Anonymous
10-20-2003, 12:51 PM
i'm trying to get an understanding of how to define next actions and one thing that i subconciously do is try to whittle a next action down to something that will take only a couple of minutes. this causes me problems when there are tasks that are bigger than a few minutes because i have diffculty tracking next actions that take more than one sitting to complete, and i don't know how to identify those that are in process.
what do other people do with respect to defining next actions that could take a couple of hours to complete?
thanks
Jason Womack
10-20-2003, 02:03 PM
what do other people do with respect to defining next actions that could take a couple of hours to complete?
Continually, we must direct ourselves toward performance and contribution. Using "any" system to effectively manage the volume of outcomes and actions we've contracted will make us more efficient.
You're describing an issue seminar participants often face. They'll ask us, "Now that I know what I'm not doing, how do I choose what to do?" Underlying that question, usually, is: "I have too much to do, how do I do it all?"
There are some things that mandate focused time. Just ask a writer, she'll tell you that writing that next chapter can not be done in 10 chunks of 7-minutes at a time. In fact, the writers I know will only begin to write if they have large blocks of uninterrupted time.
Ah...how do you get THAT? I know a lot of people who work in offices and organizations that consistently respond to the latest and loudest issue. By default, there will be no time left over for "blocking" longer actions. This is why, I maintain, having a complete projects list is absolutely critical. To look down a list of projects, and identify ALL the projects that have time-intensive next actions is an executive behavior. Blocking that time, and keeping the agreement with (a) yourself, (b) your staff, (c) your customer will demonstrate effectiveness and integrity to your own workflow system.
I know a lot of people who are saying that they have too much to do. I also know that when outcomes are identified, next actions decided, and an organizational system to match has been updated, it's easier to "relax and get busy."