We all have the same minutes in our hours and the same hours in our days. But have you ever noticed that some people achieve more in their day than others? No doubt it’s because
they manage their time effectively.
Many people increase the hours in their work day by reducing their
personal time. While this may increase productivity in the short- term, is it really sustainable?
Research suggests that due to productivity drain working longer
hours doesn’t necessarily mean getting more done. A study by
Robinson (2005) found that over an 8 week period productivity rates were similar between working a 60 hour week and a 40 hour week.
The following strategy for managing time, is based on the habit of Putting First Things First from Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Principles for using the Time Matrix:
1. Focus on the important quadrants (QI and QII)
2. The more time spent in QII, the less time needed in QI
3. Avoid being caught up in QIII, and develop strategies for managing tasks in this space
4. Recognise what your QIV tasks are minimising
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Choosing what to do
Instead of creating a ‘To-Do’ list and starting from the top, review the urgency and importance of a task by placing it in a Time Matrix.
• QI is the quadrant of Necessity. These are the things that have to be done. They are both urgent and important.
• QII is the quadrant of Effectiveness. It is where great things can be achieved. By increasing your focus on QII, you will find QI tasks reduce because they are being achieved before they become urgent or an avoidable crisis.
• QIII is the quadrant of Deception. Often these tasks look important simply because they are urgent. But, something urgent is not always important. Consider delegating these tasks to a more appropriate person, or teach someone how to complete it themselves.
• QIV is the quadrant of Waste & Excess. This is where we tend to go when we are focused heavily in QI and need a rest. The catch here is that QIV tasks don’t revitalise us. It they were personally revitalising, they would belong in QII.
Once you know the urgency and importance of your tasks, you can focus on priority. Be realistic about what you expect to achieve and focus on QI and QII, to target truly important tasks relevant to your role.
Plan Your Week
Formalise your plan by using a calendar like the Outlook Calendar. As you chart upcoming commitments, schedule time for the important tasks by booking appointments with yourself. If it’s a big QII project, consider breaking it up into several smaller projects or stages.
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Keys to Effective Time Management:
1. Review your tasks and highlight importance and urgency.
2. Review your upcoming commitments.
3. Priorities your tasks and create a realistic plan.
4. Schedule your plan.
5. Stick to your plan!
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Some people question the point of planning because inevitably they will be interrupted, throwing their plan ‘out the window’. However, if we plan, we can effectively respond to interruptions and reschedule
our week to ensure that we can still achieve our key tasks. If part
of your job is reactionary (ie reacting to mail, phone calls, requests from your team), plan for it. This way if it happens, you will have time and if not, you will have extra time to dedicate to other
important tasks. Essentially planning is easy. However if we aren’t used to planning, the creation of the habit requires commitment and dedication.
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