reaction of colleagues to GTD + cost of the system

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suzanne1

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1) What to tell to colleagues who see your organization system and laugh a little with it? They ask if I'm not 'overorganised' but I think you can't be too organized. In the past I had a lot of trouble finding papers that were somewhere on my desk, and now it is much better. That's what I tell them then.
I think colleagues will experience that I become more efficient, and then will no longer laugh with it but becoming very interested. I now already realise that I can do more tasks in the same time than my colleagues.

2)It's also difficult to give the ticket of new bought folders,... to my boss. Setting up the system of GTD costs something. But when you see the long term view you will feel like it is worth it, but others (boss who pays that bills) doesn't see that on a long term view.
I wait to give the tickets until others experience that it really helps, and some of the bills I pay myself (like the 43 folders system that was quite expensive).
Anybody else with this problem? Or are you all managers? 
 
They can implement GTD too. Don't wait.

suzanne1;75100 said:
1) What to tell to colleagues who see your organization system and laugh a little with it? They ask if I'm not 'overorganised' but I think you can't be too organized.
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Tell them: "I'm glad that you see my improved productivity. You can learn GTD too from David Allen's book. It works!"

suzanne1;75100 said:
2)It's also difficult to give the ticket of new bought folders,... to my boss. Setting up the system of GTD costs something.
Click to expand...

Do not wait! Tell him now that you are implementing a powerful proven GTD methodology. Good bosses like people that show initiative.
 
1. I'm utilizing the system for over a year now and when i first began i did it leisurely. As months progressed I got super serious about all of this, making the change for me and my piece of mine. The first people to notice a change within me and 1st seeing my system was my family. They'd stop by my place and see the one messy home a spotless, vacuumed sanctuary. From a guy that once procrastinated on doing any neccessary paper work, they noticed my filing system for all my documents and also the storage system i created for all the little aspects around the home; some of which included: clothing closet system which allowed me organize and be aware of all my clothes, unconsciously perhaps, allowing me to keep abreast on my fashion sense (All for the sake of girls, am i right?:D) Tool system, Health system which consisted of medical supplies and other neccessities such as extra hygine supplies unavailable at 2:30am(gotta be prepared), among other things. My car was always clean, as i created a reoccurring project to clean my car, check the tires, etc..

My folks 1st thought it wasn't gonna last, seeing as they always considered me to be the lazy slouch. But after 5 months of having a great looking apartment they were impressed. Of course I did this for me, and for you, should be the only person you're doing any of this for.

My friends at University thought I was psycho taking out my contexts' list...

At first i admit i was somewhat self conscious about it...but then realized no one knew what the hell the list was, excpet for close friends that i explained it to. Admittedly, some thought I was too organized, as they asked why I needed to have a list of the things i needed to get done. I would explain the DA example of how ppl naturally feel better after they write down a quick to-do list and why it makes them feel better...but i mainly explained the DA example of how our brain does not have one...and how if our mind had a mind we wouldn't need an oganization system.

As time progressed, I could give a sh*t was others thought. I had a busy semester at University this Fall and getting things done on a daily basis was enough motivation for me.

I was eloquently surprised a few weeks ago when I was explaining to a new friend that I was stressing out over finals. I told him I hadn't studied and had a huge headache over not being on top of my game (which i the time I specifically meant that I wasn't getting a lot of my NA's touched. He surprised me by telling me that I didn't look stressed and that I was most collected person he knew. He said it seems I'm the one person he knows that gets a lot done on a daily reoccurring basis and that kinda reminded me of the times b4 GTD where I was productive at all. It just seems I'm now trying to get everything done in a day, when realistically it was stressing me out.

Who cares what others think of your system if they see it. Some will be impressed, others will consider you a geek. Embrace it all, or better yet just dont care. You're doing all this for you: if it works in your favor then keep at it, if not then move on to the next thing that might.

2. As for the system. The 43 folder tickler system did not work for me too well. I'm not sure how long you've been at this but as time progresses you'll be place in situations where you'll learn more about yourself and your system and how you interact with it. Its a learning process that in time places you with an advantage. In no way am I the same person back in Dec. 2008. My system is now computer based rather than paper based. My weekly reviews take 1 hour rather than 5, honestly. I'm more productive and you will be too.

You'll be placed with unique challenges. Tackle them head on to learn how GTD be fits you. I won't get into it now as this post is dragging on but I knew a long time ago my GTD would have to be completely mobile, i.e. as in one day i'm moving to China and the next month i'm temporarilly living in Chicago, whilst returning back to Los Angeles by Thanksgiving....without missing a beat in my GTD system. Sure enough, close situations have occurred. My gtd system is at the point where i'm 5 minutes from packing up everything I need to continue to be productive...anywhere. I've used it once, and as stated above....I have having to set up my system all over again. I hate setting up my foundation all over again.

It's all a learning process that never stops. Embrace.
 
I just smile and ignore them. Soon enough they'll be asking for your advise.

Do be careful, as it is possible to be overorganized. It's called "micromanager" in DAs book MiaW.
 
Get your boss' support

Introducing change into an organization will always meet resistance as it threatens the status quo, and people don't like that. I would talk to your boss first and explain to him what you are trying to do and how it will improve your productivity and eventually that of others at the company, so that you'll get his support. Your colleagues will become interested after you get your boss' support.
 
At work I have been laughed at for two GTD practices 1) creating file folders with a printed label for every little thing (some co-workers see this as a waste of time), and 2) journaling - some co-workers say that diaries are silly and only for "teen-aged girls".

I couldn't care less about either criticism. My journal has made a profound difference in how I run my life. The people who chuckle over it are not living the kinds of lives that make me think their judgment particularly matters in this regard.

I often buy my own supplies since I can immediately get exactly what I want. Plus it saves me the hassle of having to justify the purchases. It is typically not a lot of money. But I suspect many bosses would appreciate any employee's initiative in trying to improve their own productivity, and would gladly pay for the supplies once they understood what they were for.
 
I also had co-workers that laughed at my making notes, labeling folders, and always asking at meetings "What is the goal of this meeting?" I even had a fellow manager making snide comments about how I wasted time by making labels, keeping my in-box clean, etc.

Now, a year later, both my boss and our CEO have referred to me as "the only guy that can get stuff done" (although I think they may have used another word other than "stuff") and the manager that made the snide comments was fired a few weeks ago for not producing. From what our CEO told me during the firing the manager had said "What about Saxon, all he does is make labels all day" and the CEO responded "No, he's the only person getting things done." I laughed when she phrased it that way. I even had to ask her if she's read David Allen because that line almost sounds like a commercial for GTD, but she was clueless of GTD until I explained it to her.
 
BRSaxon;75265 said:
I also had co-workers that laughed at my making notes, labeling folders, and always asking at meetings "What is the goal of this meeting?" I even had a fellow manager making snide comments about how I wasted time by making labels, keeping my in-box clean, etc.

Now, a year later, both my boss and our CEO have referred to me as "the only guy that can get stuff done" (although I think they may have used another word other than "stuff") and the manager that made the snide comments was fired a few weeks ago for not producing. From what our CEO told me during the firing the manager had said "What about Saxon, all he does is make labels all day" and the CEO responded "No, he's the only person getting things done." I laughed when she phrased it that way. I even had to ask her if she's read David Allen because that line almost sounds like a commercial for GTD, but she was clueless of GTD until I explained it to her.
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Being busy listening for your co-workers' label makers is one sure fire way of being unproductive. I have noticed, the more I get things done, the quicker I get going on other things. That means more use of the label maker.
 
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