Personal Productivity & Knowledge Work: Hard Truths and "Hot Tips"

PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY AND KNOWLEDGE WORK: HARD TRUTHS AND “HOT TIPS”

November 29, 2012Scott Bragg

Why does this matter

to me?

when you take how productive you are personally.

Personal Productivity=

YOU ARE A KNOWLEDGE WORKER

Congratulations!

“In knowledge work, the task is not given, it has to be determined.”

-Peter Drucker

This is how we live today:

New demands +insufficient resources = STRESS!

THE BAD NEWS

…can lead to DESPAIR

THE BAD NEWS

THE INTERNET IS OUT TO GET YOU!

THE BAD NEWS (cont’d)

15 hours, 33 minutes

THE BAD NEWS (cont’d)

The average time a person spends on Facebook every month.

Source: http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/

THE BAD NEWS (cont’d)

Social media isn’t free. It’s just a different kind of expensive.

Email is out to get you too.

THE BAD NEWS (cont’d)

Facebook:

CONTROL: HighEXPECTATIONS: Low

THE BAD NEWS (cont’d)

Email:

CONTROL: LowEXPECTATIONS: High

MULTI-TASKING=

“MULTI-TASKING”=

Background tasking

orSwitch-tasking

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sybrenstuvel/2468506922/

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU…

David Allen

Merlin Mann• Getting Things

Done (call it “GTD” to show you’re in

the know)

• Inbox Zero (just Google it)

• 43Folders.com• Back to Work

Photo: http://merlinm.com/about/Photo: www.davidco.com/about-us/about-david-allen /

“It’s possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control”

-David AllenThe very first sentence of “Getting Things

Done”

GTD in one sentenceA system for transforming the amorphous blob of “stuff” you deal with every day into clear, meaningful action steps toward completing valuable, meaningful projects.

“Minds are for having ideas, not holding them.”

-David Allen

ATTENTIONTIME

and

• Scarce resources• Inelastic (in economic sense)• Irreplaceable• We don’t know how to properly value

them

“The goal isn’t effective time management.

It’s effective attention management.”

-Merlin Mann

So, where’s the best place to start?

How about email?

“Are you really checking your email, or is your email “checking” (and wrecking) you?”

-Scott BraggJust now

This is what most Inboxes look like:

This is what your Inbox could look like:

Inbox ZeroThe Goal: To process yourinbox to zero

everytime you check

youremail.

Inbox Zero: The 4 Ds1.Do it!2. Delete it! (or “Archive”)3. Delegate it! (then Delete it)4. Defer it (Whoa there!)

(These 4 Ds are slightly altered from D. Allen and M. Mann’s original, by me.)

Deferring It (the basics)• Decide on a permanent place to collect deferred tasks or “things.”

• Verb every task you collect.

• Make it a habit to evaluate your collection of deferred tasks regularly.

• Two different lists: “To Do” and “To Do Someday”

You made it to the “Hot Tips” part of our programme!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Party

Turn off the pop-up notification in Outlook.

1

Make habits out of completing recurring tasks.

2

Your Trash folder and Recycling Bin are great short-term storage.

3

Turn on “Out of Office” when working on an important project.

4

Check email only once an hour.

5

Use your calendar to mark off large chunks of time for projects.

6

F11 is your best friend.

7

Want more?Getting Things Done by David Allen

Inbox Zero talk by Merlin Mann for Google (link)

Back to Work podcast with Merlin Mann at 5by5.tv/b2w

Linchpin by Seth Godin

The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker

Flying Without a Net by Tom DeLong

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Thank You!