Book excerpts - Intro to Ch2: Things To Be Done

Things To Be Done is a method for decomposing wicked problems into clearer, addressable challenges.

At the heart of TTBD, lies the observation that between Jobs To Be Done (Ulwick, Christensen) and Getting Things Done (Allen), there are plenty of (often unclear, unorganized, or unsynchronized) Things To Be Done.

Between JTBD and GTD, there are plenty of unknown, unclear, or unorganized TTBD.

TTBD helps maintain a creative flow, even when we are stuck, by decisively guiding root cause analysis. It utilizes tensions and conflicts that exist in dramas as a focusing mechanism instead of a distracting trigger.

Using the Things To Be Done approach, we can overcome our creative biases and command systems one thinking (intuitive, instinctual, and experienced-based), and system two thinking (contemplative, logical, and conscious), more effectively during learning and development.

In its essence, the purpose of TTBD is to translate the visible and invisible obstacles that get us stuck during transformations into clear and straightforward attention points that will maintain our creative flow in any situation of being stuck.

Using simple thinking principles and three thinking tools, you can translate any wicked problem that stands in your way into simple tasks that allow you to manage your innovation, accountability, and creativity more effectively and efficiently.