The Mainstreaming of Getting Things Done

Remember bands like Phish and Guster?  With cultlike following, these
musicians travelled each summer to the delight of thousands of fans. 
Their appeal was almost mystical and while devotees couldn't pinpoint
the exact moment of attraction, they would travel far and wide to see
them in concert. 

Then, quietly, something happened.  They went mainstream.

So
too with David Allen and Getting Things Done.  Don't misread me- I'm
not lamenting this.  Only putting words to the obvious- GTD is going
mainstream.  Consider the following as noted in a recent article in Business Week:

• The David Allen Company is now an $8 million enterprise


• Allen's third book will come out in December of '08 and is sure to be a smashing success


• Big box stores like Staples will soon be selling DAC co-branded products


• The GTD Global Summit will most likely become huge success in March of '09, much like the TED conferences have become for creative and design folks

None
of this is a bad thing.  In fact, it's probably a natural progression
from the early days of GTD. It does however mean that GTD will no
longer be a fringe band like Phish and Guster.  As the start-up "feel"
of GTD evaporates, practitioners will have to maintain its raw and
timeless spirit- get it out of your head, tools matter but not so much
as habits, what's the next action, etc. 

Time
will tell as to how GTD shakes out over the next few years.  The 7
Habits of Stephen Covey morphed into a line of products and moderately
successful stores but now seems so mid '90's.  Will GTD stand the test
of going mainstream?  As they say, time alone will tell.

GTD and ... Construction?

Walking around town last night, I spotted a contractor's vehicle with a startling name on the side in large print:

"Lar Roy Contracting"

Not being familiar with the word "lar roy", I kept walking until I had to turn around and look at the truck again.  There it was- a company built on the labor of two men- Larry and Roy.  At some point in the company's history, these two honest men must have held up a beer to the light while the bulb went on.  "I know!  Let's use half of my name and half of yours!"  The other man must have smiled with satisfaction and said quite simply, "Perfect!".

This perfect plan resulted in quite possibly the worst name in contractor's history.  I would have felt more comfortable with Larry Contracting or even Roy Construction but instead we have Lar Roy.  Amazing stuff.

A GTD connection here?  Absolutely!  If GTD is about anything, it captures a sense of knowing what you're all about and not trying to do too much.  Just enough.  The Swedish word "lagom" nails this perfectly, meaning "just the right amount".  Larry Contracting is good but Lar Roy is trying to do too much.

In your work today, consider what roles you have- too many? What could you do to streamline?  Consider your to-do list- too vast to ever complete? Scale it back and aim for 1 or 2 key tasks. 

NB: have you supported The Catie Fund Today?

Photo by Mink.

GTD Insight #36: Building Resolve After a Mess-Up

Have you ever squandered an hour?  How about an entire afternoon? 

The result is often one of regret or even remorse.  Those gifted minutes, just slipped through your fingers and will never return.  What to do? 

The answer of course is simple- start anew.  Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, "Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow has not yet come.  Let us begin."  I have that quote in my office and it means a whole lot to me.  Get on your horse man!

BNET has this interesting post about office politics.  They can be fierce because they are "out there" and you're "in there" trying to do your job.  You could run from it but that would be lame.  You could embrace it but that would be stupid.  Final choice- build resolve by doing the little things exceptionally well. 

Don't wait for the "right time" to get back on your horse after a set back.  Getting Things Done is about renewing your efforts at street level, in the nit and grit of daily work.  Why wait another minute?

GTD Insight #19: The Power of Freshening

Photo by Dan H.

When I was first introduced to GTD some five years ago, I was immediately drawn to David Allen's appreciation of "the right tool". 
It was as if someone out there was as quirky as me, caring about such
little things as the kind of pencil you used or the way in which you
organized your PDA.  Amazing!

Since then, I've been mindful of a number of good articles on GTD-related tools.  These include:

• 5 Simple and Effective GTD Tools


• List of GTD Tools


• Top 5 GTD Computer Tools

I
recently discovered a phenomenon called "tool boredom" and you'll
probably know what I'm talking about.  Your cell phone was so cool and
then you saw the new iPhone 3G ad on TV.  As a result, your tool looks
tired and so ordinary.  Yet, you can't just jump ship and go out and
sign up for another cellular carrier's two year contract.  What to do?

I use a Blackberry 8830 which I find to be very utilitarian.  No camera, no fancy ads on TV.  It just works but occasionally, I admit that it feels ordinary and un-iPhony. 
I'm not in a position where I can just pay an early termination fee to
drop Verizon and head over to AT&T. Instead, I do the following:

1. Discover new things that the tool is capable of.  I recently learned how to watch TV shows on my Blackberry- very cool!


2. Dress it up.  A silicone skin costs less than two cups of coffee at Dunkin Donuts so head over to Ebay and make a purchase.


3. Entertain the fantasy of trading.  On CraigsList
   there are countless people in your area who are looking to trade
   productivity tools.  People want planners.  They are interested in
   gadgets.  Joe from the next town over is looking for an audio recorder,
   etc.  Check it out and find out who is willing to trade what.  If
   nothing else, it will jog your creativity about tech tools and who
   knows?  Your unsexy gadget just might look new after all.

Today's post also appears on Productivity in Context, by Stephen Smith.

How GTD Helps Teams Think

Photo by lecercle

I
tend to believe that a hearty practice of GTD helps teams achieve more.  My team recently had a series of related decisions to make and we had struggled to come to a conclusion for some time.  I decided to put Getting Things Done into play and accomplish the following:

Change your context.  Sometimes it helps to change your physical location when making a decision.  Booking a conference room instead of the ordinary meeting space might pay dividends for your group.  Context can also include looking at long range plans as opposed to the details of daily life at work.  Meeting at different times about specific things is a lot more productive than trying to hit everything in one sitting.

Close the open loops.  This is perhaps the greatest skill of leaders in addition to setting vision for the team.  Forcing (gently- possible?) the group to make a decision is absolutely essential.  GTD is certainly applicable in this regard.  Any loop that is open will come back to you so tackle it early and often.  (See this interesting take on whether all loops are created equal)

Remember your runways and landscapes.  Your group might be struggling to make a decision because it's too bogged down in the day to day and can't see the broader view.  Give them permission to think as big or small as is helpful.  When Charlie from sales gets off on another tangent, confidently say, "Thanks Charlie but we'll tackle that at another meeting.  Today, we're honing in on XYZ."  It works, trust me.  (See Patrick Lencioni's take on how teams work)

Accept the fact that your group needs you to have backbone.  At the end of the day, after you've invested in your group and they know that you respect them, they still look to you to make a decision.  It's as if they are saying, "Now that we've all had something to say, what do you think boss?"  Put it out there and don't be bashful about pointing the team in a reasonable direction.  You're not about command and control, but about direction and flow.  (See David Allen's piece on the Huffington Post in this regard)

The worst thing to do is expect a "good" decision to come from a "bad" process.  To the degree that you can set your team up for success, extraordinary things will follow.

A Lesson from Apple Computers: The Power of Anticipation

This week's World Wide Developer's Conference is an Apple enthusiast's dream.  As a recent convert, I've been swept into the fold and am curious about what Apple will announce this week.   Rumors of a Nano-sized Mac computer, a 3-G iPhone or even an update to Mac OS are swirling about.  Lots of eyes will be on Apple this week.  As a company, they obviously have figured out how to get folks excited about "the next thing".

Which makes me wonder- how do you build anticipation among those you work with?  Here are some simple and effective ways to cultivate professional curiosity in your area of work:

1. Promise results...and deliver.  Stick to a plan and deliver the goods.  A deadline.  A report.  A presentation, whatever.


2. Be a person of your word.  If you lay out a gameplan, stay with it even when times get tough. 


3. Be a person who is passionate about follow up.  Write notes.  Make calls.  Pay attention to details.


4. Cross your t's. Little things matter a great deal.  During your weekly review, double check the details.


5. Organize weekly.  Don't just show up on Monday, bring your A-game as a result of planning for the week.


6. Conceive powerful ideas.  Go public with your notions of change.


7. Listen to those who've been there before.  There are folks in your workplace and in your industry who know things- tap into their insights.