Welcome to the Mr. System handbook!
Let’s give you the TL;DR…
What is it?
A free library of information and resources created and maintained by Dave Mason a.k.a. Mr. System.
Who is it for?
Knowledge workers in almost every sector imaginable. Particularly those who are growth-minded, culturally conscious, and forward-thinking.
What do they use it for?
To do better work, faster, in less time, with less stress, and with a greater sense of purpose, camaraderie and fulfilment.
Why do they care?
Because they understand that the highest performers in any endeavour are the most disproportionately rewarded.
What’s in it for me?
I believe that work should feel like a privilege, not a chore.
My goal is to help you to join the world’s top 1% of high-performers by learning how they think and act.
For example, you can:
- Find out how to solve common problems (like multitasking)
- Improve in specific key areas (like running meetings)
- Get up to speed and stay on top all that’s new (eg via inbox zero)
- Master the skills that nobody ever taught us (like effective delegation)
- Learn the core principles of high-performing teams (like asynchronous communication)
- Master your toolset (like Asana)
…and much, much more.
How it’s structured
- Blogs are usually optimised for clicks, not people.
- Books are usually optimised for sales, not answers.
- YouTube videos are usually optimised for longer watch times, not shorter ones.
…All of which means fewer answers, and more time wasted.
That’s why the first and most important rule of every page in this handbook is simple: Get to the point!
As such, every page has been very carefully structured so that:
- Each page explains one specific thing.
If you need to know something else that’s related, it’ll be on another page, and linked (with a summary) for easy reference. - Reading times are targeted at 1-3 minutes.
This way, there’s no excuse. Whatever you need to know, no matter how busy you are, you’ll be able to find it, read it, and apply it. - Content is tailored to the need you have.
To get a grounded understanding of something, learn the principles behind it. To find out what actions to take, implement the guidelines.
How to use it
There is no straight line through this handbook. There is no starting point and no finish line. Instead, think of it as an open-ended library of bite-sized knowledge.
Choose your own journey. Start where the need is greatest.
For example:
- Get fast answers to specific questions (e.g. “What’s the best way to use the Asana Inbox?“)
- Gain deeper clarity around more ambiguous topics (e.g “How can I run better meetings?“
Not sure where to start? Pick a topic.
Tip
Don’t be afraid to do something because you don’t know the entire handbook. Nobody does. There are over 1,000 pages!
What to read
To know what to read, know what you need:
- Topics
Broad subject areas such as communication, time and meetings.
Improve in a broad area → - Problems
The things that hold you back and get in the way of your work.
Solve a specific problem → - Principles
Fundamental laws about work worth understanding and acknowledging.
Understand how things work → - Guidelines
Practical steps to take action on and apply to your work each day.
See what action to take → - Concepts
Definitions and explanations for common frameworks & methodologies.
Learn about common concepts → - Tools & Features
Practical instructions for how to use specific software and tools.
Learn to use your tools →
Top reads
Still not sure where to jump in?
Try learning about the principle behind asynchronous communication:
Principles
Defaulting to real-time communication destroys productivity
Defaulting to real-time communication leads to constant interruptions, unnecessary stress, forgetfulness, lower-quality discussions, unintentional exclusion, and restricted freedom.
Or the importance of capturing tasks and information instead of relying on memory:
Guidelines
If it isn’t captured, it doesn’t exist
Don’t rely on memory for planning and prioritising. Most likely, things will either be misremembered or forgotten entirely. Instead, capture everything to a dedicated place for later processing.
Or how multitasking is secretly ruining your productivity:
Problems
Multitasking
Research conclusively shows that multitasking, especially with complex tasks, takes much longer than doing each task individually, one-at-a-time. It also results in more mistakes and a generally lower quality of work.
Or the life-changing magic of deep work:
Concepts
Deep work
Deep work is the act of focusing single-mindedly, without distraction on cognitively demanding work. In short, you can think of it as being fully immersed “in the zone”.
Or how to easily achieve inbox zero every day in Asana:
Tools
Asana Feature » Asana Inbox
The Asana inbox is your notification centre. It keeps you up to date with everything that’s happening. In it, you’ll find new messages, work assignments, team activity, status reports, and more.
100% free
Inspired by the GitLab employee handbook, all content is 100% free and un-gated. No payment, signup, or login is required.
Since all pages are instantly accessible, you can easily bookmark pages, share them with colleagues, and reference them in your company’s procedural documents.
Premium functionality is planned for the future, including artificial intelligence, training programmes, competency tracking, community, software integrations, etc.
Need more support?
Learning new skills and changing habits is hard enough as an individual, but it becomes exponentially more challenging as the size of your team increases.
Whether you’ve tried adopting new habits and mindsets from this handbook already or want to ensure you get it right the first time, I can help.
For tailored advice or practical hands-on support, book a discovery call:
Book a discovery callOr for more information, visit MrSystem.co.uk.