When productivity is low! Getting Things Done, does make a difference!
Press Release [PDF]
Amersfoort, 3rd February 2009
Personal productivity is low! Room for productivity improvement in the average employee is high; on a scale of 1-10 the average score is 4.8. This was shown in a recent Productivity Scan conducted by Life Architect http://www.life-architect.eu/ and set up in collaboration with the David Allen Company http://www.davidco.com/, and Meereffect http://www.meereffect.nl/.
Personal Productivity
Productivity consists of four core elements: effectiveness, focus, control and balance. The overall productivity is the sum of these four components.
Productivity is about the desire to achieve certain goals and how effectively they are attained. Control in your own work sphere is therefore instrumental in stress control.
The Life Architect Productivity Scan shows a significant difference between the personal productivity of people living in The Netherlands (5.5) compared to other countries (3.9).
The Scan also shows that implementation of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” or “GTD” improves personal productivity by 20%. The Dutch who use GTD, scored an average of 6.1 (still room to improve here too, but an average point higher than other people).
Personal Productivity: Effectiveness (4.7)
Productivity Effectiveness is measured with statements like: "I keep working harder but the loose ends keep piling up" and "I achieve all my goals".
The highest score of 5.3 was given to “I always find everything I need when I need it”. The biggest differences between the statements were found in this section.
For example, the Dutch score 6.5 on the previous statement, and a 4 to the statement “work is always on my mind in the evening”. Dutch non-GTD users scored an average 4.5 compared to 5.7 for GTD users.
Personal Productivity: Focus (5)
The Productivity Scan showed that many respondents do not know what they want to achieve or how. The average score for productivity focus is a 4.8. Several respondents indicated that they have conflicting interests scoring a 5.
The question "My goals are in line with my work / daily activities” was given a 6.6 by Dutch people compared to 3.1 outside The Netherlands. This is a relatively low score especially given the fact that half the total participants in the scan are in a senior or managerial position.
Personal Productivity: Control (5)
There is much talk about the overloaded e-mail inbox, but our research, whilst indicating this a problem area scoring 5.3, shows e-mail is certainly not the biggest problem.
The lowest score of 4.8 was given to the statement "I want to clear my head". Noticeably the Dutch scored a 3.6 compared to a 6.5 for people outside The Netherlands.
Apparently the Dutch have a greater need for a “clear head”. Another noteworthy difference is that the Dutch see an empty workspace as an incentive (8.1) compared to a 2.7 for other people. Dutch GTD users score an 8.8.
Personal Productivity: Balance (4.8)
"I feel that I spend my time on the right things" scored low with an average of 4.6 and the statement "I have time left for the things that are important to me” scored a lower 4 5. However considerable differences are found between GTD users and non-users.
GTD users scored a 5.3 on the statement " I feel relaxed and in control" while non-GTD’ers scored a 4.1. There also appears to be a link with the question "I know what my passion is" which scored an average of 5.2. The Dutch showed a higher 6.9.
Conclusion
The unexpectedly low scores on this personal Productivity Scan also indicate that the respondents have completed the questions honestly. Many people do things without thinking of the desired outcome, the objectives to be achieved, or the impact and importance of their work. People may think about it but do not take the step to effectively set priorities or next actions.
Especially in the light of current events and the world economic crisis, the importance of productivity in organizations is also dependent on the same factors described in this Productivity Scan. As David Allen, author and originator of GTD, puts it: “Now more than ever is the time to get in control of what we can, with the right people at the right time."
GTD changes the way we work in terms of personal and organizational productivity and effectiveness. This Scan shows that GTD helps to maintain control and perspective at home and at work, quickly delivering a 20% increase in personal productivity.
Would you like to learn more about GTD (Getting Things Done) with David Allen and meet the man in person? He will be in Amsterdam on 19th February 2009 to give the GTD seminar “Making it All Work”. Register on http://www.life-architect.nl/ or http://www.davidcom.com/.
Would you like to know more about the current status of personal and organizational productivity in your organization, please contact Elise de Bres of Life Architect for the Life Architect Productivity Scan.
New translation of David Allen’s “Making It All Work”
David Allen’s latest book “Making it All Work” is now available in both English and Dutch (same title, and from February 23rd)
Would you rather follow a training in Dutch? Take a look at http://www.meereffect.nl/ Dutch-GTD trainings with Taco Oosterkamp.
About the respondents
754 people completed life Architect’s Productivity Scan. Of the respondents, half indicated that they had a management or leadership role in their organization, and 28% were female. Half of the respondents use GTD. Respondents were Dutch (436 people) or other Nationals (308 of which slightly less than a third from Belgium and the rest from countries including USA, Australia, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Finland, Germany, Austria, UK etc).
Personal Productivity Scan
The Personal Productivity Scan has been prepared on the basis of 23 statements in the form of a questionnaire. Five points of individual productivity and three additional points were measured.
The statements could be answered on the basis of a sliding scale (strongly agree; agree; neutral; disagree; strongly disagree). Where a positively formulated statement was filled in, a response was given the following values: +2, +1, 0, -1, -2. This was reversed where statements where negatively stated.
All scores were added together and divided by the number of respondents. Thus the average was determined. Final scores were divided by 4 and rounded to 2 decimal places. For a full report on findings, please contact us via the web site (http://www.life-architect.nl/). Use or publication of these findings is permitted with full reference to Life Architect.
Life Architect - your blueprint to a new life
Everyone has a purpose in his life. A successful business or career, a loving and happy family life, time for the important things and events, space for creativity and less stress. In order to achieve all that you want to, you need a plan, or blueprint. Life Architect helps you achieve more with less stress, helps you to improve your life—helps you to make, identify and interpret your life's plan http://wwww.life-architect.nl/.
For additional information or an interview with David Allen can contact Elise de Bres at Life Architect, telephone +31 (0)33 433 1752 or e-mail elise@life-architect.nl.
The David Allen Company
The David Allen Company (http://www.davidco.com/) is a professional training, coaching, and management consulting organization, based in Ojai, California, USA. Founded in 1996 by veteran management consultant and best-selling author, David Allen (Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity), the company provides consulting, seminars, coaching, and products that facilitate the implementation of the best practices of productive and satisfying work.
For additional information please also contact: Dave Patrick, Chief Marketing Officer for The David Allen Company, Ojai, California, USA Tel: +1-805-646-7695, ext. 219 dave.patrick@davidco.com.
