In the previous article, we discussed horizontal control process to help you manage your obligations in different roles that you assume in life. In this article, we continue with the second type of management: vertical control.
Recall that in horizontal control,we mentioned the term "project". In Getting Things Done, any outcome that requires a series of steps to be realised is called a project. Vertical control denotes the decomposition of projects into concrete actions. It is also known as "project planning". The goal of vertical control is transforming projects into concrete activities that we can carry out to complete those projects. Remember that we cannot "do" a project. We can only "do" activities that lead to the completion of the project.
The process of vertical control comprises five steps:
1. Defining purpose (why) and principles (constraints)
2. Visioning outcome (what)
3. Brainstorming (how)
4. Organizing (subcomponents, sequences, priorities)
5. Identifying next actions
Project planning starts with determining the purpose of the project (i.e., "why should we do this?"). Clarifying the purpose helps defining success, creating decision-making criteria, assigning resources, motivating, clarifying focus, and expanding options. The next step is developing a vision (i.e., "what does this project look like when it is finished?"). Steps to develop a vision include:
1. View the project from beyond the completion date
2. Envision "Wild success" scenario
3. Capture features, aspects, qualities you imagine in the system
When "why" and "what" are available, the mind can start determining how to achieve the expected outcome. This is carried out by brainstorming of actions, followed by organisation activity. When we engage in brainstorming sessions, following basic principles can help:
1. Do not judge, challenge, evaluate, or criticise
2. Go for quantity, not quality
3. Put analysis and organisation in the background
As a rule of thumb, shift our thinking up the scale if we need more clarity. For example, if we cannot figure out what to do, try brainstorming and organising. If we cannot generate any action in brainstorming, try visioning the outcome. If we cannot imagine the outcome, we should clarify why we started this project. Conversely, move down the model towards actions, if our project lacks progress
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