FV and FVP Forum > Will it work for Jack Bauer (24)?
I never noticed Bauer ever charging his smart phone; must have not been a priority during those 24 hours.
There is no question about it; some urgencies have to be handled right away.
If someone had received an email during the period that he found out about the emergency, but before he acted upon it, it wouldn't look very good in the subsequent Senate Investigation (especially if the bomb went off).
The question may be "do you re-write all your urgencies and hot items that have to be done bang, bang, bang at the bottom of the list, or do you just do them?"
If you are constantly hit with new and urgent items like Bauer, or even a project manager on a fast-paced project during a critical time, the time spent by the constant percolation of important and urgent items to the bottom of the list might not be very responsible. There is nothing that can override common sense.
But, in general (when things cool down), an effort needs to be made to keep it simple and follow the rules, otherwise things like his laundry or Valium tasks will never get done, and they themselves might go from important to urgent with a whole new set of adverse consequences that affect his work, his day, and the survival of Democracy as we know it, etc.
There is no question about it; some urgencies have to be handled right away.
If someone had received an email during the period that he found out about the emergency, but before he acted upon it, it wouldn't look very good in the subsequent Senate Investigation (especially if the bomb went off).
The question may be "do you re-write all your urgencies and hot items that have to be done bang, bang, bang at the bottom of the list, or do you just do them?"
If you are constantly hit with new and urgent items like Bauer, or even a project manager on a fast-paced project during a critical time, the time spent by the constant percolation of important and urgent items to the bottom of the list might not be very responsible. There is nothing that can override common sense.
But, in general (when things cool down), an effort needs to be made to keep it simple and follow the rules, otherwise things like his laundry or Valium tasks will never get done, and they themselves might go from important to urgent with a whole new set of adverse consequences that affect his work, his day, and the survival of Democracy as we know it, etc.
April 1, 2012 at 7:50 |
BKK
BKK
If Jack Bauer were using any of my systems he would be aware of the three types of urgency described in my book "Do It Tomorrow". These are:
a. Immediate. Drop whatever else you might be doing and get on with it (Examples: fire alarm, child hurt itself, next customer at the till). Immediate actions are not a subject for time management systems.
b. Same day. Needs to be done today or there will be an unacceptable downside. Need special treatement in time management systems.
c. Everything else. No special treatment needed.
Jack's to do list would be classified as follows:
Immediate:
Defuse bomb
Same day:
Pick up laundry (he needs a clean shirt to wear tomorrow)
Renew Valium prescription (about to run out)
Everything else:
Everything else.
a. Immediate. Drop whatever else you might be doing and get on with it (Examples: fire alarm, child hurt itself, next customer at the till). Immediate actions are not a subject for time management systems.
b. Same day. Needs to be done today or there will be an unacceptable downside. Need special treatement in time management systems.
c. Everything else. No special treatment needed.
Jack's to do list would be classified as follows:
Immediate:
Defuse bomb
Same day:
Pick up laundry (he needs a clean shirt to wear tomorrow)
Renew Valium prescription (about to run out)
Everything else:
Everything else.
April 1, 2012 at 8:36 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
BKK:
<< I never noticed Bauer ever charging his smart phone; must have not been a priority during those 24 hours.>>
That's SOP: an active agent would carry several spare batteries.
<< I never noticed Bauer ever charging his smart phone; must have not been a priority during those 24 hours.>>
That's SOP: an active agent would carry several spare batteries.
April 1, 2012 at 8:38 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I (and Jack) must read the book!
April 1, 2012 at 13:15 |
Nico
Nico
In the days before mobile phones many suspense and action films hinged upon the characters being isolated from others because they were nowhere near a telephone and thus had to rely on their wits rather than just being able to call in an airstrike.
Anyway, Jack always knows what to do next, has a one item list: "react". He has no need for time management systems.
Anyway, Jack always knows what to do next, has a one item list: "react". He has no need for time management systems.
April 1, 2012 at 13:17 |
Ed
Ed
Wasn't there an episode in which Jack decided he could be more effective if he retagged all of his tasks?
"If I invest this one hour in sorting alphabetically by tag name, inserting the project name in front ... in all-caps I think ... and transferring my data in CSV format to this awesome new smartphone app, I will gain back the hour, and more, over the course of the next 23 episodes."
"If I invest this one hour in sorting alphabetically by tag name, inserting the project name in front ... in all-caps I think ... and transferring my data in CSV format to this awesome new smartphone app, I will gain back the hour, and more, over the course of the next 23 episodes."
April 1, 2012 at 16:48 |
Bernie
Bernie
I had to to look up this old 24 Pilot. It's worth a look. How did anything get done 20 years ago?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLH_QyPTYM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLH_QyPTYM
April 1, 2012 at 23:45 |
MHansen
MHansen
MHansen: Very good!
April 2, 2012 at 6:05 |
Nico
Nico
Jack Bauer would never use any ordinary smartphone and/or task list because of securityy concerns - one of Rupert Murdoch's reptiles might find out,
April 2, 2012 at 9:57 |
Roger J
Roger J
Of course, we only ever see Our Hero when he is away from the world of time management, taking short term decisions with short term results.
Though we did see enough in the two series I watched to suggest that even when mass murder was not imminent and the President was secure, he did not consistently deliver on his longer term commitments.
Though we did see enough in the two series I watched to suggest that even when mass murder was not imminent and the President was secure, he did not consistently deliver on his longer term commitments.
April 2, 2012 at 12:17 |
Will
Will
I think it's just a matter of how the industry works. Seriously now, does anyone onscreen ever consult an appointment book? It seems to me that because scripts are plot-driven, so are the people. If their lives ever got so complicated they couldn't remember everything, imagine the poor audience trying to figure what they are up to.
April 2, 2012 at 13:47 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Detectives use appointment books and todo lists all the time -- those of their victims and suspects. Note to self: Detectives (at least on TV) take them at face-value. Very useful if I need to set a false trail.
Putting out fires requires a different skill set and attitude from handling the long slow stuff. Some people have both, some have neither, many have only one. Putting out fires can't be put off and ignored, so most people develop a rudimentary skill set. Much of Mark's work involves examining projects so we can apply both sets of skills to the project. We examine the kindling, lighter fluid, ignition sources, and surrounding flammables and move the urgency of a project forward. We spend a few moments deciding whether an entire project needs to be done right now, or if most of it can be dealt with later.
It looks like Jack has only one skill set. One wonders how he managed to gain the skills needed to do his job. Aerobic conditioning and studying terrorist methods aren't fires.
Putting out fires requires a different skill set and attitude from handling the long slow stuff. Some people have both, some have neither, many have only one. Putting out fires can't be put off and ignored, so most people develop a rudimentary skill set. Much of Mark's work involves examining projects so we can apply both sets of skills to the project. We examine the kindling, lighter fluid, ignition sources, and surrounding flammables and move the urgency of a project forward. We spend a few moments deciding whether an entire project needs to be done right now, or if most of it can be dealt with later.
It looks like Jack has only one skill set. One wonders how he managed to gain the skills needed to do his job. Aerobic conditioning and studying terrorist methods aren't fires.
April 2, 2012 at 16:46 |
Cricket
Cricket
<<It looks like Jack has only one skill set.>>
Jack did have the abiltiy to fall in love once in awhile...
Jack did have the abiltiy to fall in love once in awhile...
April 19, 2012 at 18:33 |
BKK
BKK
How will his list look like at the start of the day (using FV style):
- Get a better job (..less stressful)
- Pay PTSD doctor bill
- Pick up laundry
- Check emails
- Renew Valium prescription
He starts by making his selection:
- Get a better job (..less stressful) (Oldest item)
- Check emails (Only task that he wants to do before oldest)
He starts working backwards by checking emails and he gets a call that a bomb will explode in the building in approx. 1 hour.
He then enters this at the bottom of his list and marks it with a dot.
He quickly scan his emails one more time (enough action taken) and enters it at the bottom of his list. He then thinks quickly about a new job and enters it at the bottom of his list and create a new chain:
- Pay PTSD doctor bill
- Resolve bomb crisis. (He definately WANTS to do this before paying the bill)
He then proceeds to defuse the bomb.