Michal Ždanský Getting Thing Done is one of the most popular time management methods in the world. More than ten years have passed since the publication of David Allen's book describing the method, and people are still discovering its magic today. GTD is also thriving in our region, especially thanks to evangelists, among whom is a well-known figure in the Apple community - Petr Mára. Until now, in the Czech Republic, we could only meet with several hours of training, GTD conference premiered this year.
Conference organized Icon Media took place in Prague's Dejvice at the National Technical Library, the same place where iCON Prague took place this year. However, only part of the library, specifically the Balling Hall, was reserved for the conference. Those who were interested were able to completely fill it, so that dozens of people ended up looking for a place to sit on the adjacent balconies. An estimated 200-250 people attended the conference.
The whole event was started at 9 o'clock by the moderator of the conference, Rostislav Kocman, with an opening speech, where he welcomed all the participants. Right after him, Petr Mára and Lukáš Gregor, well-known GTD evangelists, took the floor and presented the entire method in the first 45 minutes. Although the conference was more intended for those who already have at least some experience with this type of time management, many were reminded of what self-organization entails, which was evident from the raised hands when the speakers asked questions about the application of specific GTD requirements. At the end of the lecture, as with all subsequent lectures, Petr Mára and Lukáš Gregor answered the questions of the participants.
The second follow-up lecture, where Josef Jasanský and Ondřej Nekola took the floor, was about specific tools for GTD. Both speakers presented some of the solutions ranging from paper slips to mobile applications. However, I expected more insight from Mr. Jasanský and Nekola, who preferred the more well-known apps Things and OmniFocus, while failing to advise one of the interviewers which application to use for the Mac+Andriod combination and pointing to web applications (at the same time, for example, the 2Do application can be of great use) . There were also problems with the microphones during the lecture, and not only because of this technical problem, the second lecture was probably the weakest of the whole day, but it still offered a lot of information, especially for beginners in GTD.
Refreshments were also provided as part of the conference. During the first break, participants could treat themselves to coffee, juices or homemade lemonade and small snacks. The lunch, which then followed the fourth lecture, was provided by a catering company in an adjoining room. There were several dishes to choose from, including vegan dishes with a rich selection of side dishes, in all cases very tasty. The visitors thus received a very pleasant treat, including dessert and espresso. Drinks were provided throughout the conference and, in addition to juices in glasses, bottled water was also available.
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The conference continued after lunch with a lecture block on mind maps. In the first of these lectures, Daniel Gamrot presented the entire method and its principles. Although most of the participants were familiar with mind maps, the lecturer reminded many that the method does not only consist of connected bubbles, but that colors and illustrations can also be important, which can make the resulting, often very branched map much clearer. In the second lecture, Vladimír Dědek showed how to use mind maps in practice. He demonstrated the method on himself as a manager in the company Alza.cz. In addition to mind maps, he also mentioned GTD from practice, where he jokingly noted that after searching for the ideal application, he ended up programming the GTD software himself.
After the second coffee break, Pavel Dvořák took the floor, pointing out the flip side of the topic of the day, i.e. the negatives of using GTD. However, these did not concern the method itself, but rather the wrong application of the users, when some combine two GTD systems for work and personal life or, thanks to the obsession with Getting Things Done, write down even ordinary daily routines. Another common mistake mentioned is the effort to implement GTD in teams, while the method is intended for individuals and differs considerably from team management.
The entire conference was closed by the Work life balance lectures directed by Pavel Trojánek and Ondřej Kubera, and at the very end, Tomáš Baránek and Jan Straka showed how to properly implement GTD in the company as well. After that, there was only a farewell and an invitation to the after-party.
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The whole day took place at a fairly brisk pace, ending within tens of minutes. Probably precisely because the entire conference discussed organization, it was in itself excellently organized and thus did not live up to the saying about a blacksmith's mare, on the contrary. However, the fast pace of the lectures may not have suited everyone, especially those who are just discovering the world of GTD and have to process the influx of completely new information for a while. However, the program was consistent, where the lectures logically followed each other, which greatly facilitated the processing of information.
There was a wide age range among the participants, most of them were managers of large Czech companies, among them, for example, people from ČEZ, KPMG, Airbank, O2, T-Mobile, PPF, HARTMANN – RICO and Vitana. It is positive that GTD is generating interest in the professional and corporate sphere. All participants also received one of David Allen's books (To have everything done To make everything work) so that he can study the newly acquired knowledge and habits at home with the book that started it all.
The first GTD conference was a real success, the organizers deserve great admiration and we can only look forward to the next editions that will help to expand this progressive and effective method of organizing time.
I found GTD to be bullshit. :-)
I thank these idiots for a good night's sleep and a 2x increase in productivity :-)
Amazing conference, it confirmed to me that these people think things through - and don't just accept them.
I'm already looking forward to next year!
Are the lectures somewhere on the Internet?