Franklin Covey / GTD

steve beal;62208 said:
Sometimes, I show up and just begin doing the things that I know are improtant without even looking at my list(s). These are the best days for me. There is a part of me that knows that nothing else on my list comes close to the job i'm involved with. That, of course is a result of GTD methodoligy.
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It sounds like a large part of your job is 'show up, interface, look, and react'. And it is what you see and who you interface with that defines your next actions. Is there an 'end of the line' when you can take a breather and think and act longer term before you start at the beginning of the line again?

Thinking this sounds familiar (I used to run a wafer fab, and what you are saying resonates)
Regards,
Rob
 
arcCaster - I like the idea of a "now list" as a default. It's seems a bit less concrete than the "hard landscape of putting it on the calendar for today, or even makinga daily list.
Do you actually have a list tittled "now"?
what happens to the items that you don't get to? do them become now for tomorrow?
 
Hi Steve,

I use Microsoft Outlook Tasks to manage my next actions and my projects.

Following a suggestion from one of the GTD coaches, I put a dot (a period) in front of the 'now' items on my list. Outlook floats everything with a dot to the top of the list. Then, I work on the dots until they are done. When they are done, if there is time left in my day, I go through the list looking for something 'extra' to do.

If I don't finish the dots, I revisit them the next day. Sometimes they are still dots. Sometimes a crises has passed, they are no longer urgent, and I take away the dot. Outlook them moves them down my list, kind of out of sight.

Identifying a next action as worthy of being done NOW somehow focuses my energy so that I get more done than if I it in a list of 'sometime this week' next actions.

If you use software to manage your next action lists, and if that software allows you to sort, you can preface your next actions with whatever character your software floats to the top of the list and achieve the same thing.

If you use paper, I imagine highlighting the NOW items every day would be good.

Regards,
Rob
 
Yup, the sorting tip is a very good one. I'm a happy user of it myself, only that I'm putting numbers in front of my tasks, like "1.", "2.", "3." and so on.
 
Never used GTD - have used FC for years

I found this forum via a google search of "GTD Franklin Covey". I have used FC for nearly 2 decades... though I have never read the books. I learned from a friend about the four quadrants philosophy and the A1, A2, B1 type of strategy.

I use Plan Plus (the Outlok add-on) from Franklin Covey. I use the A's for Must be done today tasks. The B's for Should be done today. Then the C's are for things that must be done this week. My master task list is comprised of things I desire to do, but life would go on without them being completed. I rarely get to the master list. I live in the daily list. I do not really plan tasks for a certain day too often. I do sometimes, but very seldom. Plan Plus lets the task be rolled forward, so nothing is ever "overdue".

I do not plan my days in the morning. I do it on the fly. I should look over things each Monday, but i don't. I typically place priority to tasks as they arrive. My difficulty is that i work from home and it is too easy to loose my 'identity'. I find myself bouncing back and forth from Family tasks to Work tasks.

I further divide my C's by family and work. I have a task line that is not really a task, but a visual marker to separate my work/family tasks.

This works for me. I am a work-a-holic with plenty to do. I wish my list was empty (or had time to get to the master list),but somehow I doubt that will be much of a reality for me.
 
I also use PlanPlus from FC and integrate it into a blend of GTD and FC. Where I think FC really stands out is the upper level views especially in discovery, planning and filtering it down to the action item and organization level. GTD rules in the trenches for me as I believe the electronic nature of much of our workflow has changed things to more reactivity and flexibility. That said PlanPlus allows me a couple of big things -
1) weekly review process is decently streamlined and all my lists are online
2) project planning and tracking is excellent and easy to refer to
3) I do function better with daily task list of some kind, otherwise I drift off a bit

Projects in PlanPlus double as major topic lists. I can also maintain a "personal list" with a number of tasks grouped under a given heading.

In the end, it's all about what works for you. People work in different ways and have different strengths/tendencies. This is what I do and I haven't found much better. I could probably customize something on paper but I try to avoid paper as much as possible and having access to an Exchange server allows flow through to be mirrored on my phone/pda, desktop, and laptop.
 
Great Discussion, so it has been 2 years+, how has the GTD/Covey landscape changed?

Every once in a while I come back to read this thread to think about how my own planning system should work. I can very much relate to Steve Beal's quandary...I have the same issue too, I just can not stick to one methodology. I am constantly chafing at the current system I am using.

But the purpose of my post is to inquire as to what has changed for each of you in the last 2 years? Have you finally figured it out? Have you found a reasonably good formula for organizing your life? I and others would certainly like to here from of the original posters and from anyone who has some good input.

Thanks
 
Outllook Calendar

I have found it very useful not only to make list but to list my schedule on my outlook calendar. I can then sync it with my iPhone and it will be there as a reference and for important daily scheduled items, it will alert me once or twice as a reminder.
 
I keep a master Action List apart from my Franklin Planner. When I do my weekly review, I put items from the Master List into the planner on the most likely dates. If I have extra time I'll work on some stuff I haven't scheduled yet. Each day I look at what I've got on the Master List and what I've put in the planner during weekly review and modify my daily task list. I find I usually don't prioritize the daily actions -- I do them in the order that gets most of them done.

I also use an Action File -- This has a folder for each project with more than one step. Background materials and stuff in progress goes in the folder. Often there is a sheet with a list of actions on it (the master list has only the very next action on it). When the project is completed I either file the folder or chuck it, depending on whether it needs to be kept. I am a priest, so, for example, I have a project for all of the weddings I have in preparation, and I keep all those papers after the wedding. The same for annulment cases and preparations for funerals.

Fr John
 
GTD and Franklin Covey

I started out with FC years ago. Once I found GTD, I moved away from Franklin Covey only to find myself coming back to it and using a hybrid system. I keep a separate master list (digital file) and reference that during my weekly review. I'll schedule any major tasks that need to get done this week on the appropriate days. I still do my "daily planning" and will create a list of my project's next actions in my binder. That serves as my map for the day. Anything that I don't complete, I forward to the next day since it's still a next action. I don't really use the ABC-123 system to prioritize though. As for my master list, I've gone back and forth between digital and paper. I'm a fan of OmniFocus (and Things) but I also love the simplicity of paper. Right now I keep my list as a digital file and store it in my Dropbox account. That way it's accessible from anywhere. It's a convoluted system but it seems to work for me.

JP
 
Luxury of Choice

I think most people don't have the luxury to choose what to work on, given energy level, and in the main the context is probably @office.

Most people are probably working on something set by their boss with a tight timescale - and in that case a daily list has to be the way to work.

Where GTD comes into its own is for the 'gap time' between those hard-landscape activities that are dicatated to us. You get an hour free? Well, consult your GTD lists and that's when energy, context etc come into play. I've really been in 'the flow' only a handful of times, but when you're in it, it's beautiful and everything just, well 'flows' - calls to make, emails to send, people to go see and follow up @waitingfors. That's when GTD comes into it's own.
 
GTD and COVEY- A marriage made in heaven

steve beal;62189 said:
Does anyone use a combination of the two systems??
I love GTD's next action thought process..I've been involved with GTD from the onset...The lists are a big problem for me...I simply get more done by making a list for the day...I know this goes against the grain of GTD. I have no problem with @ Home...It's the business stuff.
Also, I rely on the record of what actualy happened today...who promised me what...what milestones were met...etc...
Hope I've made myself clear and I would appreciate any suggestions...
Thanks
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I am a "Covey/GTD blender" so the areas of focus for were easy to identify. I will share how i identified mine. When I first started with GTD, i had many of the "higher horizon" conversations with myself (mission, vision, values, goals) but lacked the runway to implement.

At first, I thought GTD Areas of Focus were the same as Covey's Life Roles. The reality is they go hand in hand. It is best to show you:

1) First Identify Life Roles- "what hat do you wear?"
2) Carefully list areas of focus WITHIN each role

Role: Sharpen the Saw- ME
Areas of Focus: Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual

Role- Husband:
Areas of Focus: Passion/Loyalty/Excitement in Marriage, Finances, Faith

Role- Father:
Areas of Focus: Education, Faith, Encouragement, Discipline, Emotional/Financial Support

Role: Christian
Areas of Focus: Learning, Teaching, Helping others/Community Service

Role: Brother
Areas of Focus: Communication/Connection, Support

Role: Project Manager/Director
Areas of Focus: Strategic Planning, Project Management, Generate Revenue

Role: Real Estate Investor
Areas of Focus: Strategic Planning, Raising Capital, Project Management, Generate Revenue

I have finally been able to blend COVEY and ALLEN for the best system. It has been life changing- I use allen at Runway to 10K and blend Covey and Allen from 20K to 50K+
 
ArcCaster;62193 said:
However, if you were to poll GTD users, I think you would find that at the start of their day, or at the start of a particular context for the day (such as @work), they go through their weekly list and identify what they want to tackle today. That subset of items is then focused on for the day.

Rob
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What weekly list? I don't recall reading about that?
 
Allen and Covey- A Marriage made in heaven!

I am a "Covey/GTD blender" so the areas of focus for were easy to identify. I will share how i identified mine. When I first started with GTD, i had many of the "higher horizon" conversations with myself (mission, vision, values, goals) but lacked the runway to implement.

At first, I thought GTD Areas of Focus were the same as Covey's Life Roles. The reality is they go hand in hand. It is best to show you:

1) First Identify Life Roles- "what hat do you wear?"
2) Carefully list areas of focus WITHIN each role

Role: Sharpen the Saw- ME
Areas of Focus: Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual

Role- Husband:
Areas of Focus: Passion/Loyalty/Excitement in Marriage, Finances, Faith

Role- Father:
Areas of Focus: Education, Faith, Encouragement, Discipline, Emotional/Financial Support

Role: Christian
Areas of Focus: Learning, Teaching, Helping others/Community Service

Role: Brother
Areas of Focus: Communication/Connection, Support

Role: Project Manager/Director
Areas of Focus: Strategic Planning, Project Management, Generate Revenue

Role: Real Estate Investor
Areas of Focus: Strategic Planning, Raising Capital, Project Management, Generate Revenue

I have finally been able to blend COVEY and ALLEN for the best system. It has been life changing- I use allen at Runway to 10K and blend Covey and Allen from 20K to 50K+
 
hopeworks;84902 said:
At first, I thought GTD Areas of Focus were the same as Covey's Life Roles. The reality is they go hand in hand.
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In Tony Robbins RPM system Roles and Areas of Focus are combined that way too. Only they call them Categories of Improvement and Roles.
 
debbieg;84877 said:
What weekly list? I don't recall reading about that?
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Sorry -- sloppy terminology.

If I do a weekly review of my next actions list, I may think of a freshly reviewed next action list as a 'weekly list'.

Rob
 
physical tools used

I too am wrestling with combining both Franklin and GTD, I feel both have great parts of them but neither is the silver bullet. I like the prioritizing methodology of Franklin but I find it helpful to use an Ipad calendar and outlook calendar that syncs with ipad. So I really don't need the physical binder and I have found the roles and quadrant ideas helpful when deciding what tasks to engage in. I can't possibly write down everything, I have had to realize somethings are just going to have to not get written down because they just aren't that important. Having the roles decided on helps me decide if something is a distraction or not and doesn't get written down or not. What I am trying to figure out is what to carry with me where I can have the written structure of the franklin planner with the tabs of a notebook that encompasses some of the tabs mentioned in the GTD book. Any ideas on physical tools used incorporating both systems that has worked for anyone?
 
Hypothesis: Stephen Covey's "7 Habits" method and David Allen's "Getting Things Done" method are like two sides of the same coin. They teach essentially the same things, with Covey going more into the why and whither, and Allen going more into the how. Some parts of the systems are essentially the same, and some parts may not exist in the other system but can easily be added to it.

Can anyone refute this by mentioning examples of things that are contradictory between the two systems -- where one system would say to do one thing, and the other system would say not to do that but to do something different? Maybe I missed it, but I didn't notice anything like that in this thread.
 
Examples of things that are contradictory between the two systems

I agree with your hypothesis. My comment is more of an academic exercise that might lead to a better understanding and implementation of both systems.

Covey is a top-down system. GTD is a bottom-up system. They both use the weekly review process.

With the Covey system, the focus of the weekly review is to identify the most important tasks you can do this week that will help you achieve your life goals. Your aim is to schedule these items first to make sure they get done.

With the GTD system, the focus of the weekly review is to make sure you have captured, processed and reviewed all outstanding tasks so you have a complete picture of all outstanding tasks and a more efficient system. This efficient system will allow you to spend more time on tasks that achieve higher level goals.

This difference is a subtle one. Nothing stops you doing both. I think the Covey approach will be more effective if it results in more high level tasks being completed each week.

An insight I have gained from this exercise is that both systems could use a task management process that creates a new task that answers the question "What can I do to prevent the re-occurrence of this task?" This "meta task" should be processed in both systems.
 
cwoodgold;101455 said:
Hypothesis: Stephen Covey's "7 Habits" method and David Allen's "Getting Things Done" method are like two sides of the same coin. They teach essentially the same things, with Covey going more into the why and whither, and Allen going more into the how. Some parts of the systems are essentially the same, and some parts may not exist in the other system but can easily be added to it.

Can anyone refute this by mentioning examples of things that are contradictory between the two systems -- where one system would say to do one thing, and the other system would say not to do that but to do something different? Maybe I missed it, but I didn't notice anything like that in this thread.
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Sure, it's pretty easy to come up with something radically different. Covey wants everything to be in quadrant 1 (important and urgent) or quadrant 2 (important but not urgent). Quadrant 3 (not important but urgent) is to be prevented and quadrant 4 (not urgent and not important) is to be avoided as the quadrant of waste. Allen says if you have to do it for some reason, you have to do it, so you might as well do it effectively. I think GTD is more realistic: sometimes you just have to do things.

I'd also disagree that Covey ever had a complete system. Pre-merger with Franklin, he had a planner, but it wasn't very good. Franklin, on the other hand, had a system that was reasonably complete (A1, B2, Daily Record of Events), but it required discipline and did not handle falling off the wagon gracefully (which GTD does). The merger was supposed to be synergistic, but the stock is now trading at about a quarter of the price after the merger. The two "systems" have never merged, and Franklin-Covey's ventures into software have proven to be failures. Their retail operation has contracted; I don't know how their consulting business is doing. When I first started consciously trying to be more organized, I read both Covey and Hyrum Smith, and remember their messages well. I found that "Begin with the end in mind" and "Think win-win" are of limited value when dealing, for example, with a teenager, an aging parent, or a difficult colleague. On the other hand, with GTD you can be a bastard, but you'll be an effective bastard. ;)
 
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