David Allen has made it to Quote Corner! One example: “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
In the Job Market section of the New York Times, you’ll find an interesting article on the value of working with paper. David Allen weighs in on how he uses paper, in addition to doing his writing on a computer.
In Defense of the Power of Paper
By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Published: September 8, 2012Paper, says the productivity expert David Allen, is “in your face.” Its physical presence can be a goad to completing tasks, whereas computer files can easily be hidden and thus forgotten, he said. Some of his clients are returning to paper planners for this very reason, he added.
Mr. Allen, the author of Getting Things Done, does much of his writing on a computer, but there are still times when writing with a fountain pen on a notepad “allows me to get my head in the right place,” he said.
Read the complete article here.
Do you work in an educational, governmental, or nonprofit organization? Then you qualify for a substantial discount on your GTD Connect® membership.
The GTD Connect Team is pleased to announce a new monthly membership opportunity for nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, students, and government agencies.
Now you can access the wealth of productivity tools on GTD Connect, David Allen’s online learning center, with a new nonprofit monthly membership of only $36 per month (a 25% savings over our standard monthly membership of $48 per month). This flexible membership allows you to cancel anytime.
Your GTD Connect membership includes:
• GTD Getting Started & Refresher Series to master your workflow
• Extensive skill-building audio, video, and document library, including downloadable GTD Setup Guides
• Engaging interviews with GTD champions and enthusiasts, sharing how they make GTD work personally and professionally
• Lively discussion forums sharing ideas, tips, and tricks
To qualify for this special membership rate, please email your request to connect@davidco.com. Please make sure you use the email address from the nonprofit, educational institution or government agency that would qualify you for this special rate. Upon a simple approval process, we will send you the special links to purchase a membership through our online store.
David Allen gets right to the point about productivity in this interview with the Washington Post.
How to clear your inbox, make decisions and generally get things done
By Tom Fox, Published: June 13 The Washington PostWhat are some of the biggest productivity problems that leaders face?
A lot of stuff banging around in their heads; and if not captured, you’ll be driven by the latest and loudest. Even if you’ve captured everything, but you don’t decide what it means quickly enough, then you become a compulsive list-maker. You’re still not getting anything done, and you’re just wasting time making lists. People must ask: What does this mean? Is this actionable or not? What is the outcome that I am committed to?
Many people make decisions when they blow up instead of when they show up. Even if you’ve decided what the next step is, you must be organized. And, even if you’ve captured, decided and organized, you will still face problems if you don’t step back, review and reflect on your decisions. The worst practice is to fall off of any of those steps and start working out of hope.
Read the full article here.
A new study suggests that the stress of dealing with email causes health problems. In the study, those without email felt more productive and focused. But as anyone who relies on email can tell you, it’s also stressful to be on vacation from this pervasive form of communication. Some study participants reported feeling isolated—which is also stressful—when they were away from email.
So are you stressed if you do and stressed if you don’t? Or is there another, better option?
Yes there is. It’s the GTD approach to getting email under control. You can stay connected, or take a vacation away from email, and trust that your decision is healthy.
You can read more about the study in this article from the Atlantic.
The Latest ‘Ordinary Thing That Will Probably Kill You’? Email
By Megan Garber
Your inbox is stressing you out, a new study finds.
Here are some things about your job that could lead you to an early demise:Your commute to your office.
Your morning coffee.
Your coworkers.
Your chair.
Your lunch.
Your happy hour cocktail.
Your commute from your office.Now, we can add one more X to the X WILL KILL YOU work party: your email. Well, sort of. A new study, a collaboration between UC Irvine and the U.S. Army, measured the stress effects of email usage on a group of thirteen Army workers in a “suburban office setting.”
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?
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.
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 EkekweMobile 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.
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.
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, 2012HOW 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.
