Are you relying on email and other text-based communication methods, when reaching out by phone or in person would be more effective?  When you’re deciding which GTD context list is right for that next communication, consider whether email is a rich enough medium.  You may decide that what you’re telling or asking that person about requires a medium with more nuance.  In that case, you could add the action to your calls list, or to an agenda list for the next time you meet with that person. An article from Strategy+ Business—excerpted here—explores the benefits of offline management. 

The Offline Executive

A manager’s effectiveness depends not only on using e-mail and other electronic communication, but also on learning to shut it down.

by Henry Mintzberg and Peter Todd

Missing the Meaning

Using only words ― sending a text message or an e-mail ― takes away the nuance that comes from seeing and hearing people, from exchanging points of view and working toward agreements.

Indeed, managers who are in touch only through their keyboard are out of touch with the vast world beyond it. They risk substituting breadth for depth. Managers who believe that they can learn about their department through e-mail …  may find themselves in trouble. They’ll gather the facts, but they may miss the meaning. And the increasing use of 140-character tweets to convey impressions of an organization or a person will likely result in an even greater loss of nuance.

Read the full post here.

Tags: Getting Things Done, GTD Times Team - Staff Contributors, Inspiration //
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