Essence Of Time Management by Michael LeBoeuf

Essence Of Time Management Reviews

• 
  Manohar_shresthahotmail.com

  What this book is about?
  
  Part 1: Time Management - theories and perceptions
  Based on one of the articles managers and CEO’s should categorize their time as follows:
  Pay-off time : time for official decision making, delegation, problem solving, correspondence
  Investment time: time for long term planning
  Organization time: time for administrative tasks like reports, meetings
  Wasted time: time for non-productive activities, unplanned problems
  Then you should:
  Set goals (list)
  Set priorities
  Communicate your goals and priorities to subordinates
  Not procrastinate
  
  3 circles of time
  Draw three circles to represent past, present and future.
  Based on this drawing , you can fit in one of 8 possible types of time perceptions.
  
  In the survey across 14 countries the top time wasters among executives, managers, CEO’s were identified as:
  Telephone interruptions
  Drop in visitors
  Meetings
  Crises
  Lack of objectives, priorities and deadlines
  Cluttered desk and personal disorganization
  Ineffective delegation and involvement in routine and detail
  Attempting too much at once and estimating time unrealistically
  Lack of clear communication or instructions
  Innacurate, inadequate delayed information
  Indecision and procrastination
  Confused responsibility and authority
  Leaving tasks unfinished
  Lack of self-discipline
  
  Part 2: The Doctrine of time management
  Match your tasks to your energy level. As shown in the following graph, in the morning your energy level (5) is highest and procrastination is lowest (1) and in the evening it is reverse. So do the most challenging work earlier and routine work later.
  
  Telephone can be a great time waster so block time slots, screen calls, socialize less.
  
  Part 3: Timetabling- Planning and control
  The theme is
  Identify to cause of the time wasting and then find a rational solution.
  Eg.
  Problem : Desire to be involved
  Solution: divorce yourself from routine and detail work
  
  Problem: overdependent staff
  Solution: refuse to take their decisions. Encourage initiative. Allow mistakes
  
  3 solid time management attitudes
  Dont do it if you can delegate
  Don’t do it if you ignore
  Don’t ignore it , if it can compromise your position
  
  
  Part 4: The priority principle
  Here some add-ons are given:
  Establish clear goals
  Dissect goals and set priorities
  Continually update priorities
  Check for success
  Expect interruptions
  
  Part 5: The Delegation Dilemma
  Assign duty
  Grant authority
  Create obligation
  
  After that follow the 5 degree of delegation
  Staffs Investigate and report back: staffs sees manager make decision and take action
  Staffs Investigate and recommended action: staffs make recommendation, managers evaluates it and make decision and take action
  Staffs Investigate and advise of intended action: staffs makes decision and managers approves or disapproves
  Staffs Investigate and take action; advise of action taken: staffs takes decisions and action then manager is informed and kept in loop
  Staffs Investigate and take action: staff doesn't report back and manager displays full faith
  
  Part 6: Procrastination - a serious transgression
  Based one of the articles procrastination occurs because we perceive the task we are procrastinating about as:
  Unpleasant
  Difficult
  Complex
  
  So the author proposes a simple solution:
  Don’t try to complete the task. Just intend to try or to start and give it a try. Time yourself to just 5 mins. Eventually you will get hooked and complete the task. In this way you can hack your mind.
  
  Part 7: practical approach - techniques and technology
  The parable of the 2 watch makers
  Attributed to Herbert A Simon, this parable talks about two swiss watch makers with 1000 pieces to fit to complete the whole system. Both are interrupted. One as sub-systems and the other doesn’t have. The former manages to finish on time and the other never.
  
  Morale of the story, make sub-systems of tasks.
  
  How is it useful to you in your :
  Life
  x
  
  Business
  x
  
  Career
  This book is most useful for executives, managers and ceos because they are so few of them compared to the the line staffs. Executives time usage is the most opaque and confusing and difficult to measure. If a line staff mis managed time it would show up almost immediately but if a CEO did so , it could take years and millions is loss.
  
  So the learnings in this book is invaluable for executives.