Getting things done summary

Hi all,

I was reading "Getting Things Done", by David Allen, during some time off from school. It is a popular book on work management that uses small task completion as a means to tackle larger tasks and ease stress. I decided to share the key lessons the book provides since I think they are interesting. Medium length summary (8 pages single spaced)

GETTING THINGS DONE SUMMARY

I. INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS

Why this book matters
This book offers a framework for conquering our commitments, by quickly taking care of all the little things that enter our lives constantly.

Main issue
Lack of definitions on clear next actions or outcomes prevents effective management of actions. It leads to people viewing whole projects as “too daunting,” instead of simply identifying an easy next step and digesting it. For instance, if you have 10-12 small tasks to complete, failure to define specifically what these tasks are (probably some part of larger projects), may prevent you from moving forward, or prevent you from doing so quickly.

The mind can only focus on 2-3 tasks at once, much like a computer. Yet, it is constantly thinking of new things to do all at once. This distorts the ability to concentrate on distinct tasks. As such, it’s vital to store these tasks externally, so we can free up brain space to think with more focus.

The Idea
1) Record all minute inputs/tasks so that they’re not only in your head.
2) Clarify exactly the next action to complete/progress these inputs
3) Keep reminders for inputs/commitments to do later.

II. FIVE PHASES FOR MASTERING WORKFLOW

Five steps: Collect, Process, Organize, Review, and Do.

Common problems with people’s workflow are that they attempt to do each step all at one time. Collect an item, then process it, then organize it, then review and do. This is problematic because it isn’t scalable. The second issue most often seen is that people are forgetting to perform a key step in the 5-step methodology. For instance, you collect something, but you’ve never processed it and decided what to do.

1. Collect
   Mark down all the things that pop in your head that you “should/need/ought to do,” so that the task that is yet to be complete is recorded and can be completed at a later time. Put these items in an “in basket” repository. “Clear” it when tasks are done.
   • Styles—Collecting inputs can be done in 1) Physical basket, 2) Email (on its own), 3) in a notebook, 4) on blank paper (1 task per sheet), or 5) on a computer (i.e Evernote or word document.
   • Risk to avoid — You’ve written down all the tasks but you haven’t emptied the in-basket so the fear of being overwhelmed prevents you from looking at the list

Collecting is important because it lets you know volume of stuff you have to do, which gives a clue for when you’ll be done. Knowing that you have gathered all your work up will allow for stress-free productivity, because there won’t be a nagging worry that you’ve forgotten something. It’s useful to limit the number of collection baskets, so the probability of forgetting to check one pile is lowered.

As you collect, avoid processing at the same time. The efficiency of the subsequent steps are owed to the strict component-by component focus of the workflow. That is to say, avoid moving an item into an in-basket and then reading it and getting sucked into closing that loop (i.e. an article that seems fascinating). Doing this isn’t scalable, and it will quickly down workflow. Collect everything and then process everything, like an assembly line.

2. Process
   Processing means to “Decide what the thing is and what action is required and then dispatch it accordingly.” As such, the key question to ask when evaluating all the open loops, the to do’s you’ve collected, is whether or not they requires action. This is often overlooked but in reality many things you collect or are collected for you (e.g. e-mails), don’t require any immediate action (i.e. no reply needed on the e-mail you’ve already read).

No action
If the collected item does not require action, then there are three options. The first is to trash the item. We receive many “calls to action” in our lives, and not all are worth keeping. Some things don’t require our attention. It’s best to get rid of these.

Second is to store the item for later use. For example, learning computer programming may not be something that you have time to do right now, and it isn’t urgent you do. But, it’s not trash because it is something that you would like to do, just not now. Create a folder, or list on a word processor of the items that you’d like to save for later.

The third option is to store something away as archive, or reference material. This is the category in which most people’s files and documents belong. They are useful in-of themselves as reference points, but nothing needs to be done with them and they don’t serve to prompt action. Don’t over or under organize these reference materials. The key is that these documents are quickly accessible for future research.

Action
If the input does require action, then some thinking must be done to figure out exactly what that action is. This is key to the 5-step process. It is critical to think about out exactly what the very next physical action should be (the importance of this is explained further on).

When the next action has been figured out, then there are two questions to ask. Does the task take less than 2 minutes? If it’s a really quick task, then doing it immediately is the best solution. Writing a reminder to do it later doesn’t make sense, because that will take almost as much time, as it will to just do it. If it will take longer than 2 minutes to do, then it’s best to set a reminder to do the action later.

Second, it’s important to ask: is it a project? If the input is actually something that will require considerate actions, and linear steps then two things need to be done. First, is to figure out what the next action is and set a reminder, or do it if it takes less than 2 minutes. However, since it is a project, the project itself must be recorded in a projects list, so as to keep a “stake in the ground” that reminds you that there will be next actions to complete after those you have written down.

Finally, there may come times when waiting on items or actions to be done by others. This is often the case with those in charge of others. For these people and others, it may be more efficient to delegate tasks. But, regardless of seniority, it is likely that you will end up waiting on someone else to do some work before you can complete the next step. In these situations, create a “Waiting for,” or “Pending” list that reminds you of whom you need to contact and for what reason, to move things forward.

Next action reminders explained

What is the next action?
Next action means next physical action. Instead of “Clean the garage,” Collect loose papers from garage. Instead of “Organize press conference,” it’s Email Sandra to prepare media kit for press conference. Also, it’s important to remember that next actions can be planning actions. Sometimes the next action isn’t a doing action but a planning action, where the work is to consider future objectives.

Why does this matter?
If you don’t do the thinking earlier, you will have to think about what to do when it comes to do the task. This rethinking slows you down. When you go to “clean the garage, ” you will have to first brainstorm how/where to start before actually starting. Not a big deal, but when doing complex projects or work in a team, it is critical to have all your thinking completed before you do a task so you can move on it quicker

Are there different kinds of next action reminders?
There are two types of next action reminders. The first kind is the calendar reminder. These ought to be used for all tasks that must happen on a specific day. These tasks will include physical action like going to appointments, but it doesn’t need to be limited to that. Creative uses of the calendar include setting triggers for project start-dates or drafting next actions. Or, the calendar can be used to drop a flag on a day when you must make an important decision.

Outside of calendar reminders, there are also “Asap actions” which go on the list of reminders you keep. This collection of processed items contains nothing that needs to occur on a specific date, but it has all the actions and commitments you want to come back and complete later. It’s useful to segment the lists of reminders by the type of work they each entail, or the context they occupy in your life. The author recommends keeping an agendas list that contains all the actions to get done for a meeting or all the points he wants to communicate, and a read & review list. He also suggests keeping errands lists as well as an office work list

Guidelines for processing:
There’s one thing that should guide how something is processed. First ask yourself: what outcomes are you committed to bringing about? Processing is where aspirations and wants are either transformed into tangible next steps or taken out of line sight, so as to focus on making other items happen. This notion is what underlies the need for action or no action.

The author highlights two things to do when processing. First, begin with the top items and work your way down. In other words, do not skip collected items, because some seem more important than others. This distorts the process because if items that are urgent grab all your attention, then you will only respond to a situation where you no longer have a choice but to act. For instance, if you’ve ignored the need to hire a new sales team up until the deadline, then that task loses its flexibility, and you will not be able to re-negotiate that commitment with yourself, even if other things are going on that day. By working strictly by deadlines, you give up control of your schedule.

Second, go one item at a time. This might seem obvious but especially in list formats on the computer it’s easy to open several tabs and try and multi-task. There is often incentive to do this when we see an item with a very clear, easy actionable step. The 5 step process is shaped to quicken the ability to make decisions, so resisting this urge is key. Additionally, as mentioned earlier our brains cannot fully multi task, so this actually slows us down. As such, stick to one item until it’s fully processed.

End results of good processing.
• Trash what you don’t need/want to act on
• Completed 2mins
• Delegated to others work that hey can do & created “waiting for” lists
• Identified projects & marked them down
• Moved “someday/maybes” to appropriate list

3. Organize
   Organizing adds the finishing touches to the task of processing. The goal in organizing is to leverage additional tools to make task completion even more consistent, and patch up any remaining “holes in the bucket.”

The author has two particular strategies in mind here. The first is the use of a checklist. The purpose of the checklist is to tether you to key responsibilities for new roles or activities, or to input reminders of behaviors and tasks that are periodical in nature, or even high-level, general commitments (i.e. new duties as Vice President, or weekly duties at home, personal development, focus areas in life).

The second tool is the use of a tickler file. A tickler file exists in a physical filing cabinet. It requires 43 folders: 31 for each day of the month, and 12 for each month in the year. The user of the tickler file will file an item into a specific folder, so that on the day indicated by the folder, the user can find the file easily. The utility of the tickler file is contingent on the daily checking of the file itself.

Key tips:
• Organize work items not by type of work (i.e. paper writing, administrative stuff) but by next action required (i.e. read something/research)
• For email: create folders for e-mails that you’d like to respond to, but that will require more than 2mins, for future doing. Plow through these later all at once, as you would normal reminders of things to do later.

4. Review
   It’s one thing to write things down, and have a record of tasks, and another to know exactly when/where you will be able to perform that next action. To review means to glance at relevant outstanding items at appropriate times so as to know all the responsibilities that you need to be aware of which allows you to leverage/identify key moments when you can do the work. There are smaller reviews and larger ones. For instance, it’s useful to check agenda reminder lists before speaking with managers and colleagues, or check all errand items before going to dry cleaner’s to see if any additional. But then, there may also higher-level reviews, where you take stock of larger questions: am I fulfilling all my goals in my new role?

The key part of the review is the re-negotiation of prior agreements with yourself. The review allows you to take stock of all the open loops in your inventory. Some of these will have been closed by now, and can be noted appropriately, and some won’t. Out of the commitments that remain incomplete, consider if they can realistically be completed. It is very likely that there are times when you will not be able to make a meeting you agreed upon, or that you won’t be able to finish a task you promised yourself you would complete. As such, it is important, to spend time re-negotiating commitment and perhaps adding to the “maybe/someday” list, so as to avoid feelings of defeat. Also, the more you check your reminders/calendars, the less likely you’ll be overwhelmed by the fear that you have too much work to do.

Here’s a quick checklist for basic reviews:
o Gather all newly, loose notes for processing.
o Process notes and list new actions items (dump or store what’s not needed)
o Review old calendar data & make note of new action items
o Empty your head of new items and mark next actions
o Review projects, and make sure actions items exist for each item
o Review next action lists- mark off what need to be done
o Review “Waiting List” and note any needed follow ups
o Review checklists – are there any key responsibilities missed?
o Review “someday/maybe list” to manage newly active projects

5. Doing
   Key understanding
   In his chapter, the author provides a key insight into what ‘doing’ actually is. There are three things that can be bucketed under doing, in a work definition. These are: defining work, doing the predefined work, or doing work as it shows up. Defining work involves planning out next steps to take, referred to as collection and processing in this book, and it naturally leads to actually doing the pre-defined work. However, if an unforeseen task appears, then the list of pre-defined tasks will be ignored. Therefore, each time you choose to do ad-hoc work, it’s important to realize that you are simultaneously choosing to not do a task you have scheduled yourself to do.

Whether doing ad-hoc work is problematic or not depends entirely on how you react to it. To avoid bad situations and missed deadlines, it will be key to have ‘open loops’ clearly defined, so that when an urgent item is strewn on your desk you can pinpoint what work remains outside of the task, and you can renegotiate those actions items (maybe fit them in at small intervals of open time etc.). The key here is to know exactly what tasks you have to do, before you dive head first into a piece of ad hoc work. It is not doing ad hoc work that is stressful; it is the shock concerning all of the work that remains that hurts.

Deciding on what to do when
The author discusses two key ways to decide on which work items to do. They are not mutually exclusive and can overlap unto each other. The first method is to do work based on one of the following four criteria: context, energy available, time available, or priority level. This method is most useful when combining different criteria. For instance, being low energy but having your laptop handy with Internet might be the perfect time to send e-mails. The author doesn’t endorse any of these decision-making criteria over the others.

For more strategic decisions about workflow, the author recommends looking at work across six altitude levels. The first is the runway, where decisions must be made on next actions in order to push larger projects forward. Second, there is the 10,000 feet high perspective, where one should consider what projects he or she wants to take on. Higher up is the 20,000 foot place of thinking, where one can deeply about key responsibilities of job function. Higher up still is the 30,000-40,000 ft altitude, which includes 1Y, 3Y goals. Here questions like “What is my mid to long term goal, and what projects do I need to complete to get there,” need to be addressed. Finally, at 50,000 ft one can think about one’s life purpose, and how this may shape their actions. All together, looking at life from a high level perspective helps to determine what tasks need to be done in the immediate.

III. PROJECT PLANNING

When there is something you’d like to achieve and it takes more than 2 action steps, it is a project, according to the author. Here’s how to arrive at a next step and move project forward.

Phases of Project planning

1. The first thing is to define a purpose and principles.
   Why are we doing this? This helps create benchmarks for success. For instance, if you hire a new VP of finance in order to increase profits by 20% amount, it sets a clear threshold to know whether success is reached or not. Second, it provides decision-making criteria. For example: deciding on hiring a web design firm for your website versus doing the work yourself, will likely be informed by the why. Lastly, being clear on purpose opens up untraditional, or new ways of thinking. If the goal is to re-brand, maybe redoing the website isn’t the most critical tactic to reach that goal, given certain features of your business.

2. Picture the result: The what.
   Envision completing the project with wild success and capture the aspects and qualities that you imagine go along with this. For instance “What do you want the client to feel, and what do you want him to know and do, when you are done speaking?”

3. Brainstorm ways to reach outcome.
   Write your ideas down and consider mind mapping them. Distributed cognition says that getting things out of the head into objective, reviewable format heightens the brain’s ability to think about linearly. Don’t organize ideas, or judge them yet.

4. Organize your needed actions.
   That means identifying components of the work stream. It entails sequencing the order in which the components ought to be done. Finally, prioritizing each component of the project, so that if there is a squeeze on time, some parts can be ignored.

5. Identify next action.
   Decide on next action for work stream and next action in the planning process.

Some tips:
• If you get too lost in details: think back to the WHY of the project.
• If you don’t have enough ideas: Brainstorm more intensely, with a focus on pruning out next actions.

Quick project tips
For projects (i.e.