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Checklist for Next Actions...

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furashgf

0
I'm trying to come up with a personal checklist to use to run through when I'm about to tackle or create next action, in the same way that I have a checklist of things to do on the weekly review. I was hoping for suggestions. Here's what I was thinking:
1. The next action should be concrete...
(some ideas? are there a list of words to do or avoid? general advice).
2. Am I the right person to do this... could I delegate this to someone?
...
3. Is this to vauge or big
(what do I do here?0
 
4. That's too easy.

I've found an inverse relationship to the complexity of or aversion to a project and how granular its next action should be. At least for me, anyway.

Mark
 
Mark, can you elaborate? I think I've noticed the same thing. For example, I have a Project

"Good steering committee meeting"

a good project name (describes how it will be if succesful).

Here's an action item

"Draft steering committee presentation"

which is actually a very large project itself.
 
furashgf,

I highly reccomend Merlin's great post re: Does this “next action” belong someplace else?"

http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/does_this_8220n.html

In short, Merlin indicates few possible reasons for NA not being acted upon:

1. "It is not a single, atomic activity "
2."It is not a physical action"
3. "It is not really the very next action I need to take"
4. "It is not something I’ve actually committed to "
5. "It is poorly defined or just badly worded"
6. "It is nothing I can act on now"
7. I have no idea what this means"

HTH
 
"What is the very next thing I can do to bring this project closer to completion."

Not sure if I stole that from the book or not, but that's the question I ask myself when looking at a big miess and trying to figure out what the Next Action is.
 
Good stuff! I love Merlin's list. I have something on the order of Merlin's list in my weekly review checklist - if I'm noticing someting "growing stale" - that is a good time to do a little analysis - usually it is one of the reasons he gave.
 
furashgf said:
Mark, can you elaborate?
Click to expand...

Sometimes my Next Actions will look like:

"Open Excel re: (name of project)"
"Open Word re: ..."

Risks being too granular, but the point is having Next Actions you're attracted to.

Mark
 
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