Max Riffner

The Parlor

My weblog work journal.  »Archives  »Links

Responsible Project Management?

I’m goddamn sick again. I know it is going to become a goddamn sinus infection again too. The doctor thinks it is too early for antibiotics yet because it hasn’t become a full blown sinus infection. So… I’m waiting for that to happen. I don’t want antibiotics unless I need it, so I’m okay with the waiting. However, I know I’ll feel a whole mess worse than I do now before I start to feel better.

Unless it clears up on its own. That would be fantastic.

I’m struggling this morning at work like I did yesterday. I know I should go home and rest – there is just quite a bit on my to-do list that needs to get done. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about my productivity, and what sort of worker I am, as of late. I’m finishing up Now, Discover Your Strengths for my pMBA. My profile is interesting, Responsibility being my dominant theme. What it means basically is that I am super responsible (duh), and I have a hard time saying ‘no’ to projects…

Which brings me to my productivity. I’ve found that having a written to-do list made up everyday works really well for me, and that Basecamp (business) and Backpack (personal) reinforce longer term goals (by long term I mean at least a week). However, I’m in a situation now where I have too much on my plate, and I know the best thing for me to do is to hunker down and get one thing done at a time according to priorities.

The question I have though is if by nature I allow myself into these project overload traps, should I try to stop taking on so much, or should I get a better system for management? I go back and forth on this issue – especially since my idea of project management four years ago was to just tell people it would “get done soon.” I’ve come a long way in that regard (the corporate world beats it into you).

Getting Things Done is the next book on my list, and while at first I was a little scared to drink the GTD Kool-Aid (most people who read this book become rabid fans of it), I’m also a little excited to learn what all the fuss is about on 43 Folders. Maybe I get a better system out of it, maybe not, but I’m open to the exposure now.

You can also browse through the Parlor archives.