Role-based Management System version (3.0)
Embarking on my journey towards greater productivity and tangible results, I eagerly embraced the renowned Getting Things Done method by David Allen. This approach injected much-needed structure and order into my daily tasks, empowering me to seamlessly manage everything from setting goals to achieving tangible results (v1.0). As my career progressed, I recognized the importance of not just delivering outcomes but also adding significant value to my work with these outcomes (v2.0). I delved into the realm of value-driven productivity, sharing my insights in a blog post that you can dive into here.
Over the past year, I’ve been on an exciting path of evolution, refining my “management” system to embrace a role-based approach that extends to both my professional and personal spheres (v3.0).
This upgrade has become imperative due to the dynamic changes in my work landscape, especially in the wake of the pandemic. With an influx of emails, virtual meetings via MS Teams, improved functionality in the apps I use, and a myriad of other inputs vying for my attention, it became evident that achieving work-life balance was more crucial than ever before. Another, more fundamental, reason to upgrade was the awareness that my personal identity was too much related to the performance on My Work, realising more than ever that my identity should be more than My Work alone.
Driven by my aspiration to 1) reclaim the equilibrium between my professional commitments and personal life and 2) steer toward my aspired identity, I found inspiration in the insights shared by David Sparks, a longstanding influencer in the productivity sphere. I am a big fan of MacSparky and have been following him for years now. He published the Productivity Field Guide, which you can find here. His groundbreaking Productivity Field Guide served as a catalyst for me to revamp my management system to version 3.0, a journey that was already underway but was given more direction by the philosophy behind the Productivity Field Guide.
At the heart of role-based productivity lies the profound concept of prioritizing actions that truly matter across all facets of life. It’s a deeply personal and sometimes intricate journey of self-discovery, reminiscent of the experiences shared by as luminaries like David Sparks. This journey mirrors the timeless quest for excellence, as already articulated by Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics, blending ancient wisdom with modern techniques and tools. How great is this?!
I present the various roles that shape my life. I recognize that these roles may not universally apply, as each person’s journey of self-discovery is unique and deeply personal.
For every role, I’ve meticulously crafted aspirations—a process that unfolded over several months and continues to evolve through regular reviews. From these aspirations, I distill concrete goals, projects, and checklists, serving as the navigational tools guiding me toward fulfillment in each role.
While my blogs may not provide a blueprint for defining your roles and aspirations, they can serve as a wellspring of inspiration for shaping your approach to work and guiding you toward your aspirations. With meticulous attention to detail, I’ve updated not just my “management system” but also all associated blogs, scripts, shortcuts, macros, and videos, ensuring they reflect the latest enhancements and insights.
Unlock your holistic productivity with a role-based organization powered by a trusted system. Gain effortless clarity on your journey to fulfilling your desired roles, seamlessly planning and executing tasks.
Is it too good to be true? No, it is not; I am experiencing much more fulfillment and calmness. Experience the satisfaction of visualizing your last week’s progress with a sleek graph showcasing the past 7 days of your life:
The hard facts over last week:
- On Routines/ habits (🤙), I have spent much more time than planned -> need to simplify and being more disciplined;
- I did not plan or realize anything in my role as Husband (👰) and Father (👨👦👦), which is not okay -> I have to make up for this;
- I am behind plan on Friends (🙋) and Reliable Human (🙏) -> I need to finish this blog update;
- I am okay with planning and realization on Professional Human (🧑💼) and my Work (👊);
- I was not so good at planning myself last week!
I hope you can appreciate the enhancements and I encourage you to find inspiration for your own “management” system. I have updated and explained further the system in below topics:
- OmniFocus setup to role role-based system (redesign)
- Routines (checklist and habits) in a role-based system (revised)
- Dashboarding for giving me fact-based results and feedback loops (updated)
- Managing the Mail Monster (updated)
- Resources (updated)