Time Management – A New Paradigm
EmPower Research
November 16, 2007
By G Ravi
Time management began with a commitment to change. The key to successful time management is planning and then protecting the planned time. The solution for successful time management is really quite simple, all that needs to be done is ‘Plan one’s work and work one’s plan’. But that’s easier said than done, and everyone facing a time crunch will vouch for that.
The issue of time management is vital for any activity of ours. Stephen Covey, in his influential book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” spells out the habit of time management as ‘Put First Things First’. He explains this habit as “the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management that can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities. That phrase represents the evolution of three generations of time-management theory, and how best do it is the focus of a wide variety of approaches and materials.” His follow up book ‘First Things First’ co-authored with A. Roger and Rebecca R. Merrill focuses exclusively on habit, namely the paradigm of the ‘important versus urgent’. And with that we enter into the ‘fourth generation’ of time management.
Looking Back In Time
Before we look into the ‘fourth generation’ of time management, let us have a brief look at the preceding three generations of time management. The ‘first generation’ was an effort to bring order to the demands placed on our time and energy, this phase is characterized by notes and checklists. The ‘second generation’ is characterized by calendars and appointment books. This wave reflects an attempt to look ahead, to schedule events and activities in the future. The ‘third generation’ adds to those preceding generations the important idea of prioritization, and the relative worth of activities based on them. It also includes the concept of daily planning; of making specific plans to accomplish those goals and activities to be of greatest worth.
The ‘fourth generation’ focuses on preserving and enhancing relationships and accomplishing results. It subordinates the clock to the compass. Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are really less important. This is his 2x2 matrix: classifying tasks as urgent and non-urgent on one axis, and important or non-important on the other axis. It entails:
Quadrant I - Both Urgent And Important
This is the ‘Quadrant of Crisis’ as it deals with significant results that require immediate attention. Prioritize tasks that fall into this category, according to their relative urgency. This quadrant looks at tasks to do now, real major emergencies and crisis issues, significant demands for information, project work with imminent deadline, meetings and appointments, reports and other submissions, problem resolution, fire-fighting, fixes and other urgent complaints.
Quadrant II - Important But Not Urgent
This is the ‘Quadrant of Quality’ where one does long-range planning, anticipate and prevent problems, empowering self and others, and increase skills through personal development and do one’s regular tasks. Ignoring this quadrant enlarges Quadrant I, creating stress, burnout and deeper crises. Quadrant II does not act. One must act on it. Managing this quadrant determines one’s time-management skills. This quadrant comprises the activities we plan and need to do involving, planning and preparation, research and investigation, networking relationship building, thinking and creating, systems and process development, anticipative, preventative activities or communication, identifying need for change and new direction, developing strategy. These tasks are most critical to success, and yet commonly are the most neglected. Quadrant II activities are the "first things" we need to put first then we need to organize and execute around those things.
Quadrant III - Urgent But Not Important
This is the ‘Quadrant of Deception’, because here one reacts to things that are urgent assuming they are also important. Often the urgency of these matters is based on the priorities and expectations of other people. One spends a lot of time in Quadrant III meeting other people's priorities and expectation, thinking they are actually in Quadrant I. The activities in this quadrant must be rejected diplomatically as it involves tasks, which are trivial with 'off-loaded' requests from others, ad-hoc interruptions, irrelevant distractions, pointless routines or activities, dealing with accumulated unresolved trivia, duplicated effort, and unnecessary double-checking. Where possible reject and avoid these tasks immediately, by informing and managing people's expectations and sensitivities accordingly.
Quadrant IV - Not Urgent And Not Important
This is the ‘Quadrant of Waste’ reserved for those activities that are done as an escape from Quadrant I and III activities. Quadrant IV is not survival, it is deterioration. True recreation takes place in Quadrant II. These tasks must be resisted and ceased, as they are unnecessary and unchallenged routines, computer games, excessive cigarette breaks, chat, gossip face-to-face, and phone, social and domestic communications, silly emails and text messages, interrupting others. These activities are not tasks; they are habitual comforters, which provide a refuge from the effort of discipline and proactivity.
The ‘fourth generation’ of time management is more advanced than the third in certain ways. It is primarily principle-centered. It creates the central paradigm that empowers one to see in the context of what is really important and effective. It also defines our unique mission, including values and long-term goals. This gives direction and purpose to the way we live. It helps us to balance our life by identifying roles, and by setting goals and scheduling activities in each key role every week. Finally, it gives greater context through weekly organizing, and putting us in touch with our deepest values.
Let us now take a look at Covey’s suggestions on how to implement the ‘fourth generation’ of time management better.
Draw a Time Management Matrix and try to estimate what percentage of your time you spend in each quadrant. Then log your time for three days in 15-minute intervals. How accurate was your estimate? Are you satisfied with the way you spend your time? What do you need to change?
Organize your week. Write down your roles and goals for the week, and then transfer the goals to a specific action plan. At the end of the week, evaluate how well your plan translated your values and purposes into your daily life and the degree of integrity you were able to maintain to those values and purposes.
Commit yourself to start organizing on a weekly basis and set up a regular time to do it.
References:
Stephen Covey: “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”
Stephen Covey A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill: “First Things First”
www.businessballs.com/time management techniques and systems
Time management began with a commitment to change. The key to successful time management is planning and then protecting the planned time. The solution for successful time management is really quite simple, all that needs to be done is ‘Plan one’s work and work one’s plan’. But that’s easier said than done, and everyone facing a time crunch will vouch for that.
The issue of time management is vital for any activity of ours. Stephen Covey, in his influential book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” spells out the habit of time management as ‘Put First Things First’. He explains this habit as “the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management that can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities. That phrase represents the evolution of three generations of time-management theory, and how best do it is the focus of a wide variety of approaches and materials.” His follow up book ‘First Things First’ co-authored with A. Roger and Rebecca R. Merrill focuses exclusively on habit, namely the paradigm of the ‘important versus urgent’. And with that we enter into the ‘fourth generation’ of time management.
Looking Back In Time
Before we look into the ‘fourth generation’ of time management, let us have a brief look at the preceding three generations of time management. The ‘first generation’ was an effort to bring order to the demands placed on our time and energy, this phase is characterized by notes and checklists. The ‘second generation’ is characterized by calendars and appointment books. This wave reflects an attempt to look ahead, to schedule events and activities in the future. The ‘third generation’ adds to those preceding generations the important idea of prioritization, and the relative worth of activities based on them. It also includes the concept of daily planning; of making specific plans to accomplish those goals and activities to be of greatest worth.
The ‘fourth generation’ focuses on preserving and enhancing relationships and accomplishing results. It subordinates the clock to the compass. Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are really less important. This is his 2x2 matrix: classifying tasks as urgent and non-urgent on one axis, and important or non-important on the other axis. It entails:
Quadrant I - Both Urgent And Important
This is the ‘Quadrant of Crisis’ as it deals with significant results that require immediate attention. Prioritize tasks that fall into this category, according to their relative urgency. This quadrant looks at tasks to do now, real major emergencies and crisis issues, significant demands for information, project work with imminent deadline, meetings and appointments, reports and other submissions, problem resolution, fire-fighting, fixes and other urgent complaints.
Quadrant II - Important But Not Urgent
This is the ‘Quadrant of Quality’ where one does long-range planning, anticipate and prevent problems, empowering self and others, and increase skills through personal development and do one’s regular tasks. Ignoring this quadrant enlarges Quadrant I, creating stress, burnout and deeper crises. Quadrant II does not act. One must act on it. Managing this quadrant determines one’s time-management skills. This quadrant comprises the activities we plan and need to do involving, planning and preparation, research and investigation, networking relationship building, thinking and creating, systems and process development, anticipative, preventative activities or communication, identifying need for change and new direction, developing strategy. These tasks are most critical to success, and yet commonly are the most neglected. Quadrant II activities are the "first things" we need to put first then we need to organize and execute around those things.
Quadrant III - Urgent But Not Important
This is the ‘Quadrant of Deception’, because here one reacts to things that are urgent assuming they are also important. Often the urgency of these matters is based on the priorities and expectations of other people. One spends a lot of time in Quadrant III meeting other people's priorities and expectation, thinking they are actually in Quadrant I. The activities in this quadrant must be rejected diplomatically as it involves tasks, which are trivial with 'off-loaded' requests from others, ad-hoc interruptions, irrelevant distractions, pointless routines or activities, dealing with accumulated unresolved trivia, duplicated effort, and unnecessary double-checking. Where possible reject and avoid these tasks immediately, by informing and managing people's expectations and sensitivities accordingly.
Quadrant IV - Not Urgent And Not Important
This is the ‘Quadrant of Waste’ reserved for those activities that are done as an escape from Quadrant I and III activities. Quadrant IV is not survival, it is deterioration. True recreation takes place in Quadrant II. These tasks must be resisted and ceased, as they are unnecessary and unchallenged routines, computer games, excessive cigarette breaks, chat, gossip face-to-face, and phone, social and domestic communications, silly emails and text messages, interrupting others. These activities are not tasks; they are habitual comforters, which provide a refuge from the effort of discipline and proactivity.
The ‘fourth generation’ of time management is more advanced than the third in certain ways. It is primarily principle-centered. It creates the central paradigm that empowers one to see in the context of what is really important and effective. It also defines our unique mission, including values and long-term goals. This gives direction and purpose to the way we live. It helps us to balance our life by identifying roles, and by setting goals and scheduling activities in each key role every week. Finally, it gives greater context through weekly organizing, and putting us in touch with our deepest values.
Let us now take a look at Covey’s suggestions on how to implement the ‘fourth generation’ of time management better.
Draw a Time Management Matrix and try to estimate what percentage of your time you spend in each quadrant. Then log your time for three days in 15-minute intervals. How accurate was your estimate? Are you satisfied with the way you spend your time? What do you need to change?
Organize your week. Write down your roles and goals for the week, and then transfer the goals to a specific action plan. At the end of the week, evaluate how well your plan translated your values and purposes into your daily life and the degree of integrity you were able to maintain to those values and purposes.
Commit yourself to start organizing on a weekly basis and set up a regular time to do it.
References:
Stephen Covey: “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”
Stephen Covey A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill: “First Things First”
www.businessballs.com/time management techniques and systems
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