WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME –
FULFILLMENT OR DEMAND?
By Neil Potter and Mary Sakry
Over the years, numerous time management models have been developed to
help categorize and improve time allocation. Usually these models group activities by
separating urgent and important initiatives from less pressing obligations.
An example of a time management model is provided in Figure 1. With this
framework, all activities are categorized based on how important and urgent they are.
The goal is to spend the majority of one’s time in quadrants I or II, and spend as little as
possible on less important activities in quadrants III and IV.
Figure 1. Adapted from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,”
Stephen R. Covey, Free Press
The difference between the activities in Quadrant I and Quadrant II is that the
activities in Quadrant I have urgent deadlines. The same work can be performed in
Quadrant II, but it is planned to avoid extreme and chronic urgency. Quadrant II also
includes improvement and preventative actions that reduce the overall volume of
problems encountered in Quadrant I.
Individuals and teams that over-commit or make numerous errors tend to spend
a lot of time in Quadrant I trying to catch up. While activities in this quadrant can produce
growth and success, too much time spent here will only increase the volume of work in
Quadrant I. For example, a deliverable that is rushed out full of mistakes will lead to a list
of urgent repairs. If those repairs are rushed, more urgent repairs will result.
A good target is for 40-70% of activities to be in quadrant II. If you are spending
more than 75% of your time on urgent items, you add excessive stress to your efforts
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and only increase the volume of Quadrant I work.
One might recognize that certain aspects of life occupy each of the quadrants.
Still, how much time do you spend in Quadrant II? The premise is that the more you
spend on these activities, the more you can achieve with less stress and errors.
Quadrant I should not be empty since this is where the demand on you can cause
growth.
Here are some examples of Quadrant II activities. When reading through them,
identify some actions you can take.
• Perform tasks well in advance of deadlines.
• Estimate and plan work before committing in order to avoid being chronically overcommitted.
• For each crisis (Quadrant I), take steps to prevent future problems:
− Identify similar errors (or trend) when a single significant error is found in a
piece of work.
− Plan ahead for the next major event, especially if a similar event does not
go well.
− Create and update a checklist so that when an important task is forgotten
there is a visible reminder.
• Schedule improvement activities:
−
−
−
−
Attend classes and seek a mentor.
Conduct team-building activities.
Assess and implement lessons learned.
Complete one small part of the project from beginning to end and apply
the lessons to the remaining work.
• For important and recurring activities, determine whether such efforts can be
accomplished faster or more effectively:
− Eliminate steps that do not impact the desired end result or add risk to the
success of the activity.
− Automate common tasks (e.g., collection, storing, reporting and sharing of
project data).
− Use a common organizational structure and format for project data when
individuals frequently move between projects.
− Avoid manual note taking which requires later transcription. Always use a
PC to collect minutes and actions with a common sharing mechanism
(shared web page or database).
Figure 2 provides a similar model to Figure 1; however, here the categories
include additional names and are grouped in the graphical layout of an archery target to
remind us where to focus.
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Figure 2 – “Time Targets,” adapted from The Time of Your
Life, by Anthony Robbins
Whichever representation you prefer, it is important that it be used to identify
where time is spent now and to determine which actions you can take to shift your focus.
In the end, one needs to be patient and make improvements incrementally and
consistently.
Questions, comments? [email protected], US 972-418-9541,
www.processgroup.com
For further resources, see http://www.processgroup.com/services17tm.html
About The Process Group
The Process Group, formed in 1990 by Neil Potter and Mary Sakry, consults
worldwide on process improvement, CMMI, software engineering and project
management.
Neil and Mary are SEI CMMI High-Maturity certified lead appraisers and
instructors, Certified Scrum Masters (Agile) and the authors of Making Process
Improvement Work - A Concise Action Guide for Software Managers and
Practitioners, Addison-Wesley, 2002.
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© The Process Group
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