This document discusses personal productivity and leadership using David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology. It summarizes that GTD is a systematic approach to managing agreements and commitments, rather than just managing time. Implementing GTD provides numerous benefits, including increased productivity, creativity, focus, and reduced stress. The key is mastering a five phase workflow of collecting, processing, organizing, reviewing, and doing tasks and projects. Essential tools for GTD include mind sweeping to collect everything on your mind, effective processing techniques, organizing using great lists, and weekly reviews to keep lists trustworthy and forward-looking.

1. PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY AND LEADERSHIP –
THE REBOOT YOUR LIFE PROCESS (FEAT. DAVID
ALLEN)
Paul Gibbons,
2010
Tags: time management, personal
development, leadership, GTD

2. PAUL GIBBONS
• Public intellectual, keynote speaker
• Science, philosophy, business
• Europe’s first licensed distributor of David Allen’s
methodology
• THINK BIGGER, THINK BETTER PODCAST
• www.paulgibbons.net/podcasts
• Founder of Future Considerations
• Ethos: Better leaders, better business, better world
• Clients on five continents including Shell, HSBC, BP, Barclays,
Cadbury, Anglo American
• Competitors: Harvard, McKinsey, Duke
• Author – Science of Change, Reboot Your Life
• Professor, Business Ethics and Leadership

3. DEVELOPING LEADERS
 Be, do, have...
 Not just skills and results, but deep
transformation of ‘self’
 Leaders take the long-view
 Ergo, if ‘reacting’, ‘responding’, ‘meeting
hopping’, you aren’t leading

4. THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM
Creating long-term value requires an
extraordinary level of ‘self-leadership’
The most important component of
self-leadership is where you place your
attention

5. OVERWHELM
 100 – 200 emails per day
 An equal number of other ‘incoming’ – phone
calls, meeting actions, etc
 Tracking commitments - yours and others’
 ...
 ...
 Time to reflect, take a longer view, nurture new
ideas

6. THE ESSENCE OF ‘GETTING THINGS
DONE’
Managing agreements,
not managing time
A systematic approach,
not a software system
A practice,
developed over time

7. THE GOAL OF GTD PRACTICE
‘Mind like water’
Mind clear
Attention where it needs to be, not
on ‘open loops’
Space for creative thoughts

8. BENEFITS OF GTD
 Increased productivity & efficiency
 Increased creativity & capacity for innovation
 Improved effectiveness
 Clearer communication
 Improved line-of-sight on action items
 Improved decision-making
 Improved focus
 Improved alignment on goals and projects
 Improved work/life mix
 Improved employee engagement
 Improved employee satisfaction
 Improved employee retention
 And of course...reduced stress

9. THE FIVE PHASES OF MASTERING
WORKFLOW
• Collect
• Process
• Organize
• Review
• Do

10. THE FIVE PHASES OF MASTERING
WORKFLOW
• Collect
• Process
• Organize
• Review
• Do

11. The Miasmic Stacks…

12. ESSENTIAL TOOL #1 - MINDSWEEP

13. THE FIVE PHASES OF MASTERING WORKFLOW
• Collect
• Process
• Organize
• Review
• Do

14. ESSENTIAL
TOOL #2 –
PROCESSING

15. ESSENTIAL TOOL #3 – GREAT LISTS
 @home
 @computer
 @travelling
 @errands
 @agendas
 @calls
 @current projects
 @Someday maybe
 @Waiting for

16. THE FIVE PHASES OF MASTERING WORKFLOW
 Collect
 Process
 Organize
 Review
 Do

17. ESSENTIAL TOOL #4 – WEEKLY
REVIEW
 Many lists become garbage dumps
 They become untrustworthy – so you revert to
keeping things in many places or in your head
 Need to review the ‘red thread’ between mission,
focus, projects and actions
 Need to look at forward commitments – prepare for
meeting, or report due, anniversary!
 Need to get to your calendar before others do!

18. THE FIVE PHASES OF MASTERING WORKFLOW
• Collect
• Process
• Organize
• Review
• Do

20. BLEND OF LEARNING TOOLS
Coaching
Seminars
eLearning

21. THANK YOU
WWW.PAULGIBBONS.NET