I don't have an assistant per se, I work with freelancers who may respond to feedback by finding another company just like mine to work for.

The other dynamic of having a small, growing company is that I hire young employees - they may be just out of college or this is their second or third job in the real world. A lot of the issues I have in my business are a result of their inexperience. I do a lot of hand holding and even when I turn that into delegating, balls get dropped all over the place.

I am definitely going to order Getting Things Done and I'm going to order copies for all of my staffers. In the meantime, a small company podcast (or three!) would be wonderful.

Thanks again and keep up the great work!

Susan

Lisa-

I'm sorry that our cast wasn't all that you had hoped for.

I'm a little confused by your post. I didn't write the show to be for corporate people. Both Mike and I work in small companies, and I've actually used this technique to analyze my own time. I admit, I don't have a job description (that WAS a nod to our big company listeners).

But everything else has worked for me. I wear a lot of hats, and I found that keeping track of my time was VERY valuable to help me understand the places where I WAS spending my time, versus where I THOUGHT I was spending my time, versus where I SHOULD have been spending my time.

I certainly respect your "many hats" comment - so do I. So... what am I missing?

Mark

I have just listened to part one of the time management podcast and wonder if you will ever do a show or have suggestions for managers in small companies. I'm sure these suggestions would be wonderful for larger companies, but I work for a small (I am one of three people) and wear many, many, many hats. I am responsible for everything from cleaning the bathroom, to collecting money, to sales, to hiring, to AR/AP to oh yeah, do my job as a project manager and everything in between.

You refer to a job description which I don't have other than duties as needed. I have never worked harder in any job only to feel like nothing is getting done. I am so overwhelmed and really not sure how to fix the situation.

Thanks Mark & Mark,

I decided to make an executive decision and get both.

David

David-

[Thanks Mark for your answer]

they are night and day. Allen's book is about personal productivity - how to manage your tasks, organize your office, remind yourself of things.

Larry Bossidy is the CEO of Allied Signal - his book is about running billion dollar companies by doing the right things right - people, strategy, and operations. The reason it's so good is that he drills down and gives details about how he has talked to plant managers and other executives.

Both are excellent.

Mark

I've read them both at least twice and seen David Allen of Getting Things Done in person. So here's my take.

Getting Things Done is more personal. It's about getting YOUR inbox to zero, getting control of YOUR schedule and accomplishing YOUR tasks. Execution is written from a higher organizational level like how do you get your department, team or company to build a culture of making things happen.

I've found that when more people are following Getting Things Done, it's easier to build an Execution culture.

So in a nutshell Execution is more big picture and Getting Things Done is more personal.

Mark

Hi,

How does this book differ from: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan.

They seem to cover the same topic and have similar reviews.

Thanks
David

I bought this one as an audiobook from audible about three months ago and it's significantly improved the way I work on a day to day basis. Other self-improvement books have made me think about the way I work, but this one has actually changed my work habbits.

Read it, do it, then read it again after about 6 - 8 weeks. You won't regret it!