Anyone successful at influencing others to do GTD

M

michelle1908

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This is somewhat of a spin-off from the "Get my boss to do GTD" thread.

If you've been successful at influencing others, I'd like to know if they came to you on their own...what questions did they ask and did you sit with them to help them get started? And anything else you'd like to share.

I always worry that people will think I'm a show-off or something because I'm pretty efficient, but I'd really like to teach others that it's all learned behavior and based on good systems that anyone can implement.

Thanks!
 
Live GTD and it will attract on its own

I've found that as excited as I can get about GTD, the excitement often feels to others like the enthusiasm of a salesman, even though I'm not selling anything. As a result people are often *less* likely to pay attention.

What works is simply getting better at the workflow yourself. Once they realize it's not a fad, that your office is no longer looks a mess, and you seem to have much more peace-of-mind, they start to become curious.

Just keep a new, fresh copy of the _Getting Things Done_ book out where they can keep seeing it. Offer to lend or give it to them if they want (every once in awhile). And be patient. I still remember being given a copy of the book by a friend, but I waited two years before reading it.
 
I had some success educating my environment with the basics. For example, let's talk about your calendar...

Full blown GTD (and naming it that way)? Nope.

Except in one instance, somebody requested to read some of my work. He read my articles about goal-setting and GTD and later talked to me about the importance of GTD and setting goals as if those where his ideas.

I am wondering since then, how conscious people really are about the words that flow through their brains.
 
No one cares but me

Its as if this is a virtual world. I've mentioned it, I've loaned out the book, I've been observed using it, and my wife actually thinks its 'cute' but most people just think I'm a little loony. I've met no one in real life that does GTD. You all are right here, in my computer screen & no where else. You are not mainstream and no one of celebrity statue has been advocating this like a politician, or tv star or business person on Wall Street. You, like me, are people who seek this sort of thing and put it to good use for self. When Covey come out in a big way with the 7 Habits in 1990, I was introduced to him by peers in the NY Air National Guard. Actually was paid to attend a course by Covey himself in NYC. Four of us went, two of us put it to big, real use. Others have been cynical basically saying that 'we' need to get a life! Its a shame, so I keep it to myself. Its my game, my way, my personal management. Its like part of my private journal. Even though I use Outlook at home & work & its set up vs having the Netcentrics addin, no one can tell that I have Categories of Context. I've even had the wallpapers some from David Allen some made by me on my PC & no one has even commented or asked about it. I guess I am just not that influential in my circle of influence! And you know what - so be it. I am fine with that.
 
In my experience, a tiny demonstration works much better than abstract workflow descriptions. By asking the what's the next action and what do you exactly want (desired outcome) on particular things that I noticed as stuck on a very few other people's plates, I have been able to unstick those items. Then I told them about GTD, and they seemed interested. Till now, about eight to ten people have heard about GTD from me, and only three of them saw such a demonstration and seem to be impressed by it. Unfortunately one of them is a gadget guy, and will focus on the mechanics of list management rather than the thought process. Another one of them seems to be a tiny bit serious about actually following the practices.

My observations: Unless one accepts that there is some room for improvement in personal workflow, they won't go for a new set of habits. It's usually the "interruptions", and the "overload" and the "diversity" of work that is to be blamed. Or by the shear volume of the lists produces the fear that a lot of their time will be lost in managing the lists. As in anything, the motivation to improve is the prime driving factor. Further, for some there is a bad connotation associated "self-help" books.

Usually when somebody says something like "oh, I am not able to work on this thing for long", I will take the opportunity to ask these questions, if the person happens to be within my inner circle. Otherwise I am usually reserved about it.

Regards,
Abhay
 
Great Points

jerendeb - I've not met anyone in real life that does GTD either. It's lonely trying to get it all together by yourself sometimes...I would truly love to see many of my friends liberated from all the stuff in their heads.

But I guess, like abhay said so well,

Unless one accepts that there is some room for improvement in personal workflow, they won't go for a new set of habits. It's usually the "interruptions", and the "overload" and the "diversity" of work that is to be blamed. Or by the shear volume of the lists produces the fear that a lot of their time will be lost in managing the lists. As in anything, the motivation to improve is the prime driving factor. Further, for some there is a bad connotation associated "self-help" books.
Click to expand...

People who are overwhelmed probably don't feel like/or probably can't grasp the concept that approaching their work differently can lead to a dramatic change.
 
When I've tried to discuss it with others, I most often get the "I'm not a list maker", although many of them do make small off-the-top-of-the-head lists. These are mini GTD, since most are created by what is uppermost on their minds at that time. They just don't have the full GTD system, where one pursues a project to the end and where one can make informed decisions on what to shelve, delete, or actively pursue.
 
michelle1908;64481 said:
jerendeb - I've not met anyone in real life that does GTD either.
Click to expand...

I actually had the funniest experience with this--another graduate student in my department was sitting next to me in a seminar. I whipped out my "in" folder to throw the handouts from the seminar into my bag, and he turned to me and went, "If I said the name 'David Allen' to you, would it mean anything?"

He and I are now working to help others in our department learn to use the methodology. But the modeling thing that everyone else has said is key: the reason people want to hear about what it is we do is because we both are very relaxed and productive about our work (both of us take more classes than average, for example). People have noticed, and they want to know what our secret is.
 
michelle1908;64467 said:
This is somewhat of a spin-off from the "Get my boss to do GTD" thread.

If you've been successful at influencing others, I'd like to know if they came to you on their own...what questions did they ask and did you sit with them to help them get started? And anything else you'd like to share.

I always worry that people will think I'm a show-off or something because I'm pretty efficient, but I'd really like to teach others that it's all learned behavior and based on good systems that anyone can implement.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Michelle, I think you have to apply for yourself. If you'd like to teach others you have to find people who would appreciate to learn by you! :rolleyes:
 
How to spread the GTD gospel

I am alot like everyone else here. We are groupies here following the gospel according to David. My experience is pretty much the same so now I just blog about it and try and perfect my system. Now, I've got some people to talk to...

It's kind of like exercise or eating right, you have to be in the right mental state for it to speak to you. But, I'm glad it did to me. It's changed my life as far as organization and it's like I found religion and want to tell everyone about it...lol.
 
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