Productivity Cafe

Weekly Review - the Hagerty Review

David Allen advocates the weekly review - and he's had a book on the NYT best seller list for a couple of years. However, for some of us the Hagerty Review might be a better way to review our work and plan for future success.

The Hagerty Review has us stop and look at what's going on in our work and realm of responsibilities. Then we summarize it in a report. This report is sent to our manager and retained, of course, for our own reference. The very slick (and smart) thing about sending it to our manager is that it involves him or her in our success while keeping us on our path to success.

Since we at the Productivity Cafe like to be streamlined and standardized like lean operations of Toyota manufacturing, there is a standard report form to the Hagerty Weekly Review. Here are the elements of the report.

• Progress I made this week.
• Professional goals involved in my work this week.
• Obstacles I encountered this week and how I over came them.
• I could use help from [insert manager's name] to:
• Priorities for next week (top 3-5)
• A co-worker or someone who positively impacted my work this week

That's it. Simple and to the point the Hagerty Review will help you and your manager keep on track. Create a document with just these categories. Name it: My Weekly Review Blank Form. Complete it during your CEO time each Friday. Send it to your boss, save a copy, review it on Monday and when you're writing your annual review.

From a psychological motivation point of view, simply committing to this summary each week will heighten your awareness of how you're spending your time and the results you're moving toward or achieving. You will stay on course toward the goals you've set because you keep your eye on them. Yes, it is still difficult to stop and take stock of your activities. Yet, the payoff is manyfold. When will you have your next CEO time and try the Hagerty Review?

Coaching to Getting Things Done

It's been just a month since I introduced Jim to you. For Jim's intro, click here. A couple days ago we got together in his office again. The list of things to do is a page long and he is regularly dropping the things at the top, the completed things, and adding others to the list.

However, the one item from 7 years ago concerning his father's estate had made no progress toward the top of Jim's list in those 30 days. Jim confessed that his siblings don't know the estate matter is undone. His wife doesn't know the estate matter is hanging out there. It seems you and I are the only ones that know. [You can be sure Jim's name isn't Jim - it's changed here to protect his identity and avoid the possible embarrassment should family members find out.]

Jim said, "Its boring work, simply a, b, c, and the work will be done." We talked about why that was languishing and being ignored. The conversation turned into banter and I challenged Jim, "Since it's so easy why don't you get started now? After all, you're going to call the lawyer and have to leave a message - you never get through to a lawyer in a first call." It's an easy first step.

GTD Notetaking

We found an incredible useful, attractive, and economical note taker that we'd like to recommend. It's the Flip Notes note taker. Features we (Lorie, my friend & professional organizer) like are:

* Integrated pen
* Light weight aluminum body
*The cover - when we toss this little notebook in our purse or bag, the papers won't get mangled
* A spring that opens the cover when we remove the pen
* Notepaper for capturing those good ideas when they come to mind wherever, whenever
*The price ($5.95)
*Availability - at least for now available at Barnes & Noble stores (but not BarnesandNoble.com). These little gems might be a temporary item for B&N since they're something of an impulse buy item.

GTDers will know that David Allen sells his notetaker - a nice leather $89 version - Leather Notetaker @ Davidco.com. Most GTDers also know about Merlin Mann's budget choice & invention of the Hipster PDA (essentially organized note cards).

FlipNotes is the middle ground in price - well, actaully toward the budget end except that refills are $5.95 for 6 tiny pads. I included the photo of the black one for those who want to have a more corporate or restrained look. Here's mine - pretty in pink!

Consider that they would make great gifts for the holidays (always looking ahead, we productive people) and for birthdays.

 

Getting Things Done (GTD) at 60 years old

Jim was spending an hour or two getting started every morning after arriving at his new office. He called me to help create a routine for being able to start with meaningful activities each morning. He doesn't know it by David Allen's GTD name and it's still working for him. We began to empty his mind and multiple incomplete lists onto a single list of things to do - the master list.

For the first time Jim is able to look at one place (his master list) and have prioritized direction for his day. At the end of each day he labels the 'must do' items for the next day on his list and puts them at the top of the list. Jim reports that he's able to focus on and accomplish the important things each day. At 60 years old this new routine is giving him an uplifting sense of progress ~ and completion of some things that have been 'on the back burner' for literally 7 years. He knows the 7 year time is accurate because that has to do with settling a family member's estate.

Are you using multiple lists and your mind to try to track the myriad of things you have to do? Whether you're 26 or 60, a simple master list to keep 'to dos' in front of you is a key to using your time better and getting projects crossed off your list!

GTD someday! maybe! today!

One of the things I totally enjoy in my GTD implementation is reviewing my someday maybe list. That is a look I take every two or three months. The reason I consider this a treat is the number of things that I get to cross off my someday maybe list. Today it was four things. One of those things aged itself right out of being something I care about any more. And the other three were done because the opportunities presented themselves.

The idea of intention behind the someday maybe list is powerful. By putting things on your someday maybe list you plant the seeds of the activity in your mind. Some of those seeds of ideas, just because they're planted, will grow right away. Some of the seeds are the type that need a good amount of time before they germinate. (This is like many desert plants whose seeds may lie dormant for a couple of years awaiting the perfect amount of rainfall. When the ideal storm arrives, the seed swells and sprouts overnight). And some of those seeds were just never meant to sprout.

GTD Trusted System

When you set up your GTD system - or any organizing system - it is imperative that you use it consistently and with refined Standard Operating Procedures. This is what David Allen calls 'Your Trusted System'.

A trusted system is a key GTD concept because you can rely on the trusted system to house what your next actions and projects are. You know that you almost exclusively use your system to track progress, record things, hold ideas, take notes, keep your lists and hold all the elements of your GTD implementation. Thus, when you need to refer to something or take action, you go to your trusted system knowing what you're looking for is there.

Contrast using a single planner, PDA, moleskine, or notebook with many people's current system -

GTD Connect Question

Ok, so it's Monday and the day for me to post a GTD article. And, my post today is more of a question. To get right to it ~ what value have you gotten from being at GTD Connect member? I have been paying my $48 per month for about 6 months and seem to be getting about $4.89 of value. The occasional new article is okay. The quarterly teleclass is okay. The periodic interviews with people using the system can shed some light on new things. But I don't think it's a great return on investment for me so far. I'm going to figure it's because of something that I'm not doing well. Maybe there's part of the system that I should use or use more effectively. Would love to hear the comments from GTD Connect readers on how to leverage my investment to the max.