Capturing Outcomes
November 9, 2009 by Janice
So I am making project boxes. Containment, for specific important projects like I did in Santa Fe.
I was doing some of that this weekend, when something made me pull Dave Allen off of my shelf and take another look. I came across this phrase: “capturing outcomes”. He uses that phrase in his collection process, the part where we gather everything we have around us to process it. And even though I do that regularly, this time seeing his phrase flipped a switch. He calls projects “outcomes” here.
Now, I am tweaking my system a bit. Not my studio method, but some of the how around it.
It’s just a difference in words.
Or is it?
Sometimes creative souls see too much, hear too much, have too many ideas. And we collect source material. It all needs to be processed. So we can make real things come to life. In the studio and out of the studio. So we have this stuff.
Dave Allen in all his capturing outcomes goodness says, all good action systems have “discrete” functional components. A closed loop that makes them work apart from all the rest we keep around us. This closed loop, gets the results we are after.
“A closed loop,” I read. Were my loops sufficiently closed?
This is an important question because closed is the opposite of what the creative mind wants in the studio. We want open to possibilities there. We don’t want closed off. But out of the studio? Hm. Does our creative mind sometimes need to be closed?
Sheesh.
Was my system off somewhere that I could do something about? Because I want to shorten some steps.
So I paused. Even looked up the meaning of discrete. I thought it was something to do with taste and judgement. Discrete means separate.
THAT was extremely useful.
Here’s what I found in looking at some of my system:
Although I am organized and have decent systems, my actionable material, my support material, and my reference material were not as “discrete” as they could be. Yep, co-mingling. And might be biting me in the butt, causing my energy to be zapped way too soon… and getting slightly in the way of outcomes. Making the steps longer, or too many. And giving me less time to paint.
It’s all related, good, actually great, stuff, but not as useful as is, if I want to shorten the steps. To feel less pulled here and there…yes…Dave I see what you mean. And I want to be there already. Adjust and close that action loop so that it works smoothly and fully in studio and out, neutralize the rest so it isn’t beckoning me or getting in the way, AND have the studio time that drives it all in the first place.
So some tweaking will change all that.
If the changes work, it will be like getting an assistant and more traction all at once. Frees more energy for the squishing of squishy paints.
So I am all for that.
Ironic isn’t it?
That sometimes closing a loop or two, sometimes creating fewer choices, might actually net more creativity.
Yep. Works like that sometimes. And I have some rearranging to do.
Because in the New Year that’s another gift I want to give myself.
Shortened steps. Clarity.
Powerful action.
Capturing outcomes. Has a nice sound ring to it doesn’t it?
Sometimes just a phrase does wonderful things.
That’s my Organizing Monday.
How’s yours going ?
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6 Responses to “Capturing Outcomes”
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Makes sense to me Janice. I will follow on as ever, and watch and learn
This was so thoughtful I had to read it twice. Savor it and really go back and see how it applied to my life..and boy does it ever right now.
I have a lot going on and I feel like somebody took me well organized box of crayons and dumped them on the floor, all the colors running scattered about so I am constantly spending time searching for what I need. End result…less creative time, more frustration searching and hunting time.
Closing the loops.
time to get out Dave’s book for myself. A refresher course is never a bad thing.
Thank you…have to go put my crayons back in the box now….:)
Wendi,
I am closing loops like crazy this week. Dave’s “Is this actionable or no?” really helps.
Here’s the thing that kicked something loose: I was saying( in a tweet) that a committee’s job is sometimes to put a committee out of a job…you know problem solved? No more meetings kind of thing? Made me turn and look at my stuff…am I building files (committees) or building outcomes?
I hope you can get your crayons in that just so spot that lets you color with them….outside the lines of course.
Hi Joanna,
I suspect you could teach us all a thing or two about outcomes, and capturing them…
[...] It’s a concept from Dave Allen, he of business getting it done fame. I gave it a nod some time ago and put it into the works at my desk, but I didn’t understand how useful it is as a studio application too with source material. Using it across the board clears huge space in my mind. [...]
[...] made a commitment to myself. A timeline of expectation. An outcome expectation. Captured outcomes that are vital to me. So [...]