There is a constant information overload, which is absolutely overwhelming at times. The numerous things to do/manage and the fact that the desk has to be clear (so to speak) by the end of the day could bring you down at times or may be most of the times. Are we managing the time well? The routine time management theories and concepts do not seem to be applicable anymore. For we have multiple tasks to manage at the same time now and getting things done effectively is becoming a challenge.
Well, there’s no set theory per se to get things done, you need to start working towards it to see how it can be done. Mostly we work and get things done intuitively, what we need to focus at is the thinking process that facilitates the process of ‘getting things done’. There are several training providers who conduct sessions on ‘getting things done’ where they discuss the tips, tricks, methodologies and tools to manage your to-do list effectively so that you do not drown in the information overload but stay afloat and stay rather stress free.
One of the corporate training providers in UK ‘Thinkproductive’ conduct workshops for getting things done where they also do “at-desk coaching”. At-desk coaching means these trainers would work along with you real time time at your work desk to show how you can plan and organize your work for the day. Strategize a simple work-flow, to be in complete control of your day and manage your tasks smoothly, this is what you would learn from getting things done training session.
Showing posts with label get things done. Show all posts
Showing posts with label get things done. Show all posts
Friday, November 19, 2010
Running around to get things done?
Another day gone by, so much to do and we do not seem to have enough time to accomplish what we are supposed to in a given time frame. Don’t we often wander off, while there is still so much to fix and then worry about it later and feel that we are hard pressed against time? Emails piling up to be responded, reports to be made, need to attend a teleconference and there after a meeting; sounds familiar? More often than not we are fighting against time, so much to do in so little time.
So we are finding it difficult to get things done at work and it only seems to be getting worse. Multi-tasking is the need of the hour to stay up-to-date and subsequently stress free. What is needed is a training session where they teach how to get things done; how to be organized, how to prioritize, plan and implement.
Getting Things Done teaches best practices and methods for self management, it teaches you to strategically approach things to do and then get them done. There are various training and development organizations who conduct professional training sessions generic and need-based both for communication and organizational skills. These entities provide a holistic training on getting things done which would include managing your time, to-do list and keeping your inbox zero.
So we are finding it difficult to get things done at work and it only seems to be getting worse. Multi-tasking is the need of the hour to stay up-to-date and subsequently stress free. What is needed is a training session where they teach how to get things done; how to be organized, how to prioritize, plan and implement.
Getting Things Done teaches best practices and methods for self management, it teaches you to strategically approach things to do and then get them done. There are various training and development organizations who conduct professional training sessions generic and need-based both for communication and organizational skills. These entities provide a holistic training on getting things done which would include managing your time, to-do list and keeping your inbox zero.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Balance work and life with ‘Getting things done’
Balancing work and life could be stressful if not dealt with carefully. This is where David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) comes to play. The author is a reputed management consultant who explains human work culture and talks on how to increase productivity using his management practices. There are many products available on the internet of which Getting Things Done with Work Life Balance is a popular series. If you want to experience Allen’s program you can sign up for free seminar or free MP3 or CD downloads which will give you an idea about the author and the power of his writings. If you are satisfied you can get enrolled for the complete series.
David Allen talks about all those aspects that can make you successful at work, starting from altering your bad habits, creating agendas, building trust and even how to control you inbox. Most of these ideas were put to practice by big corporate and have yielded great results. Write your success story with David Allen’s Getting Things Done. David has diagrammatically represented his Work Life Balance. This helps to understand better how to organize and process assignments at work. While reading his book or attending his seminars you will notice that David constantly refers to Actionable. This means whether an item needs immediate action or later consideration or total elimination, David says that once this is defined your work becomes more organized.
Both employers and employees can enjoy David Allen’s Getting Things Done and can see to that their working style and output has taken a positive growth. A clutter less and enjoyable work scenario can improve the productivity rate. If work is taken care off your home life becomes more fulfilling. No more carrying office work home, ruining your family relationship, spoiling your weekends, etc. You will notice the Getting Things Done has transformed your whole life and also a whole new energy waiting inside you to be unleashed.
According to David, ‘ability to be productive is directly proportional to ability to relax’. You can relax yourself at work or home once you have completed your work on schedule. This helps you gain control over any situation and stay more focused at work. Remember that you need to keep your mind and body away from stress to explore creative ideas. A tense mind does not have the ability to think right and hence the level of production is drastically reduced. You will notice that getting things done has taken your life to a whole new level.
David Allen talks about all those aspects that can make you successful at work, starting from altering your bad habits, creating agendas, building trust and even how to control you inbox. Most of these ideas were put to practice by big corporate and have yielded great results. Write your success story with David Allen’s Getting Things Done. David has diagrammatically represented his Work Life Balance. This helps to understand better how to organize and process assignments at work. While reading his book or attending his seminars you will notice that David constantly refers to Actionable. This means whether an item needs immediate action or later consideration or total elimination, David says that once this is defined your work becomes more organized.
Both employers and employees can enjoy David Allen’s Getting Things Done and can see to that their working style and output has taken a positive growth. A clutter less and enjoyable work scenario can improve the productivity rate. If work is taken care off your home life becomes more fulfilling. No more carrying office work home, ruining your family relationship, spoiling your weekends, etc. You will notice the Getting Things Done has transformed your whole life and also a whole new energy waiting inside you to be unleashed.
According to David, ‘ability to be productive is directly proportional to ability to relax’. You can relax yourself at work or home once you have completed your work on schedule. This helps you gain control over any situation and stay more focused at work. Remember that you need to keep your mind and body away from stress to explore creative ideas. A tense mind does not have the ability to think right and hence the level of production is drastically reduced. You will notice that getting things done has taken your life to a whole new level.
Getting Things Done -II
Do you constantly feel overworked and stressed while getting things done? Are you struggling to find a better way to get daily tasks done on time? Do you dread to see work piling up on your desk? If yes, then you are yet to achieve the epithet of an efficient multi-tasker. Multi-tasking is not just about doing many things at a time, rather handling and delivering tasks assigned within the time allotted, with minimum or zero mistakes.
In this article we shall give you some valuable tips on Getting Things Done on time.
* The first step for doing any job perfectly is to prioritize all the jobs you have in hand. Every morning, before you start your work, make a list of the three most important tasks that would make your day fruitful. It could be something, which has an urgent deadline, yet you have kept it pending for a while now. Completing something like this may ease your burdens instantly.
* Once you have made your top priority list of the three things, work on them. And, work only on these three things without getting digressed to others tasks. To keep yourself away from distractions you can stop taking calls, reading emails, even email notifications, other alerts till you have completed the ones you had listed as priority.
* When you have completed these top 3 tasks, you can either move on to other smaller tasks, or even call it a day. Accomplishing what you had planned to, at the start of the day, will not only make you feel accomplished, you will also be relieved, even if its just for that particular day.
* Multi-tasking is not always a virtue, because it may often make you feel you are about to complete many things together, when it is not actually so. Hence, it always makes sense to focus on doing one thing at a time. Taking time to do one thing at a time helps in Getting Things Done efficiently. If for example, you have 5 tasks in hand, you may complete just about 20% of each of them if you are doing them at the same time. What eventually happens is none of them get completed and you are stressed with the thought that all the tasks need to be done.
* Doing one task at a time may seem slower, but will definitely relieve you of the stress baggage once it is completed. And, you can easily move on to the next task. So, when you are overwhelmed with too many things, stop and choose the top priority one.
* No work can help you when you are stressed beyond limit at work. Take a day off and invest the time for a specific purpose. Say for instance, if your workstation needs to be cleaned, or your paperwork is becoming a pile on, you should take a personal day off from work, and focus on that task. Do not attend phones, read or reply to emails, or sit before the laptop unless you need it to complete what you have planned to do. This will make a positive difference when you find it difficult to balance office with housework, schoolwork or other important things that need your attention.
* Always keep your desk clean. Visual clutter sends out negative vibes of too much pending work, even when the situation is not as terrible. A worktable, free of paper clears mental distractions and gives you the feeling that you are in control of the situation.
Getting Things Done is not as difficult as it seems, when you start following the suggestions listed above. When burdened with too much, just stop, sit and pick the most important thing and work on it. Set aside a separate time for email, paperwork and the smaller less important tasks.
Log on to www.thinkproductive.co.uk for more useful tips and tricks on getting things done.
In this article we shall give you some valuable tips on Getting Things Done on time.
* The first step for doing any job perfectly is to prioritize all the jobs you have in hand. Every morning, before you start your work, make a list of the three most important tasks that would make your day fruitful. It could be something, which has an urgent deadline, yet you have kept it pending for a while now. Completing something like this may ease your burdens instantly.
* Once you have made your top priority list of the three things, work on them. And, work only on these three things without getting digressed to others tasks. To keep yourself away from distractions you can stop taking calls, reading emails, even email notifications, other alerts till you have completed the ones you had listed as priority.
* When you have completed these top 3 tasks, you can either move on to other smaller tasks, or even call it a day. Accomplishing what you had planned to, at the start of the day, will not only make you feel accomplished, you will also be relieved, even if its just for that particular day.
* Multi-tasking is not always a virtue, because it may often make you feel you are about to complete many things together, when it is not actually so. Hence, it always makes sense to focus on doing one thing at a time. Taking time to do one thing at a time helps in Getting Things Done efficiently. If for example, you have 5 tasks in hand, you may complete just about 20% of each of them if you are doing them at the same time. What eventually happens is none of them get completed and you are stressed with the thought that all the tasks need to be done.
* Doing one task at a time may seem slower, but will definitely relieve you of the stress baggage once it is completed. And, you can easily move on to the next task. So, when you are overwhelmed with too many things, stop and choose the top priority one.
* No work can help you when you are stressed beyond limit at work. Take a day off and invest the time for a specific purpose. Say for instance, if your workstation needs to be cleaned, or your paperwork is becoming a pile on, you should take a personal day off from work, and focus on that task. Do not attend phones, read or reply to emails, or sit before the laptop unless you need it to complete what you have planned to do. This will make a positive difference when you find it difficult to balance office with housework, schoolwork or other important things that need your attention.
* Always keep your desk clean. Visual clutter sends out negative vibes of too much pending work, even when the situation is not as terrible. A worktable, free of paper clears mental distractions and gives you the feeling that you are in control of the situation.
Getting Things Done is not as difficult as it seems, when you start following the suggestions listed above. When burdened with too much, just stop, sit and pick the most important thing and work on it. Set aside a separate time for email, paperwork and the smaller less important tasks.
Log on to www.thinkproductive.co.uk for more useful tips and tricks on getting things done.
Getting Things Done
Getting things done, abbreviated as GTD, is an organizational method introduced by David Allen in a book by the same name.
The method works on the theory that a person should move his tasks out of his mind, by recording them externally. By doing this, the mind does not have to carry the burden of trying to remember all that needs to be done and can freely concentrate on ‘actually performing those tasks’.
David Allen’s concept of Getting Things Done, rests on two key elements – control and perspective. He suggests a work flow process to gain control over all the tasks and commitments that one needs has to complete and six levels of focus to help them get the useful perspective.
In order to accomplish tasks through the Getting Things Done method, Allen advocates a review every week, focusing on different levels, and further states that the perspective gained from the weekly reviews will help in driving one’s priorities, which will then help in prioritizing individual tasks and commitments accumulated in the work flow process.
How do weekly reviews assist in Getting Things Done?
Weekly reviews demand that the individual in question must check the tasks he has to perform and place them in appropriate lists. For instance, he can determine the context of tasks and create a group with a list of similar tasks like making phone calls, and errands to do when out of office.
These context based lists are defined by the set of tools available or by the presence of individuals or groups for whom one has items to discuss or present. For more cues on context lists for similar tasks, log on to www.thinkproductive.co.uk.
GTD, or Getting Things Done, is an organizational method that’s makes it easy to store, track and retrieve information relevant, and in relating to the tasks that need to be accomplished. According to the founder of this method, David Allen, most of all our mental blocks that we face are the result of inadequate ‘front-end’ planning. Allen suggests that we should try and plan, thinking in advance and conceptualizing a series of actions, which later, we can simply put into action without further planning. Allen feels that the human brain’s ‘reminder system’ is not efficient enough and will seldom remind us of what we need to do, where we need to do it, how we need to do it, and when we need to do it.
However, if we follow the Getting Things Done method, the ‘next actions’ stored by context in the ‘trusted system’ like checklists, memos, alarms etc., will support us externally by responsibly ensuring that we are presented with the right task reminders at the right time and the right place. Getting Things Done is dependent on external memories and is studied as an application that works on scientific theories of distributed cognition or the extended mind.
The method works on the theory that a person should move his tasks out of his mind, by recording them externally. By doing this, the mind does not have to carry the burden of trying to remember all that needs to be done and can freely concentrate on ‘actually performing those tasks’.
David Allen’s concept of Getting Things Done, rests on two key elements – control and perspective. He suggests a work flow process to gain control over all the tasks and commitments that one needs has to complete and six levels of focus to help them get the useful perspective.
In order to accomplish tasks through the Getting Things Done method, Allen advocates a review every week, focusing on different levels, and further states that the perspective gained from the weekly reviews will help in driving one’s priorities, which will then help in prioritizing individual tasks and commitments accumulated in the work flow process.
How do weekly reviews assist in Getting Things Done?
Weekly reviews demand that the individual in question must check the tasks he has to perform and place them in appropriate lists. For instance, he can determine the context of tasks and create a group with a list of similar tasks like making phone calls, and errands to do when out of office.
These context based lists are defined by the set of tools available or by the presence of individuals or groups for whom one has items to discuss or present. For more cues on context lists for similar tasks, log on to www.thinkproductive.co.uk.
GTD, or Getting Things Done, is an organizational method that’s makes it easy to store, track and retrieve information relevant, and in relating to the tasks that need to be accomplished. According to the founder of this method, David Allen, most of all our mental blocks that we face are the result of inadequate ‘front-end’ planning. Allen suggests that we should try and plan, thinking in advance and conceptualizing a series of actions, which later, we can simply put into action without further planning. Allen feels that the human brain’s ‘reminder system’ is not efficient enough and will seldom remind us of what we need to do, where we need to do it, how we need to do it, and when we need to do it.
However, if we follow the Getting Things Done method, the ‘next actions’ stored by context in the ‘trusted system’ like checklists, memos, alarms etc., will support us externally by responsibly ensuring that we are presented with the right task reminders at the right time and the right place. Getting Things Done is dependent on external memories and is studied as an application that works on scientific theories of distributed cognition or the extended mind.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Win easy with ‘Getting things done’
All of us want to be winners. But not all are able to achieve their goals on time. For most of them their desires and aspirations remains a mere dream. With little push and motivation they can achieve their targets comfortably. But from where to get this driving force? It is all a state of mind. The energy is within you and there is no need to search for it outside. This is what is suggested in David Allen’s book Getting Things Done (GTD). Most of the top companies use Allen’s techniques to reach their organizational goals on time. Within a short span of time Getting Things Done has become a best seller in the management arena.
What does David Allen’s Getting Things Done talk about? Collect, process, organize, review and do is the bottom line of Getting Things Done. In detail this means, collect all your tasks onto a paper. Get rid of these tasks from your head however big or small they may be on to a paper. Once this collection of data is done then comes processing the data. Whatever tasks need immediate attention has to be prioritized first then turn to less important items. The least important tasks can be filed for later action. Now you need to organize these tasks by keeping track of their progress. If you have delegated some task check its advancement on a regular basis. End of the day you are responsible for the tasks delegated too. As soon as the tasks are assigned review them for further action. Finally comes the ‘do’ part. Take action on the prioritized task. Many people have tasted success by using these simple steps devised by David Allen.
Today corporate have realized the importance of time management and how it plays a vital role in the growth of the organization. That is why more and more corporate are turning towards such seminars to enhance the performance of their employees. Getting Things Done helps in channelizing information and communication. To day there are number of organizations that conduct very productive and interactive sessions nd seminars on Getting Things Done. Uk based Thinkproductive in one such organization that conducts and imparts training on the entire process of getting things done.
What does David Allen’s Getting Things Done talk about? Collect, process, organize, review and do is the bottom line of Getting Things Done. In detail this means, collect all your tasks onto a paper. Get rid of these tasks from your head however big or small they may be on to a paper. Once this collection of data is done then comes processing the data. Whatever tasks need immediate attention has to be prioritized first then turn to less important items. The least important tasks can be filed for later action. Now you need to organize these tasks by keeping track of their progress. If you have delegated some task check its advancement on a regular basis. End of the day you are responsible for the tasks delegated too. As soon as the tasks are assigned review them for further action. Finally comes the ‘do’ part. Take action on the prioritized task. Many people have tasted success by using these simple steps devised by David Allen.
Today corporate have realized the importance of time management and how it plays a vital role in the growth of the organization. That is why more and more corporate are turning towards such seminars to enhance the performance of their employees. Getting Things Done helps in channelizing information and communication. To day there are number of organizations that conduct very productive and interactive sessions nd seminars on Getting Things Done. Uk based Thinkproductive in one such organization that conducts and imparts training on the entire process of getting things done.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Getting things done- Try A Different Approach At Running Your Business
Operating a business enterprise and striving hard all along the way to meet the growing demands of clients and partners alike is no child’s play. A perfect balance of work and play will often help entrepreneurs to run their business more efficiently and help them bring about harmony in their office. This, in turn will be motivating to the staff at office, who will work hard to increase the productivity and thereby increasing the level of profits. There are several ways for getting things done at the office and a combination of these factors spell success for a company. A manager is like the captain of the ship that leads the ship to victory or doom.
When you sit in the comfort of the office and wait for the clients who never going to turn up, its quite frustrating and this puts off other people too. Only through proper business planning can you get things done at the office. Its not an easy job to find a walk in client and once you happened to get one, then make sure that he is retained for life. Getting a client for life is much more important than all those one-time transactions. In the long run, that is what is going to look good on you, instead of one big transaction at one time.
Also a proper management is important to run your business smoothly. Assign tasks to your staff members only after knowing their full potential. Authorizing a number of tasks to an employee will lose a lot of time which will in turn affect productivity. Employees have to attend to a lot of things at office. Attending phone calls, receiving and replying to emails constantly, meeting clients at office and at the same time performing tasks to meet with deadlines. Interruptions, no matter in whatever form they may be in will cause serious repercussions at job and once the employee is distracted, he takes more than 20 minutes to get back to the routine. Recognize and allot work to those employees who are good at their respective jobs and let them keep at it. Its true that most youngsters are becoming experts on handling a multitude of gadgets and doing their work too. This feature sometimes make them a nervous wreck by the end of the day and by the time they are in their mid 30s and early 40s, they are totally and irrevocably burned out. You can prevent this from happening with your employees by making them do what they are good at and increasing their capability once they are in the groove of work.
When you sit in the comfort of the office and wait for the clients who never going to turn up, its quite frustrating and this puts off other people too. Only through proper business planning can you get things done at the office. Its not an easy job to find a walk in client and once you happened to get one, then make sure that he is retained for life. Getting a client for life is much more important than all those one-time transactions. In the long run, that is what is going to look good on you, instead of one big transaction at one time.
Also a proper management is important to run your business smoothly. Assign tasks to your staff members only after knowing their full potential. Authorizing a number of tasks to an employee will lose a lot of time which will in turn affect productivity. Employees have to attend to a lot of things at office. Attending phone calls, receiving and replying to emails constantly, meeting clients at office and at the same time performing tasks to meet with deadlines. Interruptions, no matter in whatever form they may be in will cause serious repercussions at job and once the employee is distracted, he takes more than 20 minutes to get back to the routine. Recognize and allot work to those employees who are good at their respective jobs and let them keep at it. Its true that most youngsters are becoming experts on handling a multitude of gadgets and doing their work too. This feature sometimes make them a nervous wreck by the end of the day and by the time they are in their mid 30s and early 40s, they are totally and irrevocably burned out. You can prevent this from happening with your employees by making them do what they are good at and increasing their capability once they are in the groove of work.
Running A Business That Goes Full House All Year Round
Becoming a successful entrepreneur is not an easy task. An entrepreneur needs more than just luck to stay ahead of the competition and keep his head off the water. It takes a mix of competency, education, technical know-how, time management skills, organizational skills, tolerance and patience to solve critical problems as they arise and seek probable solutions. Problems crop up at all stages of production and sales and only through some basic knowledge of business will he be able to solve crisis.
In order to get things done in your office, you need to have a basic business plan. If you are planning on starting a new business, then this is the first step that you have to take, All the planning, brain storming and detailed discussions of starting the business should be detailed in the business plan. Once the business is up and running, then it needs constant monitoring, effort and planning to keep it going up. Staying focused on how to fulfill the objectives of your company will be appreciated by clients and partners alike.
Here is a small checklist for getting things done in your company:
Prompt Accounts: No matter however efficient is your accountant, you have to be involved in it every step of the way. Keep an eye and an ear on the money that’s coming in and going out.
Constant Monitoring: The secret of successful business, lies not in sitting in your office and thinking others will do the work. Walk around each cubicle in your office, watch your staff, monitor their working without being overbearing. Conduct meetings on a weekly and monthly basis to gauge the performance of the staff. When the staff knows that you are there to personally and physically solve their work problems, they will find it easier to be more productive.
Constant Motivation: A happy and satisfied employee will leave no stone unturned to keep your business running. Everybody likes to be praised; so don’t be stringent with your compliments. Spread the air of positive energy around even when there is no hope.
Getting Paid: The main reason why you are running a business is because you want to get paid. Don’t let any client or customer get away with not paying you for your services. Loaning your services will only spell doomsday for the company. Keep on sending notifications of non-payment till you get paid.
Organizational Skills: Effectively manage your time and maintain an organized office. A cluttered office demotivates people and hampers their efficiency level. Keep sufficient number of bulletin board and notice boards so you can keep track of projects, the details of employees working on these projects, how they have been faring, a gist of future projects and so on.
These are just a few of the qualities, an entrepreneur should posses. To know more about other qualities, please visit, http://thinkproductive.co.uk/, a UK based website that conducts effective workshops, seminars and meetings on how to get things done at your office.
In order to get things done in your office, you need to have a basic business plan. If you are planning on starting a new business, then this is the first step that you have to take, All the planning, brain storming and detailed discussions of starting the business should be detailed in the business plan. Once the business is up and running, then it needs constant monitoring, effort and planning to keep it going up. Staying focused on how to fulfill the objectives of your company will be appreciated by clients and partners alike.
Here is a small checklist for getting things done in your company:
Prompt Accounts: No matter however efficient is your accountant, you have to be involved in it every step of the way. Keep an eye and an ear on the money that’s coming in and going out.
Constant Monitoring: The secret of successful business, lies not in sitting in your office and thinking others will do the work. Walk around each cubicle in your office, watch your staff, monitor their working without being overbearing. Conduct meetings on a weekly and monthly basis to gauge the performance of the staff. When the staff knows that you are there to personally and physically solve their work problems, they will find it easier to be more productive.
Constant Motivation: A happy and satisfied employee will leave no stone unturned to keep your business running. Everybody likes to be praised; so don’t be stringent with your compliments. Spread the air of positive energy around even when there is no hope.
Getting Paid: The main reason why you are running a business is because you want to get paid. Don’t let any client or customer get away with not paying you for your services. Loaning your services will only spell doomsday for the company. Keep on sending notifications of non-payment till you get paid.
Organizational Skills: Effectively manage your time and maintain an organized office. A cluttered office demotivates people and hampers their efficiency level. Keep sufficient number of bulletin board and notice boards so you can keep track of projects, the details of employees working on these projects, how they have been faring, a gist of future projects and so on.
These are just a few of the qualities, an entrepreneur should posses. To know more about other qualities, please visit, http://thinkproductive.co.uk/, a UK based website that conducts effective workshops, seminars and meetings on how to get things done at your office.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)