GETTING THINGS DONE
If you are looking to invest in your growth as a leader I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite leadership events each year, Leadercast. This transformational event will be held on May 5th this year. Over the next several weeks I am posting notes from past Leadercast speakers to whet your appetite for next month’s event.
Leadercast was recently named by Forbes as one leadership conference you don’t won’t to miss in 2017.
Each year I come away inspired with a notebook full of new insights to help me grow and successfully overcome the challenges that leaders face.
The year’s theme is, “Powered By Purpose”. This event will inspire and encourage you in your growth as a leader and a person. You will learn at the feet of leaders who are known around the world for their accomplishments and leadership abilities.
This one-of-a-kind event will be broadcast live from Atlanta and simulcast into communities across the globe. For more details and to register check out their site: Leadercast.com
In anticipation of this year’s Leadercast event I am re-posting some of my favorite content from past events. Below are my notes from David Allen’s talk at the 2013 event.
David started his talk out by stating that his approach of getting things done is not work harder, this is not what people are after!
When you are in a crisis there is a kind of peace that shows up there!
- Crisis evokes serenity, you become focused on a very clear objective and outcome. This what happens in a crisis. Crisis evokes focus on a very specific outcome which charts your course of action
Wouldn’t be nice if you could do this without having a crisis to evoke this focus?
- You become fully available when you are appropriate engaged with the rest of your life.
- Are you appropriately engaged with your life? work? family? recreation? health?
You only feel good about what you are not doing when you know what you are not doing.
- If things are your mind you have not made the proper decisions about those things or parked them appropriately. When we are acting without crisis we end up saying “We need more time.” We all have 24 hours. All the things in your psyche take equal time When we are not focused we let everything get our attention and take up space in our minds.
It is not about time, it is about space.
- You must have Psychic Bandwidth, you need room to think, room to be creative, room to express yourself. You don’t need time to make a decision, you need room in your mind to do it. Getting room is the critical factor.
If you don’t have room your creative energy is being wasted trying to fix stuff instead of being productive.
You are most productive when you have the room and freedom to make a mess.
- You must start clean. If you start with a mess then you don’t have room to make a mess because you are already in one. You then become overwhelmed, unfilled etc.,
- Perspective=not in control as you need to be
- You map control and perspective together
When challenge, opportunity, crisis comes will you be ready?
- You won’t be prepared if you are out of control.
- Nature is not in a hurry but everything gets done.
- You need just the right amount of structure to give you the freedom you need. You are then in your zone. You are able to be creative, engage in a good way. You are then ready to deal with an engagement appropriately.
Lessons:
1. Flexibility: In order to appropriately engage with my work I need flexibility not perfection. You need to be able to switch rapidly.
2. Focused Attention: Pay to attention to what has your attention!
- To get a clear mind find out what is on your mind. If you don’t know what is on your mind your will not handle what is on your mind appropriately.
Keys To Successfully Get Things Done:
1. Capture: Anything that is on your mind get it off your mind-takes 1-6 hours to empty your head of every single thing in your head, this is just to get it out, this is not doing anything with it
2. Action Decisions: Take what is on your list and make decisions about what you are going do about those things on that list What does done look like? What is the next thing I need to do to get things done?
3. Map it Out: Then you must take a look at them all and step back, You need the right maps, could be your calendar, list, etc., This will orient you to your simplicity and provide you focus.
Your ability to orient yourself will be key to your success, if you don’t’ do this your creativity will be robbed.
- Notice what you notice.
- Appropriate engagement is the Master Key.
- If you don’t get it out of your mind you will be driven by the latest and loudest thing that hits you.
- Remember that every now and then you will have to stop start all over again. You will need to clean up and recalibrate and refocus again.
- Don’t ignore it, it will not go way. The way out is through!
- You are not your work but your work will run you if you don’t manage it.
- You need to be able to shift up down in and out asking what/how?
Now Go Get Things Done!
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