Paper-based Project Flow Charts

by Zane Dickens on April 7, 2010

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I just started doing this, this morning to get a sense of where I was in a project that seemed to be unending. Verdict? I’m very close to complete. Idea? Share this with everyone.

There is something I must admit, even though I am a paperless office advocate, in writing things down, in sketching things out, outlining tasks and problems visually on paper.

What I did was simple:

  1. Take one A4 piece of paper – tear this in half (neatly now)
  2. Use one side of one piece to sketch out the more macro tasks you have left
    1. Not the nitty gritty detail (micro tasks), but the tasks that are important and pressing.
    2. Spend about 5 minutes on this
    3. KISS – Keep it Simple, Stupid
    4. If it takes longer, focus in on a part of your project for today
    5. Or if you don’t know what to put down, review your project, you might not know what you’re doing
  3. Focus the flowchart with the priority items or items that have to occur in a certain order first.
    1. In other words to do B, I must first complete A – thus A > B on the flowchart
    2. Or A is more important than B and must be done first – thus A > B on the flowchart
  4. Lastly add the end goal to remind yourself why you are doing this in the first place
    1. There’s something about doing this, that made me smile, seeing the carrot or the reward helps it seems
    2. In my case this was “Invoice client on Thursday”
  5. Optional Extra – Add time limits or mini-goals to the flowchart for today – “Finish this, this and that by lunch” or A, B and C will all take 10 minutes each.
  6. Optional Extra – Use a green highlighter to mark off your progress as you move along.
  7. Now start at the beginning and work forward, trying not to skip any tasks.

Optional Extra – let me know how it goes or if you have any improvements to add. Consider this an Open Productivity Tip, you are free to use it provided you share any improvements. Now stop reading and start sketching out that project.

[In case anyone is interested – total time from initial idea, initial implementation, testing and quality control, to completed and posted blog post – 21 mins.]

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Tagged as: Algorithms, Business, Communication, Computer programming, Computing, Diagrams, Flowchart, Industry, Invoice, Management, Manufacturing, Office work, Paper, Paperless office, paperless office advocate, Productivity, Technical communication, Technology, Time management

  • http://davidanthonyalves.wordpress.com/ David Alves

    Wow Zane…I smell a “Help Book” coming along…this really is brilliant man! Thanks for the tip, no harm in trying brainstorming and tasking in a different light…they say it unleashes different thought processing which I always need regardless of the project I’m working on…professional or private…

    Great post man!

  • http://davidanthonyalves.wordpress.com David Alves

    Wow Zane…I smell a “Help Book” coming along…this really is brilliant man! Thanks for the tip, no harm in trying brainstorming and tasking in a different light…they say it unleashes different thought processing which I always need regardless of the project I’m working on…professional or private…

    Great post man!

  • http://topsy.com/trackback?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L1&url=http://www.zanedickens.com/how/paper-based-project-flow-charts/ Tweets that mention Paper-based Project Flow Charts | ZANEDICKENS.COM — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Adam Mitchell ►. Adam Mitchell ► said: RT @zanedickens Paper-based Project Flow Charts – a simple sketchy way to simplify and eradicate project paralysis http://bit.ly/9WHLfB [...]

  • http://www.zanedickens.com Zane Dickens

    Thanks David, I did this morning, and had one of those “ah” moments – this might be useful. :)

    And to be perfectly honest there is a Help Book coming along. But thats top secret for now, by my rough calculations its going to take a good 9 months or so before it’ll be ready.

    I’ll keep you posted. ;)

  • http://www.zanedickens.com Zane Dickens

    Thanks David, I did this morning, and had one of those “ah” moments – this might be useful. :)

    And to be perfectly honest there is a Help Book coming along. But thats top secret for now, by my rough calculations its going to take a good 9 months or so before it’ll be ready.

    I’ll keep you posted. ;)

  • http://www.hireeducation.co.za/ Robyn

    Have any tips on then sticking to the project deadlines you set out for yourself :)

  • http://www.hireeducation.co.za Robyn

    Have any tips on then sticking to the project deadlines you set out for yourself :)

  • http://www.zanedickens.com Zane Dickens

    1. Make sure the deadlines are realistic
    2. Try to limit the number of deadlines you have per day
    3. When the balance is right and you feel like you have achieved something based on the time allowed it helps keep you going
    4. Reward yourself constantly and in proportion to the amount of work completed, or save up the rewards for later.
    5. If you have the choice work when you want to (thats a whole other blog post)

    Hope that helps :)

  • http://www.zanedickens.com Zane Dickens

    1. Make sure the deadlines are realistic
    2. Try to limit the number of deadlines you have per day
    3. When the balance is right and you feel like you have achieved something based on the time allowed it helps keep you going
    4. Reward yourself constantly and in proportion to the amount of work completed, or save up the rewards for later.
    5. If you have the choice work when you want to (thats a whole other blog post)

    Hope that helps :)

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