Campusalam

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1. Identify the main components: for example, ‘Inviting the speaker’, ‘Venue’, ‘Catering’, ‘Publicity’ and so on.

2. Sort them in one of various ways: what order they need to happen; what kind of task it is; urgency or priority; or whatever fits your event.

3. Break them down into the actual tasks you need to do. For example:

- Get the speaker’s email address
- Write the invitation letter
- Send it – Follow up if I don’t hear by the end of the month

4. Plot these tasks out in as much detail as you need to in order to feel clear and in control. No more, no less!
5. Assign these tasks to people and give them deadlines: realistic, but tough so you allow time for emergencies.

IMPORTANT! For any task you need to do: make sure you have a clear ‘next action step’ that is small, clear, concrete.

‘Speakers’ written on a to-do list is not a next action step. You’ll look at it and it’s not immediately clear what to do, so the natural thing is not to do it – procrastinate, in other words.

‘Decide on speaker’ is not a very helpful action step. It’s not instantly clear to your brain what actual physical action you have to take, so the lazy brain looks for something else to do instead.

‘Telephone Imran to ask who he recommends’ or ‘Ask Fatima for speaker’s email address’ is just right. You’ll see what to do and do it, not procrastinate.



From management guru David Allen, Getting Things Done:

A project is sufficiently planned for implementation when every next-action step has been decided on every front that can actually be moved on without some other component’s having to be completed first. If the project has multiple components, each of them should be assessed appropriately by asking, “Is there something that anyone could be doing on this right now?” You could be co-ordinating speakers for the conference, for instance, at the same time that you’re finding the appropriate site.

In some cases there will be only one aspect that can be activated, and everything else will depend on the results of that. So there maybe only one next action, which will be the linchpin for all the rest.

[pp. 76-7. Judy Piatkus Ltd, London, 2001 ISBN 0 7499 2264 8]