2. Topics
1. Introduction
2. Why It's Hard for EMs
3. Rethinking How to Use The Tools
4. Techniques to Plan Day/Week/Mo
5. Tips (time allowing)
6. Resources and Wrap up
7. Q&A
3. Introduction
● A bit about me… & my mission
● Why important?
● Can be overwhelming especially for new
managers!
● Time management is a constant challenge for all
EMs interviewed on managersclub.com
“What’s your work day like and how do you
manage your time, emails, etc.?”
5. Concepts
● You will not get everything done!
● Never enough time…. Everyone has the same amount of
time (even other managers)
● Manager’s schedule vs maker's schedule, article by Paul
Graham
● Be really conscious of how you manage other people’s
time.
● What we can learn from computers
6. Being a Perfectionist
● Parkinson's law states that "work
expands to fill the amount of time
allotted to it ."
● The Pareto principle (80/20 rule)
7. The Fallacy of Multitasking
● Very tempting. It’s a myth that
this works.
● Human beings are single
threaded
● Subject much research
● “Your effective IQ goes down
by 10% on these tasks!”
8. Interruptions
● Learn to love internal interruptions:
they’re often your job
● You are an unblocker.
● OK to be strict with external
interruptions from 3rd parties,
vendors, social visits, etc.
10. Emails
● Inbox Zero - very popular
● Quickly scan for fires. Priority one: Can
I unblock anyone or another team?
● Work toward acting on an email
when you read it – delegate it, reply
to it, trash it, etc.
● 80/20 rule.
● Turn off all email alerts.
● If you can, only review a few times a
day at fixed intervals. Block time for
communications. Keep this time
sacred.
11. Emails Continued
● Filters and rules
○ Addressed only to you, or where you are named
○ From manager or manager’s manager
○ From team(s) and peers
○ With “Action Required” or Invite to Edit or Comment
○ Code Reviews, Alerts, Outages, etc.
○ Automated emails and newsletters -> File
● Last resort declare email bankruptcy
12. Calendar
● Whatever happens…. Your Calendar is not the enemy
● Scan calendar first thing, which meetings can I skip, cancel,
etc.?
● Defrag calendar
● Schedule like items together, e.g. 1:1’s but not more than 3
● Themes by day of week, e.g. Monday 1:1s, Tuesdays on
Project A
● Defensive calendaring; avoid temptation to over schedule
your day
● Plan breaks for unplanned work and add (do not schedule)
DNS blocks.
● Prep for meetings 1 day in advance
13. More on Calendar
● Decline meeting and send
representative. Delegate as learning
opportunity.
● Declare a no meeting day, e.g. No
Meeting Weds
● Color code your calendar for easy
scanning
● Set meetings with your future self to get
work done, or to check in with people.
2+ weeks out.
14. Meetings
● Meetings are often the main work up to 80% of time
● Learn to love meetings!
● Running effective meetings is super important
● Action items, agendas, meeting notes, etc. “If there are no
notes and AI, then meeting never happened.”
● End early and return time to people!
● Keep short (Parkinson's Law)
● Laptops down. Notice how many people are paying attention.
● Send surveys after meetings to improve them.
● “Meeting in writing” e.g. use Google docs
15. Personal Planning
● Consider using an asset allocation
strategy
● Develop a Time Map showing a
picture of when you’d like to do each
of your major activities during a
normal week, e.g. 20% on recruiting
● End of week review on Friday or
Sunday
16. Eisenhower Matrix (EM version)
Adapted from a system used by
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
and later popularized by
Stephen Covey, as the “Time
Management Matrix”
17. To-dos
● Create a daily “TO-DO” list of most
important 1-3 items.
● To-Do lists and apps are very
popular
● They do not have a sense of time so
instead put items on calendar
● Create checklists, daily and weekly
so things don’t slip through the
cracks
● Pro-tip a Personal Kanban Board!
19. Books on “Time Management”
● Getting Things Done by David Allen
● When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
● The Checklist Manifesto
● Personal Kanban
● The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
● The Surprising Science of Meetings
20. Times Up - Wrap Up - Q&A
Thanks for your time! I hope you found this useful.
Contact Info
● Twitter: @vgraupera
● vgraupera@linkedin.com
Deck: https://managersclub.com/talks
Images from Unsplash & pixabay
22. Tips & Ideas
● Get in early before everyone else and things get busy or plan it
out night before.
● Or “Work 1 late night” e.g., stay late on Mondays to get week off
to strong start and build momentum
● Think what is the most important thing I can do, or that no one
else can do or is able to do
● Exercise and meditation to keep energy
● Study and learn using audiobooks while driving or commuting
23. More Tips
● Become a faster typer
● Autocomplete app e.g. TextExpander
● Leave your desk and book a conference room to work with
focus, e.g. writing perf reviews
● Most productive 2-4 hours after waking up. Don’t squander with
e.g admin stuff, routine staff meeting, etc. Use it for deep,
creative work work. Avoid getting sucked into email and
calendar first thing.
● Capture system. Get things out of your head it’s stress inducing.
(GTD). I carry a paper notebook and Evernote.