Mindjet MindManager 7 - Service Pack 1 (& TPAssist 2007 1.1.4)

Mindjet have released an update to MindManager 7.

To get the MM7 update - Use the "Updates" button on the Tools ribbon. The update can also be downloaded directly . This update fixes a number of known issues (See their release notes).

An update for TPAssist 2007 has also been published. This must be applied after installing the MM7 service pack if you are using the TPAssist 2007 Outlook integration. Get the update using the "Check for Updates" button in the TPAssist 2007 Help window. The update can also be downloaded directly from our Downloads page.

REVIEW: First Steps Web Seminar (The Mind Mapping Software Weblog)

Chuck Frey, founder of the InnovationTools website (http://www.innovationtools.com/), author of numerous articles, reviewer of mind mapping software and most recently a publisher of an e-book entitled Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software, has reviewed our First Steps web seminar.

Read what Chuck has to say in his blog (The Mind Mapping Software Weblog)

NEWSLETTER - First Steps FREE Web Seminar Launched

Launch of First Steps FREE Web Seminar

In September 2007, TPAssist launched our Mindjet MindManger add-in. We have now incorporated our methodology and TPAssist 2007 usage into a FREE series of short-video presentations.

These presentations are available via our web site and provide real working examples of how mind mapping can be an excellent environment for life management.

At the heart of this seminar is the TPAssist My Life template mind map. You can get this FREE template RIGHT-NOW by using the Check For Updates button with-in the TPAssist 2007 Help Window. You can also download it from the web seminar page.

Click here to view the FREE online seminar NOW.
(http://tinyurl.com/2sa8lg)

ALSO - See below for a related Customer Testimonial.


Survey

We are conducting a survey of all our customers. The survey will provide the opportunity for you to tell us more about how you found us and your experience in using TPAssist 2007. In return all participants go into the draw for a First Steps Web Seminar DVD (valued at $45). Prices quoted is in US$. Entry closes on the 31st of December 2007. Survey Participants must provide an e-mail address in order to be entered in the draw.
Take Survey Now
(http://tinyurl.com/3bk7ok)


FREE Dashboard Consulting

The next phase of our mind mapping training content will focus on mind mapping in the workplace. We are looking for real examples of working environments in order to build sample "Dashboard" maps.

All we are looking for is a description of your role and your responsibilities within your organisation. In return we build you a personalised "Dashboard" series of maps, thereby giving you the equivalent of several hours of FREE consulting. All we ask is that we can use a more generic version of these maps as an example in our online web seminars. All your company and personal specifics will be removed for the web seminars.

E-mail us at consult@tpassist.com if you are interested.


Customer Testimonials

We believe that by bringing mind mapping and TPAssist into your life management, you will have the opportunity to get a sense of accomplishment on a daily, hourly or even minute-by-minute basis.

Or as one of our many satisfied customers puts it...

"I invested 40 minutes of my time, I familiarized myself with TPAssist 2007's impressive features and then I went for it and incorporate TPAssist into my life. Through using MindManager and TPAssist I am enjoying that feeling of satisfaction now that the lists from my busy cluttered mind are at my finger tips in a stress free, logical and friendly ordered way. As far as I am concerned a TPAssist "assisted" life = Organised Life = Happy Life."

Owner/Operator, Medical Services Company

TPAssist First Steps Webinar Featured on Mindjet Vignette

The Mindjet customer pages contain a short piece on how I use MindManager and also include background and details on our First Steps webinar.

Scroll through the Mindjet Vignettes here.

The Vignette includes a link to the map used in the process.

TPAssist 2007 Q&A - Gyronix Results Manager

Question:

I'd be interested to hear if you have a case as to why I should buy tpassist and not result manager, for the purpose of task management, using mindmanager, and outlook.

Answer:

In comparing TPAssist 2007 and Gyronix Results Manager, it is true to say that they share some functionality and in parts can be used to the implement productivity enabling methodologies, however since they also provide different functionality it may be more worth while reviewing both and seeing where the unique capabilities of each can be of use.

If we were to look for specifics, we would suggest the main functional comparison is with-in TPAssist 2007's Tree Summarisation capability. In Gyronix's own words, "ResultsManager from Gyronix scans all your project maps and generates insightful dashboards, helping you to take action and manage priorities." This is similar to the Tree Summarising feature of TPAssist 2007.

Outside that, TPAssist 2007 is more oriented towards working within and tightly integrated with your task mind maps rather than just from a bird-eye view.

You can see the Tree Summarisation feature in action towards the later stage of the Feature 1 video. Or read about it in the bottom half of the Feature outline page.


We will be demonstrating these capabilities in our "First Steps" web seminar. The video of the seminar is due to be released at the end of November. See our home page for details.

(FOOTNOTE - this Q&A is based on a response to a customer question directed to our support email).

TPAssist 2007 Q&A - GTD (Getting Things Done from David Allen)

Question:

The CEO of the company is using GTD (Getting Things Done from David Allen) in conjunction with MindManager 7.0.

If your product is installed are there any known software or operational conflicts with the above packages all working together?

Answer:

TPAssist 2007 lends its self very well to the GTD methodology. We have tested our Add-in alongside the GTD Outlook add-in from NetCentrics and it works well. The TPAssist 2007 "7 Day Horizon" summarisation report provides a 7 day view of outstanding activities and can be used successfully in conjunction with GTD methodology and other tools.

We will be demonstrating these capabilities in our "First Steps" web seminar. The video of the seminar is due to be released at the end of November. See our home page for details.


(FOOTNOTE - this Q&A is based on a response to a customer question directed to our support email).

TPAssist 2007 Feature in Focus: Levelling (complex project plan task interdependancies)

Levelling is the term TPAssist uses to define automatic calculation and assignment of topic task Start Date and Due Date. Levelling provides the means to create complex project plans of interdependent activities, whereby dates will move automatically when related activities and tasks are updated and completed.


Simple Task levelling

Levelling is controlled at a topic level. You can turn it on, off or choose to inherit the levelling settings from parent topics. Once turned on, the "Levelling function" is used to determine how Start and Due dates will be managed.

The levelling functions used by TPAssist are:

• Finish-to-Start (FS): Topics start after the completion of the previous topic. This is the DEFAULT choice.


• Start-to-Start (SS): Topics start and end together, alignment is based on the earliest start date in the topic group.


• Finish-to-Finish (FF): Topics start and end together, alignment is based on latest Due Date of topics in the group.


• Start-To-Finish (SF): Take the Due Date of the last topic in the group and track back each topic in the group so all topics finish by that Due Date.

Relationships and task interdependancy

Levelling also recognises topic relationship. Relationship can be used to adjust the start and/or end dates of dependant tasks. Relationships dependency follows the arrow (i.e. the starting point is the reference topic and where the arrow finishes is the dependant topic).

Relationship Callout Code Details:

• FS or BLANK (Finish-to-Start): The dependant topic should not start until after the reference topic completes.


• SS (Start-to-Start): The dependant topic should start at the same time as reference topic.


• FF (Finish-to-Finish): The dependant topic should complete before or at the same time as the reference topic


• SF (Start-To-Finish): The dependant topic should finish before the reference topic starts.

In addition to controlling the function of the relationship, duration can be added to the Callout topic to define the time between dependant topic and reference topic.

The other options with regards to levelling are as follows:

• Apply to sublevels: Apply levelling to this number of levels. Zero (0) indicates no limit. If the checkbox is unchecked, the property will be inherited from the topics above.


• Hours in Day: Specify the number of hours in a working day. This value is used to calculate appropriate dates span when Duration is specified.


• Weekends: Specify how Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) are managed when levelling topics. (Auto - Use the weekends if the topic Start Date is either a Saturday or Sunday; Weekdays - Only use weekdays, even if Start Date is either a Saturday or Sunday; Weekends Also - Use weekends (if needed).


• Continue Date: Instructs levelling to continue the date from one Levelling group to another. When turned off, levelling will start from today's date.

For further information on configuring levelling, see the TPAssist 2007 Help and the User Reference, TPAssist Console, Topic Tab.

TPAssist 2007 Key Feature 6: 1 Integrated with Microsoft Excel® for publication of Work Breakdown & other Project Management reports.

TPAssist 2007 facilitates effective publishing of your project plans through a series of pre- formatted Microsoft Excel® spreadsheets. [See the Demo]

Communicate work breakdown: Accessed through the Publish tab of the TPAssist Console, the publish to Excel capability draws on several built- in templates to display Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), team To- Do lists, a Resource Planner/Schedule and project Gantt Chart.

• Published Results spread across worksheets: The Excel file produced includes a number of worksheets. These correspond to the options chosen.

• Overview Worksheet (Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)): The Overview worksheet provides the Work Breakdown Structures (WBS). It draws on map properties and topic details.
  
  Gantt Worksheet: The Gantt worksheet provides a high- level overview of the dates on which tasks will be performed.
  

• Resource Worksheet: The Resource Worksheet provides a high- level overview of resource usage and contention.

Project Notes Worksheet: The Project Notes worksheet summarises "Project Notes" as used with- in topic notes.



ToDo Worksheet: The ToDo worksheets breakdown specific tasks by owner.

Communicate status: A simple variation on the publishing format provides you with the ability to issue status information and publish it to a easily distributable format.

Share your project issues list with non Mind Map users: Another simple variation on the publishing format provides you with the ability to maintain an issue list with-in your map and publish it to a easily distributable format.

Summarise your estimates: TPAssist 2007 adds the ability to capture resource costs and then publish the resulting plans into a "quote" style spreadsheet.

TPAssist 2007 Key Feature 5: Automated Task, Calendar & E-mail integration with Microsoft Outlook®

TPAssist 2007 provides integration between mind map topics and Outlook Tasks and Appointments. In addition, Outlook Items can be linked to mind map topics. [See the Demo]

Synchronise your map topics: TPAssist 2007 Outlook Integration synchronises information between your mind map topics and Outlook Task and Appointment items. In addition to leveraging the powerful task and reminder capabilities of Outlook, TPAssist 2007 Outlook Integration, provides the means to get instance access to your current activities outside of MindManager.

• Outlook Integration is managed via Journal Tab: The Outlook Integration is managed via the "Journal Tab" of the TPAssist Console. The TPAssist Console is a comprehensive path to all TPAssist features. The Journal Tab shown here is used to capture task status details and your task activities.


• Outlook Integration is default via Document Properties: Outlook Integration is enabled on a per topic basis, although it can be enabled by default for all mind map topics by changing the TPAssist Document properties.


• Outlook Integration is automatic: By selecting "Auto" we have instructed TPAssist to automatically manage creation and synchronisation of the an Outlook Task Item.
  Whilst the default is to use Outlook Tasks, we could as easily choose to use an Outlook Appointment to block out a few hours in our diary or just create a reminder.
  Once setup, TPAssist adds a map marker to the Topic so we know there is a linked Outlook Task item.


• Outlook Items contain a summary of the mind map topic details: The Outlook Items created by TPAssist will contain the same task details as the original mind map topic, plus the item notes area will contain a summary of the topic details.

Open your mind map topics from Outlook: Outlook Task and Appointment items created by TPAssist 2007 can be used to "jump" directly into your mind maps.

• TPAssist Integrated Linkage Module: Once a topic has been configured to integrate with Outlook, the Outlook item can be used to "jump" back to your mind map.
  Simply find the item in Outlook and then launch the "TPAssist Integrated Linkage Module". This is achieved either from the Standard Toolbar in the Outlook item folder or from the Item's own toolbar.


• Outlook changes are synchronised during the "jump": During the "jump", TPAssist 2007 will automatically read the Outlook Item and then update the mind map topic's task details if needed.

Manage your e-mails via your mind map: TPAssist 2007 provides the means to track your e-mails, appointments, notes, tasks etc with-in your mind map. This integration not only automatically creates journal entries it also allows you to open the item again from with-in your mind maps.

• Select the map topic and "Journal" any Outlook item: The first step in linking your other Outlook Items to a mind map topic, is to pick the topic. Once selected, we switch to Outlook and select the items we would like to link. If required we can use the SHIFT and/or CTRL keys to select multiple items. Then we launch the "TPAssist Integrated Linkage Module".


• Linked items are added to Journal: A summary of the Outlook item details are included in the mind map topic's notes as well as in the Journal tree.
  The journal entry will include various details including the date details of the linked item.


• Re-open linked items via the Topic Tab: Outlook Items linked in this way can be re-opened from with-in the mind map using TPAssist's Topic Tab and the "Linked Items" tool.

Create tasks from your e-mail: TPAssist 2007 also offers the ability to auto-create mind map topics directly from your e- mails, appointments, notes, tasks etc.

• Select the map topic and "Journal" any Outlook item: The first step in using Outlook items to create new mind map topics is the select a parent mind map topic. Once selected, we switch to Outlook and select the items we would like use as the topic title and also linkage. If required we can use the SHIFT and/or CTRL keys to select multiple items. Then we launch the "TPAssist Integrated Linkage Module".


• New Topic is created and linked items are added to Journal: As well as the new topic being created, a summary of the Outlook item details are included in the mind map topic's notes as well as in the Journal tree. The journal entry will include various details including the date details of the linked item.
  
  

TPAssist Key Feature 4: Powerful project team tracking.

TPAssist 2007 is a powerful tool for project management. In addition to the task status roll-up capabilities, TPAssist is designed to make team management that much easier. [See the Demo]



Manage complex projects: TPAssist 2007 is not limited in it's application. It can be used to manage simple groups of tasks or very complex projects.





Track and present task status changes: TPAssist provides a Task Status capability that can be used to record and track status for any topic and also the overall map. Changes to status can be painlessly duplicated from topic to map to parent map.





Managed Project Information: Through TPAssist's semi- structured notes capability, information can be easily embedded in your project maps and then exposed via the Excel based publishing tool.






Level dates of interdependent tasks automatically: TPAssist 2007 Levelling provides the means to create complex project plans of interdependent activities, whereby dates will move automatically when related activities and tasks are updated and completed.







Use Task Resource to track team members: TPAssist automatically journals changes made to MindManager Resource Assignment so you have a history of where resources are added or removed from your project.






Resource Filtering in Tree Summarisation: The TPAssist 2007 task tree summary capability has a "Resource Filter" which can be used to manage tasks assigned to one or more individuals.

TPAssist Key Feature 3: Brainstorming to task tree creation.

MindManager already has some great task management capabilities, TPAssist 2007 extends these and provides easy to use tools like the ability to take Brainstorming ideas and turn them into Task maps ready to track and act-on. [See the Demo]

Turn your ideas in to task plans: To illustrate this feature we take a simple list of ideas as shown in the example. You can see we have three groups of tasks. Each group represents a sub-set of the activities that will have us reaching our goal and off on the holiday.

Quick and easy conversion: Using the Convert to Task Tree tool, we take a group or mind map topics and convert them to task items. The TPAssist Console is a comprehensive path to all TPAssist features. The Topic Tab shown here is used to manage various aspects of individual map topics. To use the conversion tool, all we need to do is turn it on and click ok.

Take Action and Track your success: In moments, your ideas have been transformed in a task map. Now that we have a task map, we can manage the various aspects the activity.

• Set priorities: Leveraging the tracking capability of TPAssist 2007 we can set some priorities.


• Manage percent complete: We might want to indicate that a task has progressed.


• Flag key tasks: We may want to flag some key tasks.


• Record task status: We may want to record the status of a task for ease of reference when we return to the map.


• Set Dates: And finally we may want to define Start and Due dates for any given task.

TPAssist 2007 Update History

TPAssist 2007 product update history can now be found via the Check For Updates features from the Help window or via our web site:

http://www.tpassist.com/Support/CheckForUpdates.aspx

TPAssist 2007 Q&A - Summary of Tasks Across Maps

Question:

How do I show due actions across all my maps? I have several maps and a number of interlinked (i.e. interdependent).


Answer:

You use the summairisation feature, which is accessed on "Tree Update". The "Proximity" style summary returns tasks based on due date.

The summarisation functionality supports multimaps. These maps need to hyperlinked from task topics with-in the current map. The Summarisation functionality piggy-backs on the Tree Update, which also supports multimaps, therefore to see a summary of all tasks across your maps, you need them hyperlinked.

Further information on multimap support can be found in the following places:

1. Help Pages --> Section 3, "User Reference", "Tree Update Reference".
2. Online Tutorials --> "MODULE 5 : Managing Complexity with Multiple Maps"

(FOOTNOTE - this Q&A is based on a response to a customer question directed to our support email).

TPAsssist 2007 Update: MindManager 6 Users

An update to TPAssist 2007 has been made available for Download. This update will resolve the "add-in has been disabled" issue experienced by some owners of MindManager 6.



After installing the update, you will need to re-enable TPAssist 2007 from Mindmanager 6's Tool's Menu --> "Add-Ins..."





The issue was "introduced" inadvertently during an installer cleanup just before launch on the 31st of last month. It was overlooked that MindManager 6 doesn't automatically include the MindManager Primary Interop Assembly (PIA) as is the case now with MindManager 7.

TPAssist Key Feature 2: Structured Activity Journal Management with multi-map support.

Tracking is crucial if are you to be effective at seeing what has been done, what has to be done and in what order. TPAssist 2007 automatically records your activities as well as changes you make to topic task information. [See the Demo]

Take the pain away from tracking your activities: TPAssist 2007 automatically records or "journals" your actions and task configuration changes in a semi- structured format with- in the topic and parent topics to which the action relates.

• TPAssist Console & Journal Tab for recording activities: The TPAssist Console is a comprehensive path to all TPAssist features. The Journal Tab shown here is used to capture task status details and your task activities.



• Activity notes are logged in a semi-structured format: Notes that you enter to record your activities are firstly logged with- in the topic to which they relate. The log entry will include your Journal Tag and the activity notes in a semi-structured format that is compatible with Outlook, MS Project and portal devices like Smart Phones.


• In addition to the notes you entered, TPAssist 2007 also tracks changes made to task information. As shown here the Start Date has been updated and a journal entry has been created to reflect the change.




• Activity is reflected in parent topics to record progress at goal and project level:
  The fact that an activity took place is also reflect in each parent topic for a given topic. In this way you can easily and quickly see where effort has been put towards individual goals or projects with-in your map.

See your achievement for any given day: TPAssist 2007 also builds and maintains a Journal summary tree. This tree tracks your activities by date and is grouped by year, month and day.

Track your activities with-in any number of sub maps: TPAssist 2007 is multi-map enabled supporting task status rollout and also tracking of task and activity progress.

• Activities in Sub maps is automatically populated into parent maps: TPAssist automatically recognises hyper linked maps and ensures activity logging and task status changes are reflected in the parent map.




• Parent maps show child map task status and journals: Linked topics in parent maps show sub map task information. Linked topics also contain summary journal entries of activities with-in the sub topics.




• Parent map Journal Tree contain full context: The Journal Tree with-in the parent contains a fully qualified summary of the activity.




• Automatically populate sub project status: Status information defined in sub maps is automatically populated to parent maps.

TPAssist 2007 Key Feature 1: Automated task tree roll-up and summarisation.

The Tree Update capability of TPAssist 2007 provides you with the visual means to track and manage the various requests and activities that fill your day. [See the Demo]


Roll-up of Task Information: The ease at which individual topic status is rolled-up to a centralised view ensures you can quickly see what has to be done and give you instant satisfaction regarding what you have already achieved.

• Task status can get buried in large maps: Topic Task information with-in your map can become buried when you collapse and filter the hierarchy. You may have Priorities, percentage complete, flags and dates assigned to topics, but none of this will be obvious unless you expand the specific tree.



• TPAssist Tree Update (Manual): TPAssist 2007's Tree Update capability rolls-up priorities, percentage complete, dates and flags. Your priority assignments are summarised at sub level and rolled- up to the central topic. Flags will be carried up the tree. And finally, start and due dates will be assessed to give the overall start and due date of all tasks with-in the map.
  


• TPAssist Tree Update (Automated): As well as manually, the Tree Update function is performed automatically whenever TPAssist is used to change the priority, percent complete, Start Date, Due Date or Flag.
  The TPAssist Console is a comprehensive path to all TPAssist features. The Journal Tab is used to capture task status details and your task activities.

Summarisation: TPAssist 2007 has a straight-forward reporting tool that can be used to easily identify and manage your tasks based on due date proximity, priorities and flag.

• TPAssist's summarisation tool is found in the Tree Update tab of the TPAssist Console. From the console we can choose the type of summary and various other options relating to the type of information we want to track.




• The By Proximity Task Summary groups the topics of the map by their due date or start date if the due date is there is no due date for a given task.




• The By Priority Task Summary groups the topics of the map by their task Priority.


• The By Flag Task Summary groups the topics of the map by their Flag map marker.


• TPAssist's summary builder also works with Multimaps. All you need to do is open the map with the sub map linked topics and then turn-on the "Multimap" capability with-in the Tree Update tab of the TPAssist Console.

TPAssist 2007 Frequently Asked Questions

Our web site has recently been updated to include a Frequently Asked Questions page.

See http://www.tpassist.com/Support/FAQ.aspx

TPAssist 2007 Review by Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D (Assistive Technology)

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Friedlander where we discussed the background and features of TPAssist 2007.

Brian has captured our conversation in his blog, Assistive Technology:

• Part 1
• Part 2

---

Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D Long Valley, New Jersey, United States

Dr. Friedlander is a school psychologist with expertise in the area of assistive technology. Dr. Friedlander has a passion for using all kinds of technology in his professional work. He is very interested in the use of mind mapping, project management and Web 2.0 technologies. Dr. Friedlander readily applies these technologies in the graduate courses that he teaches at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, N.J. Dr. Friedlander consults to many school districts in N.J. and is available for workshops, training and presentations. He ia a partner in Tom Caine & Associates

TPAssist 2007 Launch - 1st September 2007

As a MindManager® enthusiast are you looking to see your topic task information rolled-up and summarised in the a single map as well as across your multi-maps?

Do you want to easily see what you have been doing, where you are going and what you have achieved at a project or goal level?

Are you looking for effective ways to manage large collections of task maps?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then perhaps you should take a look at TPAssist 2007, an integrated solution using Mindjet® MindManager® and Microsoft® Office, that leverages the power of mind maps to give you a flexible and effective productivity management tool.


TPAssist 2007 leverages the power of Mindjet® MindManager® and Microsoft® Office to deliver you an integrated environment for capturing, tracking and acting that is both flexibility and easy to use.

TPAssist adds capabilities like automated task tree summarising, structured journal management, brainstorming to task tree creation, powerful project team tracking, plus automated integration with Microsoft Outlook® and Microsoft Excel®.

Personal Productivity Part 3 of 3: Do we need more than a task list?

Is it sufficient to be on top of what you need to do, when you need to do it and for whom it needs to be done for? Well the simple answer is "no". The reason is a little more complicated. The very nature of task lists is that they never diminish. As you complete tasks at the top, more items are added to the bottom. Further more, it is rare that any single activity is done in isolation of everything else. More often, even the simplest of activities is linked to a chain of activities or part of a group of activities. The activity may involve one or more people or teams. Those people and/or teams may appear multiple times in your list activities and you will likely want to visit activities in related blocks and not in isolation.

There is one further complication that is far more important. "Ticking" off Tasks does provide you with a list of mini-achievements, but do these "ticked" off items give you a sense of where you have come from and where you are going? The underlying and fundamental human need at play here is linked to goal recognition or having a sense of accomplishment. If we do not often reach this sense of accomplishment we slowly but surely get tired, worn-out and bored with what we are doing. The things that used to have us bouncing out of bed in the morning, do not matter any more. A sense of accomplishment comes simply by seeing in every action you take, no matter how small, your own progress against a bigger picture goal.

Whilst at the core of the challenge that confronts us is the ability to quickly and easily capture, process and dispatch or revisit requests, true success and fulfilment requires something more.

A possible answer involves a method for putting all those requests and tasks into context.

The context is the goals and desires that govern our daily life. If the task lists discussed above, were grouped and facilitated in such away that they were clearly identifiable again goals then each "tick" would be a step closer to that goal. By seeing these completed tasks as steps towards a goal we will have a better chance of achieving the sense of accomplishment on a daily, hourly or even minute-by-minute basis.

Personal Productivity Part 2 of 3: The Task List

The humble Task Lists offers a flexible way to identify things that need to be done. Even the paper version or manual art of listing things to do in the calendar page of a future date is quite effective.

Electronic equivalents like the Task capability of Microsoft Outlook® provide additional capabilities in that you can configure "Reminders" so that your computer or even hand-held diary alerts you of pending activity.

The method with regards to Task Lists is simple: As requests land at your feet, you quickly appraise the request and then generate a Task to manage the response appropriate to the request. You can also use the Task List to track items you have requested of others.

An extension to this method is the activity of blocking out future parts of your diary to "address" or "review" a request. If you are using the electronic equivalents, another little trick is the use the body or notes area of the Task Item to make comments about your activity. You also might choose to note when you received the request or what you asked of whom and by when. In this way you have a "mini-journal" of your related activities that can be reviewed later reducing the time you spend coming back up to speed. Have you ever found yourself asking "when did I send that" or "what did I say to him"? The notes inside your tasks can help elevate that problem.

Personal Productivity Part 1 of 3: The Challenge

The job of the modern knowledge professional is neither straightforward nor routine. We must capture, process and track requests and activities from any number of sources and incorporating any number of complexities.

We need a flexible method that not only records and tracks our activities but also drives our productivity in a proactive manner. If we are to perform to our maximum potential we need both skills and time. The skills are necessary to deliver something of value and the time is required in order to deliver that value.

The modern work environment places massive demands on our time. We are subject to continual bombardment from colleagues, staff, customers and bosses. It is not realistic to hide away, free from interruptions. If we are to be effective we need a powerful and rich method for capturing, tracking and acting that is both flexibility and easy to use.

Archive: Is there a quick answer?

In June 2006, I started to capturing my thoughts in relation to what has now become TPAssist 2007. Below is the last of three pieces I wrote on the subject:

"In my last pieces I explored two notions, firstly that ultimate productivity is possibly linked to removal of interference and secondly that it is common place and typical for us to be very poor at effectively managing an independent workload.

In this next piece I explore the practical side of managing an independent workload to ultimately increase personal efficiency and effectiveness.

Let me start by recapping in order to isolate the challenge that confronts us. It is clear that the job of the modern knowledge professional is neither straightforward nor routine. We must capture, process and track requests and activities from any number of sources and incorporating any number of complexities. We need a flexible method that not only records and tracks our activities but also drives our productivity in a proactive manner. If we are to perform to our maximum potential we need both skills and time. The skills are necessary to deliver something of value and the time is required in order to deliver that value. The modern work environment places massive demands on our time. We are subject to continual bombardment from colleagues, staff, customers and bosses. It is not realistic to hide away, free from interruptions. If we are to be effective we need a method that in addition to flexibility, also allows us to quickly and easily capture, process and dispatch or revisit requests.

The first answer I wish to explore is flexible and quick. The notion of the Task Lists is not new. The advent of the FiloFax® certainly had an impact on the wider adoption of Task Lists. The humble Task Lists is a flexible way to identify things that need to be done. Even the paper version or manual art of listing things to do in the calendar page of a future date is quite effective. Electronic equivalents like the Task capability of Microsoft Outlook® provide additional capabilities in that you can configure “Reminders” so that your computer or even hand-held diary alerts you of pending activity. In this way as requests land at your feet, you can quickly appraise the request and then generate a Task to manage the response appropriate to the request. You can also use the Task List to track items you have requested of others, i.e. you can create a Task to remind you that the report is due or person X is visiting customer Y. You may choose to extend this method a little further by blocking out future parts of your diary to “address” or “review” a request. If you are using the electronic equivalents, another little trick is the use the body or notes area of the Task Item to make comments about your activity. You also might choose to note when you received the request or what you asked of whom and by when. In this way you have a “mini-journal” of your related activities that can be reviewed later reducing the time you spend coming back up to speed. Have you ever found yourself asking “when did I send that” or “what did I say to him”? The notes inside your tasks can help elevate that problem. Task Lists are quick and flexible, but are they effective?

Is it sufficient to be on top of what you need to do, when you need to do it and for whom it needs to be done for? Well the simple answer is “no”. The reason is a little more complicated. The very nature of task lists is that they never diminish. As you complete tasks at the top, more items are added to the bottom. Further more, it is rare that any single activity is done in isolation of everything else. More often, even the simplest of activities is linked to a chain of activities or part of a group of activities. The activity may involve one or more people or teams. Those people and/or teams may appear multiple times in your list activities and you will likely want to visit activities in related blocks and not in isolation.

There is one further complication that is far more important. “Ticking” off Tasks does provide you with a list of mini-achievements, but do these “ticked” off items give you a sense of where you’ve come from and where you are going? The underlying and fundamental human need at play here is linked to goal recognition or having a sense of accomplishment. If we don’t often reach this sense of accomplishment we slowly but surely get tired, worn-out and bored with what we are doing. The things that used to have us bouncing out of bed in the morning, don’t matter any more. This situation is known by the likes of Anthony Robbins as overwhelm. The essential theory behind overwhelm is that everything you do must be part of something and that “something” must be clearly identifiable and achievable. Or put another way, a sense of accomplishment comes simply by seeing in every action you take, no matter how small, your own progress against a bigger picture goal.

It should be clear now that whilst at the core of the challenge that confronts us is the ability to quickly and easily capture, process and dispatch or revisit requests, true success and fulfilment requires something more. Therefore the second answer I wish to explore involves a method for putting all those requests and tasks into context. The context is the goals and desires that govern our daily life. If the task lists discussed above, were grouped and facilitated in such away that they were clearly identifiable again goals then each “tick” would be a step closer to that goal. By seeing these completed tasks as steps towards a goal we will have a better chance of achieving the sense of accomplishment on a daily, hourly or even minute-by-minute basis.

The steps appropriate to this approach can be summarised as follows:

1. Clearly identify your goals structure. For your professional life, this goal structure should contain no more than 5 top line items (7 at an absolute maximum).
2. Under each goal, start to collect the projects or operational aspects that form the basis of your professional life.
3. The “task” or “To-Do” items are now listed under the project or operational aspect. It is important that each “task” or “To-Do” has a short-life (typically no more than 1 week). In this way, as you complete each “Task” or “To-Do” you will immediately see progress towards your goals.

This method can be achieved with some success using Categories in the Task capability of Microsoft Outlook®: Assign every Task a category, use UPPER CASE characters to describe the top line goal and then lower case or Title Case to describe the project. Using the “Arrange By” feature of Outlook, you can quickly and easily build and manage your daily responsibilities. A further suggestion is to use the “Master Categories” list to permanent record your goals and projects.

Unfortunately as the complexity and volume of activities increases, the “two-dimension” approach described above becomes less effective. More sophisticated tools are required in order to manage more complex situations. These tools and the associated methodologies are the focus of TPAssist and will be presented and explored in subsequent blogs, in knowledge articles and via the downloadable tools."

Archive: Why don't I have enough time?

In June 2006, I started to capturing my thoughts in relation to what has now become TPAssist 2007. Below is the second of three pieces I wrote on the subject:

"In this piece I explore an area, which speaking honestly, has been the single most significant contributing factor to my interest and investment in TPAssist.

To illustrate this concept, let us look at the collapse of middle management knowledge workers… Over the last couple of decades, middle management and more recently upper management has seen the brunt of repeated slash and burn campaigns. Every time an industry downturn appears, in come the management consultants and out go the middle managers. Now, I am no expert on management consulting or large corporations, however I feel there is a simplistic enough explanation for this repeat disaster for anyone unfortunately enough to get caught up in this process.

The theme to my opinion is similar to the old adage “promote a good engineer to management and you loose a good engineer and get a poor manager”. The problem in my view is linked to in adequate education system, the removal of PAs and the speed at which communication is enabled in modern workplaces.

Firstly, let us firstly explore education. Traditional education, as currently employed in most institutions, teaches us to follow, to regurgitate and to conform. We come out of tertiary education with some limited knowledge of the world, little or no knowledge or real working environments, hopefully some technical capability, a little idea of how to think independently but definitely no idea about managing an independent workload. I won’t even go into team participation or leadership. So in our first job we get taught a whole lot of skills including how to follow, regurgitate and to confirm. Down the track we’ll get ourselves promoted into team leader roles and then eventually management. The lucky ones amongst us will typically receive some rudimentary team management training, but mostly it is a matter of learn by your mistakes.

Secondly, I wish to explore the absence of the Personal Assistant (PA) in a growing number of middle management situations. The manager and PA partnership provided the backbone and framework on which the industrial age was built. Acting as the communications gatekeeper and general organiser, the PA, made the manager ultimately productive, by keeping the interference down to a minimum (see earlier blog). Removal of interference allowed the manager to concentrate on activities that added the highest value to their organisations. As the technology age moves into maturity, the role of the PA is steadily diminishing. The traditional communications gatekeeper role of the PA has been replaced by tools like cell phones, email and shared calendars. Unfortunately, restructuring has failed to recognise the value the PA offered in relation to general organisation.

The third and final structural condition I will briefly touch on is the phenomena known as “Information overload” and its association to communications. There are few amongst us in the business world who can truly claim they are on top of all the possible information sources they have at their disposal. The explosion of the Internet and associated technologies make it virtually impossible to read and process everything. I’ve often heard the complaint that it is virtually impossible to read all the received email. Further more; modern communications technologies put our customers, colleagues, managers and team members directly at our finger tips. We now carry around devices which instantly and automatically keep you up to date with your email, calendars and in a growing number of cases, our corporate and business information databases. This must be good thing, right? Whilst faster and more integrated communication technology does give you more flexibility in terms of where and when you work, in reality all this new functionality delivers is quicker access to your information overload problem.

So let us know recap and bring this all together. Modern middle managers, whilst highly skilled and proficient in functional and technical disciplines are often poorly equipped in leadership, team management and managing an independent workload. As we progressed up an organisation, where as in the past we were allocated a PA, we now must be self-sufficient when it comes to managing communications and workload. And finally whilst the evolution of communication technology has put significantly greater quantities of information at our finger tips we still have the same numbers of hours in a day.

In order to illustrate this problem I will explorer a typical scenario. Four years in the job and several near impossible exams later, Kim Smith gets promoted and is assigned full responsibility for a number of key customer engagements. These are all delivered to the highest standard and eventually Kim gets promoted to team leader. Whilst sounding very important, the difference in being a Team leader is only in that instead of getting all the routine work, the area boss now assigns more of the high profile work to Kim and involves Kim in more pre-engagement activities. In addition, Kim is required to complete the occasional performance review forms, is required to help proof team member’s work and occasionally sits in on new recruit interviews. After another four years, Kim’s boss is promoted to manage a bigger office in another city. In addition, the competition has increases and therefore margins are decreasing, so whilst still profitable, management decide that Kim’s boss won’t be replaced. Instead, management decide to promote from with-in. On reviewing the performance of all team leaders, management conclude that the work Kim has been doing has returned the greatest margin. Further more, everyone gets on really well with Kim and therefore Kim should be promoted to the area manager. Kim is thrilled with the promotion, the big salary increase, the great benefits and the opportunity to really make a difference. A number of crucial things now happen. Firstly a couple of the other team leaders, annoyed with being overlooked, start to drag their feet on completing pre-assigned work. Secondly, just before leaving, the previous boss helped secure a couple of new high profile engagements. Interestingly it was the boss’s success in securing the new business that help with the original promotion. And finally, the previous boss has been so preoccupied with securing the new business [and working on getting the promotion] that the performance reviews for the year had been postponed. So with in weeks of the new role, Kim has mounting pressure from staff to get reviewed in order to receive pay increases, there is pressure to assign resources to the newly secured engagements and existing assignments are running behind schedule. To completely seal Kim’s fate, as management had decided not to replace the boss, the overall team headcount is down so Kim has to help out with existing assignments workload. Oh and I forgot to mention that the Boss’s PA moved to the new office as well and guess what the new company policy on Personal Assistants? Before going any further, we should look at Kim’s daily activities in a little more detail. As a high-performing young prodigy, Kim managed the daily demands of the job through “unread” email and the occasional calendar reminder. For example when someone sent through an emailed requesting information or help, Kim would read the email and if some action was required, Kim would right-click and Mark-As-Unread. This provided Kim with a list of things to follow-up on. Similarly, if someone phoned through a request, Kim would compile a new self address message and send it. In this way Kim always had a list of un-read emails which needed action. Now seeing as Kim was generally focused on only two or three projects at one time, the list of emails never got bigger than a dozen or so items. Kim’s self management technical could be best described as reactive, in that a request was made, Kim then took a decision on how the request would be answered and then Kim went about answering the request, typically in a sequential manner, i.e. first request in, first request out. Further more, being a team member responsible for delivering on project tasks, the task list generally referred to something Kim had to do. Rarely did Kim rely on someone else in the team. Now in the new role, a couple of key changes took place. Firstly, the number of requests being made of Kim has grown three fold. And secondly and most importantly, Kim is no longer just reacting to requests. Kim is now dependant on the output or input of others. Before Kim got the management promotion, work load increased and decreased. Generally speaking when there was loads of work on, Kim just worked longer hours. Even so, the hours worked weren’t really that demanding because the boss was always mindful of distributing the workload evenly. Kim never really had to choose which activity to do first because the priority was generally made clear by emphasis provided by the boss when the work was allocated. In the new role, the responsibility for prioritisation clearly rested with Kim. Now this isn’t as much a problem for client engagements, because typically the deadlines and revenue potential drove the prioritisation. However, with regards to Kim’s own tasks and activities, Kim had total accountability for getting everything done and in the right order. In summary, Kim’s own task management skills were of reactive nature with little scope for prioritisation. As Kim total immersion in the new role deepened, more and more self addressed emails were being sent and marked as un-read. The ability to track other people’s activity became more and more difficult. It became harder and harder to remember what was said and what was promised. Kim was being pulled this way and that, was working longer and longer hours and more often than not, failed to met peoples demands and deadlines. Kim’s inability to prioritise requests and track activities had a direct impact on the overall performance of the team. With wavering direction and clarity, the team members started setting their own priorities and working to their own agendas. So with-in weeks, Kim has gone from a high-performing star team leader to an overworked manager of a failing business unit. Is there a way out for Kim?

The answer to that question, in my opinion rests clearly with effectively addressing time utilisation and productivity optimisation…. the subject of my next Blog."

Archive: Ultimate Productivity = Remove the interference

In June 2006, I started to capturing my thoughts in relation to what has now become TPAssist 2007. Below is the first of three pieces I wrote on the subject:

"Welcome to TPAassist, a project of personal interest to me in that I use the methodology and tools in every aspect of my life from work to play.

In this opening blog, I am going to capture a few ideas and explore the notion of productivity. In time I hope to add insights into my methodology and provide general details of where and how to learn more.

“Productivity” - so what is all the fuss? I guess the term productivity is generally found in the work or business context, where owners, bosses and strategy consultants use it liberally in relation to any new technology, system, solution, tool or process they are trying to adopt. So what does it mean? I like the definition found at the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics web site: “Productivity is a measure of economic efficiency which shows how effectively economic inputs are converted into output.” And in plain English, “less in, more out”.

Ok, so what does “less in, more out” translate into for you and I? It could be as easily as saying, “productivity = job and promotion”, because these days, if you can’t manage to do more with less you are likely to be shown the door. Now that is well and good, but of what use is this ramble? I like to think of productivity in terms of your ability to perform. If you are performing well, you are more likely to be able to achieve more with less.

So what is performance? To answer that question, you should look at the work by Timothy Gallwey, called the Inner Game. The Inner Game as developed by Gallwey in 1974 builds on the notion of “Potential” and “Performance”. There is a gap between potential and performance which Gallwey describes as the thoughts which you have when going about an activity. These thoughts can be better described as “Interference”. Interference then is the self doubting thoughts you have that get in the way of your potential and reduce your resulting performance. In his 2003 book on effective coaching, Myles Downey in addition to explaining the Inner Game in more details, expands this notion in order to conclude that performance therefore, is equal to “potential” subtract “interference”.

So if performance is linked to your ability to be productive, and performance is a function of your potential and the interference you create, then perhaps ultimately productivity is about removing the interference. Ok, that was a long winded way to say that in order to be productive, you need to offload all the distractions. In a practical sense, distractions include the volumes of email, phone calls and basically the numerous requests we are subject to every day due to increasingly complexity in working life and often vague job descriptions.

REFERENCES:

Myles Downey, 2003; Effective Coaching, Lessons From the Coach’s Coach, Thomson Texere

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics web site:
http://www.bls.gov/lpc/peoplebox.htm "