Get everything done fast
Friday, September 23, 2011 at 15:16 Since last reporting on progress with the Final Version on Monday, I’ve made a few minor changes to the system to fine-tune the balance.
The result of my latest test is a bit different from what I was originally expecting. I had been talking in earlier posts about this being a universal capture system which would filter out the dross and focus on what was really important. The implication being that quite a lot of the tasks entered wouldn’t get done.
But what is happening at the moment is that it’s all getting done. And not just done, but done fast. In fact so fast that I’m almost taken aback at the speed at which everything is happening.
No doubt I could put enough work into the system to break it if I tried. But it’s keeping pace at the moment quite happily with the speed at which new work arrives on my desk (or in my mind) without the need for any filtering or auditing.
Reader Comments (19)
The AF and SF systems tend to cause those tasks to cycle through multiple times per day as I think about them and try new approaches.
<< Why is work faster? >>
That's a good question. And I actually don't know the answer yet. I need to observe what's going on for longer.
I know this is only a crude indicator, but over the last two days I have taken action on 149 tasks. My list now contains 81 unactioned tasks. That means that I am actioning tasks at the rate of 74.5 tasks a day, so my current list represents 1.09 days work at my current speed.
Perhaps most importantly, the 81 remaining tasks do not include any old ones languishing for lack of attention.
I'm so intrigued by this question that I've decided to start a new list and monitor how many days' work my list represents at the end of each day.
I ought to mention that none of the tasks in my sample above were deleted or dismissed, though I would normally included those in the definition of "actioned".
The system interacts with that type of task in much the same way as AF and SF, i.e. cycling through them multiple times a day.
September 24, 2011 at 14:52 | leon
I think 74.5.tasks a day would put a VERY large smile on my face!!! I can't begin to imagine the impact this could have on my business.
<< The Thing is, I don't think it means 74.5 accomplished, just moved each forward a bit. >>
That's correct. I mean that I have taken action on a task as written as an item on my list so that it is crossed out. But if I didn't finish it then it will get further action pdq.
<< "74.5 tasks a day" - if those are different tasks, I would take as a sign of excessive frittering, unless there was a sense of major progress on big tasks as well. >>
As I said, it's _all_ getting done.
I think "filtering out the dross" and focus on what is important is a very important part of your system.
Is there some way you can ease off the action, and increase the filtering a few notches.
<As I said, it's _all_ getting done.>
What is 'all' ?
< What is 'all' ? >
Everything I put on my list.
<<But if I didn't finish it then it will get further action pdq>>
what's pdq??
<< Is there some way you can ease off the action, and increase the filtering a few notches. >>
I don't know. I'm into unknown territory here. My thinking at the moment is that if everything one puts on the list gets done within a couple of days, then that fact in itself will tend to alter the nature of the things which one puts on the list.
<< what's pdq?? >>
Pretty damn quick