Call: 708-425-9080
Getting Things Done—An Obsession
|
Did you ever read a great book and wish everyone else could read it too? How about reading a book that would transform the way you do things, or shed a fresh perspective on daily mundane tasks that whittle away valuable productive time? Well, that’s what happened to Meyer Tools’s V.P. Operations and Engineering, Ed Bonnema, when he read David Allen’s book Getting Things Done.
Needing a good read to take on summer vacation, Ed turned to the list of 100 Best Business Books ever. With that quantity to choose from, it was hard to pick just one, but Getting Things Done sounded like it may just be applicable to Ed’s hectic schedule. Meyer Tool was continuing to land new contracts to add to our already record backlog. New prospects were contacting us regularly and there were new employees to train before they could effectively help us to—what else but—get it all done. This book from the 100 Best list just might have a tip or two, even for a seasoned executive. |
Meyer Tool's book club Getting Things Done.
|
Turns out, it did. From corralling his “stuff,” to getting projects under control, there were all kinds of tips for organizing; getting his inbox empty, setting up ticklers and moving items to a “wait for” future actions list—guilt free. So Ed excitedly put these ideas to work— Lean principles for the knowledge worker!
At first co-workers didn’t like these new tips very well. Ed’s favorite new saying “So what’s your next action?” quickly came to be responded to with a roll of the eyes. Why? These are, after all, some of the 100 best tips! Well, the rest of us just didn’t know where he was coming from. We didn’t understand this new language.
Ed and Meyer’s president, Eileen Cunningham, had read and implemented ideas from the 100 Best list before. For example, we began to revamp our standard operating procedures based on The E-Myth Revisited. The key ingredient for success was that they both had read the books and both were enthusiastic about implementing new ideas. So how to overcome the lack of enthusiasm for Ed’s new system? Offer the book to the whole management and office team so we could implement these ideas together!
And so the “Book Club” was born. We offered voluntary participation to the engineering team, the office team, purchasing and the shop supervisory staff. Most accepted and participants received copies of the book—and a new labeler. We read selected chapters each week and then met over lunch on Fridays to talk about our take-aways. "What thoughts did you like?"; "What did you not like as well?"; "Were you able to implement anything and how did that go?" were weekly topics of discussion. We enjoyed getting things out of our heads and into the right buckets and the feeling of control when our minds and operating spaces were clear. Early successes bred further innovation. We embraced the lingo and began weaving it into our everyday conversations. David Allen would be proud to know that “What’s the next action?” is now a fundamental and consistently asked question at Meyer Tool.
We were happy with the new systems and attention to “next actions” generated by our book club. There were clear and visible direct benefits that enhanced life at Meyer Tool. However, more valuable seeds than even those of productivity improvements were taking root. While participants were reaping direct benefits from implementing book ideas, our team was bonding in a new and different way. Learning the same material together meant we were all on equal footing. Since we took turns leading the weekly meetings and we were all encouraged to share ideas, some who did not typically speak their mind in front of the group were provided a forum in which they were almost forced to do so. Each time they did, they gained confidence that their perspective, especially when unique, added value to the group. This enhanced communication spread to other Meyer Tool meetings as well, adding value and efficiencies that were not necessarily expected but remain welcome and constructive additions to our company culture.
Eventually we finished our book with positive feedback from all book club members. So what was our next action? To continue the book club, of course! The few employees who initially declined, chose to join us for our second book. No longer do they feel left out by freshly organized areas or group-speak they are unfamiliar with. By now they are well adjusted book club junkies, implementing ideas of their own.
We are currently reading our second book together Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni with similar positive results. We therefore surmise we didn’t hit the home run only because we chose a good book (of course a value-added book is crucial), our success was enhanced because we chose to read and discuss the books together. As Allen states “Empowerment naturally ensues for individuals as they move from complaining and victim modalities into outcomes and actions defined for direction. When that becomes the standard in a group, it creates significant improvement in the atmosphere as well as the output.” Our results fully support his assertion. And having already witnessed the number of changes we’ve seen while being only on our second book, we are excited to bear witness to all the output and atmosphere improvements the book club will bring over time!
At first co-workers didn’t like these new tips very well. Ed’s favorite new saying “So what’s your next action?” quickly came to be responded to with a roll of the eyes. Why? These are, after all, some of the 100 best tips! Well, the rest of us just didn’t know where he was coming from. We didn’t understand this new language.
Ed and Meyer’s president, Eileen Cunningham, had read and implemented ideas from the 100 Best list before. For example, we began to revamp our standard operating procedures based on The E-Myth Revisited. The key ingredient for success was that they both had read the books and both were enthusiastic about implementing new ideas. So how to overcome the lack of enthusiasm for Ed’s new system? Offer the book to the whole management and office team so we could implement these ideas together!
And so the “Book Club” was born. We offered voluntary participation to the engineering team, the office team, purchasing and the shop supervisory staff. Most accepted and participants received copies of the book—and a new labeler. We read selected chapters each week and then met over lunch on Fridays to talk about our take-aways. "What thoughts did you like?"; "What did you not like as well?"; "Were you able to implement anything and how did that go?" were weekly topics of discussion. We enjoyed getting things out of our heads and into the right buckets and the feeling of control when our minds and operating spaces were clear. Early successes bred further innovation. We embraced the lingo and began weaving it into our everyday conversations. David Allen would be proud to know that “What’s the next action?” is now a fundamental and consistently asked question at Meyer Tool.
We were happy with the new systems and attention to “next actions” generated by our book club. There were clear and visible direct benefits that enhanced life at Meyer Tool. However, more valuable seeds than even those of productivity improvements were taking root. While participants were reaping direct benefits from implementing book ideas, our team was bonding in a new and different way. Learning the same material together meant we were all on equal footing. Since we took turns leading the weekly meetings and we were all encouraged to share ideas, some who did not typically speak their mind in front of the group were provided a forum in which they were almost forced to do so. Each time they did, they gained confidence that their perspective, especially when unique, added value to the group. This enhanced communication spread to other Meyer Tool meetings as well, adding value and efficiencies that were not necessarily expected but remain welcome and constructive additions to our company culture.
Eventually we finished our book with positive feedback from all book club members. So what was our next action? To continue the book club, of course! The few employees who initially declined, chose to join us for our second book. No longer do they feel left out by freshly organized areas or group-speak they are unfamiliar with. By now they are well adjusted book club junkies, implementing ideas of their own.
We are currently reading our second book together Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni with similar positive results. We therefore surmise we didn’t hit the home run only because we chose a good book (of course a value-added book is crucial), our success was enhanced because we chose to read and discuss the books together. As Allen states “Empowerment naturally ensues for individuals as they move from complaining and victim modalities into outcomes and actions defined for direction. When that becomes the standard in a group, it creates significant improvement in the atmosphere as well as the output.” Our results fully support his assertion. And having already witnessed the number of changes we’ve seen while being only on our second book, we are excited to bear witness to all the output and atmosphere improvements the book club will bring over time!
