“A list helps me keep focus and directs me to complete daily
goals and objectives,” says a manager at a small company. “Keeping
a list provides me with a useful record of progress toward
goals,” says one at a large company. “The decision about whether
an item makes it onto my list is important, because the simple act
of adding an item to the list makes it clear that it is worth spending
time on.”
These lists are not static, with some changing on a recurring
basis, pointing to the need for increased flexibility. “My list is constantly
evolving, and the projects on it always span over time periods
that exceed a day,” says a senior executive at a small company.