Our experience from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Task Management & Time Blocking Summits give us some clues regarding the jobs summitteers are trying to get done in their task management. As a possible speaker, you want to make sure there’s a nice fit, but what do you need to know before you apply?

First, it’s important to note that our average summitteer is far more knowledgeable about productivity than the average person. They also want to make concrete progress, but they hate basic, entry-level, newbie-level ideas they have heard a million times before.

Instead, from summit experts, they want deep dives.

This puts an extra onus on us as speakers to “Wow” them with fresh ideas and technologies. As such, the summit is a great opportunity for you as a speaker, panelist or presenter to express yourself in ways a general audience might find difficult to appreciate.

This year’s summit theme expresses one of their frustrations: “If One-Size-Doesn’t-Fit-All…Now What?”

In summary, they have all been exposed to authors, podcasters and app developers who promise them the final, ultimate solution. However, they know better.

But they do have a challenge converting One-Size-Fits-All stuff into custom solutions they can use to make their lives better. They ask:

  • How do I find ideas I can use? (e.g. Google Search, Podcasts, books)
  • How do I extract the good stuff from the not-so-good stuff (e.g. Getting Things Done, Omnifocus)
  • How do I implement changes successfully and leave the summit with a future-proof blueprint?

We think they want a return to the good old days, when they felt like they were growing in leaps and bounds. They could feel themselves getting more productive. Now…not such much.

Join me in being part of the solution. We are inviting you to speak, present, or be on a panel if you have a unique way to help people tackle the problem of solving the One-Size-Fits-All problem.

This is a worthwhile challenge that we will make a difference for the hundreds who register. In the past, our speakers have focused on the following broad categories:

  1. Behaviors Used to Manage Tasks
  2. Flow/Deep Work/Interruptions/Distractions
  3. Aids for Task Management (Devices, Apps, Paper, Memory, Admin Assistants, etc.)
  4. Measurement, Tracking and Gamification

Chances are, you probably already have several areas of expertise. At this point, you can go ahead and apply here if you can see how the Summit Theme (“If One-Size-Doesn’t-Fit-All…Now What?”) can empower your thinking.

For past summits, I have offered this list as a point of reference for some ideas:
Behaviors Used to Manage Tasks
Where do tasks come from? How should the inflow be managed?
How does one improve the fundamentals – Capturing, Emptying Tossing, Acting Now, Storing, Scheduling Listing?
How does one overcome Time Blocking obstacles?
How do I Analyze and Fix My Workflow?
Experimenting with Improvements to Task Management
The Science of Implementing Reminders
Why Batch your Tasks? The Science Speaks
How Morning, Evening and Other Routines Work
Energy Optimization – How to Make it Work For You
Manager vs. Maker Schedule
Choosing the Right Aids for Perfect Task Recall
How List Makers Transform Themselves Into the Best Time Blockers
AI: Moving from Mere Calendaring to Auto-Scheduling
Timing the Move to Time Blocking
Work-Life Balance: Is it Really a Thing or a Big Mistake?
Adding Tasks to Your Calendar for the First Time
How well are you using GTD-style contexts?
Coaching Employees in Better Task Management

Flow/Deep Work/Interruptions/Distractions
Deep Work/Flow and Working from Home
Why handling incomplete tasks is critical before Deep Work
Should Flow be Serendipitous or Planned?
Deep Work and Alarms – Do They Need Each Other?
How to Limit Interruptions to Do Deep Work
Setting Up For Deep Work – Food, Drink, Coffee, Noise and More
How Do You Manage a Week of Flow Sessions?
Do Deep Work Sessions Need Targets?
How Should You Balance Flow and Recovery?
Pomodoros – Ways to Make Them Work
Preventing Distractions in the New Post-Covid Normal

Aids for Task Management (Devices, Apps, Paper, Memory, Admin Assistants)
Is Time Blocking Tool Agnostic?
Can paper be used for more than simple time blocking?
Choosing the Best Auto-Scheduler
Choosing the Best Manual Time Blocker
Choosing the Best Paper Planner
Choosing the Best Task Management App
Does Your Choice of Device Impact Your Task Management?
Should You Switch to an Auto-Scheduler?
Reminder Technology – Implementation Obstacles
Voice Activated Technology – Bad for Task Management?
Time Blocking on Paper – Best Practices and Principles
Should an Admin Assistant be Your Time Blocking Aid?
Outlook vs. Google Calendar? Pros and Cons for Time Blocking
How (and why) to find the best new app?

Here are 16 posts on Medium which offer some advanced thinking on Task Management. Plus, you can also check out the guidance I give potential podcast guests.

Apply

Hopefully, this page has given you some idea of what our summitteers are looking to do in their lives and where they need your assistance. When you have a topic sketched out, go ahead and apply to be a speaker at the summit.

Got a topic in mind? Apply to speak here. You can change the exact wording of your title later!