Getting things done is a personal productivity technique invented and popularized by David Allen. According to the official definition Getting things done is based on the idea of freeing one's mind from tasks by keeping them somewhere, for example on a todo list. As a result, one does not have to remember everything that needs to be done and leads to higher concentration when performing the tasks.
The popularity of techniques like Getting Things Done (GTD) shows the importance of self-management for knowledge workers. The ability of self-management is a requirement for bottom-up management.
"Getting Things Done" and "GTD" are registered trademarks of David Allen & Co.