GTD for Dummies!

I work on a medium sized management team of 35 people with 480 employees. I am in dire need of a way to infect the others with GTD. I managed to talk another manager into reading the book (by example) but I do not have faith in the aptitude of the rest of the management staff to understand and follow GTD.

I need a simplified versions that starts them off with the foundation of GTD (even the workflow diagram will scare them and they will go numb to the system). Any ideas? You will save my sanity.
 
Your best bet is to just get in to GTD yourself. Your coworkers will notice you becomming more effective, and some will ask what your secret is. Then show them the book. Unfortunately, no matter how great an idea you may have come across, some people will be happier complaining about their circumstances than making the effort to change. I borrowed the book from someone when I found it on their shelf, and after I read it told them that they really do need to read it themself, but the enthusiasm was not there. You'll find the same thing.
 
go step-by-step or hire DA Co coaches

If you have the power and authority, either by designation or by virtue of your talents as a leader, you might teach the system bit by bit and make sure that your people understand and can do the application of one step completely before you proceed to the next, proceeding like a good math teacher. I would start with a step that you think has value in and of itself, so that it builds interest and the value becomes apparent, also even if you got to no further, you would have accomplished something useful. So I would begin by describing, defining and asking for project lists with outcomes, either from some portion of your group or just in regard to certain areas of focus. You could instead ask for a small number of vounteers who would like to try a new method for workflow management and then take them through the model. I think they might need a lot of help developing that skill (meaning discussion,practice, feedback, and encuragement). Once they have that skill I would add the weekly review of the project lists. Or, you could save yourself time, annoyance, and possibly ensire greater success by hiring DA Co. coaches for the workplace. I don't know how well DA Co. has tracked the outcomes of their teaching and coaching or if they have a method for optimizing learning of the skills and method. As someone who has been on the recieving end of training and coaching, I have to say that I have experienced coaching and workshops as rather lacking in that they mainly offered exposure to a model or a system, accompanied by a lot of contagious enthusiasm but little to develop skills.
 
Forgive me for echoing Jamie, but I believe DavidCo offers seminars that can be conducted in the workplace. There is probably no more effective way to infect your colleagues in a wholesale way. You would obviously have to convince a higher level of management and get funding budgeted for it, but it can be sold to them as a good investment.

In the meantime, you can be comforted in knowing that you will be getting better than average responsiveness from your disorganized colleagues because you are tracking all of their commitments to you and following up with them at regular intervals for results (unlike others).
 
I would start by talking about next actions. Most people can list things they have to do, but they don't break it down into next actions. Then talk about next actions in contexts. Once they get those two things, you can go on to talk about projects and the tickler file. It's in the next actions that the beauty of this system is the brightest, in my opinion. Everything else is great, but that is the aspect I get most excited about and that is why I think it would be the easiest little thing to sell people on and then get them wanting to learn more.
 
2 Minute Rule

Show them the value of the Two Minute rule. This is such a simple concept but amazingly powerful. Combine that and the "Get to Empty" idea and you'll have a believer for life!
 
GTD not for dummies.

12hourhalfday said:
I work on a medium sized management team of 35 people with 480 employees. I am in dire need of a way to infect the others with GTD. I managed to talk another manager into reading the book (by example) but I do not have faith in the aptitude of the rest of the management staff to understand and follow GTD.

I need a simplified versions that starts them off with the foundation of GTD (even the workflow diagram will scare them and they will go numb to the system). Any ideas? You will save my sanity.
I am afraid that GTD is not for dummies.

And I do not believe that this simple methodology can be simplified. Unfortunately GTD forces people to think, write and read which often appears to be too dificult or too painful...
 
A week or two ago, one of the supervisors at work mentioned how many emails he has in his inbox. So I offered to show my method of managing my email inbox to him. (I work in a support role). Another supervisor overheard that proposal, so I got the chance to explain to two of them at once.
I kept it quite simple: when i get an email, I decide - does it get deleted, kept for long term refernce, for short term reference, or do I have to take an action.

Keep your eyes and your ears open for opportunities to infect others - but I suggest limiting the infection to one or two ideas at a time. :)

Hmm. I just realised I have to add to my NA list- follow up with that guy next time he is on dayshift.

Regards
eowyn
 
I've had the same experience as Eowyn. I'm probably one of the very few people in my company to keep an empty inbox. When people notice it, I offer to let them know how I manage that. It's a great starting point.
 
I have also had opportunities to share with co-workers about GTD. Especially the email processing.

The manager that hired me into the company infected me. He inherited the workflow diagram that is a large laminated version that a former site executive had graphics make up for her.

Now I am infecting people myself. The lady that work in the cube over the wall from me has a very cluttered desk. I had about 10-20 sheets out the other day and she said, "Man, Jason, you dsk is cluttered...for you." I guess I am rubbing off...or at least getting noticed.
 
Consistent internal forward momentum.

I was just listening to "Ready for Anything" CDs and discovered that in Chapter 50 David discusses why some people "get" GTD and others not.

He says that those who succeeded have a consistent internal forward momentum - not just a merely conceptual "desire to improve".
 
TesTeq said:
I was just listening to "Ready for Anything" CDs and discovered that in Chapter 50 David discusses why some people "get" GTD and others not.

He says that those who succeeded have a consistent internal forward momentum - not just a merely conceptual "desire to improve".

That is a quote that makes you think. David makes a clear distinction between those who have the desire, and those who have a natural self-motivation.
 
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