Chapter 3. Surveying Some Popular Outlook Productivity Systems

This chapter acquaints you with four time management/personal productivity systems whose principles have been especially adapted for Microsoft Outlook users. By taking a cursory look at these systems, you can get a good idea of how broader productivity principles (such as those covered in Chapter 2) are specifically applied to Outlook.

The first system you explore is the one promoted by FranklinCovey, a company perhaps best known for its popular paper calendars and day planners. This company is also famous for coaching all levels of business people on how to become more productive using time management techniques that rely heavily on effective planning.

The second system you examine is the one espoused by productivity maven, David Allen, a highly successful and renowned professional productivity motivator and trainer. Allen's system centers around a five-stage workflow model designed to enable you to prioritize your tasks and act accordingly.

The third system you survey is the one created by corporate productivity trainer, Sally McGhee. McGhee's system is composed of three stages that create what she calls an integrated management system — a system designed to lead you to flawless planning and task execution.

The fourth (and final) system you take look at in this chapter is the one championed by "efficiency guru" Michael Linenberger. Linenberger's system for taking control of your workflow concentrates almost exclusively ...

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