Discussion Forum > Intra-day deadlines
That's a good question Alex and that type of scenario is not easy to address. I have days when I have very little if any discretionary time and regular time management systems, including DIT, had their difficulties as a result. AF has definitely worked for me in that, even on those days when my time is limited, my productivity is increased within the time I have available.
A suggestion could be to use AF initially on the less immediate (4) & (5) and non-urgent tasks (6) and aim to set aside time to work on those lists in the way prescribed. That will hopefully enable you to see how the system works and to grow your lists with the addition of other tasks as you go along. If something needs doing immediately then do it immediately.
My experience with AF so far would lead me to suspect that, any reduction in stress levels, resulting from getting at least part of your working day under control, would help to focus on the immediate requirements where you don't have time to go through lists but just to react. You may well find that the increased focus will (a) enable you to deal with those issues more easily, but also (b) enable you to look at whether there are better ways of managing that aspect of your job. There may well not be but you will at least know.
In short Alex, get AF working for you in in as many areas as practical to start with; you will see it start to have an impact on your total day, and will probably come up with the solution to your specific situation yourself! Good luck!
A suggestion could be to use AF initially on the less immediate (4) & (5) and non-urgent tasks (6) and aim to set aside time to work on those lists in the way prescribed. That will hopefully enable you to see how the system works and to grow your lists with the addition of other tasks as you go along. If something needs doing immediately then do it immediately.
My experience with AF so far would lead me to suspect that, any reduction in stress levels, resulting from getting at least part of your working day under control, would help to focus on the immediate requirements where you don't have time to go through lists but just to react. You may well find that the increased focus will (a) enable you to deal with those issues more easily, but also (b) enable you to look at whether there are better ways of managing that aspect of your job. There may well not be but you will at least know.
In short Alex, get AF working for you in in as many areas as practical to start with; you will see it start to have an impact on your total day, and will probably come up with the solution to your specific situation yourself! Good luck!
January 13, 2009 at 11:37 |
Christine B
Christine B
Mark advocates different lists for different places.
Extending that idea, you could have one list for 1, 2, 3 and another for 4, 5, 6 switching between them as necessary.
Extending that idea, you could have one list for 1, 2, 3 and another for 4, 5, 6 switching between them as necessary.
January 13, 2009 at 11:47 |
Dm
Dm
Alex:
A very long time ago, in an earlier life, I used to work in a military operations room where one got an even more devilish mixture of extremely urgent (often literally life and death) tasks with a whole gradation of tasks up to the minimally urgent (everything was urgent to some degree).
Basically the only way of coping with this was to adopt a "prioritising by urgency only" approach. The only question you ask yourself is "What is the most urgent thing I need to do now?" Forget about importance - in this sort of situation unimportant stuff doesn't even get a look-in.
This is a surprisingly effective method of prioritising. And I suggest you adopt it. You can used the AF system for longer term projects (5 and 6 in your grading system). When the answer to the above question is "The AF system" then you switch to it.
A very long time ago, in an earlier life, I used to work in a military operations room where one got an even more devilish mixture of extremely urgent (often literally life and death) tasks with a whole gradation of tasks up to the minimally urgent (everything was urgent to some degree).
Basically the only way of coping with this was to adopt a "prioritising by urgency only" approach. The only question you ask yourself is "What is the most urgent thing I need to do now?" Forget about importance - in this sort of situation unimportant stuff doesn't even get a look-in.
This is a surprisingly effective method of prioritising. And I suggest you adopt it. You can used the AF system for longer term projects (5 and 6 in your grading system). When the answer to the above question is "The AF system" then you switch to it.
January 13, 2009 at 12:41 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Alex
There are two possibilities which you may find useful:
1) Use a "post-it note" to record time sensitive activities for the day. It can be moved from page to page so as not to be forgotten and then actioned when appropriate.
2) A more formal approach is to use a separate book for time sensitive tasks. I use a soft-cover 72 page "quad & margin" (squared) book. The columns are used to divide the day into segments.In my case I use six, viz. 0 = anytime, 1 = up to 9:00, 2 => 12:00, 3 => 15:00, 4 => 17:00 and 5 from 17:00 on. An "X" is used in the appropriate segment to indicate when one plans to work on the item. Use a symbol such as triangle to indicate the segment in which a deadline falls. To be more specific, write the time above the triangle or "X" e.g. in the case of a meeting. If the demands are extreme, it is useful to use two columns per segment. The 2nd column is used for ranking tasks within the segment. Changes can easily be made in order to "ride the waves". Once can expand this approach to weekly planning if worthwhile. The advantage over a conventional diary is a horizontal & vertical component and more flexibility. Once tasks are under control, revert to the AF list.
I wonder if there are any comments about these methods? Any improvements?
There are two possibilities which you may find useful:
1) Use a "post-it note" to record time sensitive activities for the day. It can be moved from page to page so as not to be forgotten and then actioned when appropriate.
2) A more formal approach is to use a separate book for time sensitive tasks. I use a soft-cover 72 page "quad & margin" (squared) book. The columns are used to divide the day into segments.In my case I use six, viz. 0 = anytime, 1 = up to 9:00, 2 => 12:00, 3 => 15:00, 4 => 17:00 and 5 from 17:00 on. An "X" is used in the appropriate segment to indicate when one plans to work on the item. Use a symbol such as triangle to indicate the segment in which a deadline falls. To be more specific, write the time above the triangle or "X" e.g. in the case of a meeting. If the demands are extreme, it is useful to use two columns per segment. The 2nd column is used for ranking tasks within the segment. Changes can easily be made in order to "ride the waves". Once can expand this approach to weekly planning if worthwhile. The advantage over a conventional diary is a horizontal & vertical component and more flexibility. Once tasks are under control, revert to the AF list.
I wonder if there are any comments about these methods? Any improvements?
January 13, 2009 at 16:02 |
Geoff
Geoff
It's all very easy to manage digitally, but that depends on computer availability all the time and being comfortable working digitally rather than with paper.
January 13, 2009 at 16:16 |
Dm
Dm
Mark,
thanks for your comments (and also for the implicit reminder that there are more serious problems than my time management at the moment - *real* questions of life and death).
I'll probably try to stick with AF for a few days and then adapt it according to what I have learnt about what works and what doesn't and consider your suggestion. I'll also consider switching back to DIT. There were some aspects of DIT discussed after the release of AF that I had not yet thought about.
Geoff,
thanks, I like your suggestion no. 1. No. 2 is a little too complex for my taste.
Dm,
actually, I would prefer a digital solution. I couldn't find a good way to implement AF digitally yet. I don't want to use Excel for this task, neither a word processor (those two are the only ones that came close). Genuine to-do managing programs or Outlook don't match the principles of AF as far as I can see. Portability (without 'sync') is also an advatage of paper.
thanks for your comments (and also for the implicit reminder that there are more serious problems than my time management at the moment - *real* questions of life and death).
I'll probably try to stick with AF for a few days and then adapt it according to what I have learnt about what works and what doesn't and consider your suggestion. I'll also consider switching back to DIT. There were some aspects of DIT discussed after the release of AF that I had not yet thought about.
Geoff,
thanks, I like your suggestion no. 1. No. 2 is a little too complex for my taste.
Dm,
actually, I would prefer a digital solution. I couldn't find a good way to implement AF digitally yet. I don't want to use Excel for this task, neither a word processor (those two are the only ones that came close). Genuine to-do managing programs or Outlook don't match the principles of AF as far as I can see. Portability (without 'sync') is also an advatage of paper.
January 13, 2009 at 17:34 |
Alex W.
Alex W.
Alex, have you looked at www.tadalist.com as a digital solution? If you have portable internet access, it works great.
January 13, 2009 at 18:23 |
Mel
Mel
How about?
My Life Organized http://www.mylifeorganized.net/downloads/index.htm
ToDoList http://www.abstractspoon.com/todolist_exe.zip
My Life Organized http://www.mylifeorganized.net/downloads/index.htm
ToDoList http://www.abstractspoon.com/todolist_exe.zip
January 13, 2009 at 18:28 |
Roderick
Roderick
Geoff,
I use the Post-It idea, but I don't move it around. I stick it on the cover of the book so it is right in my face before I get distracted by what is inside.
I use the Post-It idea, but I don't move it around. I stick it on the cover of the book so it is right in my face before I get distracted by what is inside.
January 13, 2009 at 18:32 |
Mike
Mike
"I would prefer a digital solution. I couldn't find a good way to implement AF digitally yet. I don't want to use Excel for this task, neither a word processor (those two are the only ones that came close). Genuine to-do managing programs or Outlook don't match the principles of AF as far as I can see. Portability (without 'sync') is also an advatage of paper."
I think there are quite a lot of options, and I have only really considered those I already use myself.
If I needed functionality on a PC and a PPC, I would use ListPro, and make a new list for each page. It would contain some of the functionality I'd want but not all - but it would certainly do what AF specifies. Not free.
If I wanted to do it on the net (which would allow any net accessing PFA, PCs, Macs and Linux based comps), I might go for tadalist - but there are many alternatives.
The two options I seriously considered (started in one and then switched) were an outliner-type Notes prog (I use TreeDBNotes mostly, though I have many) and AbstractSpoon's ToDoList2 (referenced by Roderick above). Both work on PCs and can be used portably as on a USB; both can also export their lists to files that can be uploaded to net or PDA. Free versions available on both.
As with all Keynote derived (I assume) designs, TreeDBNotes has many outlines/folders on left and can have many 'trees' on tabs above the screen. Whichever way you choose to set up your pages, it is very quick to switch from one to another. Can use lots of tags, timestamps, strikethroughs, highlight in many colours etc. Also easy to have work/home etc lists if that is what you want. One database; saves automatically. Using number bullets on entry makes it easy to keep the right number of entries per page. I like it being very visual, but switched away (I actually used GemX's Do-Organiser's Scribe - but basically the same) because I realised I would make use of the Database/ToDo options in ToDoList2.
ToDoList2 looks very complex (I like to keep nearly everything on screen) but can work very fast and very simply - and you can choose which columns etc you wish to show; I think some people may be put off by its complex appearance, but everyone in my office quickly found it easy to use.
I use one tasklist for each page and use Task IDs to keep an eye on the number of entries for each page.You can use categories, colours, priorities etc. You can filter so that you just show what you want on each list; you can search on any attribute so that you get a complete filter for that attribute on all pages. You can set up timers, etc etc. In other words , you can use it very simply just like a paper copy and/or use the sophisticated database options. Many ways of importing and exporting info. I just use the options I need for each item. It would be very easy to classify items on your 1-6 scale. They will all have a start time/date if you want so that you can see it - or you can set the timers to run. And then just search the database as needed for 1s or 1s & 2s etc. You can also sequence each page by your 1,2,3 urgency, and switch to time of input or whatever other criteria you want at the press of a button. Can be used by multiple users on a network, it that was wanted (has a very simple lockout mechanism to avoid data loss in multiple edits). Very easy for me because I used it already. I found it very easy to use originally too, though took me some time to get as far as I have in understanding the possibilities. All settings visible and editable in the Preferences dialog, so that is a good place to start in looking at options. Small and fast. On each item you can write detailed notes in the comment area and set up hyperlinks to files, webpages etc. Entering new info is fast; Ctrl-N, type item, Ctrl-N, type next item, etc etc - only adding more info for those items that need it.
I think there are quite a lot of options, and I have only really considered those I already use myself.
If I needed functionality on a PC and a PPC, I would use ListPro, and make a new list for each page. It would contain some of the functionality I'd want but not all - but it would certainly do what AF specifies. Not free.
If I wanted to do it on the net (which would allow any net accessing PFA, PCs, Macs and Linux based comps), I might go for tadalist - but there are many alternatives.
The two options I seriously considered (started in one and then switched) were an outliner-type Notes prog (I use TreeDBNotes mostly, though I have many) and AbstractSpoon's ToDoList2 (referenced by Roderick above). Both work on PCs and can be used portably as on a USB; both can also export their lists to files that can be uploaded to net or PDA. Free versions available on both.
As with all Keynote derived (I assume) designs, TreeDBNotes has many outlines/folders on left and can have many 'trees' on tabs above the screen. Whichever way you choose to set up your pages, it is very quick to switch from one to another. Can use lots of tags, timestamps, strikethroughs, highlight in many colours etc. Also easy to have work/home etc lists if that is what you want. One database; saves automatically. Using number bullets on entry makes it easy to keep the right number of entries per page. I like it being very visual, but switched away (I actually used GemX's Do-Organiser's Scribe - but basically the same) because I realised I would make use of the Database/ToDo options in ToDoList2.
ToDoList2 looks very complex (I like to keep nearly everything on screen) but can work very fast and very simply - and you can choose which columns etc you wish to show; I think some people may be put off by its complex appearance, but everyone in my office quickly found it easy to use.
I use one tasklist for each page and use Task IDs to keep an eye on the number of entries for each page.You can use categories, colours, priorities etc. You can filter so that you just show what you want on each list; you can search on any attribute so that you get a complete filter for that attribute on all pages. You can set up timers, etc etc. In other words , you can use it very simply just like a paper copy and/or use the sophisticated database options. Many ways of importing and exporting info. I just use the options I need for each item. It would be very easy to classify items on your 1-6 scale. They will all have a start time/date if you want so that you can see it - or you can set the timers to run. And then just search the database as needed for 1s or 1s & 2s etc. You can also sequence each page by your 1,2,3 urgency, and switch to time of input or whatever other criteria you want at the press of a button. Can be used by multiple users on a network, it that was wanted (has a very simple lockout mechanism to avoid data loss in multiple edits). Very easy for me because I used it already. I found it very easy to use originally too, though took me some time to get as far as I have in understanding the possibilities. All settings visible and editable in the Preferences dialog, so that is a good place to start in looking at options. Small and fast. On each item you can write detailed notes in the comment area and set up hyperlinks to files, webpages etc. Entering new info is fast; Ctrl-N, type item, Ctrl-N, type next item, etc etc - only adding more info for those items that need it.
January 13, 2009 at 22:45 |
Dm
Dm
I still love OneNote! 34 lines on a page - highlight - tag - whatever. Even transfer into Outlook if really desperate!
January 14, 2009 at 0:09 |
Christine B
Christine B
TDL2 will interface with Outlook too - useful for importing emails into tasks if you use Outlook - but is infinitely better as task manager.
You have to use the system, paper, software that suits you and your needs best.
The problems I have with using OneNote for this is that it is a very heavyweight program primarily designed for a completely different set of uses. And it doesn't have the options to filter/search your lists - for that proportion of people who want to do that. But if you have it open most of the time, then that certainly makes it more convenient and it will do AF as described.
A program designed for a similar use as OneNote - Evernote - is in many ways more appropriate for this use if you are not already familiar with OneNote. It's lighter, will automatically sync your lists to the web if you want, will do the same tagging highlighting etc and will also run on PPCs and Macs. All free.
BTW, I'm not decrying OneNote - I think it is one of the best progs MS produce and very useful for heavy duty info gathering/research/writing projects that need a lot of info and organisation - and some people use it to do everything except sing and dance.
For the techie minded, another prog that will do whatever you need (and more) and is in rapid development (currently free but will be $50 when launched) is InfoQube (previously known as SQLnotes). I'm not suggesting anyone look at it for this - but I'm sure that any of its users would automatically use it to run AF.
I think my point is that there are lots and lots of ways of tackling AF digitally, and what works best will depend on your own needs, your software preferences and what you already use and are familiar with. The lowest overhead prog will be one you already use all the time and ones you already know will have the lowest startup cost.
You have to use the system, paper, software that suits you and your needs best.
The problems I have with using OneNote for this is that it is a very heavyweight program primarily designed for a completely different set of uses. And it doesn't have the options to filter/search your lists - for that proportion of people who want to do that. But if you have it open most of the time, then that certainly makes it more convenient and it will do AF as described.
A program designed for a similar use as OneNote - Evernote - is in many ways more appropriate for this use if you are not already familiar with OneNote. It's lighter, will automatically sync your lists to the web if you want, will do the same tagging highlighting etc and will also run on PPCs and Macs. All free.
BTW, I'm not decrying OneNote - I think it is one of the best progs MS produce and very useful for heavy duty info gathering/research/writing projects that need a lot of info and organisation - and some people use it to do everything except sing and dance.
For the techie minded, another prog that will do whatever you need (and more) and is in rapid development (currently free but will be $50 when launched) is InfoQube (previously known as SQLnotes). I'm not suggesting anyone look at it for this - but I'm sure that any of its users would automatically use it to run AF.
I think my point is that there are lots and lots of ways of tackling AF digitally, and what works best will depend on your own needs, your software preferences and what you already use and are familiar with. The lowest overhead prog will be one you already use all the time and ones you already know will have the lowest startup cost.
January 14, 2009 at 1:26 |
Dm
Dm
"I think my point is that there are lots and lots of ways of tackling AF digitally, and what works best will depend on your own needs, your software preferences and what you already use and are familiar with. The lowest overhead prog will be one you already use all the time and ones you already know will have the lowest startup cost."
Well said Dm - you are absolutely right.
You are also right about OneNote being a heavy duty program (and I am glad of extra RAM in my PC for all of Microsoft's offerings) but as you rightly guessed I do have it open all the time (and even use it to keep my place when checking this forum!). Haven't looked for a way to filter tasks other than tagging but not an issue for me. You can search though - it will highhight all of the pages and the first relevant items on that page. It also list the results under the headings of " This Week", "Last Week" and, rather appropriately in Time Management, "A Long Time Ago"!
Well said Dm - you are absolutely right.
You are also right about OneNote being a heavy duty program (and I am glad of extra RAM in my PC for all of Microsoft's offerings) but as you rightly guessed I do have it open all the time (and even use it to keep my place when checking this forum!). Haven't looked for a way to filter tasks other than tagging but not an issue for me. You can search though - it will highhight all of the pages and the first relevant items on that page. It also list the results under the headings of " This Week", "Last Week" and, rather appropriately in Time Management, "A Long Time Ago"!
January 14, 2009 at 9:51 |
Christine B
Christine B
Dm and Christine B,
even though your intentions were certainly good, IMO this discussion has gone way off topic by discussing the technical details of special softwares.
The subject was more about methodology than technology, and the added complexity of a digital solution would not serve my purpose. Been there, done that. Numerous times.
I know almost all of the apps mentioned (and a lot of others) and bought about a dozen and registered numerous web services. I'm sick of it. No more hacked-together workarounds for me.
Unless a taylor-made software for AF comes around (which is highly unlikely), I'm probably not going that route again. If the underlying model doesn't fit, it's not going to work.
Actually, I wanted to post my experiences with a combination of priotitizing by urgency and doing AF here, but now I have the feeling that it's more appropriate to start a new thread at some time.
even though your intentions were certainly good, IMO this discussion has gone way off topic by discussing the technical details of special softwares.
The subject was more about methodology than technology, and the added complexity of a digital solution would not serve my purpose. Been there, done that. Numerous times.
I know almost all of the apps mentioned (and a lot of others) and bought about a dozen and registered numerous web services. I'm sick of it. No more hacked-together workarounds for me.
Unless a taylor-made software for AF comes around (which is highly unlikely), I'm probably not going that route again. If the underlying model doesn't fit, it's not going to work.
Actually, I wanted to post my experiences with a combination of priotitizing by urgency and doing AF here, but now I have the feeling that it's more appropriate to start a new thread at some time.
January 14, 2009 at 22:10 |
Alex W.
Alex W.
I would prefer it if we don't get into discussions about whether posts are on topic or not on this forum.
If you want to get back to the original subject either make a post about it or start a new thread.
If you want to get back to the original subject either make a post about it or start a new thread.
January 14, 2009 at 23:01 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Fair enough Alex, my apologies. My recommendation, as you will see from other threads, is that the paper system as advocated in the instructions works best, as is, and without an inordinate amount of tweaking. When you said " I would prefer a digital solution. I couldn't find a good way to implement AF digitally yet. I don't want to use Excel for this task, neither a word processor (those two are the only ones that came close)" I mentioned OneNote as it can exactly mimic a paper notepad which is the basis of AF as recommended. Hope you find something that suits your purpose.
January 14, 2009 at 23:13 |
Christine B
Christine B
Mark,
since my last post was inappropriate or at least too harsh in tone, I deeply apologize.
Please understand that the initial post was very important to me, and I put more detail in that I feel comfortable with in retrospect.
I'll probably get back to this subject (with my new experiences) in another thread in a few days.
Christine B,
No apologies necessary. I'm sorry for the rant in my last post.
Re digital solutions: Yes, programs that use a page metaphor themselves are probably the best ones for AF. However, portability and compatibility is a problem. OneNote does not run on Macs (OS X), but there are long-standing alternatives like Circus Ponies Notebook or Aqua Minds NoteTaker.
Another problem is that it's very difficult to export your data out of this kind of applications.
--
Alex
since my last post was inappropriate or at least too harsh in tone, I deeply apologize.
Please understand that the initial post was very important to me, and I put more detail in that I feel comfortable with in retrospect.
I'll probably get back to this subject (with my new experiences) in another thread in a few days.
Christine B,
No apologies necessary. I'm sorry for the rant in my last post.
Re digital solutions: Yes, programs that use a page metaphor themselves are probably the best ones for AF. However, portability and compatibility is a problem. OneNote does not run on Macs (OS X), but there are long-standing alternatives like Circus Ponies Notebook or Aqua Minds NoteTaker.
Another problem is that it's very difficult to export your data out of this kind of applications.
--
Alex
January 15, 2009 at 23:52 |
Alex W.
Alex W.
Hi Alex - no problem. You're absolutely right about portability and compatability. Nothing is yet as user friendly as a paper pad. I guess it's a case of each to his own, we'll all eventually make a decision on what is the most comfortable solution for us (until Mark gets even more bored with retirement and invents the ultimate portable PC, running proprietary AF software of course) :-)
January 16, 2009 at 0:17 |
Christine B
Christine B
I was just thinking about what software would support AF and I had a hard time coming up with something that will NOT support it!
- MS Word (or Notepad, or WordPad, or OpenOffice, or .... any word processor)
- OneNote (or Google Notes, or Evernote or just about any web based word processor
- Excel, or any spreadsheet)
- Outlook (using Tasks or Notes as pages and items within those)
The paper paradigm is infinitely flexible. So long as one is not trying to get the software to do more than a pen and notebook, it all works. I grant that if one wants to make items vanish after completeion, or automatically copy themselves, a bit of creativity would be required, but then that kind of violates the basic simplicity of the pen and notebook paradigm.
If I were of a mind to use the computer for this I'd pick any program, put in 30 or so line items and print the page and work from that and update the computer page with strike out and highlight at the end of the day and then print a fresh copy. The main difference would be that I'd not print inactive pages, going back to the computer copy to see those pages when I wanted to. But that would be close enough, and keep to the spirit of the simplicity of the basic AF rules.
My personal sticking points (beside the fact that I don't work at the computer for 90% of my items) are that 1) I don't see that much benefit to justify the overhead, and 2) writing and rewriting is a value in and of itself. It activates parts of the brain that are not activitated by typing. It also gives me time to think about rewording.
The only thing that would tempt me is if I saw an easy and clean way to sync files to my cell phone so I could work from it ... but even then, it takes far longer to get out the phone, unlock the keyboard, get to the task application, and fuss with the keyboard to change things. Plus the battery is prone to running down and it is not a good idea to have the phone shut down when you want to do something ;-) My trusty pad of paper seems to be the best solution for me.
Just some thoughts.
- MS Word (or Notepad, or WordPad, or OpenOffice, or .... any word processor)
- OneNote (or Google Notes, or Evernote or just about any web based word processor
- Excel, or any spreadsheet)
- Outlook (using Tasks or Notes as pages and items within those)
The paper paradigm is infinitely flexible. So long as one is not trying to get the software to do more than a pen and notebook, it all works. I grant that if one wants to make items vanish after completeion, or automatically copy themselves, a bit of creativity would be required, but then that kind of violates the basic simplicity of the pen and notebook paradigm.
If I were of a mind to use the computer for this I'd pick any program, put in 30 or so line items and print the page and work from that and update the computer page with strike out and highlight at the end of the day and then print a fresh copy. The main difference would be that I'd not print inactive pages, going back to the computer copy to see those pages when I wanted to. But that would be close enough, and keep to the spirit of the simplicity of the basic AF rules.
My personal sticking points (beside the fact that I don't work at the computer for 90% of my items) are that 1) I don't see that much benefit to justify the overhead, and 2) writing and rewriting is a value in and of itself. It activates parts of the brain that are not activitated by typing. It also gives me time to think about rewording.
The only thing that would tempt me is if I saw an easy and clean way to sync files to my cell phone so I could work from it ... but even then, it takes far longer to get out the phone, unlock the keyboard, get to the task application, and fuss with the keyboard to change things. Plus the battery is prone to running down and it is not a good idea to have the phone shut down when you want to do something ;-) My trusty pad of paper seems to be the best solution for me.
Just some thoughts.
January 16, 2009 at 1:01 |
Mike
Mike
Should have been "put more detail in than I feel comfortable with" instead of "put more detail in that I feel comfortable with"...
Sigh...
Sigh...
January 16, 2009 at 1:15 |
Alex W.
Alex W.
Understood Alex <grin>
Of course now that we have established pen and notepad, perhaps we also ought to consider colour - they do a very fetching shade of yellow notepads in the US if I remember correctly ............
Hasty exit stage left ..... :-)
ps I am obviously very sad making this post at nearly 2:00 am so am making up for it with my appalling sense of humour ........
Of course now that we have established pen and notepad, perhaps we also ought to consider colour - they do a very fetching shade of yellow notepads in the US if I remember correctly ............
Hasty exit stage left ..... :-)
ps I am obviously very sad making this post at nearly 2:00 am so am making up for it with my appalling sense of humour ........
January 16, 2009 at 2:00 |
Christine B
Christine B
I work on a very tight schedule with little discretionary time and a lot of work coming in at specific times or even at random, but most times combined with very short deadlines (think: journalism, weekly journal with many deadlines like a daily newspaper, editorial deadlines, going to press). Since I not only have to deal with content, but also with technical aspects of the production, troubleshooting and acting as a kind of 'hub' between many people (it's not exactly a small journal, but one of the most important products of our publishing house, and our department has about two dozen people), I have a *lot* of interruptions (and also have to live in an interruption-friendly environment) with some quite short deadlines attached.
These deadlines typically fall into 6 categories for response/turnaround time:
(1) 15-30 minutes (technical troubleshooting or other production issues, urgent requests from boss or colleagues),
(2) 30 minutes to two hours (processing of material according to regular production workflow, very important to get through 'fast' days),
(3) two hours to 'same day' (regular production workflow on 'slow' days, several other matters, hard to describe),
(4) 'same day' or 'tomorrow' (basically what DIT has in mind, most requests from several sources, often from outside or other departments),
(5) one day to one week (most inquiries from outside, acquisition of new material, research - which is also urgent in our industry),
(6) one week to one month (long-term background projects) - those are a lost cause most of the time.
(2) and (3) are typical for our regular workflow, (1) is not uncommon in my work and actually happens multiple times every day, (4) is important to not lose goodwill in the larger ecosystem we live in.
Between all these urgencies, I also have a lot of important but not-so-urgent tasks (6), that have always been pushed aside (which is my major time management problem, after all).
To complicate matters, we don't do 'everyday', but specialist journalism (e.g. meaning every one of us having an academic background in the respective field) in the legal/economic area, which results in most tasks not being trivial but fairly complex. And for our clientele, there's sometimes a lot of money at stake (esp. regarding liability risks). Plus, we're under pressure from a long-term downturn in our industry (that has been going on for some years now, and we have trouble to stay neck and neck with the competitors) and the upcoming current crisis.
All of this adds up to a devilish mixture, and while DIT addressed some of the intra-day urgencies with its distinction of 'immediately'/'same day'/'tomorrow' (as default mode), I'm at this point unable to see how to bring these layers of urgency/deadlines in line with the AF model. The 'common sense' rule applies to immediate urgencies, but not to longer - but still shorter than two or one day - deadlines (that I have to capture *somewhere*). Cycling through your complete list several times a day might catch 'same day'/'tomorrow' deadlines, but hardly shorter ones.
From my first-day experience, this problem causes me to frequently stray off my list, work 'off the top of my head' and partially/completely ignore the list *or* jump hectically between different pages *or* to not know where to put tasks that I know have to be addressed within the next hour or two. I have no idea whatsoever how the latter issue could be addressed.
All of this boils down to one question: How can deadlines longer than 'immediately', but still 'same day' (in different flavors of urgency down to one hour or less), or at least 'tomorrow' (in case you can't manage to cycle through your list multiple times a day) be handled?
Please note that the focus is on intra-day deadlines, since I'm aware that with sufficient speed of movement, you might well be able to catch the ones that are at least one day.
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Alex
P.S.: In writing, this post has turned from a small question to something that contains a lot of a post that I had in mind to write for a long time, regarding the nature of my job vs. the recipes of DIT and other time management systems. I'm not sure what to make of this.