The Daily Saint

Using GTD Radar to Spot Open Loops

Open loops drive me crazy.  There, I said it.

It often goes like this:  I'm in a meeting and someone, not writing anything down, will say something like, "we should really think about doing that" or "I'll take care of that".  MyGTD radar kicks in and I start placing mental bets on whether Person X will really do what he said.  Or, I wonder why we don't just decide then and there what the absolute next action is on the project in question.  Ah, the frustrated life of a GTD practitioner...

As a refresher, an open loop is some aspect of a project that is left undecided, un-taken-care-of or just neglected.  Sadly, these open loops can wreak havoc on productivity.  They are the reason why the office building down the street is not quite finished.  Open loops are the cause of the ABD (all but dissertation) professor.  An open loop is a fancy expression for "unfinished business".  We put up with them all the time, but why?

I suspect that our too-often habit of not looking for next actions may have something to do with it.  Or, it might be due to the frenetic pace of work.  A third option might be due to a lack of a weekly review to see what details were missed in the course of a week.  Whatever the cause, the open loops hang around and like a boomerang, come back again and again. 

Here are some simple steps towards banishing these little buggers so that your productivity can soar:

1. Keep a capture tool with you at all times.  A PDA, small notebook (my favorite- a $.99 notebook from Staples!) or pad of paper will do the trick.  If you need to remember it, write it down.  Don't trust your memory- write it down.
2. When around those who have a habit of putting up with open loops, move them towards next action steps.  Ask, "What's the next action on that?"  You could also ask, "What can we do today to keep that project moving forward?"
3. Set a good example.  You don't have to be perfect but consistency is a must.  Practice your weekly review.  Get things out of your head and be a person of action.

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.

GTD Insight: How Next Action Thinking Can Fill a Leadership Void

If you haven't caught up with Leadership Journal in a while, their recent edition focuses on teams and how they lead.  I was especially fascinated by an article about how one church went from a one pastor model to a team approach of four men who lead together.

Can you imagine if every church was led by four instead of one?  Blows your mind doesn't it?

The featured church, Next Level Church in Denver, explained how their model allows for deeper service, more humility, greater accountability and a healthy buffer in case one leader falls. It also allows for a community to get things done.  Maybe, just maybe, it decreases the amount of 'leadership complaining'.

All of us complain about our leaders.  I just wish they would do more of this... Why can't he be more like... It drives me crazy when... When you practice GTD, you are putting next-action thinking into play.  You stop looking around and wondering why it isn't moving fast enough and

you
    start
       making it happen.

This of course builds you up as someone who actually produces results.  You are then able to do the work of four instead of one.

My Walkaround Version of GTD

Photo by SD

You know how it goes: if you were on an island...

• and could only bring one book- Merton's No Man is an Island
• and could only bring one food- strawberry Twizzlers (is there any other flavor?)

But what if we were talking about GTD?  Would you bring David Allen's first book from 2002 Getting Things Done?  Maybe his latest book Making It All Work would better fit the bill.

As for me, I'd take a small notebook and a simple ballpoint pen.  That way, I could capture all of my ideas for getting off the darn island.  Let me explain.

Although I don't travel very often for work, my days are fairly pedestrian and therefore my GTD system has to go with me.  Kelly Forrister had a great piece this past week about how she takes her system on the road for three weeks out of every month. Now that's what I call portable!

Here's my mini version of GTD:

1. Small notebook, left pocket of my sportscoat. 
2. Pen, left pocket, dress shirt.
3. Blackberry 8830, right pocket of my sportscoat.

With these three items, I can capture all of my thoughts, monitor email and respond if necessary, take calls, and make it to my 3:45pm daily check-in with my boss.  Once I'm there, I process items from my notebook which are important to discuss and voila!  Pint-sized GTD.

Forget About Strategic Planning

How many people do you know that spend more time planning than doing?  Status reports, benchmarks and meetings can get in the way of old-fashioned doing. 

I'm not really advocating that we abandon effective strategic planning, but sometimes a next-action step is all that is needed.  Case in point- I gave a talk last night to a group of students and their families on the value of Catholic education.  Having given hundreds of talks, I normally prepare a rough outline and then let it happen, relying on instincts and experience.  On this particular night though, I prepared an overly detailed spec of the evening's topic. 

Too detailed.

I was overly concerned with not forgetting an item on my overly detailed outline and therefore delivered an A-minus talk instead of a homerun.  I would imagine that the audience knew nothing of my consternation but I went home and evaluated my preparation and follow through. 

What's a GTD take on strategic planning?  It's not a matter of take-it-or-leave-it.  Rather, it's about integrating next actions with the benchmarks and stages of a good plan.