Stress-Free Productivity: Getting Things Done With Less Effort

Presented By:

Sandra McCune, BSN, RN

Session Overview This session will cover how implementing the methods of “Getting Things Done” by David Allen can transform your professional life from daily survival mode to an organized, timely and efficient workflow. I will share my experience in implementing the program by using step-by-step tools. This system will allow attendees to get things done with less effort and stress, while managing the daily “fire-fighting” demands of case management.

"The ART of Getting Things Done" Requires Training and Commitment which "Getting Things Done, The

Art of Stress-Free Productivity" provides.

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Learning Objective 1. Describe the principles and application

behind stress-free productivity 2. Utilize step-by-step tools to implement “Getting Things Done” program 3. Achieve balance between work and personal life

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The New Reality

• You already have the skills to function

productively with a clear head & a positive sense of relaxed control.

• You need to apply these skills in a more timely, complete, & systematic way.

• This is how you will get on top of it all instead of feeling buried.

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Two Key Objectives

• Capture all the things that need to get done into a logical & trusted system outside of your head & off your mind.

• Discipline yourself to make front-end decisions about all of your “open loops” so you will always have a plan for “next actions”.

• Anything that doesn’t belong where it is, the way it is, is an “open loop” pulling on your attention.

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Open Loops are “Stuff” & the key to managing all your stuff is managing your actions. Getting it all out of your head requires capturing & organizing 100% of your stuff in a trusted system that you know you will review regularly.

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"The Basic Requirements for Managing Commitments" PG 13

"..if it is on your mind, your mind isn't clear. What is on your Mind? Anything you consider unfinished

What is unfinished?? PG 15 • You haven’t clarified the intended outcome • You haven’t established the next physical action step • You haven’t put in place a trusted system for reminders

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HOW DO YOU START

1. Create Space 2. Getting Tools

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Five Stages of Mastering Workflow

1. COLLECT 2. PROCESS 3. ORGANIZE 4. REVIEW 5. DO

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• Collect physical items • Collect mental items • Create a trigger list • Collect Electronic items - Emails - Voicemails

Step One: Collect

Collection • Start with your desk top

- Stacks of mail - Meeting minutes - Business cards

• Move everything into your in basket • Desk Drawers Looking for actionable items Move actionable items to the in basket or write a note and put the note in the in basket • Countertops, tables, credenzas, floor Collect the stacks of reading material, mail, or folders.

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Mental Collection What has your attention that is not represented by

something already in your in basket.

Use a separate plain sheet of paper to write out each thought, idea, project, or thing that has your

attention. Review pgs. 114-117 for Trigger list to help

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Digital Collection Consists of emails and voicemails

David Allen suggests printing these items and putting them in the inbox.

My Adaption:

I created a digital copy of my physical buckets

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Step 2 Processing - Getting the In Box Empty

Identify each item and decide what it is, what it means, and what you are going to do with it.

Outcome: 1. Trashed what you don’t need 2. Completed any <2 min action 3. Delegated items 4. Sorted >2 min action items into organizing

system 5. Project identification

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Guidelines • Process the top item first • Process one item at a time • Never put anything back into “in”

PROCESSING

Focusing on the Inner Boxes

Is It Actionable? • No action required

• No longer needed – trash it • Might need action later – incubate • Potentially useful information –

reference file

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Actionable Items

• What “project” or outcome have you committed to? • Capture it on a “Projects” list

• What’s the next action required? • The next physical, visible action that needs

to be done to move the current reality toward completion

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Do It, Delegate It, or Defer It • Do It – If an action will take less than 2

minutes, do it right then • Delegate It - If the action will take longer than

2 minutes, are you the right person to do it? If not, delegate it.

• Defer It – If longer than 2 minutes & you are the person to do it, defer action & track it on a “Next Actions” list.

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Creation of lists, buckets, folders

STEP THREE: ORGANIZING

Focusing on OUTER CIRCLE

Tools To Manage Actionable Items • List of Projects • Storage or Files for Project Plans & Materials • Calendared actions and information • List of Next Actions Needed • List of Things You’re Waiting For • A “Someday/Maybe” List • A Reference Filing System

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What Goes on Your Calendar • Time-Specific Actions (Appointments) • Day-Specific Actions (Things you need to

do sometime on that day) • Day-Specific Information (Things you

want to know about on a certain day)

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“Next Actions” Lists • Calls – to make when you’re at a phone • Computer – things you need to do when you

are at a computer • Waiting For – you need an action or response

from someone else • Agendas – Things I need to discuss with

someone the next time I meet with them/ materials for meetings

• Read/Review List

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Set up filing system

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A-Z M

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Action items, Lists, and Folders Action Items: 2 Kinds 1. Those that need to be done at a certain time

and/or day. 2. Those that can be done as soon as you get to

them.

Create a folder for emails that will take longer than 2 minutes to complete. Note: Add a prefix or symbol at beginning example: @ACTION. This makes it look different than reference folders and allow it to sit at the top of the navigator bar.

@ACTION • Access website • Account Review Unknown system • Add to Meeting Agendas • Draft letter/Appeal • EPIC Account Review • HBOC Account Review • Need Meeting Set • Phone Call Needed • Regulatory • Draft Email • Talk to in person • Work reports

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List/Task Categories

• Action • Agendas • Blocked work time • Daily Task • Weekly Task • Monthly Task • Morgan • Personal • Read and Review • Team Meeting • Work Group

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Outlook Task Categories

OUTLOOK Task/Daily List

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Step 4 Reviewing Reviewing the system on a regular basis

keeps it current and functional. What do you look at and when? What do you need to do, and how often ensuring the system is working , freeing you to think and manage at a higher level?

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What to look at when Calendar

Task List/Tickler Action List

If the calendar and action lists are

current, these may be the only lists you review more than every couple days.

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Weekly Review • Critically Important - What ever you need to

do to get your head empty again. • Set aside at least two uninterrupted hours • Go though the 5 phases of workflow

management- collecting, processing, organizing, and reviewing all outstanding items.

• Update your lists Recommendation: Fridays

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Weekly Review Process 1. Organize loose paper and get into “In” basket. 2. Process notes, review journal entries, meeting

minutes. 3. List action items, projects and waiting-for’s. 4. File reference notes and material 5. Review calendar for previous follow-up and

upcoming events. 6. Review Check lists

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Journal/OneNote

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Step 5: Doing Three Priority Frameworks

• Four-criteria model for choosing actions in the moment

• Threefold model for evaluating daily work • Six-level model for reviewing your own work

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Four-Criteria Model for Choosing Actions in the Moment

1. Context – where are you & what tools are available to you?

2. Time available – When do you have to do something else?

3. Energy available – Do you have the mental or physical energy to complete the action?

4. Priority – what will give the highest payoff?

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Threefold Model for Evaluating Daily Work

• Doing predefined work – working off your “Next Actions” lists, calendar, etc.

• Doing work as it shows up – Process It! • Defining your work – clearing up your in-

basket, e-mails, voice mails, & meeting notes & breaking down new projects into actionable steps.

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Six-Level Model for Reviewing Your Own Work

• 50,000+ feet: LIFE • 40,000 feet: Three- to five year visions • 30,000 feet: One- to two- year goals • 20,000 feet: Areas of responsibility • 10,000 feet: Current projects • Runway: Current actions

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Thank You!

Questions?

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