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Doug Fisher is President of Mission Control, a productivity methodology for increasing productivity and reducing stress. Sounds like Getting Things Done? Well here’s a comparison from someone who has done both; GTD-er’s Perspective on Mission Control. Mission Control adds a layer of time based action into your calendar, so that the things/actions you are going to do are set in time. Mission Control also looks at how you are being with the things you think you “should” do.

We also talk about Team Productivity and High Performance Teams.

(Disclosure. I work for the company (JMW) whose owners also own Mission Control)

Accomplishing things and wanting to make things happen -What does it take and how can you be fulfilled in the doing of it.
How can the IT solution deliver on the promise to the end-user - Alter what people see as possible so they can accomplish a new realm of performance.
What is Mission Control? - Power! Having what you say realised. Producing the results you say you’re going to produce. Resourcing time and resources. Power in your life.
Key Productivity Issues - Changing your habits. Our ingrained habits worked for us in the past. Our habits may also limit our level of productivity. More channels of information hitting us. Now over 20 communication modes 24/7. Not the same world we live in as when we developed our habits.
What occurred to me as “Work” first in my life - I developed my work habits based on what I developed aged 9! Do these habits work now!
Altering your work habits - Resigned about our ability to change our habits.
What we see as possible - Changing our world of what we “See”. Fundamental assumptions that limit what we see and limit our productivity.
We should get it all done! - And we’re failures if we don’t. Let’s challenge that. You’re never going to get it all done.
What if you can’t get it all done? - What are we going to choose if we can’t get it all done? Give people more power to change their habits.
How do we mentally deal with all the things to do?
Implementing Mission Control - One and half days, but can vary, with coaching and support to implement new practises.
Calendar based productivity - We live in a fantasy of when things get done…..Later! For something to get done there has to be a duration of defined time to do it! Schedule it. Schedule 50-100% more time than you originally think!! - Top Tip
Sticking to the schedule - Make it something I want to do rather than something I have to do.
Compelling Occasions - What I have in my calendar creates my future. A holiday/vacation give me an uplift. So “Do Expenses” doesn’t give a compelling future, it’s something we have to do. What’s fun and compelling for “Do Expenses”.
Being Fulfilled - Why do we do what we do? Because it’ fulfills something of fundamental interest or importance. Keep asking “Why is that important to me” even with something “I have to do” keep asking why to get to something of fundamental importance.
Why do we have dread about certain projects or calendar entries? - Ask why we’re doing them to get to something more compelling and less tedious which we’re less resistant to.
Go into something more positively disposed to it - More focused, and accomplish more in less time.
Tony has a spreadsheet for shopping - Just a checklist, nothing more sinister.
A compelling future is more uplifting in the present.
Making a conscious choice about what you are aren’t doing gives you control.
Contact Lists - I’ve moved from Outlook Tasks for each person to Contacts with categories, and then call the group, but also calendar single phone calls.
Waiting For - Drag sent email into Calendar for review. Emails are handled as calendar entries where there is follow up.
Agendas - Capture what you want to review or say to people you meet consistently
Team and Group Productivity - Start with existing habits in the group. Naming the habits that bother us, in each other. Notice and examine our own and other’s existing habits that would effect the group, and shared habits of groups that are unwritten. People recognising their own habits so that other people can talk to you about it and you don’t take it personally because it’s for the performance of the group. Start to talk about things that haven’t been talked about before.
What’s the “noise” in the work group - Lack of clarity about commitments, lack of communication, misinterpretation. Having the difficult conversations.
Meetings and Emails - Protocols that work which reduce the meetings by half, and reduces the average meeting time by half. Less email by 30%.
High Performance Teams - What does the Group exist for. Defining the group. Freedom to communicate. Meetings and email consistent with what needs doing. People take on a new level of performance because they’re freed up!
Flow of information in the group - Best sharing of information that allow people to have their attention on producing what they need to produce.
Taking on Breakthrough targets - End up with more to do to have Breakthrough performance. What are the things you’re not going to do.
Footballers’ Favourites - Capture to pad and then Outlook. “If you’re gonna do it, Schedule it!”. Italian.

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