No organisation - how to really anticipate

PierrotBel

Registered
Hello,
My biggest flaw: jumping in without getting organized
An example: I have to update the 2023 budget
I have already worked on this budget taking into account the provisional figures for 2022 and the objectives for 2023 which have since evolved.
When I reworked these figures, I went back to my past form, updating the figures from temporary to final without taking into account the new objectives
However, there was a new version of the document with the final 2022 numbers already shown and new targets for 2023
When I presented my results, I had worked on the old document. So I wasted time finding figures that had already been calculated, I did not take into account the new objectives and I lost credibility.
Another example:
I have a closing for a deal. I have to check a lot of data. I delegate part of the tasks to a sub-group. I check what I have delegated when I come back from vacation and I see that the work has not been done in full. Result: I lose credibility.
Another example: I like to use and I am the king of the pivot table. However, when a figure does not appear, I take a long time to calculate it, even though I suspect that it is possible to have already calculated it. However, I don't have this information, I don't have a contact person who can give it to me and I learn incidentally

Last example, I have to hand in a job. I start to work on it and think I can do everything. But, no, I realize at the end that I am missing information. The reason is that I was not given the right information and I did not think about all the consequences of what my work implied.

On a day to day basis, it works but when I get a little off track, I get lost. I have no problem doing different things and I like it. Nevertheless, I wonder about my
Way of working

What can I do ?

Thanks
 

cfoley

Registered
These problems are so different that I don't think that there is a universal trick for solving them. I suppose that noticing the problems and taking deliberate steps to improve the situation is the universal trick, but saying that is not all that helpful.

I have already worked on this budget taking into account the provisional figures for 2022 and the objectives for 2023 which have since evolved.
When I reworked these figures, I went back to my past form, updating the figures from temporary to final without taking into account the new objectives
However, there was a new version of the document with the final 2022 numbers already shown and new targets for 2023
When I presented my results, I had worked on the old document. So I wasted time finding figures that had already been calculated, I did not take into account the new objectives and I lost credibility.

I would look into organising your files in such a way as to make this kind of mistake difficult to make. From my point of view, the reason to keep old versions of file is to be able to answer historical questions. As such, they should never be edited. To make this clear, I would store old files in a totally different location and perhaps put protections on changing them.

An example from me might be my personal budget. I have an Excel file for each year. This year's file is in a folder called 'budget' All the previous years' files are in a subfolder called 'old'.

I have a closing for a deal. I have to check a lot of data. I delegate part of the tasks to a sub-group. I check what I have delegated when I come back from vacation and I see that the work has not been done in full. Result: I lose credibility.

I don't feel like there is enough information here to give proper advice. I think I would want to know why they weren't completed in full. Here are some things I might investigate:

  • Are they lazy?
  • Did they understand what to do?
  • Is this the first time they have done that sort of task?
  • Did they think that they actually had done the work in full.
  • Were they overloaded with competing priorities?
  • Are they the sort of people who when given a task will track it and make sure it is done, or do they need to be reminded constantly?
  • Did something unexpected happen that stopped them completing the work?
  • Did they have a point of escalation to use while you were away?
  • Was this so important that it should not have been delegated?
  • Was there enough time after your vacation for you to deal with any problems that had arisen?
Another example: I like to use and I am the king of the pivot table. However, when a figure does not appear, I take a long time to calculate it, even though I suspect that it is possible to have already calculated it. However, I don't have this information, I don't have a contact person who can give it to me and I learn incidentally

I'm not sure what the problem is here precisely. Is it losing track of time, or not knowing where information can be found? I would start by defining the problem precisely and then thinking about how to solve it.

Last example, I have to hand in a job. I start to work on it and think I can do everything. But, no, I realize at the end that I am missing information. The reason is that I was not given the right information and I did not think about all the consequences of what my work implied.

When this happens, do you ask for the missing information? If you do, then I would say that you are reacting appropriately to the situation. Are there similarities between your work projects. If there are, then you might want to make some checklists outlining the sorts of things that you often need. This is similar to a master packing list that many people maintain.
 

gtdstudente

Registered
Hello,
My biggest flaw: jumping in without getting organized
An example: I have to update the 2023 budget
I have already worked on this budget taking into account the provisional figures for 2022 and the objectives for 2023 which have since evolved.
When I reworked these figures, I went back to my past form, updating the figures from temporary to final without taking into account the new objectives
However, there was a new version of the document with the final 2022 numbers already shown and new targets for 2023
When I presented my results, I had worked on the old document. So I wasted time finding figures that had already been calculated, I did not take into account the new objectives and I lost credibility.
Another example:
I have a closing for a deal. I have to check a lot of data. I delegate part of the tasks to a sub-group. I check what I have delegated when I come back from vacation and I see that the work has not been done in full. Result: I lose credibility.
Another example: I like to use and I am the king of the pivot table. However, when a figure does not appear, I take a long time to calculate it, even though I suspect that it is possible to have already calculated it. However, I don't have this information, I don't have a contact person who can give it to me and I learn incidentally

Last example, I have to hand in a job. I start to work on it and think I can do everything. But, no, I realize at the end that I am missing information. The reason is that I was not given the right information and I did not think about all the consequences of what my work implied.

On a day to day basis, it works but when I get a little off track, I get lost. I have no problem doing different things and I like it. Nevertheless, I wonder about my
Way of working

What can I do ?

Thanks
PierrotBel,

On this end, this is the "checklist outline" trusted for sufficiently organised . . . as you see GTD fit:

Project Name
(Project name is stably written in one of five General Areas-of-Focus' colored: Divine, Persons, Engineering, Utilities, Fiscal)




Accept, Accuracies, Actualability, Adapt,
Adjust, Analysis, Assess,
Awareness, etc. as Required
< can be an admixture of objective [extrinsic] and subjective [intrinsic] realities >Healthy Persons / Skills
Required
Project Name
with Outcome
realized through five stably colored
Particular Areas-of-Focus
Accuracies
, Healthy, Overcome, Props, Provisions
below are always objective [extrinsic] realities
Obstacles / Persons / Institutions
to Overcome
Props (Decorations-&-Tools)
are 'usually' best when clean, empty, and friction-free
Provisions
are 'usually' best when
full
 
Top