BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has given prototypes of their new BlackBerry 10 to developers this week.  The new model is slated to be released for consumers by the end of the year. This week’s alpha gives developers a head start on apps.  The jury is still out on productivity improvements.

Will you be an early adopter of the new BlackBerry?  How do you decide among BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, or … a Windows Phone?

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Technology should enhance productivity, making it easier to get things done so you have more leisure time. But have tools that are designed to help really just added to our workload, distraction, and stress?  In this concise interview with the SF Chronicle, David expertly frames the issue and helps you decide what to ask yourself.

Q: Do you think that we’ve seen technology move our workforce in an unproductive direction?

A: The whole planet is unproductive; it’s just that technology is making it more obvious. What’s important is knowing where are you and how do you allocate your resources to get where you want to go. That’s been true forever. It’s true all this tech is totally distracting all kinds of people, but then again, they are letting themselves be distracted. How come? Because they’re not clear about what they’re doing.

Q: So being distracted by tech is the symptom of a problem, rather than the core of the problem?

A: Yeah. If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do. If you don’t know where you’re going, any tech is fine. It’s like: Why not? Why not surf the Web? There are worse ways to waste time. But it comes down to the situation: Who’s doing it, why are you doing it, and what are you avoiding by doing it?

Read the full interview here.

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This thought-provoking Harvard Business Review blog post is sure to stir up conversation, in person or by smartphone.

Is Your Smartphone Making You Less Productive?

2:09 PM Friday April 6, 2012
by Ndubuisi Ekekwe

Mobile devices have exacerbated an always-on work culture where employees work anytime, anywhere. They’ve contributed to the blurred distinction between when you’re “on the clock” and when you’re not. Service industry professionals are especially tethered to these devices. There’s an assumption that using smart devices boosts productivity, since they allow us to work constantly. But, we’re also jeopardizing long-term productivity by eliminating predictable time off that ensures balance in our lives. Is the obsession of regularly checking email really helping anyone’s bottom line? Are the unrealistic expectations these devices facilitate not setting staff up for burnout?

You can read the full post here.

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In a guest post on the Workshifting blog, read tips from Mike Williams, CEO for the David Allen Company (and vetted GTD coach!) on some simple ways to apply GTD. His post also includes an experiment for making your next meeting more effective.

Are there meeting tips that you have found helpful that others could benefit from? Share them here. Other GTD Times readers like to hear what works for you.

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That’s the question David Allen addresses in a feature article in the New York Times. 

When Office Technology Overwhelms, Get Organized

By DAVID ALLEN
Published: March 17, 2012

HOW do you think most workers would respond if you asked them, “Do you feel more productive now than you did several years ago?” I doubt that the answer would be a resounding yes. In fact, even as workplace technology and processes steadily improve, many professionals feel less productive than ever.

It may seem a paradox, but these very tools are undermining our ability to get work done. They are causing us to become paralyzed by the dizzying number of options that they spawn.

Is there a way out of this quandary? Yes, but it’s not going to come from the usual quarters. To be successful in the new world of work, we need to create a structure for capturing, clarifying and organizing all the forces that assail us; and to ensure time and space for thinking, reflecting and decision making.

Read the complete article here, or on page 1 of the March 18 print edition’s Business Day section.

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“If it helps your business. If you can do business better, something there that is worthwhile and useful. I think a combination of underlying principles and practical applications.”
- David Allen, interviewed in Fast Company.

David Allen, Author of “Getting Things Done,” by Kevin Ohannessian in Fast Company

Has productivity changed as technology has evolved, from the utility of iPhones to the connectedness of Facebook? We continue our examination of the business book Getting Things Done with an interview of author David Allen.

Why do you think the book was so successful and resonated with the business world?

I think people were hungry for a model that was hip enough and current enough to deal with the kind of world everyone was in. Most of the other models that had to do with time management or personal organization or any of that all had good stuff, but most of it was way too structured for the speed and volume of change that people were dealing with.

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David Allen has been named one of the top 50 most motivational people on the web. Under30ceo.com has compiled its list of these motivational leaders, and David is near the top.

“Motivation is like showering; you need it every day.” Through the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship, great business owners find ways to keep themselves motivated.  Luckily for us, in the 21st century, some of the greatest leaders of the world have poured themselves into online content to help inspire us on a daily basis.  The following list is filled not only with great pieces of motivation, but video blogs, Twitter accounts, articles and Facebook pages to keep you moving forward every single day. Introducing the Top 50 Motivators on the Web…

In addition to David, the list includes Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Tony Robbins, Tim Ferris, and more. You can read the complete list here.

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There is a terrific new interview with David Allen available for download on the David Allen Company podcast page. The interview touches on a wide range of GTD and productivity best practices. David shares about challenges people face today, getting off your own back, emergency scanning, why social media is addictive and much more. Recorded by KQED public radio, July 2011.

If you have trouble downloading or accessing our podcast RSS page, you can also listen or download the interview directly from KQED: http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201107291000

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There’s a terrific new interview with David Allen and Tony Schwartz in the Harvard Business Review.  It’s an in-depth discussion of the importance of having a system for making choices wisely and managing your energy effectively.

Being More Productive

An Interview with David Allen and Tony Schwartz by Daniel McGinn

Is the secret to effectiveness the right system or the right state of mind? Two leading experts weigh in.

David Allen and Tony Schwartz knew of each other’s work for years, but they’d never met. . . .  Then last summer Allen dropped in on a presentation that Schwartz was giving at a trade show. In the months since, they’ve gotten together several times to talk about their approaches to improving the performance of knowledge workers. In this edited conversation with HBR, they discuss the distractive pull of e-mail, how they’ve been influenced by each other, and why you should do your most important task first thing in the morning (even though only one of them does).

Read more. 

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A new PC Magazine article lists “The 100 People You Should Follow On Twitter.”  Yes, David Allen @gtdguy is one of them.  Here’s what they said:

David Allen
@gtdguy
Followers: 1.3 million
If you haven’t heard of the “getting things done” or GTD time-management and productivity movement, you’re probably not really getting things done. Author David Allen created GTD and uses Twitter to dispense advice and tips to help people get the right tools to work smarter and get motivated.

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