Phrasing projects with outcome statements vs. verbs

[jenkins]

Recently, I have been thinking about how I word my projects and my goals.

I typically word my projects starting with a verb, e.g., "Develop company mission statement." However, I've recently considered phrasing projects in outcome-based terms, as this is the thinking David Allen supports. Therefore, "Company mission statement is developed" may be a more effective way of thinking about my project. (What would that be called? Past participle?).

I have a reason I think this phrasing is more effective, especially for goals. If I look at a project or goal that says "Develop company mission statement," my brain sees it as a call to action, and the clock starts whenever I decide to take the next action. By comparison, when I read "Company mission statement is developed," the clock started back when I wrote those words down, and now I am able to compare my current situation to my desired outcome -- "Is the company mission statement developed yet? No..." The difference in my mind is when the clock starts and what constitutes success. If my goal is to have developed a company mission statement by the end of the month, but I only ever see "Develop company mission statement," I might think I succeed so long as I start by day 30. Or to give another example, if your goal is to "Start exercising more in 2016," well, you can do that any time up to Dec. 31, vs. "I exercised more in 2016," then you better get going!

Thoughts?

 

[Folke]

I think you have a valid point that some ways of phrasing it may convey (suggest) the size and scope and purpose of the task clearer than other ways of phrasing it. It really depends on the reader, i.e. you yourself, how you need to phrase it.

I am personally not fond of the "past participle" action statements, e.g. "mission statement is developed". To me, these are just an awkward way of saying "develop mission statement". I know what it means either way.

I am more fond of outcomes (goals, purposes) being phrased as a slighty larger or more distant objective than just the expected action phrase itself, e.g. "board understands company's mission". This points your attention to much more than just developing a mission statement, and it even allows you (in principle) to simply hammer in the old message harder (if the old statement was perhaps actually OK; who needs a statement if they know its essence by heart). It leaves more room for creative, lateral thinking.

I liked your example about the exercise goal. I think the reason why the second one is so much better is the fact that it relates to an accumulated effort that must have started earlier (Jan 1 and onwards) and therefore puts constant pressure on you during the whole year to put in an overall effort that is sufficient over time. The first sentence just tells you to lift your butt at least once before next year.

 

[mcogilvie]

I think the real problem for me is that most popular software programs that support GTD are not set up to handle long project names in a graceful way. For example, if the project name appears in a left-hand sidebar, then long project names use up a lot of screen.

 

[TesTeq]

I am personally not fond of the "past participle" action statements, e.g. "mission statement is developed". To me, these are just an awkward way of saying "develop mission statement". I know what it means either way.

The second GTD question is: What's the desired (successful) outcome?

"Develop mission statement" is not the answer. The answer is "mission statement developed".

And on that point, members of the jury, I rest my case. ;-)

 

[Folke]

I know. And I have understood in earlier threads, too, that the past participle approach is immensely popular in these circles ;-)

But that "answer" is not really a clarification of what the desired outcome actually is. You have just twisted the action sentence itself around without actually adding anything. The essential question remains: "What is desirable about that?". Or simply "Why do you want to do that?".

Usually (but not in this forum) I have heard people distinguish between "actions" and "states", for example "Eat medicine" (an action) vs "Be healthy" (a desired state). To introduce the crossbreed form "Have eaten the medicine" adds nothing new to this. Although in a technical sense the twisted past tense form does in a way constitute a "state" that persists even after the action is completed it actually conveys no more information than the straight action itself. All action statements, regardless of the tense in which they are expressed, imply what will need to be done - first you do it, and then it is done.

I would advise people to put more deliberation into how they define desired states - rather than waste time on just twisting action statements around as a mere formality. Desired states can be highly clarifying if properly defined. But I shall rest my case, too. I realize this may be a holy cow here ;-)

I will now go and "have finished" a cup of coffee. (Is that the desirable "outcome" of "having" a cuppa? ;-))

 

[TesTeq]

Folke,

I hope you have successfuly finished your cup of coffee. ;-)

Are we talking about phrasing the meaning or the meaning itself?

Your "board understands company's mission" example is a great successful outcome definition without any artificial phrasing. But you would not write "Persuade the board to the company's mission". That's the difference in phrasing, not the meaning.

Now I am going to make my "car tires changed (winter to summer)". ;-)

 

[jenkins]

Thanks for the responses.

There's a lot more here than I initially thought, so let me give a few thoughts/reactions to what I've read so far.

Folke - I'm taking your point that we should focus more on having a clearly defined outcome than just "twisting" action statements around and calling it a day. I think that's true. I'm looking at my projects list right now and noticed "Buy more air filters" (it's a project because I still need to figure out what the dimensions are...). I could just change that to "More air filters have been bought," but maybe it would be better to think a little deeper and say "I have a sufficient number of replacement air filters to last the next several months." But that might be overkill for such a small project.

I do agree that simply rewording to "More air filters have been bought" doesn't add any new information, but I think I'm arguing that it does add a new emotional dimension as it encourages you to compare the status quo to a desired outcome, vs. scanning a list of projects that just sound like a list of commands you feel like you'll "get to." So I'm not sure I agree yet that it is a pointless exercise to reword using the past participle.

I think an additional benefit to rewording using the past participle is that you might realize that you haven't done enough "successful outcome" thinking. Now that I'm reading "Company mission statement is developed" I'm realizing that really isn't the state of the world I'm looking for, it's only about 75% there. I really want something more like your example, where the company understands and internalizes the mission statement and frequently calls upon it as an internal reference point. But I would absolutely agree with you that this third phrasing is better than the other two.

 

[TesTeq]

I'm arguing that it does add a new emotional dimension as it encourages you to compare the status quo to a desired outcome, vs. scanning a list of projects that just sound like a list of commands you feel like you'll "get to." So I'm not sure I agree yet that it is a pointless exercise to reword using the past participle.

David Allen says that the "work" (things to be done) is the difference between the desired ("successful outcome") and current state of reality. So the successful outcome is a description of some desired reality. Actions are commands how to proceed in the direction of the successful outcome.

 

[CamJPete]

That is a great question Jenkins. Sometimes I find myself looking at my projects and wanting to act on them right then and there because of the verbage. I have even tried the (failed) experiement of just having a projects list only, and treating that as my actions list, because they felt so similar when they both started with an action verb.

I'm no english major, but the phrase "develop mission statement" sounds like an imperative statement-- a command to do something. The emphasis in that sentence feels like it is more on the verb of "develop", than on the noun of "mission statement". The focus is slanted more towards the process than the product. In addition, it is also in active voice, which, well...makes you want to be active. English majors correct me if I am wrong in any of this.

In comparison, the phrase "mission statement is developed" is considerd a passive voice statement (I think). The emphasis here feels heavier towards the noun "mission statement", with "developed" being the state of things. It focuses more on the product you want to achieve, than on the process of how to achieve it (or even who achieved it). I think that it could have a tendency to propel the mind to get it to that state but not necessarily take action now-- if that is your personality type.

I think I'm going to try to experiment with your hypothesis and see which one is more effective. Having a little outcome/vision/product statement integrated into the project name may have greater benefits that I realize. At the very least for me, it may help me to view my projects list with a little more product-orientation, and shift the process-orientation completely onto my actions list.

 

[kelstarrising]

I name my projects in a way that is motivating and clearly tells me what "done" looks like. If I want more detail, that's where I'll capture a more expansive desired outcome, vision or ideal scene statement and park it in something like the note field for the project.

And it doesn't matter, from a GTD perspective, whether you name it past or present tense (Goat Shaved or Shave the Goat--either way that goat is getting shaved.) We teach it both ways. Do what works for you.

 

[Nick T]

My take is that "Develop company mission statement" is the next action. But perhaps that could be better worded; "Draft company mission statement". It's what needs to be done to achieve the wider goal or project "Ensure board share the same vision".

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

 

[Gardener]

Part of my issue with writing outcomes like this is that a project may have a lot of goal outcomes. Even keeping them as verb statements, the same project could have desired outcomes of:

- Create successful vegetable garden.
- Grow for food pantry.
- Learn high-yield gardening.

Which one? And, each of these outcomes is more than one project big. So the current project is:

- Prep for summer garden.

This will be followed, in a few weeks, with:

- Plant summer garden.

The fact that this year's summer garden will be designed for higher yield, and with a partial focus on growing food to donate, is just something that I know. I might do some brainstorming based on it, but it's not included in the project name.

 

[Oogiem]

Part of my issue with writing outcomes like this is that a project may have a lot of goal outcomes.

Mee too. Just like I can't put projects into neat AOF buckets because projects cross so many I can't easily embed a goal into a project title because projects fulfill many goals.

In my world take a project like "Get Annual Federal Sheep Inspection" It is in support of maintain 3 bloodlines of Black Welsh Mountain Sheep, Support Canada BWMS Breeders, LambTracker working for health data and so on.

 

[Folke]

Part of my issue with writing outcomes like this is that a project may have a lot of goal outcomes. Even keeping them as verb statements....

I think this problem comes from the desire (common in GTD circles) to use the desired outcome as a project name. In my own opinion, it is more effective to phrase them just like any other action, e.g" "Build bridge", "Buy hammer" etc. If the desired outcome is not obvious you can always specify it as elaborately you want in the comments - and this holds true regardless of whether the task is a "project" (with steps specified) or an "action" (with no steps specified). For example, if teh desired outcome of "Post letter" is not obvious you can always add "to keep grandma happy" as a comment.

 

[jenkins]

Part of my issue with writing outcomes like this is that a project may have a lot of goal outcomes. Even keeping them as verb statements, the same project could have desired outcomes of:

- Create successful vegetable garden.
- Grow for food pantry.
- Learn high-yield gardening.

Which one? And, each of these outcomes is more than one project big. So the current project is:

- Prep for summer garden.

This will be followed, in a few weeks, with:

- Plant summer garden.

The fact that this year's summer garden will be designed for higher yield, and with a partial focus on growing food to donate, is just something that I know. I might do some brainstorming based on it, but it's not included in the project name.

Well, I don't think I'm necessarily saying that the project needs to be phrased in terms of its higher-level goal. I really only have about 5 or 6 high level goals this year, and while I would like every project to further those goals as much as possible, I would never say that I only have 5 or 6 choices when wording my 100 projects. I'm thinking more in terms of seeing projects as having successful outcome states in themselves (though they may/should also further some larger goal). So "prep for summer garden" could be phrased as "summer garden prepped" -- and maybe you could also give more detail of what you consider "prepped" to mean, if you would find it helpful.

I'm essentially arguing that rewording in this way, while it may seem silly, carries 2 potential benefits: (1) it encourages you to consider where you currently stand in relation to a desired outcome, vs. where you stand in relation to starting, which could motivate you more effectively; (2) it encourages you to engage in the successful outcome thinking David Allen (and others) recommends, which itself has numerous benefits, as described in the quote below:

“Your automatic creative mechanism is teleological. That is, it operates in terms of goals and end results. Once you give it a definite goal to achieve, you can depend on its automatic guidance system to take you to that goal much better than you ever could by conscious thought. You supply the goal by thinking in terms of end results. Your automatic mechanism then supplies the means whereby.” -Maxwell Maltz

 

[jenkins]

After watching this interview with David Allen (thanks for sharing Longstreet), I am more convinced that projects should be phrased as outcome statements.

https://youtu.be/UKSyB1UOuNs?t=1h5m50s

DAVID ALLEN (around 1:05:50): If you look at a list of all of your projects, when you're looking at them ... you're seeing them done. Interestingly, when you see things done, you see how to get them done. That's the way the brain works. The reticular filter in the mind says if you don't see yourself doing it you won't see how to do it. Seeing yourself already doing it gives you the how ... Even as mundane as doing a weekly review, looking at your list of projects, you're seeing 35, 40, 50 projects done, and that starts to then create the affirmation of them being done, and then that starts to create the motivation to be able to then feel what that is ...

He goes on to discuss affirmations in more detail in this section of the interview, and I feel that he captures excellently what I was trying to say re "evaluating where you currently stand in relation to a desired outcome, vs. where you stand in relation to starting." The difference resides in the power of affirmations. Affirming something builds comfort with the idea. If you only affirm starting, then as soon as you begin, you could lose sight of it, because you're back into unfamiliar territory. It's that uncertainty that fosters procrastination, as David Allen explains in Getting Things Done (it's the most creative among us that procrastinate the most because we can invent 100 doomsday scenarios), and also below:

https://youtu.be/UKSyB1UOuNs?t=37m25s

DAVID ALLEN (around 37:25): The primary reason in my experience people procrastinate is that the greatest human fear is being out of control ... The way that translates is you're not going to feel comfortable engaging with something immediately that you don't feel like you can control immediately, and that's mentally, physically, or emotionally ... If you're not sure exactly how to get started, there's a part of you that will feel like that's a void, and I don't want to step into the void ...

What this means to me is that when a project is not worded as an outcome, the mind is still a little uneasy about it. And until it's worded as an outcome, you may resist starting because you're not really sure where you're going or if you really want to go there. For example, I just came across a project "Add employee's birthdays to company calendar." I've been procrastinating on that for a while, even though it's a project that would probably take less than 30 minutes. When I reworded it to "All of our employee's birthdays are on the company calendar," I realized what was happening: I'm not sure whether I want that outcome to be true or not. When we have 50 employees, is the calendar going to look crowded? Is there a better place such as a company directory for this information? Etc. Seeing the project worded as the final outcome lets me read it the way I would read an affirmation -- it allows me to get comfortable with the idea, and therefore motivates me to start, or drop it if I realize it's not something I actually want to be true.

 

[DenaDahilig]

I'm on a mission to really nail down some more aggressive routines in my day so when the concept of "write a blog post" absolutely repels me, I have a little column to the right of my list that reminds me why it's important to write blog posts regularly over the coming months. So for me, it doesn't really matter how I phrase that thing I don't feel like doing today... what matters is that I'm reminded of the payoff. And I write each of the payoffs carefully so they're inspiring.

And jenkins... terrific Maxwell Maltz quote!

Dena

 

[TesTeq]

I'm on a mission to really nail down some more aggressive routines in my day so when the concept of "write a blog post" absolutely repels me, I have a little column to the right of my list that reminds me why it's important to write blog posts regularly over the coming months. So for me, it doesn't really matter how I phrase that thing I don't feel like doing today... what matters is that I'm reminded of the payoff. And I write each of the payoffs carefully so they're inspiring.

"I admire your consistency. It's an inspiration for me." - I've heard from one of my blog readers.

It was an undeserved praise.

Why?

Because consistency is my payoff. I don't need any external appreciation to be consistent. I am such a boring man... ;-)

 

[Folke]

Dena, I think you are totally right in saying that it is the outcome in terms of its payoff that is is essential. That's what makes it different from a mere action. Just twisting an action around from "Cook meal" to "Meal cooked" does not have such an effect (not on me).

 

[TesTeq]

Just twisting an action around from "Cook meal" to "Meal cooked" does not have such an effect (not on me).

"Cook meal" = order to do something or a vision of some work to do including peeling potatoes (I hate it).
"Meal cooked" = a vision of tasty meal on the table.

I prefer the second vision even if it is just the result of twisting...