How to Manage Work

1. Objective:

The objective of this document is to provide a structured approach to managing work that is clear, actionable, and efficient. By following the steps outlined in this guide, one should be able to identify the projects being worked on, specify their overall goals, break them down into subgoals, and plan the tasks required to achieve those goals. Given those plans, one can then execute the tasks, track progress, and adjust as needed to ensure successful completion of the projects.

2. Setup steps:

Step 1: Create a directory to manage work.

Create a directory to manage the work that is beign done. The directory can be named "Management" or "WorkManagement" or any other name that is suitable. This directory will contain all the files and documents related to the management of work.

Step 2: Create an index file.

Create an index file in the directory that will serve as summary of the work management. The index file should contain the following sections:

  • Current Projects - List of projects being worked on and their main goals
  • Inboxes - Specification of inbox files for loose ideas and tasks
  • Templates - Description of templates used for creating new projects
  • Weekly Plan - File with the current and previous weekly plans

Step 2: Create an inbox file.

Create an inbox.md file in the directory to capture all ideas, projects and tasks that cross your mind. This file will serve as a repository for all the loose ideas and tasks that need to be organized and processed.

The inbox file is loosly structured and just lists everything e.g.

  • Idea for a new project
  • Task to be done
  • Note to remember
  • etc.

Step 3: Sort the inbox file (Clarify and Organise).

Sub-step 3.1: Clarify

Description: Clarify everything you captured into concrete actionable steps. Now, that your inbox is full of tasks, ideas, notes, commitments, etc., it’s time to go through each item refine it, and add as much information as you need to prevent having to puzzle over it later.

For example instead of:

  • “Call mom,” type “Call mom to discuss birthday dinner” and attach a list of ingredients to go over with her.
  • “Taxes,” type “Discuss tax documents with Mary” and attach Mary’s contact number.
  • “Project Ryan,” type “Email Ryan with project updates and next steps” and include pointers to cover in the email.

In this step, you should also go down through complex projects to obtain actionable tasks. This could include a task: "Plan the project and figure out the steps".

When examining your list, you’ll likely encounter items that can be acted upon immediately and those that cannot. Different strategies can be employed for each category, as we’ll explore below.

Sub-step 3.2: Non-actionable tasks

Non-actionable tasks are items on your list that you can’t or don’t need to act on immediately. Here’s how to handle them:

  • Delete it. While reviewing your list, you will notice some tasks that you don’t want to devote time or effort to now or in the future. For example, you might want to cancel a meeting that could have been an email.

  • Incubate it. Put everything you want to work on but can’t until you can add it to your project list, such as learning a new language.

  • Reference it. There’s stuff on your mind that you might not need to act on but would love to keep a hold on. For example, you come across a really interesting article about leadership and have some quotes you’d like to remember.

Sub-step 3.3: Actionable tasks

For actionable tasks (ones you want to be completed) there are following options:

  • Do i1! Do anything that takes you less than 2 minutes. If there are multiple such tasks, group them together to assign a time slot.
  • Delegate it. If you can't do something because you don't have time or someone would do it better then delegate it. For example, ask a team member.
  • Defer it. Everything else that will take several steps to complete. These tasks will have to be sorted into projects and allocated a time slot (day) to execute.

Based on the deferred list of projects, tasks and ideas in the inbox file, sort them into the appropriate projects. For each project, create a new folder with an appriopriate name e.g. "XYZ". In each folder, initialize files (if not exist already):

  • README.md - should contain a complete description of the project
  • current_state.md - should describe:
  • a current state of the project from the development perspective
  • current goals of the project
  • work_log.md - should contain a work log of the project listing what was done when

The README.md file and the current_state.md files should be enough to understand the current state of the project, what is being currently done and what are the short- and long-term goals. As a rule of thumb, if someone new was to work on the project, reading README.md and the current_state.md should suffice to understand the project.

Workflow

For a useful visualisation, see workflow in image below. workflow.png

Step 4: Create a weekly plan.

Initialise the weekly_plan.md file in the directory. The weekly plan contains the tasks for the week and the past weeks. The weekly plan is divided into days. The weekly plan should contain the tasks for each day of the week, the time allocated for each task, and the status of the task (done, in progress, not done). You can use the weekly plan template provided.

3. Iteration Steps:

Step 1: Plan the week.

At the beginning of each week, plan the tasks for the week. Review the goals and sub-goals of the projects being worked on. Prioritise which projects to work on and fill the weekly plan with appriopriate tasks. Allocate time for each task and ensure that the tasks are specific, actionable, and achievable within the week.

Given the plan, the weekly plan can specify 2h blocks of work dedicated to specific sub-goal of the project. The weekly plan should also contain time for other activities like gym, tennis, lunch, etc.

Step 2: Fill the calendar.

Fill the calendar with the tasks from the weekly plan. Allocate time for each task and ensure that the tasks are specific, actionable, and achievable within the day.

Step 3: Execute the tasks.

Follow the weekly plan and execute the tasks. When embarking on a task, create a plan using the procedures or by any other method (Google, thinking, ChatGPT). Track the progress of the tasks and update the weekly plan with the status of the tasks (done, in progress, not done).

After the block is finished, update the work-log of the project with what was done and why. If applicable, update the documentation as fast as possible.

Step 4: Review the week.

At the end of the week, review the weekly plan and the tasks completed. Note down the tasks that were done, in progress, and not done. Reflect on the progress made, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned. Use this reflection to plan the next week. If lost, or at least every month, update the inbox file and reorganise the goals if necessary.

4. Additional Information:

The directory contains three templates specified in the procedure. The templates are:

  • template_weekly_plan.md - Template for weekly plans
  • examples:
  • example_LS314_Procedures contains a historical snapshot (12.12.2024) of README.md, current_state.md and work_log.md files for the LS314 Procedures project.
  • workflow.png - visualisation of the "Get Things Done" workflow to organise your tasks and sort them into projects.