Sometimes people think GTD is primarily about lists of next actions and projects. But the most valuable elements of GTD to infuse into your business are the ones that get the least attention.
For example, I was at a meeting where we were planning out a targeted mailing to a key group of clients. I asked a question that took everybody by surprise, “What does done look like?”The CEO said, “Well, we will never stop marketing to this group.”
“Yes, but for this mailing, what does done look like? Is it when the mailings are sent? Are there going to be follow up phone calls? Are we going to track who makes those calls and when they are made?” I continued.
We decided that “done” was when we had recorded that every recipient of the mailing had received a follow-up call.
There is also another GTD question to ask when planning a marketing activity or campaign, “What does success look like?”
Too often, marketers embark on a new campaign without defining how they are going to measure its success or failure. We refer to this as a metric. And because your marketing resources are always limited, it is imperative that you do what works and stop doing what doesn’t work.
Asking what “done” and “success” look like are two quick and easy ways to infuse GTD into your marketing processes and realize some immediate benefits.
These are just GTD elements that fall somewhere within the Defining Purpose and Principles and Outcome Visioning pieces of the Natural Planning Process defined in “Getting Things Done.” Revisit that part of the book (p.54) and try to implement the Natural Planning Process into your marketing. At the very least, start asking what “done” and “success” look like.
Matt Handal is a marketing professional who offers actionable advice on marketing, business development, and productivity at www.HelpEverybodyEveryday.com. He is an avid GTD’er, regular community contributor to GTD Times and can be reached by email.