Rebecca's Blog
Mostly news stories or articles of interest in the future to me. I'll eventually get around to adding my own ideas and stories on a more regular basis.
There are two big take-aways for me from David Allen's Getting Things Done. Today, I'll discuss the The Five Phases of Workflow (thanks to a reader for correcting me here) and how it defines the activity areas that make up the mechanics of the system.
Allen's model is comprised of five steps:
Collect - gather your inputs from e-mail, snail mail, scraps of paper on which you've jotted notes, business cards you've collected, etc.
Process - the key to effectively managing all of these inputs is to make an immediate decision (when you're in processing mode) about how to deal with an input. Allen proposes a "2 minute rule" that suggests that if you're looking at something you can do in two minutes or less, do it. If the action required is any longer, add it to your project list. If the action required should be delegated to someone else, do that.
Organize - Here's where you assign context to the items on your lists and get your filing (analog or digital) done. Examples of context are: at the computer, at home, at the office, or running errands. Context is applied using categories on your computer or handheld (in a program like Palm Desktop or Outlook). For organizing the paper associated with your projects, Allen is a big advocate of creating an individual folder for every project and using a labeler to create easily read titles for each folder. Everything associated with a project goes into that folder.
Review - this is, for me, the most critical step. Allen counsels a weekly review to examine new inputs, define next actions on existing projects, and generally take stock of your progress. This is "sacred time". Think of it as an appointment with yourself that is just as unbreakable as any other meeting commitment you make. If you use a company calendar (like a shared Outlook calendar or a program like Corporate Time) to make everyone's schedule accessible, block out a regular recurring appointment for your weekly review.
Do - This is where the rubber meets the road. All of the organizing and reviewing simply gets you ready to take action. As you move through your day, your trusted system will show you what you have slated to be done. Then, using the Four Criteria Model (see below), you can make instant decisions about what the very next thing you can (and should) accomplish will be.
Allen concedes that these are things we probably do already but makes the argument that, for many, there are "leaks" in one or more of the processes. Taking the point one step further, he argues that it is more productive to focus on each step separately. There are times when collecting "stuff" is the right thing to do, while at other times, review is what's required.
Christopher Ireland makes some great suggestions on keeping your cool with the added pressure of growth. Some great suggestions! Check them out! I've edited them down, so you'll want to look up the whole list on Christopher's entry...
1. Over-hyped people under perform. If you can feel the blood pulsing thru your body, you need to take a break and calm down. 2. Gifts are good. "Thank you" is always nice, but cookies, flowers, note cards and other small gestures of appreciation are even better. 3. Be real. We often pad our requests to make it easy on ourselves (I need that report by Tues, latest...), but when time's at a premium, we have to be very realistic about due dates and commitments. 4. Be precise. Be as precise as possible and keep the requests to the minimum you need, not the maximum. You're not the only one with needs.... 5. Email can be evil. There are dozens of tricks and tools to manage email, but the best trick of all is to use email wisely. Don't send a "my car is stalled and I'll be late" email to Everyone. 6. Email can be energizing. If you have something nice to say, then definitely say it in email and copy as many people as is relevant. Everyone likes to hear that they did good--and it's even more appreciated under stress. 7. Email can be evil (again). Do not send emails when you're angry. ... If you write a nasty email, you might as well paste it to your forehead for the next month. It's likely even your mother will see it. 8. Anger management. Anger is only effective in small doses, delivered at appropriate times to the right audience for the right reason. 9. Alcohol is a cooling agent. It's not for everyone, but a good drink (notice that's not plural) shared with co-workers in a relaxing environment can soothe a lot of stress. (Note from John: I personally choose not to drink, but find I can socialize just as well with a soda instead of a beer.) 10. There's always time for play. Play is a creative tool. It helps you think better, faster, more clearly and in more novel ways. In hot times, play is often the first thing people give up--but it should actually be increased. If you're on the road, find some diversions. If you're in the office, occassionally goof off. We have some infamous tricksters at Cheskin. Our couches have been known to travel to foriegn lands and send postcards. Puff balls have mysteriously appeared in offices and water has squirted from nowhere. Surely, there's more mischef out there somewhere?
Awesome list! I think it's going to end up on my bulletin board.
JOEL JOHNSON -- So as is typical, after a full day of responses to my request for some of your favorite chain restaurants that provide free WiFi, I get one big, fat link that trumps them all, and includes all of your Schlotzsky's, Apple Stores, It's a Grinds, and New...
Gave me some places that I can try out WiFi around the state/area...
Former BoingBoing guestblogger and Business 2.0 editor Todd Lappin points us to an online glossary of hip-hop and gangster language that is regionally specific to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The list includes terms which are now part of the broader lexicon of American popular speech (like "cabbage," "cheddar," and "scratch," all of which mean money). But I found plenty of terms in here that were new for me. For instance: "Dipped in Butta sauce" (Hella fitted, g'd up, creased up from tha feet up), "Burners" (a cellular telephone that is being used illegally), and "Fedex" (an individual that delivers quick money). Link
It's a few years since I read any of the Microsoft Solutions Framework material. This latest stuff would sound familiar to readers of Jim Collins or someone trying to apply the principles from Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline to software development.
Founding Principles
Foster open communications
Work toward a shared vision
Empower team members
Establish clear accountability and shared responsibility
Halley's blog has been full of music lately and I feel a common thread of finding the beauty in lyrics...
With a recent Indigo Girls CD purchase I've been bonding with a few songs. The lyrics I like best right now are:
And I don't know How you show Such gentle disregard For the ugly in me That I see That for so long I took so hard And I truly believe That you see the best in me I'm in love We all love And that thought Sets me free Free in you Got no worries on my mind I know what to do That's to treat you right And love you kind Thank you ever on my mind Love is just like breathing When it's true And I'm free in you
Now, I'm not actually "in love" but I do have people that I feel that amazement that there are people that see past my flaws and I see past theirs and the freindship is just natural and good and right and easy.
