More on Sub-Projects, Organizing NAs

[Bluesman]

New to GTD, I have been through the collection part (which I felt has been pretty successful), and struggling through the "processing" part because I am not entirely comfortable with what comes out, when I organize the next actions by GTD (context, time, energy, priority).

By way of background, I am a litigation attorney with about 50 active lawsuits, maybe another 30 or so active "matters," all of which I have turned into "Projects." My work is very deadline driven (hard deadlines that must be met, followed by soft deadlines ... when I promise completed work to a client and/or simply need to complete the work in the course of good business/professionalism). I also have a lot of outside interests/activities, including coaching three soccer teams, belong to a couple non-profit boards, other volunteer stuff, workouts/sports, etc.

I have been reading the board for about a month, and I realize there are no "sub-projects" in GTD (only projects), that every project should have only one "next action" (even if I have 100 things to do on every case), and that organizing by priority is one of the problems that Allen is trying to address. At the same time, it is like I cannot accept an organization system where I do not have a complete "overview" of a specific Project, or a way of keeping together all of the numerous "next actions" on the same project. Example ...

In any given litigation matter, I have some sequential next actions (i.e., I need to analyze facts/pleadings/documents before I research the legal issues involved, I need to research before I take depositions, I need to take depositions before I draft certain motions, etc.). I also have concurrent next actions (schedule expert meetings, report conferences with court, conduct site inspection), and some ad hoc next actions (client called and wants update, trade emails with opposing counsel on scheduling). When I organize them GTD system, this stuff is scattered all over the place within my @work context or @work-active (with lots of other cases) or inter-mixed with @telephone/@email for all of the calls and emails I have to make ... which is even worse, because that list includes personal stuff that may or may not be as important as the work telephone calls (e.g., I can call my college roommate back tonight, but I had better email my soccer team that practice is cancelled due to wet fields now, or I am going to get a dozen calls/emails). And then, when I do make that work call, I am going to want to see every "next action" on the file and be up-to-date on everything that has been done, and still needs to be done, scattered all over my @work context.

I am using Miscrosoft Outlook ... Outlook Calendar has all actual events and deadlines (with reminders), Outlook "Tasks" contains my project list, and at least right now, an Excel spreadsheet contains my next actions, which has turned into an 800 lb alphabetized gorilla ... all while my "soft deadlines" are piling up in Outlook and "dinging" me with reminders incessantly. I have been thinking that maybe the answer is maintain a separate "Project" Sheet (Word document) for every case/project, but that sounds like a very daunting organizational system ... In essence, I have too many collection baskets at that point (Outlook Calendar, Task-Project List, Excel-Next Action List, Work-Project Overview ... none of which includes the hard files in my cabinet, the telephone log I keep on a piece of paper, or the timesheets I have to create each night to chronical all of the above). So in a word ... HELP!!

I am guessing that my problem is a mixture of not understanding/committing to the GTD methodology, and breaking old habits ("Where is my to do list?), but I am also thinking about whether my calendar/time management software is properly suited to implementing GTD in my practice/life. I am looking at Amicus Attorney software as a possible solution, and would be interested in anyone's thoughts who has tried it.

Sorry for the long post ... thanks in advance for comments and advice.

 

[BrianK]

Here are a few quick thoughts.

Turn off your outlook reminders. While you're at it, turn off the email notification popups. Those constant interruptions will kill any productivity you have. If you're worried that you'll miss something, just try it for an hour, then for 2 hours. You'll get used to it.

The thought that "every project should have only one "next action" " isn't correct. You can have multiple "next actions" for any specific project, and you should, so long as they're not dependent on any other action. As an example, when I have to hire an expert witness, I'll research several at once. When I decide on several candidates, if my "next action" for each is to call them, I'll have 5 items on a Calls list - one for each person. All of these relate to the project: Hire expert.

"Next action" doesn't mean "step," it means "the very next physical thing to do to advance a project." If you're recording a next action, doing it, then going back to figure out what the next step is, recording it, and doing it, you're spinning your wheels. NA lists are, in my opinion, simply a set of bookmarks for each project. They are what you look at when you're in a particular context and want to know what to do. They're simply reminders of how to pick up the project from where you last left off and get it moving again. And they don't necessarily have to be complex or detailed to get your mind back on that project's track.

To track all steps in an action, create a quick and dirty project plan for each project. The chapter in GTD on project planning is great for this. Keep the project plan separate from your NAs, but keep it handy. If you complete an NA on a particular project and want to keep moving the project forward, grab the project plan to see what's next. When you decide to to the NA of calling someone, grab the project plan for the call, so you know what you're supposed to be talking about. Project plans don't have to be complex; a simple page of notes reminding you of the objectives, what you've done, what you've thought about doing, etc, is often enough.

Consider making each of your cases an "area of focus" at the 20k level, which is higher than projects. Each case will likely have a number of projects. You're not going to move each of your 50 cases every week. But during the weekly review, you can think about the case, determine whether you have more projects, and run from there. If you don't make each an area of focus, consider a 15k in-between level called "Cases," which someone else on this board has suggested.

Convert your hard deadlines into projects. This is so tough for lawyers to do; I know. We're trained to be calendar-driven beasts. But if you have briefs to file, discovery to answer, etc., the best way to keep them moving is to calendar the due date, make it a project, determine the next action, and then get to work. On your project list or plan, add the due date to the title. E.g.: the project description on the project list could be: Adam v. Betty: draft opposition to motion for s jmt (due 5/30/06). If you're doing a weekly review, and if you're leaving yourself NA/bookmarks for where to pick each one up, then you'll keep them moving along. Otherwise, you get stuck in the trap of looking at your next month's calendar every single day to figure out what to do, which is repetitive.

Good luck!

 

[kewms]

Unless a reminder is going to cause you to grab your briefcase and run out the door, turn it off. Likewise, unless a calendar item *must* be done when scheduled, it does not belong on your calendar. Non-essential reminders are just productivity killers.

As someone else pointed out, it is perfectly acceptable for a project to have more than one NA, as long as the NAs are all immediately doable.

With electronic tools, it's easy to list tasks in more than one place, for example in both context-sorted NA lists and project support lists. (If it isn't easy, you need better tools.) There will be times when you want to work away on one project, but there will also be times when you want to crank through a list of phone calls while you wait for an appointment. Your system should support both. (In Excel, you might use one column for the context and another for the project name, and sort by whichever view you want at the moment.)

Don't confuse collection buckets and action lists. You should have as many collection buckets as you need, but only one action list. (Context and project plans are just different views of this list.) Actions contained in telephone logs should be processed into the master list as soon as possible.

Good luck!

Katherine

 

[Bluesman]

Brian/Katherine:

Thanks for the advice (both now and in the dozen of your previous posts that I read through, thrying to focus on attorneys using GTD).

At least to this point in my practice (12 + years), the questions that start my days are as follows:

1. What absolutely must get done today (from unmovable court-ordered deadlines and motions due, to statute of limitations/answer deadlines)?

2. What appointments do I have today (always have an associated NA, because I have to prepare)?

3. What assignments and appointments do I have coming up this week that I absolutely must start working on now to complete (e.g., an appellate brief, which is going to take me several days, a final pretrial conference that requires exhibits, pretrial statements, JIs, etc.)?

These three questions nearly always produced an urgent to do list of assignments that take priority, interrupted by the normal course of other stuff throughout the day (emails, calls, people dropping in my office, whatever). I am a battle-worn time management student, having "loosely" worked through Covey/Franklin and a couple of others. The net result is I am still a wreck, have too much stuff on my plate, overpromise/underdeliver, and can never seem to get organized enough to effectively utilize all of the wonderful resources at my disposal (secretary, associates, Palm, Outlook, laptop).

I am to the point where I am willing to commit to a new system for some period of time ... as long as I do not drop any of the balls in the air (three questions above). In other words, Brian, you ask too much ... I could not got to sleep tonight if I removed hard deadlines and reminders from my calendar ... I would be too concerned that I would not remember what HAS TO BE DONE tomorrow, the next day, etc.

I have been pounding my head trying to figure out where and how to keep my project list/case list and next action list and someday/maybe list and waiting for list, not to mention @telephone, @work, @home, @errand lists, in a rational, coherent, organized, portable way that also alerts me to the HARD DEADLINE whenever one is on the horizon ... AND my preference would be to have these lists all integrated with each other and a timesheet so I am not rewriting stuff in 3-4 different placed, because would mean updating 3-4 different lists to update one single thing (e.g., depositions moved from 5/20 to 6/15 ... need to call court reporter, client, send revised depo notice,etc.). Those next actions now have new deadlines ... i.e., a date by which I have to have these things done. I would spend half of my day updating my organization system at that rate, and take a full day to do a weekly review.

And if that is not greedy enough, I would also prefer to use Outlook and Palm (because I already have them), although I would gladly plunk down cash for anything that accomplished all of these things. Is that what you use? Do you put "Projects" in Outlook or on some other electronic document? How do you note the deadline in a way that you are reminded of it at the right time, without setting the reminders? Sorry to beat you two over the head with all of these newbie/novice questions, but I have been hard at it for a month or so and not turning the corner. Thanks again.

Gus

 

[kewms]

At least to this point in my practice (12 + years), the questions that start my days are as follows:

1. What absolutely must get done today (from unmovable court-ordered deadlines and motions due, to statute of limitations/answer deadlines)?

2. What appointments do I have today (always have an associated NA, because I have to prepare)?

3. What assignments and appointments do I have coming up this week that I absolutely must start working on now to complete (e.g., an appellate brief, which is going to take me several days, a final pretrial conference that requires exhibits, pretrial statements, JIs, etc.)?

In a GTD system, (1) and (2) should be on your calendar. Both are part of your hard landscape. For (3) (and possibly also for (1) and (2)) you should have produced a list of relevant NAs during your Weekly Review (you are doing a Weekly Review, right?). Also it sounds like (1), (2), and (3) pretty much cover all of your available time for the week, so you should have moved everything else to a future date (Someday/Maybe, tickler, or future-dated NA). Thus, when you get to your desk in the morning, you look at your calendar for (1) and (2) items first, then at your NA list for the day or week.

I have been pounding my head trying to figure out where and how to keep my project list/case list and next action list and someday/maybe list and waiting for list, not to mention @telephone, @work, @home, @errand lists, in a rational, coherent, organized, portable way that also alerts me to the HARD DEADLINE whenever one is on the horizon ... AND my preference would be to have these lists all integrated with each other and a timesheet so I am not rewriting stuff in 3-4 different placed, because would mean updating 3-4 different lists to update one single thing (e.g., depositions moved from 5/20 to 6/15 ... need to call court reporter, client, send revised depo notice,etc.). Those next actions now have new deadlines ... i.e., a date by which I have to have these things done. I would spend half of my day updating my organization system at that rate, and take a full day to do a weekly review.

Hard deadlines are easy. They go in your calendar. NAs associated with them go in your NA list for the appropriate context, dated far enough in advance to make sure they get done. Likewise, @telephone, @errands, etc. are all NAs for specific contexts. You can use the same tool for them as for any other NA.

So, if a deposition is moved, you do the following:
* Change the date of the deposition in your calendar.
* Either create NAs for all the tasks involved in changing the date, or ideally delegate those actions to your assistant. (I would imagine this happens often enough for you to create a check list, which you can then delegate in its entirety.)
* Go to your project-sorted NA list, and change whatever existing actions are affected by the date change.
Elapsed time for all of this should be five minutes or less. If it isn't, figure out where the bottleneck is and change your system accordingly.

And if that is not greedy enough, I would also prefer to use Outlook and Palm (because I already have them), although I would gladly plunk down cash for anything that accomplished all of these things. Is that what you use? Do you put "Projects" in Outlook or on some other electronic document? How do you note the deadline in a way that you are reminded of it at the right time, without setting the reminders?

Outlook is a pretty powerful program. It should be capable of everything you ask. For example, you can assign both multiple categories and multiple contacts to any NA. You can then sort by whatever combination of fields you want to get a list of NAs by context, by project category, by client, or whatever. It also has a journal feature, which I haven't used enough to recommend, but which seems designed for the kind of timesheet recordkeeping you need.

Hope this helps!

Katherine

 

[moises]

I have been reading the board for about a month, and I realize there are no "sub-projects" in GTD (only projects), that every project should have only one "next action" (even if I have 100 things to do on every case), and that organizing by priority is one of the problems that Allen is trying to address. At the same time, it is like I cannot accept an organization system where I do not have a complete "overview" of a specific Project, or a way of keeping together all of the numerous "next actions" on the same project. Example ...

GTD does have subprojects. David's book discusses creating mindmaps and outlines for project plans. As kewms has pointed out on this forum in the past, there is software out there that allows us to view our projects in hierarchical form.

If you are wedded to Outlook, I strongly recommend you install the Outlook add-in. This will give you a couple of layers of hierarchy for projects, subprojects, and tasks.

I imagine that a lawsuit is a very complex project. You really need to organize it into subprojects.

 

[jwarlander]

Plain vanilla Outlook approach.. fast and easy.

Not sure what it's worth since I don't really deal with the same complexity I guess, but here's how I use "plain vanilla" Outlook for GTD:

* I use Tasks for pretty much everything. I've got separate categories for each context (@Office, @Calls, @Errands, ...), then two categories called Projects and Sometime/Maybe.

* Projects are created as tasks in the Project category, and in the notes section for the task I enter project outlines, notes about actions I need to take, etc. I give each project a number from P01 - P99 that matches the hanging file folder I allocate for that project, so the task name for the project becomes "P01 Upgrade XY software on the ZZZ system", "P32 Renew support agreement for YYY the system" etc.

* As mentioned, I have hanging file folders for all of my active projects. They are simply labeled P01 - P99, and here I put any paper material that I need for the associated project. This is not part of my general reference system.

* Next Actions are created as tasks in one of the context categories (@Office, @Calls etc). If an NA is related to a project, the project number is noted in the task name for the NA, like "Call SomeVendor to get 1-year support costs for YYY system (P32)".

* Projects and NAs that I need to work on in the coming week get a High Importance flag as I'm doing the weekly review. This means I can filter out only these items when I look at my Outlook lists to decide what I should do next.

* Things that I think I should do eventually, but that haven't turned into Projects yet, end up as tasks in the Someday/Maybe category.

As I work the system, I generally sort my Tasks using the By Category view. I customize the view to sort first by Priority, then by Subject. This means that all the Projects and NAs I should be doing this week will be at the top of the list.

Recently I've started to use filtering instead though, so that the High Importance Projects and NAs are ALL that I can see. This effectively turns the Normal Importance items into "Someday/Maybe"-type actions since I won't look at them until the next weekly review, when they can be turned into High Importance items if I decide to work on them actively.

Now, when I work on an NA for a particular Project, I might like to see what else there is to do on that project. Since I've "tagged" all the NAs with the relevant project number, this is as easy as typing "P32" for example into the search bar at the top of the Outlook Tasks window.. almost immediately I have a filtered view of only that Project and all the associated NAs.

It should be noted that Outlook by default seems to display Completed tasks in my lists. I've customized the By Category view to exclude all Completed tasks, so that I won't have a completely cluttered list.. Simply go to Customize Current View.. -> Filter... -> Advanced, then choose criteria by Field, so that "Complete equals No".

I'm using Outlook 2003, not sure how well this matches up with earlier versions.

 

[Brent]

I have been reading the board for about a month, and I realize there are no "sub-projects" in GTD (only projects)

Sort of true. You can have sub-projects, as long as you understand that they are projects in their own right.

A project is just a defined outcome. I have projects that fit within larger goals. That's okay. The danger lies in constantly tying your sub-projects back into the "parent" project. That relationship doesn't matter in the short term, and will clutter your mind as you skim through your Next Actions.

that every project should have only one "next action" (even if I have 100 things to do on every case)

Again, sort of true. You can have more than one Next Action per project in different contexts, and you can certainly identify more than one Next Action per project.

The point is to give you laser-like focus on the VERY NEXT THING that needs to be done on any given project. The more Next Actions you put on your NA list, the less focused you'll be on immediate action.

At the same time, it is like I cannot accept an organization system where I do not have a complete "overview" of a specific Project

You can certainly create a big overview of a particular Project.

Look at it this way:

1) Next Actions list
2) Project reference material

Taking it backwards, you can have whatever you want in (2). You can create a big map of everything relating to this project. You can list out every Next Action you can think of (though I wouldn't recommend it; life tends to eat away at detailed plans).

But (1) should contain IMMEDIATE NEXT STUFF TO WORK ON. When you're skimming this list, you shouldn't have to think about where the work belongs in context. You should be able to just pick something off the list and do it right now.

The power of a solid Next Actions list is that you don't HAVE to put your work in context. You certainly can, and sometimes you have to depending on your work. But if you just want to Get Things Done, you can power through a bunch of little tasks.

The key is the Weekly Review (and other reviews). That's when you'll return to a higher-level view of your projects and re-fill your Next Actions list.

Also, you don't have to JUST do stuff that's on your list. In my case, I'm webmaster on a bunch of websites. I may have a Next Action to fix a bug on a website, and when I do it, I may get sucked in and fix several bugs. That's GREAT. Nothing wrong with that.

Again, a big strength of the Next Actions list is allowing you to not HAVE to worry about your projects when you're "in the trenches." But if you want to, you can.

Does that help?

 

[mramm]

Sort of true. You can have sub-projects, as long as you understand that they are projects in their own right.

Ummm, then there are no "sub-projects".

I have one project: Novell -> Windows Transition
Under that project are three NAs that work toward that goal:

1. Northport Windows 2003 Server
2. UMS Migration to Windows Server
3. LGI Migration to Windows Server

All three of these NAs have more than one action in them, so by GTD definition, they are projects. Now these three projects have their own NAs under their project list.

So basically, I have 4 project related to getting our network from Novell to Windows. They are all projects, because again, by definition:

A “project” is “any desired result that requires more than one action step.” (page 37)

Michael

 

[kellyraef]

I had the same exact problem, 50 projects, 20 clients, and I needed a way to organize my NAs and project notes so that when a client called, I had it all in front of me. I also needed a way to log my activities for billing. Keep in mind that 90% of my work-time I am in my office with access to my laptop. I use Outlook for my calendar, email, and contacts. During my weekly review I block out about 50-75% of my time to work on my major projects and give my week some structure.

I created an excel spreadsheet with the columns Entry Date, Client, Project, Context, Note/NA, Time, and Tickler Date. I set up the autofilter.

"Entry Date" is just todays date. It allows me to sort all of my notes on each project chronologically.

"Client" and "Project" are the names I have assigned to the GTD project.

My "Contexts" are NA (which means anywhere), WF, Errands, Client Site, and Note. Note isn't really a context, it just designates that the entry is a project note, not a NA. I summarize everything I do for work and personal stuff I want to track in a Note. I summarize emails I send and receive, conversations, conclusions from research, activities, etc. I try not to group more than a couple of main ideas into a note. Some days I'll have a half-dozen notes for one project. For larger projects, I sometimes create a note with all of my ideas and plans and preface it with PROJECT PLAN (so I can find it easily later on), which I can go back to for more NAs when I need to. It takes a little time and a lot of discipline to do all this, but the benefits of having a summary of each project are immense.

"Time" is the amount of time I need to bill and I only enter this after I have entered a project note. At the end of the day (or week if I get behind), I filter on the entry date and show only the items with time entered, and I have a really neat summary to enter into the timesheet program we use.

"Tickler Date" is when I need to either do the next action, or when I need to review it.

I keep my projects list in a separate excel tab in the same worksheet with all of the milestones and deadlines for each project.

Here's how my excel file works: a client calls to discuss Project ABC. As I am making my hello-how-have-you-been-small-talk, I autofilter to only show the client's projects. Then if we are only going to discuss Project ABC, I autofilter on that project. I go to the bottom row of the list and type in today's date, client, project, and "Note". As we are talking I summarize our conversation in the note. I have a summary of everything related to the project in front of me. I create NAs and delete or update any WFs on the list as we talk. If I complete a NA, I always write a note about it and delete the NA. After the conversation is over, I note the time I spent and make sure the NAs and WFs are up-to-date.

I can filter my list by client, by project, all NAs, all NAs for a project, NAs due today or tomorrow or next Friday, and a dozen other ways. It's simple, but powerful.

I've been using this system since October and as of today, I have 1488 entries. It really doesn't take as much time as you might imagine and it gets all of the "What have I done on this project" information out of my head and into a trusted system.

 

[wussery]

New to GTD, I have been through the collection part (which I felt has been pretty successful), and struggling through the "processing" part because I am not entirely comfortable with what comes out, when I organize the next actions by GTD (context, time, energy, priority).

By way of background, I am a litigation attorney with about 50 active lawsuits, maybe another 30 or so active "matters," all of which I have turned into "Projects." My work is very deadline driven (hard deadlines that must be met, followed by soft deadlines ... when I promise completed work to a client and/or simply need to complete the work in the course of good business/professionalism). I also have a lot of outside interests/activities, including coaching three soccer teams, belong to a couple non-profit boards, other volunteer stuff, workouts/sports, etc.

I have been reading the board for about a month, and I realize there are no "sub-projects" in GTD (only projects), that every project should have only one "next action" (even if I have 100 things to do on every case), and that organizing by priority is one of the problems that Allen is trying to address. At the same time, it is like I cannot accept an organization system where I do not have a complete "overview" of a specific Project, or a way of keeping together all of the numerous "next actions" on the same project. Example ...

In any given litigation matter, I have some sequential next actions (i.e., I need to analyze facts/pleadings/documents before I research the legal issues involved, I need to research before I take depositions, I need to take depositions before I draft certain motions, etc.). I also have concurrent next actions (schedule expert meetings, report conferences with court, conduct site inspection), and some ad hoc next actions (client called and wants update, trade emails with opposing counsel on scheduling). When I organize them GTD system, this stuff is scattered all over the place within my @work context or @work-active (with lots of other cases) or inter-mixed with @telephone/@email for all of the calls and emails I have to make ... which is even worse, because that list includes personal stuff that may or may not be as important as the work telephone calls (e.g., I can call my college roommate back tonight, but I had better email my soccer team that practice is cancelled due to wet fields now, or I am going to get a dozen calls/emails). And then, when I do make that work call, I am going to want to see every "next action" on the file and be up-to-date on everything that has been done, and still needs to be done, scattered all over my @work context.

I am using Miscrosoft Outlook ... Outlook Calendar has all actual events and deadlines (with reminders), Outlook "Tasks" contains my project list, and at least right now, an Excel spreadsheet contains my next actions, which has turned into an 800 lb alphabetized gorilla ... all while my "soft deadlines" are piling up in Outlook and "dinging" me with reminders incessantly. I have been thinking that maybe the answer is maintain a separate "Project" Sheet (Word document) for every case/project, but that sounds like a very daunting organizational system ... In essence, I have too many collection baskets at that point (Outlook Calendar, Task-Project List, Excel-Next Action List, Work-Project Overview ... none of which includes the hard files in my cabinet, the telephone log I keep on a piece of paper, or the timesheets I have to create each night to chronical all of the above). So in a word ... HELP!!

I am guessing that my problem is a mixture of not understanding/committing to the GTD methodology, and breaking old habits ("Where is my to do list?), but I am also thinking about whether my calendar/time management software is properly suited to implementing GTD in my practice/life. I am looking at Amicus Attorney software as a possible solution, and would be interested in anyone's thoughts who has tried it.

Sorry for the long post ... thanks in advance for comments and advice.

Bluesman, I like your name. Mine should have been called Jazzman. You need a program that will allow you to assign a single item to multiple data elements of your choosing and then track that data in a format of your choosing AND create different filters on this data to view it in a context of your choosing. This program is Ecco Pro which can be found at:

ftp://ftp.netmanage.com/support/pub/utilities/EC401/Ecco32/

Once you have the file downloaded and setup on your PC you can use a template that I have created and can be downloaded from:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Getting_Things_Done/

In the Files section.

I would more than happy to work with you on creating a more specific template for a litigator that encompasses the GTD methodology. You can email me at:

wusseryatrcn.com

Exchange at with @.