Getting Things DoneforTechnical Communicators

#TCUK15 workshopJohn Kearney & Karen Mardahl

29 September 2015

Agenda1. Introductions 2. The little exercise3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

IntrosHow did Karen and John end up doing this workshop?

Two David Allen quotes…

Two David Allen quotes…

“We teach what we need to learn the most.”

Two David Allen quotes…

“We teach what we need to learn the most.”

“The greatest human fear is being out of control.”

Two words…

ControlPerspective

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise 3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

ExerciseGet ready to write on a piece of paper or your device...

Exercise1. Purpose

Exercise1. Purpose2. Vision

Exercise1. Purpose2. Vision3. Ideas

Exercise1. Purpose2. Vision3. Ideas4. Structure

Exercise1. Purpose2. Vision3. Ideas4. Structure5. Next action

Exercise1. Purpose2. Vision3. Ideas4. Structure5. Next action

(The “natural planning” model)

“... a wealth of information creates a poverty of

attention…”- Herbert A. Simon, 1971

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise3. What is GTD? 4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

What is GTD?Self-management.

Key elements?

1. Control2. Perspective

What is GTD?Workflow to get control (based on “natural planning” concept):1. Gathering2. Processing3. Organising4. Reviewing5. Doing

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms? 5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

How does GTD apply to techcommKaren and John share examples.

Start thinking about what YOUR examples might be.

John’s GTD for TCUK Presentation1. Purpose: To present at TCUK.2. Vision: I get through the presentation, noone dies, I get

good feedback, I get asked back!3. Ideas: Key takeaway(s), draft slides, themes, photos,

topics, intro plan, timing check.4. Structure: Key takeaways, intro plan, themes.5. Next Actions: Capture takeaway points, compile notes

made so far, plan weekly time slots, rough out intro.

More examples• Dealing with

Helicopter Boss• Juggling demands

from two different groups with different models

• “License Pack” story

• Boss respect• Peer respect• Vaccine against

Imposter Syndrome• Making your work

visible

“Indeed, the limitations of both working and long-term memory are such that you cannot rely on them to recall all the important facts when they are needed.”

- Francis Heylighen & Clément Vidal (2007)

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples 6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

Real-life examples• Colour emails• Hashtag emails• Mail emails!• Kanban TOC• Life-preserver

• Travel plans

Make sure your system is sustainable. It should be a benefit, not a burden. Some do fine with just a to-do list and a weekly review.

It feels good to feel good about having your work organised!

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods 7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

Tools and methods• Squeeze ball• Noise-cancelling

headphones• Productivity tools• GTD folders• Scans/photos• Dictation• Siloing

• Reviews, daily and weekly

• 2-minute tasks• “20-minute” chunks

The Terror of Unstructured Time

Focus

To-do list?orTime-to-think schedule?

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise 8. What’s next?

Now it’s your turn - hands-on time!

Sharing from the hands-on activities

“This slide intentionally left blank because it is your canvas.”

Agenda1. Introductions2. The little exercise3. What is GTD?4. How does GTD apply to techcomms?5. Real-life examples6. Tools & methods7. The big exercise8. What’s next?

What’s next?What will YOU do next, now that the workshop is concluded?

What are your… Next Actions?

Reference

John “@jk1440” Kearney Karen “@kmdk” Mardahl

Image & quotation credits• Lego. Skyblue-lego. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

File:Skyblue-lego.jpg#/media/File:Skyblue-lego.jpg• Lion. ”Just one lion" by Picture by user:Robek, repositioned by user:Wulfstan - Own work. Licensed under CC BY

2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Just_one_lion.jpg#/media/File:Just_one_lion.jpg

• Squirrel. ”Sciurus-vulgaris hernandeangelis stockholm 2008-06-04" by Photograph by: Hernán De AngelisCampephilus - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sciurus-vulgaris_hernandeangelis_stockholm_2008-06-04.jpg#/media/File:Sciurus-vulgaris_hernandeangelis_stockholm_2008-06-04.jpg

• All other photos private• GTD poster shared with kind permission from Customer Service at The David Allen Company• H.A. Simon quotes from Simon, H.A. (1971): Designing organizations for an information-rich world, in: Computers,

Communications and the Public Interest, Martin Greenberger, ed., The Johns Hopkins Press. Referenced in Heylighen Francis. & Vidal, Clément (2007). Getting Things Done: The Science behind Stress-Free Productivity. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Papers/GTD-cognition.pdf

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