Step 1: Identify required tasks
After you prioritized your goals. You need to break them into manageable tasks and figure out how much time each task will require.
Take each of the goals you and your unit must achieve. List all the key tasks required to achieve each goal.
Step 2: Prioritize tasks
Once you’re satisfied that your list of tasks is complete, assign “A,” “B,” or “C” priorities to each one—with A representing the highest-priority tasks. The priorities you assign to the tasks should reflect the importance of the goal that each task supports:
Step 3: Sequence tasks
Step 4: Estimate required time
Gauge how much time each A- and B-priority task or activity you’ve identified will require to complete. If you’ve completed a similar task before, use that experience as a basis for your time estimate. If you haven’t, consult with colleagues, your manager, or peers who can help provide estimates. Add a 10–20% “cushion” to allow for unanticipated problems.
For complex activities, set up interim milestones to track your progress.
For unusually large goals that involve a team of other people, consider adopting the work breakdown structure (WBS) approach used by project managers. WBS is a planning routine that deconstructs a project’s goal into the many tasks required to achieve it.
You can also use this routine to estimate money needed to complete the tasks.
You’ve broken your high-priority goals into tasks and estimated how much time each will require.
So now you know how much time you should be spending on various important tasks. But how are you really spending your time ?
By analyzing your actual use of time and comparing it with how you should be spending it, you can identify—and address—poor time-management practices.
After you prioritized your goals. You need to break them into manageable tasks and figure out how much time each task will require.
Take each of the goals you and your unit must achieve. List all the key tasks required to achieve each goal.
Step 2: Prioritize tasks
Once you’re satisfied that your list of tasks is complete, assign “A,” “B,” or “C” priorities to each one—with A representing the highest-priority tasks. The priorities you assign to the tasks should reflect the importance of the goal that each task supports:
- A priorities support your critical goals. They are tasks with high value and are of primary concern.
- B priorities support your enabling goals and indirectly support your critical goals. They are tasks with medium value and a high degree of urgency.
- C priorities include both urgent and non-urgent tasks with little value and little importance.
Step 3: Sequence tasks
“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate intoAs you examine your tasks, you’ll notice that some are sequential, while others are nonsequential.
hard work ” —Peter Drucker
- Sequential tasks need to be completed in a sequence—that is, each one needs to be more or less finished before the next task can begin.
For example, a major report developed for senior management might have this sequence:
Gather data –> Outline report –> Write report –> Circulate for comment –> Submit
Put sequential tasks in correct order, indicating which tasks you must complete
personally and which must be completed by your unit or team. The figure below
depicts this process.
- Nonsequential tasks are those that don’t follow such a linear sequence. For instance, if you’re coordinating development of a new computer system, the software developers may need to wait until some, but not all, of the hardware is developed. After that point, much of the two groups’ work can be done in parallel. For these kinds of tasks, note the relationships between groups and keep them in mind later when you’re scheduling your work.
Step 4: Estimate required time
Gauge how much time each A- and B-priority task or activity you’ve identified will require to complete. If you’ve completed a similar task before, use that experience as a basis for your time estimate. If you haven’t, consult with colleagues, your manager, or peers who can help provide estimates. Add a 10–20% “cushion” to allow for unanticipated problems.
For complex activities, set up interim milestones to track your progress.
For unusually large goals that involve a team of other people, consider adopting the work breakdown structure (WBS) approach used by project managers. WBS is a planning routine that deconstructs a project’s goal into the many tasks required to achieve it.
You can also use this routine to estimate money needed to complete the tasks.
You’ve broken your high-priority goals into tasks and estimated how much time each will require.
So now you know how much time you should be spending on various important tasks. But how are you really spending your time ?
By analyzing your actual use of time and comparing it with how you should be spending it, you can identify—and address—poor time-management practices.
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