The don't-do list
How negative planning can save you time and keep you focused.
New Things: A newsletter exploring the onslaught of newness in our lives.
A few days ago, I published a piece in Harvard Business Review about how to give busy people the time needed to innovate. Here’s a gift link if you’re interested.
I was lucky enough to chat with executives from a diverse set of companies, like Capital One and Thumbtack.
A lot was discussed—way more than I could include in a single article. So, I thought I’d share one snippet that didn’t make the final cut. I found it interesting, and I think you will, too.
I spoke with Arvind KC, the chief people and systems officer at Roblox. In my piece, KC talked about how Roblox leaders are diligent about cutting process debt from their workplace.
He also told me about something called negative planning.
What is negative planning?
“Negative planning is making an explicit list of what I’m not going to do,” KC said.
I love this idea. My notebook is filled with to-dos, but I’d never thought about don’t-dos. KC said some teams at Roblox use negative planning to identify projects or tasks that no longer merit active work. They actually write these things down. Then, the next time someone is deciding what to do next, the negative plan tells them what to avoid.
“Go make coffee, go for a walk, go do something—but don’t go work on something that we explicitly called out as part of a negative plan,” KC told me. (As I’ve written about before, taking breaks from tasks has benefits for creativity.)
Not only does this protect your time and attention from unworthy tasks, but it can save you from creating unnecessary work for others, too.
How does it work?
I can think of a few ways to use negative planning at work:
Don’t do: That project that was shipped and is no longer a priority.
Don’t do: That process that everyone decided was a waste of time.
Don’t do: That design that needs client approval before launching.
Don’t do: That new tool you realized doesn’t align with your purpose.
I could also see negative planning as a way to stay focused each day. We often prioritize what we should be doing. But maybe it’s also worth noting what we shouldn’t be doing. Today, for instance, I need to spend a couple of hours writing for the book I’m working on. That’s on my to-do list. I’m also going to make a don’t-do list. Today’s don’t-dos include tinkering with an already-written chapter, reading through research, and starting next week’s edition of this newsletter.
If I find myself needing a break, I might take the dog for a walk, tidy up, or play a game with my kids. But I won’t do anything on my don’t-do list.
Thanks for reading.
Eric