Discussion — How to Get Things Done

ANSCI 4040 – Dairy Data Analysis & Analytics

Ass. Prof. Dr. Miel Hostens

Today’s promise

By the end of this lecture you will be able to:

  • Build a trusted workflow for handling everything that shows up (ideas, tasks, emails, requests)
  • Turn vague obligations into clear next actions
  • Run a lightweight project system (team Kanban + milestones) without over-engineering
  • Communicate tasks and expectations in a way that fits different DISC styles

Agenda

  1. Why we get stuck
  2. The 5-step workflow (GTD-inspired)
  3. Turning tasks into projects + Kanban
  4. DISC-aware communication & delegation
  5. Weekly review + staying consistent

Why we get stuck

The real problem isn’t effort

  • Most students are not lazy — they’re overloaded with inputs:
    • team messages, emails, Canvas updates, data files, meeting notes
    • half-formed ideas, “we should…” tasks, unclear responsibilities

Typical failure modes

  • Open loops: you keep thinking “don’t forget…”
  • Vague tasks: “work on the project” has no action
  • Hidden work: waiting on someone, but nobody tracks it
  • Communication mismatch: same message lands differently across people

The 5-step workflow

A widely used productivity approach describes five steps:

  1. Capture — collect what has your attention
  2. Clarify — decide what it means
  3. Organize — put it where it belongs
  4. Reflect — review frequently
  5. Engage — do the work with confidence

https://gettingthingsdone.com

Step 1 — Capture

Rule: one inbox per input type

  • A single place for:
    • quick notes
    • meeting follow-ups
    • “someone asked me to…”
    • ideas
  • What happens when multiple communication channels are used…

What counts as “capture”

  • Anything you might need to remember later

  • Anything that triggers a feeling of “I should…”

Step 2 — Clarify

Clariry

For each item in your inbox, decide:

  1. Is it actionable?
  • No → trash / reference / someday
  • Yes → what’s the next action?
  1. If it takes <2 minutes, do it now (optional habit)

Next action test

A “next action” must be:

  • physical/visible (send, call, draft, run, compute)
  • doable in one sitting
  • context-bound (where/with what tools)

Examples: vague → next action

  • “Work on the reproduction dashboard”
    • ✅ “Compute SR/CR/PR for last 6 cycles and draft 3 bullet insights”
  • “Talk to farmer”
    • ✅ “Email farmer with 3 proposed call times + 4 questions to prep”
  • “Fix the code”
    • ✅ “Re-run notebook, log failing cell, create minimal reproducible example”

Step 3 — Organize

Minimal set of lists

  • Next Actions (doable tasks)
  • Projects (outcomes requiring >1 action)
  • Calendar (time-specific)
  • Waiting For (delegated/blocked)
  • Reference (info only)
  • Someday/Maybe (not now)

Team-friendly implementation

  • Personal: any tool you trust
  • Team: a Kanban board (To Do → Doing → Done)

Using tools you already have (Cornell-O365)

For team projects:

  • using Planner (Office365) with a Kanban style board
  • linking it to a Teams channel for project communication

The project definition

A project is an outcome that needs multiple actions.

  • “Finish our dashboard” is not a project.
  • “Publish a dashboard that computes SR/CR/PR with QA checks and a one-page interpretation” is.

Project clarity template

  • Outcome (one sentence):
  • Definition of Done (3–5 bullets):
  • Owner:
  • Due date / checkpoint:
  • Next action (must exist):

Kanban basics that actually work

Columns (recommended for student teams):

  1. Backlog
  2. This week
  3. Doing (limit to 1–2 per person)
  4. Blocked / Waiting
  5. Done

DISC-aware collaboration

Why DISC matters for “getting things done”

  • A task system fails if communication fails.

  • People differ in:

    • preferred speed

    • detail tolerance

    • comfort with conflict

    • need for structure

If your team mates lean D (Red)

  • Lead with the ask + deadline
  • Offer 2 options, request a decision

If your team mates lean I (Yellow)

  • Start with purpose and energy
  • Make the ask collaborative (“Let’s decide together”)

If your team mates lean S (Green)

  • Provide stability: what changes, what doesn’t
  • Ask for concerns and confirm agreement

If your team mates lean C (Blue)

  • Provide detail, evidence, definitions
  • Put assumptions and acceptance criteria in writing

Delegation that sticks (DISC + GTD)

When you delegate, don’t just say “can you handle X?”

Use:

  • Outcome

  • Definition of Done

  • Next check-in

  • Track it on

  • Waiting For

One-sentence delegation format

“Could you deliver [outcome] by [date], with [DoD bullets]? Let’s check in [time].”

Step 4 — Reflect

Why weekly reviews matter

Even the best system decays unless you refresh it.

A weekly review is a dedicated time to:

  • clear inboxes

  • update next actions

  • ensure each project has a next action

  • look ahead at the calendar

The weekly review is widely described as a core habit in GTD-style approaches.

Step 5 — Engage