<aside> 💡 **Why are we outlining our core habits? ****We want to align everyone in the team and provide the minimum knowledge necessary for anyone in the team to add value to the company. By writing out our company’s core habits, we aim to clarify how everyone should operate within the team.

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Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a time-management method described in a book of the same title by productivity consultant David Allen. The GTD method rests on moving planned tasks and projects out of the mind by recording them externally and then breaking them into actionable work items. This allows one to focus attention on taking action on tasks instead of on recalling them.

Allen uses the analogy of RAM and hard drives. People have a max. Storage space (RAM) that allows them to store information in their minds. The GTD method encourages people to move things out of their RAM and into a trusted hard drive. If you don't trust the storage device, you won't take the tasks out of your mind. Having a trusted storage device lets you throw tasks out of your mind because the system will return them to you when they become relevant again.

Within our team, we put this method to practice primarily through Asana. We want to improve what we do daily because we value excellence, which can be achieved by executing and GTD. Ideas cannot add value if they remain and are not implemented. By breaking down our ideas into actionable tasks using Asana, we are able and responsible for organizing ourselves so we can get things done. Here are some practical Asana guidelines that we use to implement the GTD method within our company:

• Every task has a single assignee responsible for completing that task, making it impossible for things to fall through the cracks because “it wasn’t clear who owns this” (this is what areas of responsibility are).
• When we complete a task or add a comment to a task with multiple followers, everyone is informed and stays up to date.
• Start with action verbs in task titles. You cannot “do” a project, but you can “Improve X” or “Research Y”.
• Use the description field to describe the end in mind (i.e. what does the finished state look like?).
• Use the comments section to make SMART comments on completing the task with the next actions (NA).

SMART goals and tasks

Applying the SMART methodology to your tasks and goals will significantly increase communication quality and work efficiency. It helps avoid delays caused by unclarity, and you can hit pause and play on tasks faster while keeping your teammates informed in the process.

When SMART is applied to your tasks and goals, they are:

Specific - target a specific area for improvement.

• Who: Who is involved in this goal?
• What: What do I want to accomplish?
• Where: Where is this goal to be achieved?
• When: When do I want to achieve this goal?
• Why: Why do I want to achieve this goal?

Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.

• How many/much?
• How do I know if I have reached my goal?
• What is my indicator of progress?

Assignable/Actionable  – specify who will do it.

• Who will be responsible/accountable?
• Who can do the tasks?
• What is needed for the owner to be able to achieve the goal?

Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.

• Is the goal realistic and within reach?
• Is the goal reachable, given the time and resources?
• Are you able to commit to achieving the goal?
• Do I have the resources and capabilities to achieve the goal? If not, what am I missing?
• Have others done it successfully before?

Time-related – specify when the result(s) can or should be achieved

• Does my goal have a deadline or time-bound dependency?
• By when do you want to achieve your goal?