GettingThings Done. The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

after the fact, just to please the authorities. In the business world, they're often headed 'Goals' and 'Objectives.' But they still have very little to do with what people are doing or what they're inspired about. These documents are sitting in drawers and in e-mails some-where, bearing little relationship to operational reality.

The Reactive Planning Model

The unnatural planning model is what most people consciously think of as 'planning,' and because it's so often artificial and irrelevant to real work, people just don't plan. At least not on the front end: they resist planning meetings, presentations, and strategic operations until the last minute.

But what happens if you don't plan ahead of time? In many cases, crisis! ('Didn't you get the tickets? I thought you were going to do that?!') Then, when the urgency of the last minute is upon you, the reactive planning model ensues.

When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

— Will

What's the first level of focus when the stuff hits the fan? Action! Work harder! Overtime! More people! Get busier! And a lot of stressed-out people are thrown at the situation.

Then, when having a lot of busy people banging into each other doesn't resolve the situation, someone gets more sophisticated and says, 'We need to get organized!' (Catching on now?) Then people draw boxes around the problem and label them. Or redraw the boxes and relabel them.

At some point they realize that just redrawing boxes isn't really doing much to solve the problem. Now someone (much more sophisticated) suggests that more creativity is needed. 'Let's brainstorm!' With everyone in the room, the boss asks, 'So, who's got a good idea here?' (Thank you, Mrs. Williams.)

Don't just do something. Stand there.

—Rochelle Myer

When not much happens, the boss may surmise that his staff has used up most of its internal creativity. Time to hire a consultant! Of course, if the consultant is worth his salt, at some point he is probably going to ask the big question: 'So, what are you really trying to do here, anyway?' (vision,purpose).

The reactive style is the reverse of the natural model. It will always come back to a top-down focus. It's not a matter of whether the natural planning will be done—just when, and at what cost.

Natural Planning Techniques: The Five Phases

It goes without saying, but still it must be said again: thinking in more effective ways about projects and situations can make things happen sooner, better, and more successfully. So if our minds plan naturally anyway, what can we learn from that? How can we use that model to facilitate getting more and better results in our thinking?

Let's examine each of the five phases of natural planning and see how we can leverage these contexts.

Purpose

It never hurts to ask the 'why?' question. Almost anything you're currently doing can be enhanced and even galvanized by more scrutiny at this top level of focus. Why are you going to your next meeting? What's the purpose of your task? Why are you having friends over for a barbeque in the backyard? Why are you hiring a marketing director? Why do you have a budget?

Fanaticism consists of redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.

- George

I admit it: this is nothing but advanced common sense. To know and to be clear about the purpose of any activity are prime directives for clarity, creative-development, and cooperation. But it's common-sense that's not commonly practiced, simply because it's so easy-for us to create things, get caught up in the form of what we've- created, and let our connection with our real and primary intentions slip.

I know, based upon thousands of hours spent in many offices with many sophisticated people, that the 'why?' question cannot be ignored. When people complain to me about having too many meetings, I have to ask, 'What is the purpose of the meetings?' When they ask, 'Who should I invite to the planning session?' I have to ask, 'What's the purpose of the planning session?' Until we have the answer to my questions, there's no possible way to come up with an appropriate response to theirs.

The Value of Thinking About 'Why'

Here are just some of the benefits of asking 'why?':

• It defines success.

• It creates decision-making criteria.

• It aligns resources.

• It motivates.

• It clarifies focus.

• It expands options.

People love to win. If you're not totally clear about the purpose of what you're doing, you have no chance of winning.

Let's take a closer look at each of these in turn.

It defines success People are starved for 'wins' these days. We-play games, and we like to win, or at least be in a position-where we could win. And if you're not totally clear-chance of winning. Purpose defines success. It's the primal reference point for any investment of time and energy, from deciding to run for elective office to designing a form.

Celebrate any progress. Don't wait to get perfect.

— Ann McGee Cooper

Ultimately you can't feel good about a staff meeting unless you know what the purpose of the meeting was. And if you want to sleep well, you'd better have a good answer when your board asks why you fired your V.P. of marketing or hired that hotshot M.B.A. as your new finance director. You won't really know whether or not your business plan is any good until you hold it up against the success criterion that you define by answering the question 'Why do we need a business plan?'

It Creates Decision-Making Criteria How do you decide whether to spend the money for a five-color brochure or just go with a two-color? How do you know whether it's worth hiring a major Web design firm to handle your new Web site?

Often the only way to make a hard decision is to come back to the purpose.

It all comes down to purpose. Given what you're trying to accomplish, are these resource investments required, and if so, which ones? There's no way to know until the purpose is clarified.

It Aligns Resources How should we spend our staffing allocation in the corporate budget? How do we best use the cash flow right now to maximize our viability as a retailer over the next year? Should we spend more money on the luncheon or the speakers for the monthly association meeting?

In each case, the answer depends on what we're really trying to accomplish—the why.