Dave Lee, GTD sucks for creative work
This is a good reminder that all systems tend toward overreach.
It is gratifying to see someone else recognize that trying to manage creative work the same way one manages task-based work is merely an exercise in frustration. A previous pointy-haired boss read the equivalent of an article in Fast Company and made me act like a project manager to meet a stated goal of creative direction. It nearly gave me an ulcer and did not make for a better product. I bought a task manager program and used it carefully, but it only added to my stress (and Lee explains why).
The proverbial man with a hammer to whom everything looks like a nail is no more dangerous than one who lacks understanding of the premises of a field of knowledge — or the requirements for creativity. It takes a certain amount of creativity or insight to recognize the proper tool (management or otherwise) for the job. But we get seduced by management fads and the promises that this new, improved management system will deliver on our dream of full control, to the point that we ignore even common sense.
Come to think of it, control is an antonym of unleash.
