Getting to Total, Relaxed Organization

Total, Relaxed Organizationdo more, in less time

without stress, without mess

Kevin Crenshaw, your coach

Executive CoachContract Executive (Rapid Change)

www.kevincrenshaw.com

@kcren


Almost everyone feels overwhelmed

“Everyone needs a good mentor”


practical “tricks ofthe trade”

what reallyworks?

what apps/devices are best

answers forspecial situations

I’m now your MentorInterventionUsually: 7 hours/personCompress: 2.5 hours

You need to:Take detailed notesJoin the exercisesAsk questions immediately

Your “Control Score”

How in control do you feel overyour time and tasks right now?

control

Rate Yourself: 0 to 100(0 = no control, 100 = absolute control)

Expect To Get

+ 1.6 hours/day!

60% lessgeneral stress

What do I need to do?

Participate

Schedule and finish coaching

Honor appointments

21-day follow-up emails

TrustworthySystem

What are yourtop 10 stressors?

and how toresolve/reduce

each one?

How would you feel if you…?

Chose something to do about it(a goal or resolution)

Selected a next action(make it happen)

Scheduled with ease(know it will fit schedule)

Knew you'd be notified when to do it(no chance of forgetting)

That’s your “Trustworthy System”

That’s your “Trustworthy System”

That, is Total, Relaxed Organization

Why traditional time management practices fail


Traditional: NOT principle-based

Principle vs. Practices


“Only touch each piece of paper once”

Must finish the whole project before youfeel successful

Must create or manage task list daily

Must sort task list by “Due Dates”

Fundamental Principals of Time & Workflow

You are only one person

one timeline

budget time in asingle calendar

have a single task list(because it’s actually an extension of your calendar)


You only have one brain

multitasking is a lie

do similar things together

we focus on what we notice


Collect points (the more you have, the worse it gets)

Your brain is not an acceptablecollection point


Bad collection points

can‘t find things.dropped assignments.

chaos > uncertainty > procrastination > stress

distracted by many things at once.


“Projects” are just tasks with more than one step

Problems and goals are “projects”

Small tasks fit between the cracks,

Large tasks must be budgeted


Balance isn’t obtained by prioritizing,

but by budgeting



Everything needs a Home “no visitors allowed”

Putting them all together creates a conveyor belt for all you work

The TRO Workflow conveyor belt


Collect Process Review Do

Re-Process

Decide next stepAdd notesScheduleAssign Contexts

Additional Steps

The TRO Workflow Conveyor Belt

Collect it all (briefly preview daily, weekly, monthly)

Process everything

Review tasks (briefly preview and daily, weekly, monthly)

Do next steps and re-process (until everything is done)

The TRO Workflow Conveyor Belt

Tasks & Projects move forward naturally to completion

Design Your OptimalWorkflow System

Tame Your Collection Points

Remember: A “collection point is anywhere stuff accumulates:

(What) No next step decided

(When) Not scheduled (next step, either flexibly or firmly)

(Where) Not in its home

Count Your CurrentCollection Points

Count Your Collection Points: How many of each?

Paper Notepads or Notebooks (1 per each now in use)

Paper task list, Paper To Do List

PC/Mac/Web Electronic Task List

Mobile Device Task/Notes Apps

Email Inboxes (Count 1 per inbox)

Contact/CRM Software with Tasks

Voicemail Inboxes (Count 1 per Inbox)

TXT Messaging (Count 1 per TXT, phone, WhatsApp

Work Desk Piles (1 per pile on, under)

Work Desk Drawers, Desk Shelves

Work Physical Bins/Boxes (in/out/bills)

Other Work Office Areas (Shelves, Storage)

Filing Cabinet (1 per drawer if they have lurking tasks)

Calendars w/ tasks (Paper, Digital, you calendar app)

Home Desk Piles, Drawers, Shelves

Home Physical Bins/Boxes ( In/Out, cardboard)

Home Outside Areas (Garage, Shed, Porch)

Home Other Areas (Junk drawers, each table pile)

Post It Note “Posting” Areas (1 per posting area)

Whiteboard, Corkboard (if used for tasks

Purse/Planner Pockets Clothing Pockets Voice Recorder (For tasks, ideas, reminders)

Floor Areas (Home and Office)

People You Ask to “Remind Me” (Admins, spouse)

Areas in Car (Glove box, Trunk, each seat with stuff)

Your Mind (Always counts as 1)

Other (Paper scraps, company task software, etc.)

Your Total: _________

7 Approved Collection Points Include

1. 1 Wire inbox on desk

2. 1 Task manager

3. 1 Email inbox (2 if separate work/personal)

4. 1 Notepad

5. 1 Voicemail inbox

6. 1 Portable paper inbox (in “portable office”)

7. Voice Recorder (optional)

Where do you work?What tools will you need?

Your Main Office

PC or Mac Desktop and/or Laptop

TRO-Capable Task List Software Outlook, Toodledo, Nozbe, Get It Done, Donedesk, Wrike, Paper planner, etc.

Huge list of TRO-Capable apps: www.priacta.com/gtdsoftware

Email Software Outlook 2010, Gmail, Apple Mail, etc.

Supporting Tools in Main Office

Good desk (drawers, file drawer…)

Hanging folders, manila folders

Paper trays, labeler

Buy or have on hand before continuing

Complete list in TRO OnlineTraining Lesson: ”Preparation: Gather or Buy”

Your Mobile Tools

Smart Phone (iPhone, iPad, Android, or other smart phone with Web access)

Paper Planner (Franklin Convey, DayTimer, create your own; must meet TRO criteria)

Task List Printouts (Special situations only)

or

or

Your Portable Office

Briefcase or laptop case (3 sections, closes securely)

(with)

Portable “trays” in briefcase (Plastic project folders, You will label them later to match your desk trays.)



Re-Process


Additional Steps

Set up your office forWorkflow Conveyor Belt



Re-Process


Additional Steps

Objectives (Conveyor Belt Setup)

Create good collection points

Establish “homes” for all your resources

Retire all bad collection points by……colleting all stuff to good ones

Zero uncertainty about where anything goeswhen it comes in

Supporting Tools in Main Office

Set up your A-Z file. It’s the “backbone” of your filling system

Decide on desk trays. Your desk traysare extensions of: your backbone A-Z filling system

Inbox

Outbox

Deferred

Read/Review

Bills

Choose the Trays you need

Scrap Paper

Shred

Other: ________

Burn Box (box on floor,

“slow trash can”)

You’re ready to “Sweep”.

When you’re done sweeping...

Clear Desk (will stay that way)

“Hot” and “Cold”

“Everything in its home, no visitors allowed”

Collect

Close your eyes and envisionHow will you feel?

Collect

Schedule a time to “sweep” your office

Process

Set Up your “Processing“Conveyor Belt



Re-Process


Additional Steps

First: Triage (Pre-Process)

Triaging is:Toss junk; communicate (>2min);enter tasks; file resources

All approved collection points

Then: Decide/Defer

Decide next step (projects)

Schedule:Smart DatesBudget

Files in home:Context(s)DeferredA-Z

Tasks need “Homes” too

Tasks in homes, via “contexts”: tags, categories or folders.

In TRO (unlike GTD), tasks and steps need multiple contexts because: you may need to see a task in more than one list: (Work), +Ops, 1Joe.

Define the “Homes” for your processing conveyor belt

Create your Master Contexts List

Major life areas: (Work), (Family)

Automatic meeting agenda items: +Staff, +Ops

1-1 or ad hoc meetings: 1 Bob, 1 Sheri

Other groupings for efficiency: Errands, Calls

Hidden benefits of Deciding & Deferring

Effective delegation and follow-up, focused meetings and teams, Projects move forward

Delegation means: asking

Every “Delegate Out” is a W/F “in”

Hidden benefits of Deciding & Deferring

If you delegate to anyone regularly, you need: regular meetings with them

Schedule follow-ups as W/F tasks in your regular meetings using task list categories or tags

Meetings, Projects andNext Steps

In Regularly-Scheduled Meetings, you will:

• Look at +Meeting and 1Person list. (These show you instant agenda items)

• Report back and follow up

Projects will move forward automatically this way.

“What we measure, improves. And if we report back,improvement accelerates.”

Q: What is your initiative grade?

(A: When do you act and report back?)

Top 5 levels of Initiative:

A Takes action, reports back periodicallyB Takes action, reports back immediately C Suggests what should be doneD Asks what they should doE Does it when asked (!)

Processing is the core skill of TRO

A coach (or the TRO Online Training System) will drill you on processing what you gathered.

Projects: Your Task Manager

Project Name / Next Step

(or)

Project Field

(or)

Project category or tag (for large projects only)

Email is no different

Review Do

Final two conveyors:Reviewing & Doing



Re-Process


Additional Steps

Reviewing

Reviewing is really previewing.

Daily Review: 5 min., “Must Do” Tasks Weekly Review: 5 min., “May Do” Tasks Monthly Review: 5 min., “Someday” tasks

Doing and Beyond

Doing includes re-processing

Additional training and purposes:

“Mind Dump” - Get all tasks off you mind

Strategic Calendar - Balance all life areas

Work Areas & Work Values - Focus on MPAs

Large Projects, Templates - Advanced needs

Decision Time

Dedicate and schedule your next step

• Self-Training (included) Online training at your own pace (~10 hrs.) Skim/work to “Accountability”, then do all

• ½ Day Remote Coaching (optional) 1-1 coaching in your office, coach on call

• EITHER WAY: 21-Day Follow-up Automated accountability and feedback

What’s at stake?

+ 1.6 hours/day!

60% lessgeneral stress

Questions

PRIACTAEXPEDITING THE WORLD’S WORK

Business

Getting to Total, Relaxed Organization