Personal Productivity & Knowledge Work: Hard Truths and "Hot Tips"
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The document discusses personal productivity and the challenges faced by knowledge workers, emphasizing the detrimental effects of new demands and insufficient resources. It introduces the concept of 'inbox zero' as a method for managing email effectively and provides strategies for maintaining productivity. Key insights from productivity experts like David Allen and Merlin Mann are highlighted, alongside actionable tips for improving focus and organization.
Personal Productivity & Knowledge Work: Hard Truths and "Hot Tips"
- 1. PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY AND KNOWLEDGE WORK: HARD TRUTHS AND “HOT TIPS” November 29, 2012 Scott Bragg
- 2. Why does this matter to me?
- 3. Personal Productivity = when you take how productive you are personally.
- 5. “In knowledge work, the task is not given, it has to be determined.” -Peter Drucker
- 6. THE BAD NEWS This is how we live today: New demands + insufficient resources = STRESS!
- 7. THE BAD NEWS …can lead to DESPAIR
- 8. THE BAD NEWS (cont’d) THE INTERNET IS OUT TO GET YOU!
- 9. THE BAD NEWS (cont’d) 15 hours, 33 minutes The average time a person spends on Facebook every month. Source: http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/
- 10. THE BAD NEWS (cont’d) Social media isn’t free. It’s just a different kind of expensive.
- 11. THE BAD NEWS (cont’d) Email is out to get you too.
- 12. THE BAD NEWS (cont’d) Facebook: CONTROL: High EXPECTATIONS: Low Email: CONTROL: Low EXPECTATIONS: High
- 13. MULTI-TASKING =
- 14. “MULTI-TASKING” = Background tasking or Switch-tasking
- 16. LET ME INTRODUCE YOU… Photo: www.davidco.com/about-us/about- Photo: http://merlinm.com/about/ david-allen / David Allen Merlin Mann • Getting Things Done • Inbox Zero (just (call it “GTD” to show Google it) you’re in the know) • 43Folders.com • Back to Work
- 17. “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 Allen The very first sentence of “Getting Things Done”
- 18. GTD in one sentence A system for transforming the amorphous blob of “stuff” you deal with every day into clear, meaningful action steps toward completing valuable, meaningful projects.
- 19. “Minds are for having ideas, not holding them.” -David Allen
- 20. TIME and ATTENTION • Scarce resources • Inelastic (in economic sense) • Irreplaceable • We don’t know how to properly value them
- 21. “The goal isn’t effective time management. It’s effective attention management.” -Merlin Mann
- 22. So, where’s the best place to start?
- 23. How about email?
- 24. “Are you really checking your email, or is your email “checking” (and wrecking) you?” -Scott Bragg Just now
- 25. This is what most Inboxes look like:
- 26. This is what your Inbox could look like:
- 27. Inbox Zero The Goal: To process your inbox to zero every time you check your email.
- 28. Inbox Zero: The 4 Ds 1. 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.)
- 29. 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”
- 30. CONGRATULATIONS! You made it to the “Hot Tips” part of our programme!
- 31. Party
- 32. 1 Turn off the pop-up notification in Outlook.
- 33. 2 Make habits out of completing recurring tasks.
- 34. 3 Your Trash folder and Recycling Bin are great short- term storage.
- 35. 4 Turn on “Out of Office” when working on an important project.
- 36. 5 Check email only once an hour.
- 37. 6 Use your calendar to mark off large chunks of time for projects.
- 38. 7 F11 is your best friend.
- 39. 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
- 40. Thank You!
Editor's Notes
- #14: It doesn’t really exist, but there are enough things in this world that look like it to make a lot of people think that it does.
- #15: Switchtasking involves attention entropy—you loose attention, concentration, focus every time you switch from one task to another, and have to reset each time. It’s just the way your brain works.
- #17: Show the book at this point—dropped it from the slide deck.
- #20: The reason you get so stressed out is that you’re holding a million things in your head. Those things all get mushed together and weighed against each other and they’re in your head and not outside of yourself. This can drive you crazy.
- #21: Merlin Mann comparison between taking $100 and taking 45 minutes of time
- #30: Different content types on a to-do list: spring cleaning v. drop bill in mail
- #34: Timesheet and monthly report. At the end of the day, or after the completion of a project, write it down immediately, capture it, put in a place you know you’ll find it, and stop worrying about it.
- #38: If a project is a priority, it should be get equal or greater standing against non-existent meetings.