Synopses & Reviews
Make work simple by using the tools and tactics that are right for you Your time is under attack. You just canand#8217;t get enough done. You find yourself wondering where the hours go. Youand#8217;ve tried every time-management system you can get your hands onand#151;and theyand#8217;ve only succeeded in making your work more complicated.
Sound familiar?
If you sometimes feel you spend more time managing your productivity than doing actual work, itand#8217;s time for a change. In Work Simply, renowned productivity expert Carson Tate offers a step-by-step guide to making work simple again by using the style that works best for you.
Tate has helped thousands of men and women better manage their time and become more productive. Her success owes partly to the realization that most of us fit into one of four distinct productivity styles: Arrangers, who think about their projects in terms of the people involved; Prioritizers, who are the definition of and#147;goal-orientedand#8221;; Visualizers, who possess a unique ability to comprehend the big picture; and Planners, who live for the details.
In this book, youand#8217;ll learn
- How to identify your own productivity style as well as the styles of those around youand#151;bosses, coworkers, staff, and family.
- How to select your and#147;tools of the tradeand#8221; to maximize your effectiveness, from the style of pen you use to the way you decorate your office.
- When face-to-face conversations are more effective than e-mailsand#151;and vice versa.
- What it takes to lead the perfect meeting.
- Why a messy desk is right for some, but a disaster for othersand#151;and how to tell.
After reading Work Simply, youand#8217;ll come away with a productivity system that truly and fundamentally fits youand#151;and youand#8217;ll never feel overwhelmed again.
Review
and#8220;We all work differently, and knowing ourselves is the key to effective time management. In this approachable guide, Carson Tate shows how to embrace your own styleand#8212;and get more done.and#8221; and#8212;
Laura Vanderkam, author of
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast and#8220;The most important asset you have is time and you canand#8217;t afford to waste it. Not only is Work Simply rich with solid, practical, grounded advice about reclaiming your time, itand#8217;s infused with heart, warmth, and humanity to boot. Youand#8217;ll want everyone in your office to read it.and#8221; and#8212;Sonia Choquette, author of The Answer Is Simple and Trust Your Vibes at Work
and#8220;A leaderand#8217;s most important resource is time. Work Simply helps leaders find that time, so they can maximize the contributions of others and strategize for the future. This book is an invaluable resource.and#8221; and#8212;Bill Timmerman, retired CEO of SCANA
and#8220;At a time when work has become overly complicated, with so many of us caught up in busyness, drowning in e-mails, interrupted, distracted, and overloaded with information, Carson Tate has written a guidebook to sanity. Filled with imminently practical advice, this book can help us all learn to work simply and live fully.and#8221; and#8212;Brigid Schulte, author of Overwhelmed
Synopsis
In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't work. Veteran coach and management consultant David Allen recognizes that time management is useless the minute your schedule is interrupted; setting priorities isn't relevant when your e-mail is down; procrastination solutions won't help if your goals aren't clear. Instead, Allen shares with readers the proven methods he has already introduced in seminars and at top organizations across the country. The key to Getting Things Done? Relaxation.
Allen's premise is simple: our ability to be productive is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve stress-free productivity. His seamless system teaches us how to identify, track, and-most important-choose the next action on all our tasks, commitments, and projects and thus master all the demands on our time while unleashing our creative potential. The book's stylish, dynamic design makes it easy to follow Allen's tips, examples, and inspiration to achieve what we all seek-energy, focus, and relaxed control.
About the Author
David Allen is president of The David Allen Company and has more than twenty years experience as a consultant and executive coach for such organizations as Microsoft, the Ford Foundation, L.L.Bean, and the World Bank. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Fortune, Atlantic Monthly, O, and many other publications.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Welcome to Getting Things Done
Part 1: The Art of Getting Things Done
Chapter 1: A New Practice for a New Reality
Chapter 2: Getting Control of Your Life: The Five Stages of Mastering Workflow
Chapter 3: Getting Projects Creatively Under Way: The Five Phases of Project Planning
Part 2: Practicing Stress-Free Productivity
Chapter 4: Getting Started: Setting Up the Time, Space, and Tools
Chapter 5: Collection: Corralling Your "Stuff"
Chapter 6: Processing: Getting "In" to Empty
Chapter 7: Organizing: Setting Up the Right Buckets
Chapter 8: Reviewing: Keeping Your System Functional
Chapter 9: Doing: Making the Best Action Choices
Chapter 10: Getting Projects Under Control
Part 3: The Power of the Key Principles
Chapter 11: The Power of the Collection Habit
Chapter 12: The Power of the Next-Action Decision
Chapter 13: The Power of Outcome Focusing
Conclusion
Index