“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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David Allen Company has immediate openings for Business Development Directors in the Washington D.C., Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and Seattle markets. The David Allen Company is a professional training, coaching and management consulting organization. Its purpose is to improve the quality of life by providing the world’s best information, education, and products that enhance personal and interactive productivity. Please visit our website.

The ideal candidate will have 10 -15 years of successful professional services sales experience. Major job responsibilities include managing existing accounts in the Business Development Director’s territory and being proactive in managing new sales opportunities. Prospecting is a very big part of the job. This position exists primarily to create new demand for company products and services. Compensation is a blend of salary and commission. Qualified candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and their resume to jobapplicants@davidco.com.

Required competencies include: consultative sales skills, account management, executive presence, strong business acumen, and strategic account planning.

David Allen Company is a values-based company, for which our internal culture and how we represent ourselves to the world are as much a statement of our business as our services and products. Interested candidates are encouraged to read our company principles on our website to confirm alignment with our rules of engagement.

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David Allen was on MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” giving tips on how to stay productive in a fast-paced, high-tech world.  True to form, David condensed elements of his Horizons of Focus and 5 Phases of Workflow models into this short video.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(The video is streaming from MSNBC, so you may need to give it a moment to load.)

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MSNBC featured David Allen on their Daily Rundown show this week talking about productivity, Getting Things Done®, and avoiding burnout.  Here’s the 5 minute video with David from the broadcast:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(The video is streaming from MSNBC, so you may need to give it a moment to load.)

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PC World asked David Allen to name five tips for productivity.  The focus is on productivity within the Windows environment, but several tips apply to Mac as well.

1. eProductivity for Lotus Notes
2. Blackberry synchronization with Lotus Notes
3. MindManager from Mindjet
4. ActiveWords
5. Pamela Professional for Skype

Read more . . .

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David Allen shares his perspective on the antidote to the curse of the eternally urgent in his latest educational newsletter.

Keep reading David’s article

Subscribe to Productive Living.  It’s free and sent about every 3 weeks. Chock full of lots of great GTD tips, tricks and strategies.

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