[jmil]

In GTD, Allen recommends having a "Waiting For..." list so that you can keep track of items in projects that are dependent on others and actively remind them as well.

How can this be done most effectively in OmniFocus? Do you guys make a "Waiting For..." context, and lob projects or items into that context and then put the project on "Hold" status?

[pjb]

I'm just trying this and it may be a place where I can find a use for sub-tasks. I put the project on hold and set it for review every week. Problem: Some tasks might need review more frequently. Problem: on-hold projects don't show up in the Task list (as expected). I've yet to see what happens at the review date. Overall this doesn't look like a good solution.

A better way may be to make a task that is set to repeat with some task-specific frequency (once that functionality appears) to "check with so and so about whatever" within the related project using the anticipated context.

[gofast]

What about simply having a context called Waiting. You can check items off out of order, so if you have a project with 10 tasks, the 4 of which you cannot do before one of them, order the 5 you can do, then the Waiting context one, then the last 4.

If the task is complete by the person that you are waiting on, just check it off - then when you finish the first 5 the 6th will become available - otherwise the Waiting one will - causing the last 4 to be not available. If none of your stuff is dependent on the Waiting task, just make it last.

You can also easily review what you are waiting on by simply going to the Waiting context and see how many people are slower than you....


Brad

[pjb]

Originally Posted by gofast

What about simply having a context called Waiting...Brad

I've been doing this, instead of Project which I tried earlier, and it's working just fine.

-----------editing---------
Maybe not so fine. I made the Waiting for... Context inactive so it wouldn't sync to iCal but the inactive context does not appear in the dropdown windows nor in the inspector. While it may be "inactive" I still want to add things to it. Hmm....

[coconino]

“Awaiting”


... is the word I use.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by pjb

I've been doing this, instead of Project which I tried earlier, and it's working just fine.

-----------editing---------
Maybe not so fine. I made the Waiting for... Context inactive so it wouldn't sync to iCal but the inactive context does not appear in the dropdown windows nor in the inspector. While it may be "inactive" I still want to add things to it. Hmm....

You don't want to set it as Inactive, you want to set it to not Allow next actions. See the context Inspector panel.

[steve]

There are around 10 people who I meet with and assign tasks. When I meet with them, I want to see agenda items and waiting for tasks. I'm thinking of creating this context structure:

people
- John Doe
--Agenda
--John Doe Waiting
- Frank Smith
--Agenda
--Waiting

Then when I meet with John Doe, I can review agenda items and after I assign them, move them to waiting for. For me, it is essential to be able to slice and dice my waiting for list. I do not do well with a large undifferentiated list. When John pops by, I can check in on the specific things I have assigned him.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by steve

There are around 10 people who I meet with and assign tasks. When I meet with them, I want to see agenda items and waiting for tasks. I'm thinking of creating this context structure:

people
- John Doe
--Agenda
--John Doe Waiting
- Frank Smith
--Agenda
--Waiting

Then when I meet with John Doe, I can review agenda items and after I assign them, move them to waiting for. For me, it is essential to be able to slice and dice my waiting for list. I do not do well with a large undifferentiated list. When John pops by, I can check in on the specific things I have assigned him.

While it wouldn't fully satisfy your needs, I'm in the habit of starting each waitingfor task with "from x":

- from John, okay on draft proposal
- from Amazon, Blink book
etc.

That way, an alphabetical sort will at least put all items from John together on the big list.

[steve]

I have changed the way that I'm doing this:

Agenda
-John Doe Agenda
-Frank

Waiting
-John Doe Waiting
-Frank

Then, when I'm meeting with John I can click John Doe Waiting and John Doe Agenda. If I then sort by context on the ribbon, I have a ready made agenda that I can print out or send as .pdf to Joh Doe.

When I am meeting with John, I don't want to see my Amazon waiting fors or things that I'm waiting for from family members. If I want to have an alpha list of everything I'm waiting for, I just click on the top level waiting for folder.