Just the other day, Kathy Sierra on her “Creating Passionate Users” blog shared an excellent idea for getting something done. Fresh from her participation at Foo Camp, she shared the results of a session she attended that was focused on “total immersion / ultra-rapid game development” from one of the leaders of the The Ad-Lib Game Society.

Briefly, this concept involves organizing a small group or team and having this team dedicate 48 hours on getting something done. Everyone agrees to invest 48 hours on completing a task and then you make it happen.

I like this concept for many reasons:

• If everyone is willing to make that type of investment, you can bet that everyone is motivated, dedicated, and committed.
• It is easy to set ground rules to minimize disruptions and time wasters: Minimal cell phone usage, no pointless Internet surfing, or blog reading. The task should be clear and foremost on everyone’s mind.
• With a little preparation you can have everything ready before getting together. Including installing wireless networks, servers, and acquiring any supplies required. It should be everyone’s goal to maximize their output during the 48 hours and completing the “push” goal.
• Again, once started, there will be no trips to the bank, the pharmacy, to pick up the kids, or whatever. No one should leave the activity until you are complete or if there is an emergency.
• Building on this further, don’t think you can pull off the same thing by just concentrating on something for two days. Once everyone leaves the office, who knows if they’ll make it back? There will always be something interrupting the flow.
• The limited time frame helps keep the goal achievable. It should be big enough to be a challenge, but not too big. That can be debilitating as everyone struggles to get their heads around the task.

Of course, this all requires having a location that will allow the team to be comfortable and productive. It should be well stocked with snacks and coffee, and have enough space for everyone to sleep horizontally. It should also be close to some restaurants or within the delivery area of some, which is even better. Try to remove reasons for people leaving. It should be clear, pick a team, pick a goal, prepare for the activity, get to work, have fun, and walk away with something everyone can point to and say see; “We did that!”