Comments on: Is Obama getting things done?

By: Ben H

Ben H — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:32:25 +0000

I also wondered if Obama did GTD, given his reported view that you should work on more than one initiative at a time. Paul Smalera’s article is ambivalent about GTD, implying that Obama’s “checklist” focus on getting things done rather than doing things right is a weakness of his leadership style. I realize that Smalera’s GTD analogy is tongue in cheek, but it also represents a flawed implementation and common interpretation of GTD that focuses on defining actions for everything and trying to get everything done, often leading back to loss of focus and overwhelm. Values, vision and goals, delegation and someday/maybe (to prevent overload) are all key elements in the GTD process, but ones that deserve more emphasis. A popular image of GTD still seems to be a mechanical and compulsive process of defining and cranking through lists of tasks.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:23:57 +0000

I do not even know what to say about this. The workflow diagram is pretty funny, though…

By: Todd V

Todd V — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:43:57 +0000

One of the most important elements to getting things done is eliminating inputs into the system. Initially you have to “clear the decks” so you can start to get a sense of those higher horizons from which you can realign things, but so much of actually getting things done consists of becoming an expert at saying “No” so you can focus on what is the most important. That’s a lesson every president — if they expect to be a good one, anyway — must learn in order to govern effectively.