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experiencelifemag.com
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Definitely Doable
Tired of making lists and then losing them in a pile of other lists? Try this proven, five-step approach to getting closure on the daily things that matter most.
By David Allen |
April 2007 |
1. Collect
2. Process
3. Organize
4. Review
5. Do
Where to Begin
At the conclusion of one of my time-management seminars, a senior manager of a major biotech firm looked back at her old to-do lists and remarked, "Boy, that was an amorphous blob of undoability!"
That's the best description of what passes for an organized to-do list that I've ever heard. Most of us try to get organized by rearranging incomplete lists of unclear things; we haven't yet realized how much and what exactly we need to organize to better control our workflow and improve our productivity.
To really take control of our work, we need to make some small changes in our workflow system. Namely, working from the bottom up.
Most of us have been taught that the best way to get things done is through a top-down approach – uncovering personal or corporate missions, defining critical objectives, and then focusing on implementation. All this sounds good in theory. In practice, though, most people are so embroiled in day-to-day commitments that they're unable to see the bigger picture. Consequently, a bottom-up strategy that organizes those daily tasks usually proves more effective.
To get a better handle on all that you want and need to do, consider adopting the following five-stage workflow approach for creating order from chaos. You'll get the best results from progressing through the stages one at a time as you move through your day, but you can also use this approach for moving individual projects (like your daily mail) toward completion.
1. Collect
Identify everything you consider incomplete in your world and put each of those items in the appropriate containers. "Incompletes" include anything personal or professional, major or minor, that you must complete. From "End world hunger" to "Replace electric pencil sharpener," these items qualify as incomplete when you attach to them a "should," "need to" or "ought to."
Once you know what's on your mind, you need to find another place to put it. You want your mind available for focused work, not storage space. So the goal of all this collecting is to get every incomplete item out of your head and into a limited number of containers: your physical in-basket, paper-based or electronic note-taking devices, voice-recording devices, and email. Choose what works best for you, but remember that to make the collection process work, you must have as few containers as possible.
Many people let their containers overflow. Mastering the next phase of workflow – how to effectively process your incompletes – will help keep your containers manageable.
2. Process
When everything's out of your head and in containers, it's time to process. Processing requires an item-by-item approach. You'll have to answer two questions about each email, voicemail, memo or self-generated idea you encounter: 1) What is it? 2) Is it actionable?
What is it? This is not a dumb question. Before you can act, you need to know an item's exact contents. That envelope you never opened? That memo you only skimmed? You have to know what you're dealing with.
Is it actionable? If your answer is no, there are three places to put it: the recycling bin, an incubation file for material you'll address later or a filing system for reference information.
If an item does require action, you have three options. If it will take less than two minutes, do it immediately. If it will take more than two minutes, either delegate it or defer it. Add deferred actions to a "Next Actions" list so you can keep track of them.
Some of the "Next Actions" you identify are likely parts of larger projects. Keep track of all of these larger projects in a separate "Projects" inventory.
Once you've gathered your incompletes and made them part of a concrete system, you're ready to organize.
3. Organize
Let's take a closer look at the eight-part organizational system that's emerging from our work so far:
For nonactionable items, you'll need 1) a trash can or recycling bin; 2) two incubation files, including a "Someday/Maybe" file for ideas you're considering and a "Tickler" file for things you want to recall on a future date; and 3) a good filing system for all your reference materials, organized by topic (like appliance manuals), areas of interest (like vacation ideas) and general reference.
For actionable items, you'll need 4) a "Waiting For" list of delegated items; 5) a calendar, which itemizes the things that have to happen on a specific day or time; and 6) a "Next Actions" list – things that just need to get done as soon as possible.
When dealing with larger projects, you will need 7) a current "Projects" list that serves as an index of the things you're working on, and 8) files for support materials and references for each project. It's important to remember that actionable items specific to projects should be added to your "Next Actions" list.
4. Review
The real magic of workflow management happens through the consistent use of the review phase. This is where you take a weekly look at all your outstanding projects and incompletes. With all the defined actions and options in plain view, you can dramatically improve the choices you make.
At a weekly review, you'll gather and process all your incompletes, review your system, update your lists, and get clean, clear and current.
5. Do
You will always be facing a long list of actions that require your attention. So how will you decide what to do and what not to do, and feel good about both? By trusting your intuition. By collecting, processing, organizing and reviewing all your current commitments, you'll be automatically tapping into the larger values and priorities that shape your life and work. With those perspectives in clearer view, it's easy to let your intuition guide you to the right task.
By managing what's in your in-basket and on your mind, and incorporating practices that can help you stay in control, you'll recognize some important benefits. You'll discover a creative, buoyant energy and an increased sense of confidence that you can do what must be done. So, roll up your sleeves, get control of your life, and enjoy the sense of freedom, release and inspiration it can bring.
David Allen is a management consultant and executive coach. This article was adapted from his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Penguin, 2001).
Where to Begin
To get started on the path to clear and easy workflow, start with one in-basket: your mailbox.
1. Collect: Pick up the mail and deal with one piece at a time.
2. Process: Identify what it is and whether it's actionable.
3. Organize: Determine where it goes. Set up any required list or file.
By the time you've finished with today's mail, you will have made progress toward setting up a functional, organized system that you can review and decide how to act upon later.
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Definitely Doable
Tired of making lists and then losing them in a pile of other lists? Try this proven, five-step approach to getting closure on the daily things that matter most.
By David Allen | Balance Department,
April 2007 |
1. Collect
2. Process
3. Organize
4. Review
5. Do
Where to Begin
At the conclusion of one of my time-management seminars, a senior manager of a major biotech firm looked back at her old to-do lists and remarked, "Boy, that was an amorphous blob of undoability!"
That's the best description of what passes for an organized to-do list that I've ever heard. Most of us try to get organized by rearranging incomplete lists of unclear things; we haven't yet realized how much and what exactly we need to organize to better control our workflow and improve our productivity.
To really take control of our work, we need to make some small changes in our workflow system. Namely, working from the bottom up.
Most of us have been taught that the best way to get things done is through a top-down approach – uncovering personal or corporate missions, defining critical objectives, and then focusing on implementation. All this sounds good in theory. In practice, though, most people are so embroiled in day-to-day commitments that they're unable to see the bigger picture. Consequently, a bottom-up strategy that organizes those daily tasks usually proves more effective.
To get a better handle on all that you want and need to do, consider adopting the following five-stage workflow approach for creating order from chaos. You'll get the best results from progressing through the stages one at a time as you move through your day, but you can also use this approach for moving individual projects (like your daily mail) toward completion.
1. Collect (Back to Top)
Identify everything you consider incomplete in your world and put each of those items in the appropriate containers. "Incompletes" include anything personal or professional, major or minor, that you must complete. From "End world hunger" to "Replace electric pencil sharpener," these items qualify as incomplete when you attach to them a "should," "need to" or "ought to."
Once you know what's on your mind, you need to find another place to put it. You want your mind available for focused work, not storage space. So the goal of all this collecting is to get every incomplete item out of your head and into a limited number of containers: your physical in-basket, paper-based or electronic note-taking devices, voice-recording devices, and email. Choose what works best for you, but remember that to make the collection process work, you must have as few containers as possible.
Many people let their containers overflow. Mastering the next phase of workflow – how to effectively process your incompletes – will help keep your containers manageable.
2. Process (Back to Top)
When everything's out of your head and in containers, it's time to process. Processing requires an item-by-item approach. You'll have to answer two questions about each email, voicemail, memo or self-generated idea you encounter: 1) What is it? 2) Is it actionable?
What is it? This is not a dumb question. Before you can act, you need to know an item's exact contents. That envelope you never opened? That memo you only skimmed? You have to know what you're dealing with.
Is it actionable? If your answer is no, there are three places to put it: the recycling bin, an incubation file for material you'll address later or a filing system for reference information.
If an item does require action, you have three options. If it will take less than two minutes, do it immediately. If it will take more than two minutes, either delegate it or defer it. Add deferred actions to a "Next Actions" list so you can keep track of them.
Some of the "Next Actions" you identify are likely parts of larger projects. Keep track of all of these larger projects in a separate "Projects" inventory.
Once you've gathered your incompletes and made them part of a concrete system, you're ready to organize.
3. Organize (Back to Top)
Let's take a closer look at the eight-part organizational system that's emerging from our work so far:
For nonactionable items, you'll need 1) a trash can or recycling bin; 2) two incubation files, including a "Someday/Maybe" file for ideas you're considering and a "Tickler" file for things you want to recall on a future date; and 3) a good filing system for all your reference materials, organized by topic (like appliance manuals), areas of interest (like vacation ideas) and general reference.
For actionable items, you'll need 4) a "Waiting For" list of delegated items; 5) a calendar, which itemizes the things that have to happen on a specific day or time; and 6) a "Next Actions" list – things that just need to get done as soon as possible.
When dealing with larger projects, you will need 7) a current "Projects" list that serves as an index of the things you're working on, and 8) files for support materials and references for each project. It's important to remember that actionable items specific to projects should be added to your "Next Actions" list.
4. Review (Back to Top)
The real magic of workflow management happens through the consistent use of the review phase. This is where you take a weekly look at all your outstanding projects and incompletes. With all the defined actions and options in plain view, you can dramatically improve the choices you make.
At a weekly review, you'll gather and process all your incompletes, review your system, update your lists, and get clean, clear and current.
5. Do (Back to Top)
You will always be facing a long list of actions that require your attention. So how will you decide what to do and what not to do, and feel good about both? By trusting your intuition. By collecting, processing, organizing and reviewing all your current commitments, you'll be automatically tapping into the larger values and priorities that shape your life and work. With those perspectives in clearer view, it's easy to let your intuition guide you to the right task.
By managing what's in your in-basket and on your mind, and incorporating practices that can help you stay in control, you'll recognize some important benefits. You'll discover a creative, buoyant energy and an increased sense of confidence that you can do what must be done. So, roll up your sleeves, get control of your life, and enjoy the sense of freedom, release and inspiration it can bring.
David Allen is a management consultant and executive coach. This article was adapted from his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Penguin, 2001).
Where to Begin (Back to Top)
To get started on the path to clear and easy workflow, start with one in-basket: your mailbox.
1. Collect: Pick up the mail and deal with one piece at a time.
2. Process: Identify what it is and whether it's actionable.
3. Organize: Determine where it goes. Set up any required list or file.
By the time you've finished with today's mail, you will have made progress toward setting up a functional, organized system that you can review and decide how to act upon later.
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