Organize your work like the real scheduling experts! (Part II)

posted by Sean Deuby on October 01, 2007

In my last post, I introduced the concepts of time and task management based on how modern operating systems work. Today I want to follow up with some specific guidelines based on these concepts. Individually they aren’t earth shattering, but as a whole they can have a really positive impact on how well you GSD (get stuff done).

First, write all your tasks down by project, in the same place. It’s amazing how that simple act can lesson your anxiety because you aren’t mentally juggling them all and worrying about the ones you might have forgotten. It helps if you use an application that allows you to easily rearrange these tasks.

Second, prioritize your tasks across all your projects, not just within a project. Each task within a project can have different priorities if it’s needed. Answering an email to a colleague about Project A isn’t as urgent as the project plan for Project B that’s due this afternoon. The biggest factor in how much time is spent executing a task - in the OS it’s called a quantum - and how often it gets executed, is its priority. High priority tasks get the largest quantum, medium priority tasks get a somewhat shorter quantum, and low priority tasks get the smallest quantum. I know it sounds pretty elementary, but I’ve found that many people don’t consciously prioritize beyond a very basic level. Pay attention to a task’s time sensitivity vs. its priority. Stephen Covey points out that not all time-sensitive tasks (like answering the phone) are important, while some long-term tasks (like project work) are very important. I think consciously keeping your priorities straight, and often re-evaluating them - “Is this really the most important thing I should be focusing on?” - is one of my key learnings.

Third, schedule project work time on your calendar so you can get that execution time. This won’t help walk-ins into your office, but it’ll definitely help if you belong to distributed work teams. Schedule dedicated time for your high-priority tasks, and miscellaneous time so you’re sure to make progress on the lower priority tasks too.

Fourth, consciously practice interrupt control. When Windows selects a new thread to run, it performs a context switch from what it was previously working to the new thread. There’s a performance price paid for such a switch in both computers and humans; according to the Infomania paper it can take up to 25 minutes to get your brain back into the work you were doing after a major interruption. You know that feeling at the end of the day where you’re worn out from being “busy” but didn’t actually get anything done? You can most likely chalk it up to context switching.

If you use Microsoft Outlook, minimize your I/O interrupts by turning off Desktop Alert ; pouncing on each email you receive is the worst kind of interrupt. Don’t answer the phone immediately if you’re deep in the middle of a train of thought; you can call them back. Control your IM availability; there’s a reason it has “Busy” and “Do Not Disturb” states. Listen to music with headphones to mask distractions in the office. When I had an office large enough to merit a side chair, I removed it to forestall long sit-down conversations. (It was entertaining to watch my visitor surreptitiously hunting for a place to sit.)

I also try to incorporate my own natural rhythms into my work habits. I learned while writing a book that I do my best thinking and writing immediately after I wake up and in the morning in general - even though the rest of me is barely functioning. Give me a cup of coffee and the ability to drag myself to the keyboard, and I’m good to go. So, sometimes I tag tasks as morning or afternoon-centric.

Of course, the hardest part of this system is in the execution; you have to actually stick to the plan you’ve put together. The old maxim of “Plan your work, then work your plan” does apply. At the same time you have to forgive yourself when a true high-priority interruption (in OS talk a high interrupt request level or IRQL ) prevents your normal work from getting done.

I’m far from perfect executing this method myself, and I don’t always go through the full process. What tools should you use to accomplish all this? I’m going to leave it up to you; I’m using a variety of tools ranging from fountain pen and paper to hyperlinked tasks and reminders. And yes, I still use the trusty old “sticky pad on the monitor” technique occasionally!

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