Email, In box and Voicemail - David Allen - Dallas Growth Summit cont.WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 2009
When was the last time you were able to get your combined total in your email inbox, in basket and voicemail to zero?
That’s the question David Allen [author of Getting Things Done, Making It All Work] asked at the start of his presentation. Our audience was able to respond through the use of digital devices at our table.
The answers from Dallas Growth Summit’s group of largely executives:
· 9% within the last 48 hours,
· 17% within the last seven days,
· 10% at least once in the last two weeks
· 54% You’ve got to be kidding!
Most of us don’t handle our person voicemail anywhere near the way we handle our professional communication. The key he said to this is control and perspective. If you’re not going to deal with something, dump it at the front end. How many of the items you keep in your in box do you eventually end up deleting after several days? I’ve been a big fan of David Allen’s and his system of time management as well as how to handle email. I especially like his two minute rule. If you can take care of it in two minutes, handle it. If not store it somewhere else. One of my clients recently discovered David Allen’s website and learned in a few minutes how to handle his email overload so well, he was one of those at our table that was in the small 9% that that had reduced their emails, voicemail and inbox to zero in the past 24 hours.
Unfortunately I had to leave to catch my flight before David Allen was finished. He did provide a quiz you can take on line to discover how well you are at keeping things in perspective while being in control. I recommend you discover your Getting Things Done IQ.
Hermann Simon, author of Hidden Champions of the 21st Century, Beat the Crisis,33 Quick Solutions for Your Company, and Lynne Twist, author of the Soul of Money, and Rick Sapio, CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance who interviewed 13 billionaires and presented his findings to us just before lunch all had valuable information I’ll be sharing in my blogs ahead. I’m typing this at the airport before my plane departs. Expect more insights shortly.
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