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SUBJECTS
2 Worlds Bridging Gap Not Enough Time for 8 Steps Using SDS  o Work I
Allen, David Improved Microsoft Outlook Gary Submits Informat
Software Similar to SDS May Have Useful Features for SDS Purple Numbe
Getting Things Done David Allen Developed Improvements to Microsoft O
Outlook Microsoft Improvements David Allen Developed to Implement His
Microsoft Goal Improve Productivity No Evidence This is Accomplished,

1708 -
1708 -    ..
1709 - Summary/Objective
1710 -
171001 - Follow up ref SDS 12 NQ7K
171002 -
171003 - Received ref DRT 1 0001 from Gary saying....
171004 -
171005 -    1.  David Allen (Getting Things Done) has an add-in to Outlook that
171006 -        has some interesting features. ref DRT 1 0001
171008 -  ..
171009 - In a letter on 021109 Gary reported on Allen's software to improve the
171010 - ability to get things done. ref SDS 12 NQ7K  Gary's record on 030413
171011 - discusses Allen's ideas and tools in relation to theory and practice
171012 - of Com Metrics. ref SDS 13 0001
171014 -  ..
171015 - Review of the record on 021109 indicates that Allen was offering
171016 - software to improve Microsoft Outlook that sells for $50. ref SDS 12
171017 - F63I
171019 -  ..
171020 - Gary continues...
171021 -
171022 -    2.  I sent the link to the features list to Jerry Nord because of
171023 -        his interest in Outlook. Here is a good implementation for him
171024 -        to relate to his plans.
171026 -         ..
171027 -    3.  The downloadable version is $69.95. Features list and ordering
171028 -        page is...
171029 -
171030 -           http://www.davidco.com/productDetail.php?id=63&IDoption=21
171032 -  ..
171033 - How do features selling for $70 improve prior features that sold for
171034 - $50? ref SDS 12 F63I
171036 -  ..
171037 - Is this the same thing selling for more money, or has it been
171038 - enhanced?
171040 -  ..
171041 - Gary continues...
171042 -
171043 -    4.  There is an online demo at...
171044 -
171045 -           http://gtdsupport.netcentrics.com/tour/#
171047 -  ..
171048 - Looked at some of this using the new tool for opening files using
171049 - other applications developed on 031102. ref SDS 15 0001  General
171050 - impression is that Allen has developed very powerful tools.  The
171051 - explanation of getting things done is a lot better than the Typical
171052 - Day Scenario using SDS. ref OF 2 5003
171053 -
171054 -        [On 031109 Gary reviewed Franklin and Covey's software and
171055 -        ideas on management, ref SDS 16 1U6K, and commented on
171056 -        correlations with SDS and Com Metrics, ref SDS 16 1W5W, based
171057 -        on review in the record on 921205. ref SDS 16 1W5W
171059 -         ..
171060 -        [On 031113 reported on Gary's analysis of Franklin, Covey and
171061 -        Allen in the weekly conference call with Gary and Jerry.
171062 -        ref SDS 17 TS4K
171064 -  ..
171065 - Gary continues...
171066 -
171067 -    5.  While it takes some time (~45 min.) to go through the demo, I
171068 -        think that there might be value in doing so -- it was for me.
171069 -
171070 -        1)  It is a demonstration that even Outlook can do useful work
171071 -            if enhanced appropriately.
171073 -  ..
171074 - Morris has pointed out that sales "demonstrations" often mislead.  He
171075 - mentioned on 010425 that Microsoft product demonstrations give the
171076 - impression they support SDS capability. ref SDS 8 5W75  In any case,
171077 - Outlook is a terrific program for people with limited time who want
171078 - information technology they can learn and use quickly.  Allen's addons
171079 - add value to Outlook.
171081 -  ..
171082 - SDS does not replace Outlook, but rather enables one person to help
171083 - many people do a better job using Outlook and other technologies, as
171084 - Gary is demonstrating at Aerospace company, noted by Dave Held on 030527.
171085 - ref SDS 14 0001
171087 -  ..
171088 - Gary continues...
171089 -
171090 -        2)  There are some project / information management practices
171091 -            represented that might be worth noting for some version of
171092 -            SDS.
171094 -             ..
171095 -        3)  It at least attempts some degree of integration and
171096 -            organization of tasks.
171098 -  ..
171099 - Is there an SDS record reporting this experience and analysis of
171100 - practices that are helpful?
171102 -  ..
171103 - Integrating management and other cognitive tasks so that each supports
171104 - the other to improve productivity is the core of the SDS design;
171105 - merely adding more tasks is not effective, as explained in POIMS.
171106 - ref OF 1 8559  Enabling people to work "intelligently" whatever they
171107 - are doing is complex and difficult for reasons explained in POIMS.
171108 - ref OF 1 0367  Adding support that is found to be helpful is a
171109 - natural growth process, as Gary suggests.
171111 -  ..
171112 - Gary continues...
171113 -
171114 -    6.  Understand that Allen is not trying to tackle the same problems
171115 -        that SDS addresses.  He is concerned with keeping the mind
171116 -        clear and Getting Things Done. As such, he is far more
171117 -        interested in managing tasks and actions than in managing
171118 -        information / knowledge except as it relates to doing work.
171119 -        Hence, the product must be judged with regard to how much it
171120 -        improves the area addressed rather than bemoaning the fact that
171121 -        it isn't SDS.
171123 -  ..
171124 - Ideas and methods from Allen and others (e.g., Covery, Franklin,
171125 - Drucker, etc.), should be reviewed to strengthen the SDS design for
171126 - managing tasks and actions illustrated by the listing on 020708.
171127 - ref SDS 10 MZ6O
171129 -  ..
171130 - Some of the explanation in Allen's web site sounds like he is trying
171131 - to contribute on some of the tasks that SDS supports, as shown in the
171132 - Typical Day Scenario. ref OF 2 5003
171134 -  ..
171135 - POIMS describes a plan, perform, report "intelligence" cycle,
171136 - ref OF 1 6649, to get things done correctly, on time, and within
171137 - budget.  On 9700107 Robert Johnson, president of Dutra Dredging,
171138 - reported that SDS helps people get things done faster, better and
171139 - cheaper than other methods, because other methods cannot keep up with
171140 - the pace of daily work. ref SDS 4 4953  The same record on 970107
171141 - demonstrates SDS tracks the work minute by minute, hour by hour, day
171142 - by day for weeks, months, and years. ref SDS 4 0001  There is a lot of
171143 - SDS work product showing the record on 970107 is an example of routine
171144 - use rather than an exception.  In other words, SDS "routinizes" good
171145 - practices for getting things done, listed in the review of Covey's
171146 - ideas on 921205, ref SDS 3 2552, by striving to transcend traditional
171147 - distinctions between managing tasks and managing information.  SDS
171148 - avoids this distinction by helping people manage knowledge needed to
171149 - perform tasks, and uses experience from getting things done to figure
171150 - out what needs to be done next.  The US Army Corps of Engineers later
171151 - reported on 970328 that SDS helps people work "intelligently,"
171152 - ref DRP 1 6172, to get things done. ref DRP 1 2428 and ref DRP 2 7401
171156 -  ..
171157 - Gary continues...
171158 -
171159 -    7.  SDS is a more powerful tool, but much more difficult to learn.
171160 -        This add-in enhances Outlook, which is already familiar to
171161 -        managers, so there is at least a chance that some might adopt
171162 -        it, and I will take any improvement I can get in management
171163 -        behavior.
171165 -  ..
171166 - The challenge people encounter attempting improvement has been
171167 - reviewed over many years and shows....
171168 -
171169 -        a.  Converting information into knowledge is a lot of hard work
171170 -            using information technology like Outlook, reported on
171171 -            000307. ref SDS 6 5182, and so the effort is abandoned for
171172 -            reasons noted on 001126, ref SDS 7 QW8I.  Jack Park made
171173 -            the same point a year later on 010908. ref SDS 9 YF5O
171175 -             ..
171176 -        b.  Information technology is fast and easy to learn but does
171177 -            not improve productivity and earnings nor save lives better
171178 -            than relying on innate memory, and so the effort is soon
171179 -            abandoned, as reported on 890809. ref SDS 1 MK4P
171181 -             ..
171182 -        c.  Bill Gates noted on 021108 that people need a way to
171183 -            execute integrated commands in order to improve
171184 -            productivity. ref SDS 11 EFBE  Morris noted on 890809 that
171185 -            integration by defintion is complex and this takes more
171186 -            time to learn. ref SDS 2 2079
171188 -             ..
171189 -            An example is alphabet technology.  It takes several years
171190 -            to learn, but there is a big payoff, as reported on 991108.
171191 -            ref SDS 5 5628  SDS takes more time as well, and offers a
171192 -            bigger payoff, as reported by USACE on 971007. ref DRP 2
171193 -            7401
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