From the UK, and now based in Australia, I have over 20 years experience in IT and productivity.

I have worked in large businesses. These include Sainsburys Supermarkets (UK), Accenture, Myer (Australia) and IBM. I also have worked in small organisations, including not-for-profits. I have found that my techniques are of benefit in all types of organisations.

How I got into Productivity

My productivity journey began in 2007 when I moved into my first management role. I was struggling. I was trying to do everything myself. There was very little planning and working in an effective way. I was reacting to everything and jumping from one burning issue to another. There was little help from my employer, the expectation was that I would know how to manage.

My stress levels were now running very high.  I was tired and grumpy all the time. I had no work-life balance. Everything was work, work, work.

I knew I needed to do something, but did not know what to do, let alone how to start.

I started to search the internet for productivity resources.  It was surprising to see the number of posts from people with the same issues as me.

This led me to the book Getting Things Done by David Allen.  This book guided me through the first steps in getting my life under control.

I stopped being so reactive.  I started to plan more, for myself and for my team.  My stress levels started to drop.  My team started delivering improved results, and often with a faster turnaround time.

Was this book the “fix-all”?  No.  Did it start me on the journey?  Yes.

From here I was able to start tweaking the system to match my evolving needs. I read further books and articles, each of which allowed me to make more small changes to the way I was working.  Every step reduced my stress levels, bringing my work and life further under control.