« Macs and GTD | Main | GTD and a real systems thinker... »
May 11, 2005
More fun in financial services...
Very creative session today with a senior group (60 folks) at Citigroup, at their lovely retreat center in Armonk (NY). Leslie had done a GTD for a division of theirs in Paris in March, but this was our first engagement with corporate U.S.
Interesting spin - they did a survey of the whole group ahead of time about a key issue - what were the process problems, etc. - and based upon that we framed the GTD best practices to show how, if they were implemented by the individuals involved, it could significantly improve the outcomes. Very engaged, and I think they got it. Great people to work with, and obviously a highly supportive culture for training & development these days.
It's becoming a common thread in much of my speaking and seminars with the upper tiers these days - many of the organization issues are process issues (decision-making, communication, accountability, stress), and those are personal process issues - not team or company ones (addressable only at the individual level).
...and on to Houston tonight (where I'm in a quaint old hotel writing this - the Warwick - but having to deal with dial-up. So easily spoiled, when I'm thinking that 54k is a slow connection...!)
Posted by David at May 11, 2005 08:57 PM
Comments
Sounds like a good group of folks, with a certain amount of individual honesty not found too often in todays companies. That common thread you mention was iterated last week in a conversation you had with a "seatmate" on one of your flights (Processes!).
Sounds like a good opportunity to apply a little experiential learning with another follow up in six months or sooner. I believe this is where people/teams/companies fall back into their old habits. If you had one five day session, during a six month period, the participants are going to have less comprehension and overall results than five one day sessions over a six month period.
The irony is that in order to better their processes, they in turn NEED a process of learning in order to achieve their goals. And oddly enough, companies frown upon a continuing educational process, even if it will double or triple their return on investment.
54k... Aarrggghhh! Get the string and tomato sauce cans! Can you hear me now?
Posted by: Steven Banks at May 12, 2005 12:32 AM
So David, any plans to do a public seminar in Houston this year? I'd love to attend one of your sessions - I seem to get so much more from live events than I take away from books or tapes - the side comment, nuanced delivery or practical example from life that lends clarity to a concept wordily described in narrative.
I think I've got the generalies of GTD nailed down but I think I'm too trapped in the details to make it really take off for me - spending too much time administering the system I have set up.
Richard.
Posted by: Richard Davis at May 12, 2005 09:50 AM
Richard, sorry - not Houston this year. Maybe Dallas. Though we just did a program for the VA in Houston, I'm here today meeting with US Oncology, doing MD Anderson tomorrow, meeting with a surgeon from Baylor Medical/Houston tomorrow night...whew. Maybe we could open an office here!
David
Posted by: David Allen at May 12, 2005 02:17 PM
