People who are enjoying the benefits of getting started with GTD often ask how their organization
mentality. If, in contrast, individuals are implementing the principles of Getting Things Done, the culture will expect and experience a new standard of high performance.”
—David Allen, Getting Things Done
Unfortunately, even a Black Belt level implementation of the principles, practices, and procedures of GTD will not correct “human factors” problems in dysfunctional organizations. If the people in an organization, particularly the leaders, are stupid, ignorant, treacherous, underhanded, corrupt, or psychotic, GTD may merely make their stupidity, evil, and tyranny more efficient.
Just getting some members of the organization to use GTD methods will help make the whole organization better.
I agree with Rick. And if people are really doing GTD, they’re also aligned with their personal goals and purpose (Horizons of Focus). If their goals don’t align with a stupid or tyrannical boss, they’ll go somewhere else to work where the management’s goals are more in sync with their own personal goals.
@Wolfman9
Yikes – sounds like your workplace has problems, though I suppose they all do. 😉
If my job is to deal with the tyranny, GTD allows me to deal with it more effectively. If their tyranny becomes more efficient, I benefit from tyranny no longer being last-minute. If it really is tyrannical and I cannot deal with the dysfunctional organization, GTD will help me discover it and then find the time to build a good resume @Home and find a new job @Online and @Errands.
In all three cases, the organization is better off. And, so am I.
😉
@Wolfman9 True. But even the greedy and evil are about making more money. The problem stems from their inability to see how “intangible” process efficiencies create tangible savings, productivity, just results. That’s the real challenge. And then once convinced, they’ll fire you so no-one knows it was your idea! LOL!
@Jeremy Hoff
That’s personal GTD, on a cultural level, across an organization, now that’s the real challenge of this post.
Without buy in from somewhere near the top, and an evolution of more effective employees as more buy in, it is impossible.
The putting out fires mentality seems to create (inefficient) heroes. There needs to be an understanding that they guy who gets more things done without creating pools of stress and negatively impacting the workplace is the real hero. Or to borrow from Rework, “fire the workaholics.”