Friday
Jul282006
Some thoughts on the book "The Instant Productivity Toolkit"
Friday, July 28, 2006 at 9:58PM
I just finished The Instant Productivity Toolkit by Len Merson, and I found it a short, stimulating read that excelled at the scribble test. Following are some thoughts I hope you find interesting, esp. as Merson's book relates to David Allen's Getting Things Done (AKA GTD) methodology.
Overall: Like Allen's work, the author describes a complete system for managing your work and life, and takes you from an initial implementation (collect everything together, then process each item into the system) through the details, sharing the principles along the way. The book has philosophical roots that are similar to GTD, including the importance of keeping everything out of your head, and of staying on top of the overwhelming flow that bombards us daily. However, there are some significant differences between the two approaches, some of which I could appreciate, and others that I actively disliked. In spite of that, I found the book to be valuable to my work (I've ordered a copy), and I'm grateful to Len Merson for his contribution.
The turtle: The biggest difference I found was the way of handling your tasks. Merson has you create a single stack (the turtle) of all your active tasks, prioritized with most important on top. (Actually, as I understand it the second most important is on top; the top priority item is on your desk in front of you.) You work in strict top-to-bottom order, but you do "invert the turtle" first thing every morning to reprioritize. However, GTD practitioners will wonder about this strategy. As Allen points out, there are many factors that influence our focus - and therefore our priorities - so GTD takes a stand at the opposite end of the prioritization spectrum: Instead of ordering everything, order nothing, and use the moment to decide what to do next, based on context, time, energy, and priority. (Marc talks a little about it in Getting Things Done - The Four Criteria Model.) That said, I can definitely see the potential this idea has for making progress.
Virtual in-tray: He has you allocate a spot on your desk as a "virtual in-tray," which is the only paper collection point in your system. It's not even a tray, just an approved space for you and others to use for incoming paper. In this sense, it's like a standard in-basket, but the twist is that you're supposed to empty it immediately when anything arrives. If you leave the desk, it will fill up, so the first thing you do when returning is to empty it. He admits this is counter intuitive, but claims it's worth it to have an empty inbox all the time. I much prefer Allen's idea of a small number collection points (including email) that are working for you behind the scenes, but which don't distract you until you decide to be in processing/organizing mode (maybe using a WorkFlow tool). For me, having to interrupt and shift my attention every time something comes in would be very disruptive.
Workspace layout: Merson spends a good bit of time having you manage your desk because doing so "creates an atmosphere of efficiency." There are a few that stand out - consider the following diagram (in patented ASCII-Vision(TM)):
Some points to note:
Filing: He recommends a more elaborate filing system that that of GTD, including separating articles, clippings, etc. into a "library" (which he has you file in the drawer's front), and organizing files by Client, Project, or Task. I prefer the simplicity of the A-Z scheme described by Allen, and I even mix project materials and general reference in one drawer (all labeled of course), which works great. But filing is a matter of individual preference, and I never ask clients to change something that works. But A-Z is a wonderful starting point.
Call logs: Merson recommends tracking voice mails and calls using a dedicated notebook, as opposed to GTD's @Calls context. (GTD doesn't have explicit tracking of calls made, just ones you need to make.) Managing a separate book seems overly complicated to me, but I wonder if it's necessary for certain kinds of jobs. However, I don't spend much time on the phone, so maybe having a central log makes sense. I'd welcome any comments about this.
Reading: He has you maintain a reading terminal, which is a prioritized stack of reading you want to do. It's like Allen's Read/Review folder, which I like because it's portable, enabling slipping in reading while waiting. (As Ronni Eisenberg says in Organize Your Office! Simple Routines for Managing Your Workspace, "Keep small projects handy for idle moments, " a great time management principle.) Merson also suggests using rip-and-read, another classic, and something Gretchen mentions in Tips...for handling mail.. (The idea is simply to quickly scan magazines, pull out relevant articles, and toss the rest. Don't keep the whole magazine around - it's heavy and a distraction.) Interestingly, he has you stack in reading priority, while I've been doing it FIFO. Put another way, he has you think when you file, and I've been thinking when I retrieve. I'd love to hear your strategies.
Capture tool hacks: He had two capture tricks I liked. First, he keeps a grease pencil in shower. When a thought comes, he writes it down on the wall or glass, the transcribes it after getting out. (Jason Womack talks about a related idea in Productive...in your own way, where he writes desired outcomes or his current focus with a dry erase pen on the mirror above his desk.)
The second neat idea is to keep a note pad and a lighted pen (e.g., the Power-Glo Light Pen) near your bedside for nighttime capture. I love this because one of the GTD benefits for me was improved sleep, a key to which is 100% capture. However, when I'm trying to sleep but thoughts are spinning, I currently need to get up, go to my desk, turn on a light, and do a quick mind sweep. Much better to do it right in bed!
Turtle "touch downs": Here's something I'd certainly never thought of, the idea of completing all active tasks up to that moment. Apparently it only happens once or so in a career, and he offers a reward if you have one, but it's hard to get my head around the idea. I guess the GTD equivalent would be completing all of your projects and next actions, but that would mean that at some point stopping adding new ones. In that case I suspect the real next action would be something like "call funeral home to schedule internment." On second thought, that might be a good one to delegate.
Overall: Like Allen's work, the author describes a complete system for managing your work and life, and takes you from an initial implementation (collect everything together, then process each item into the system) through the details, sharing the principles along the way. The book has philosophical roots that are similar to GTD, including the importance of keeping everything out of your head, and of staying on top of the overwhelming flow that bombards us daily. However, there are some significant differences between the two approaches, some of which I could appreciate, and others that I actively disliked. In spite of that, I found the book to be valuable to my work (I've ordered a copy), and I'm grateful to Len Merson for his contribution.
The turtle: The biggest difference I found was the way of handling your tasks. Merson has you create a single stack (the turtle) of all your active tasks, prioritized with most important on top. (Actually, as I understand it the second most important is on top; the top priority item is on your desk in front of you.) You work in strict top-to-bottom order, but you do "invert the turtle" first thing every morning to reprioritize. However, GTD practitioners will wonder about this strategy. As Allen points out, there are many factors that influence our focus - and therefore our priorities - so GTD takes a stand at the opposite end of the prioritization spectrum: Instead of ordering everything, order nothing, and use the moment to decide what to do next, based on context, time, energy, and priority. (Marc talks a little about it in Getting Things Done - The Four Criteria Model.) That said, I can definitely see the potential this idea has for making progress.
Virtual in-tray: He has you allocate a spot on your desk as a "virtual in-tray," which is the only paper collection point in your system. It's not even a tray, just an approved space for you and others to use for incoming paper. In this sense, it's like a standard in-basket, but the twist is that you're supposed to empty it immediately when anything arrives. If you leave the desk, it will fill up, so the first thing you do when returning is to empty it. He admits this is counter intuitive, but claims it's worth it to have an empty inbox all the time. I much prefer Allen's idea of a small number collection points (including email) that are working for you behind the scenes, but which don't distract you until you decide to be in processing/organizing mode (maybe using a WorkFlow tool). For me, having to interrupt and shift my attention every time something comes in would be very disruptive.
Workspace layout: Merson spends a good bit of time having you manage your desk because doing so "creates an atmosphere of efficiency." There are a few that stand out - consider the following diagram (in patented ASCII-Vision(TM)):
..........................................................
| |
| .-----------------------------. |
| | | |
| virtual | | |
| in-tray | | |
| ........ | | phone |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
L__|______|___|_____________________________|_..............
| |
<--------------- clear 180o ------------------+----------->|
| |
,---. | computer |
/ \ | |
( chair ) | |
\ / | |
`---' '------------'
Some points to note:
- He has you create a Clear "180" in front of you - the place where you work with the project/task of the moment, which should have zero distractions. I like this idea, but it has some ramifications:
- Your computer is not directly in front of you in your primary work area; it's to the side on a computer return. As a programmer my first reaction is that I couldn't live with this arrangement, but it got me thinking. I'd like to hear from anyone who has tried this.
- The only organization tool on your desk is the virtual in-tray (later he adds an out-tray, but I don't believe it's supposed to be in your 180). This makes me wonder about my workspace layout (photo here). Specifically, I have the following right in front of me: my stacking trays, my computer monitor, and my bookshelf. Maybe it's time to move some things around...
- He treats the desktop as a tool, like any other. Here's how he puts it:
The primary purpose of your desktop is to work on one and only one project at a time.
- The virtual in-tray is right in your 180, a contradiction to maintaining focus, but apparently necessary if you're to continuously monitor it to keep it empty (see discussion above).
Filing: He recommends a more elaborate filing system that that of GTD, including separating articles, clippings, etc. into a "library" (which he has you file in the drawer's front), and organizing files by Client, Project, or Task. I prefer the simplicity of the A-Z scheme described by Allen, and I even mix project materials and general reference in one drawer (all labeled of course), which works great. But filing is a matter of individual preference, and I never ask clients to change something that works. But A-Z is a wonderful starting point.
Call logs: Merson recommends tracking voice mails and calls using a dedicated notebook, as opposed to GTD's @Calls context. (GTD doesn't have explicit tracking of calls made, just ones you need to make.) Managing a separate book seems overly complicated to me, but I wonder if it's necessary for certain kinds of jobs. However, I don't spend much time on the phone, so maybe having a central log makes sense. I'd welcome any comments about this.
Reading: He has you maintain a reading terminal, which is a prioritized stack of reading you want to do. It's like Allen's Read/Review folder, which I like because it's portable, enabling slipping in reading while waiting. (As Ronni Eisenberg says in Organize Your Office! Simple Routines for Managing Your Workspace, "Keep small projects handy for idle moments, " a great time management principle.) Merson also suggests using rip-and-read, another classic, and something Gretchen mentions in Tips...for handling mail.. (The idea is simply to quickly scan magazines, pull out relevant articles, and toss the rest. Don't keep the whole magazine around - it's heavy and a distraction.) Interestingly, he has you stack in reading priority, while I've been doing it FIFO. Put another way, he has you think when you file, and I've been thinking when I retrieve. I'd love to hear your strategies.
Capture tool hacks: He had two capture tricks I liked. First, he keeps a grease pencil in shower. When a thought comes, he writes it down on the wall or glass, the transcribes it after getting out. (Jason Womack talks about a related idea in Productive...in your own way, where he writes desired outcomes or his current focus with a dry erase pen on the mirror above his desk.)
The second neat idea is to keep a note pad and a lighted pen (e.g., the Power-Glo Light Pen) near your bedside for nighttime capture. I love this because one of the GTD benefits for me was improved sleep, a key to which is 100% capture. However, when I'm trying to sleep but thoughts are spinning, I currently need to get up, go to my desk, turn on a light, and do a quick mind sweep. Much better to do it right in bed!
Turtle "touch downs": Here's something I'd certainly never thought of, the idea of completing all active tasks up to that moment. Apparently it only happens once or so in a career, and he offers a reward if you have one, but it's hard to get my head around the idea. I guess the GTD equivalent would be completing all of your projects and next actions, but that would mean that at some point stopping adding new ones. In that case I suspect the real next action would be something like "call funeral home to schedule internment." On second thought, that might be a good one to delegate.
