Best Time Management

[Cikub]

I guess what it boiled down to for me was that although Covey was quite helpful in clarifying purposes and planning to accomplish them, it didn't amount to nearly as much without GTD as with GTD. Covey provided a map, but David Allen provided a car, some gas and a couple of credit cards.

Gordon

Ah, this is the best analogy so far. And I think that both Covey and Allen would agree with the assessment. I agree with those who say that they are not competing philosophies. The only real contrast is the concept of a daily prioritized list, and even here, Covey downplays the value of daily to-do lists.

I think Covey has a personal mission in life to encourage people to focus on timeless principles and what matters most to them, so they can feel peace about their lives.

I think Allen has a personal mission in life to encourage people to manage their committments so that they can feel relaxed enough to focus on what matters most to them.

Where's the conflict? We can, and should, focus on both our commitments and our missions.

Personally, I follow GTD to track and define my entire landscape. I often use weekly and daily planning to focus my attention and get the most bang for my time/buck.

C

 

[Nellas]

I too have explored various Time Management programs including GTD & Franklin/Covey.

By far, the most effective program for me has been Tony Robbin's RPM (Rapid Planning Method) presented in his "Time of Your Life" series. Now I do incorprate bits and pieces of GTD for my daily to-do actions, the majority of my higher level planning is based around the RPM model.

RPM is based on 3 questions:
1 - What do you want?
2 - Why do you want it?
3 - What are any and all possible ways I can make it happen?

The key I find is the Why. By clarifying what it is I want in my life and why I want it, I end up finding many ways to make it happen regardless of what obstacles may come up throughout the day/week.

 

[GTDmw]

Covey and GTD integration, an example

I started with Covey in 1993 and found that the ideas he shared in his books and tapes moved my thinking forward. He gave me a structure to use that helped me frame my purpose in life. It helped me improve my focus on what was, and is, important in my life. The main concepts that I carry with me thanks to Covey are:

- Start with the end in mind. Starting at the end of my life and working backwards was very helpful. I did not define everything in a day. It takes time and is always work in progress.

- Once I visioned the end I defined the roles in my life. I have 7 roles with goals. My roles are - - Role 1: Individual, R2-Husband/Father, R3-Family/Friends, R4-Community, R5-Execute my job, R6-Serve my customers, R7-Develop as an employee. I have used these for over 10 years and they still serve me well even with GTD (see below for more details).

- Then there is the weekly view. I expanded this to the two week view. It worked better for me to review two weeks at a time.

- Last, response-ability. Stimulus prompts a response. You have the ability to choose base on your roles, goals, values etc.

These concepts helped me a lot over the years. Now enter in GTD. When I first finished the book I thought, "this is the missing link!" My runway was clogged with projects and next actions. I had too much in psychic RAM. Here is how I integrate Covey and GTD:

1. I use the following structure to define my project names:

@P[Rn]Project name

@P = Tells me it is a project.
[Rn] = Tells me what role this project is related to

Examples:
@P[R1]Purchase punch card for health club
@P[R2]Birthday party for son
@P[R3]Annual trip with college friends to Vegas
@P[R4]Sign up to coach youth basketball
@P[R5]Complete performance reviews for staff
@P[R6]Conduct Voice of Customer research with company X
@P[R7]Complete training on XYZ

My next actions would look something like this:
If it is tied to a project:
@Calls
[R2]Birthday party for son - Call clown at 555-5555

If it is a pure next action not associate with a project it would look like this:
@Errands
R2 Pick up flowers for my wife
R4 Pick up hot dogs for Home Association picnic

-The "R2" reminds me of my goals as a husband.
-The "R4" reminds me that I desire to be a positive member of my community

Based on my role and goals I find it pretty easy to make intuitive decisions on what to do next. For me, dropping the A,B,C priorities has saved much time and energy.

I hope this adds to the discussion.

 

[emuelle1]

Great advice! I hope you don't mind if I borrow from it.

I came across Franklin in 1996, and used it off and on for years. Even when I decided to stop buying planner refills, I found a way to adapt it to PDAs, starting with a Casio Casiopia and then a Palm Zire and finally two Pocket PCs. I've always looked for ways to do it simpler. I liked that Franklin Covery provides complete documentation for your life, and yet that's always been my downfall. I like the approach in GTD of throwing papers away and deleting emails when the action has passed.

I've always stuck the the advice to have only one calendar. It works good for me, especially since my wife and I have a one year old and another one due this week, so work is about the only time I have to do some things when I'm able to.

 

[andersons]

For years in cognitive science researchers debated whether human cognition was top-down or bottom-up. Now the debate is largely over because it has become obvious that the answer is both.

Yet another obvious truth about top-down processing is that it is much more powerful than bottom-up. For example, vision is generally thought of as bottom-up. Some light hits your retina where receptors convert it to neural signals transmitted across the optic nerve to occipital cortex and beyond. Eventually you will become aware of "seeing" the stimulus. But we can also give a subject in an experiment an instruction which alters the way her brain "sees" that same stimulus. So with one top-down instruction, millions of neurons, entire brain systems can work differently. That is the power of Covey.

With GTD, there is a danger that you can feel good about how organized you are and how many actions you have accomplished today, but you have still neglected the things that would ultimately make the biggest difference in your life.

It doesn't matter how much you are getting done if you're not getting the right things done.

Time management/productivity approaches come and go. At any time, one generates a lot of buzz. But what happens is that when something becomes fashionable, many people do the easiest things in the approach and neglect the hard ones. This happened with Covey and mission statements. Everyone wrote one. But few wrote them as Covey described they should be: both reflecting reality and aligned with true principles. That's hard to do. Consequently, although mission statements haven't disappeared -- DavidCo has one, as does everyone else -- people became disillusioned with their value.

GTD seems to be the fashionable productivity approach for now, but if people don't keep a balanced view of it, its popularity will fade when the next big approach points out that people now have tidy desks, lists, and inboxes, but haven't really accomplished much more of value.

GTD's treatment of top-down (50,000+ feet or whatever it is) is impoverished compared to Covey's. And Covey's approach to bottom-up runway-level is impoverished compared to GTD. They complement each other really well.

 

[mcogilvie]

Time Management Past and Present

GTD's treatment of top-down (50,000+ feet or whatever it is) is impoverished compared to Covey's. And Covey's approach to bottom-up runway-level is impoverished compared to GTD. They complement each other really well.

Andersons has given an insightful analysis of popular infatuation and disillusionment with "time management" programs. Apparently few people remember today that "Franklin Covey" was originally two separate companies. Covey was always about thinking about doing, while Franklin was more practical, with planners to support a well-defined approach to daily behavior. Both were strong on goals and values, but not very good at the intermediate, project level. In my opinion, this weakness continues today in the combined company.

The GTD scheme of 20K=Roles (or Focus Areas), 30-50K=Long-range goals is workable for me. DA doesn't walk you through it the way he does 0K-10K. but then again the Covey books are weak on implementation at higher levels too. My favorite approach is still "Your Best Year Yet" by Jenny Ditzler, which really walks you through a higher-level analysis of where you are, where you want to go, and what needs to change.

 

[bmd]

Best Time Management

This posting board consistently elicits THE most thoughtful, empathetic, helpful, and beautifully stated comments I read anywhere, in any medium. Many thanks to all of you who contributed so generously to this thread! You have no idea how you're helping the fledglings!

 

[Busydave]

Yesterday, I gave away my copy of 7 Habits to the charity shop. It was “well thumbed” (as they say) and heavily underlined. But I found that whenever I picked it up to refresh myself on its principals the whole thing just went by in a swoosh of good intentions, with not one solid toe-hold.

So either:

(a) The whole Covey thing is just a load of idealistic hot air, or

(b) I am thoroughly versed in top-down thinking … but still frustrated in bottom up/where-the-rubber-meets-the-road thinking – (taking action and actually doing something): hence GTD, Robbins and Brian Tracy are my constantly referred to resources.

Dave

 

[arthur]

My favorite approach is still "Your Best Year Yet" by Jenny Ditzler, which really walks you through a higher-level analysis of where you are, where you want to go, and what needs to change.

I agree with that. Jenny Ditzler put together an outstanding book. I have read quite a few book on goals and I believe it’s currently on top. She makes it so easy. Many people are successfully using the method. Outstanding.

Best Year Yet

...

 

[pageta]

I guess what it boiled down to for me was that although Covey was quite helpful in clarifying purposes and planning to accomplish them, it didn't amount to nearly as much without GTD as with GTD. Covey provided a map, but David Allen provided a car, some gas and a couple of credit cards.

Gordon

I would say this sums it up beautifully. I've been a goal-setter/Covey model follower for many years. I set my goals, figure out what I want to do, but I only get about 5% of it done. Really bad, I know. Now with GTD, I would say my success rate is more like 95%.

I love GTD, but I must say that I still do use portions of Covey. If I still worked in corporate America, I don't think I would have much use for Covey. But as a self-employed SAHM, I need the guidance and direction that Covey gives. The roles and goals are the most helpful for me.

Do I have a mission statement? No, and I don't feel bad about not having one anymore. But when I do my weekly review, I like to think about my roles and goals and make sure I'm moving forward in all of the areas that I want to be. If I make sure I have next actions or projects for all of them, then I can just follow GTD during the week.

I definitely need the "map" that Covey gives in order to get the things done that I really want to get done. And I get nothing done without the "car" that GTD gives me for putting things into action.

 

[Danny Hardesty]

It is always fun to tinker with the details of both systems. Tomorrow, when I get to work, I will empty the contents of that day's tickler file and get to work on those items after checking my calendar (hardscape) for appointments. (ala GTD)

If you can manage it, it is sometimes helpful to take the "rocks" (high priority items) and actually schedule those for a particular date and time on your calendar to make sure they get done. (ala Covey-Franklin)

I generally take an eclectic approach and use both systems throughout the week. Which "system" works best for you will depend on your job reqirements and the manner in which work is delegated to or through you by superiors.

Danny Hardesty

www.dannyhardesty.com

 

[Brent]

There is no Silver Bullet.

There are, however, bullets.

 

[tjisolutions]

I have "read them all"...from Lakein's classic all the way through to current best-sellers. After reading all of the classic time management books my desk was still a mess, piles were everywhere, and it was disheartening to look at an ever-growing dog-eared "to-do" list which cluttered up an already junked up desk.

Then David's book Getting Things Done came along. Miracles do happen...the desk is now clean...file cabinets are orderly....the in-box is empty and collecting dust....the "to-do" list is a thing of the past, and my powerful engine "the tickler file" is hidden away in a drawer inside my executive desk and roaring to go.

To make a long story short, David's "system" is simply the best.

Danny Hardesty

www.dannyhardesty.com

Maybe I missed it somewhere but isn't the intent of getting things done, getting things actually done?- not "clean", "empty", "tickled" and "roaring to go"

 

[mcogilvie]

Clean and empty good!

Maybe I missed it somewhere but isn't the intent of getting things done, getting things actually done?- not "clean", "empty", "tickled" and "roaring to go"

Sure. For most of us GTD'ers, a clean desk and an empty in-box are signs that things are getting done, freeing us to focus on the next action at hand. A tickler file is just a tool for clarifying what actions we want to happen when. I am very sure that I work better when I get my in-box to empty regularly, just as I now know how to get it to empty, thanks to David Allen.

P.S. Even an expatriate Texan like me knows that "roaring to go" is a good thing!