OPD Articles - Time Budgeting.

There are two aspects to traditional time management. The first is being organised or avoiding losing time through poor work habits, the second is planning how we are going to fit what we need to do in the time we have available. The latter leads to the old saw that to get something done give it to someone busy, they know how to fit work in to get it done.

The first problem, that of being disorganised, sort of creeps up on us; it is just there as part of how we do things, and it is likely we don’t really notice, just that things always seem a rush and we get a bit frantic in sorting out this or that, or finding that file.

Time budgeting turns the ideas of time management inside out with the result we achieve more. The idea of time budgeting is very simple: that is, to identify what it is we have to do then allocate the amount of time needed and structure our diary appropriately. Then do it.

Ideal actions derived from goals

Time budgeting does involve some fundamental shifts in our thinking. The most important of these is how we think about what we do.

Imagine the home fridge was empty, no food, and the goal was to fill it. Instead of going to the grocery store the person went to the movies. When they got home would there be food in the fridge! The point seems ludicrous, but it is crucial. If we do not complete actions consistent with achieving a goal the goal will not be achieved. I call this the goal -><- action principle.

The necessary actions I call 'ideal actions' or 'ideals' for short. They are not ideal in the sense of 'an ideal world', in that sense they must be very real, even brutally real. Such as 'go to supermarket and get food', because if you don't there will be no dinner. The ideas are 'ideal' in the sense that they offer the greatest chance of the greatest success.

Ideals 'belong' to the goal. This point is significant and requires some thought. The 'ideals' belong to the goal, not to the person. We want to achieve the goal, but once this is accepted then our real commitment is to perform those actions (ideals) that will best enable the goal to be achieved.

Once we accept the goal, then we are bound by the goal which means bound to those actions needed to achieve the goal. Or at least we must act out those actions judged most likely to achieve the goal, we are not able to do as we want or would prefer to do.

Self-discipline as professionalism

Our commitment begins with the goal, after that we are ‘stuck’ with our decision so to speak. If we then avoid doing the actions needed we were not committed to the goal and must then expect the consequences, such as being without dinner. But more than expecting the consequences we also have to accept them, since they were solely due our conduct. We chose not to do those things that would achieve the goal. It was our choice.

The goal -><- action principle requires a degree of self-discipline; I call it “professionalism” That once the goal is agreed, and the ideal actions thought out then our performance depends totally on our professional management of our own behaviour.

Once the goals are agreed and accepted and our best judgement is applied to identifying the ideal actions required to achieve them, then our performance depends totally on our professionalism, in other words on our self-discipline to now follow through and get done that which needs to be done to achieve the agreed goals.

Ideals need to be explicit and clear

Typical job descriptions are just not good enough for this process to work. The goals and KPIs need to be clear and ideal actions derived from them need to be explicit and clear.

There is an art in establishing a set of ideals relative to some set of KPIs with those ideals being sufficient and effective yet not to long, too tedious or too difficult to understand.

There are two rules that drive the process:

1.The clearer in the mind the better we do it.

2. To get it clear in the mind we need get it clear on paper first.

It follows that the effort in drafting a clear, simple, yet fully effective set of ideals relative to the KPIs/goals will greatly improve clarity in mind and will improve performance.

Using the best collective judgement

Let's assume we accept goals that have been achieved before, such as achieving a sales budget for the coming six months. Those already in the organisation and the HR systems in the organisation already contain details of actions most likely to achieve the result. This is the ‘organisation learning’ of what works best in this industry, with this product when attacking this market.

It may be that our individual assessment of what is needed is superior to the collective judgement of the many people who have previously contributed to the ‘organisational learning’ of the best practice to get the results: Our judgement may be superior, but that is not likely. And if it is a possibility, then it can be discussed and shared, any great new ideas tested and then added to the ideals as the new best practice and so the organisation learns more about how people can be more effective.

Once the goal accepted then it is totally our professional self-discipline to act the ideals as specified with the emotional investment needed to ensure the greatest success (going through the motions will not cut it).

Ensuring behavioural balance

Let's imagine some KPIs with five ideals relative to those KPIs. And let's assume they are all equal in weighting, so that to do the job really well and get the best results involves committing 20% of available time against each ideal.

Now, assume we work 160 hours a month, and that we can plan say 80% of our time, that is we can plan 128 hours of our time each month. It follows that each month we need to devote 25.6 hours (160x.8x.2) to each ideal action.

Now in any one month, it is likely we can ignore this behavioural structure, but if we ignore it for two months, then it is very likely some KPIs will not be achieved. Ensuring this balance of activity across the action needed to get all KPIs I call the ‘behavioural balance’.

The time budget

The list of KPIs with derived deal actions, with a monthly time required assigned against each ideal action I call the ‘time budget’.

Using technology

Most people today use Outlook or some similar system to plan their activities. This technology can be used to fully plan the daily structure of the ideals, not in general concept, but in detail, what is to be done, and when. The time budget can be translated directly into the daily calendar of Outlook, blocking out time needed for this ideal and then for that…allowing and making clear time needed to find files, and to sort this or that…in short the very structure of one’s personal effectiveness can be made clear on paper. Now, we have already agreed that making it clear on paper is needed to make it clear in mind, so refinement and practice at this process will greatly improve personal effectiveness. There is one proviso, if you are not willing to be honest with yourself, then it is likely the gain will be minimal.

Improving skills

Upon accepting a role, competence is important and so is the broad match of abilities of the person with those required in the role. Once in the role, however, training and coaching takes on a much more precise and focused definition, namely the development of the skill at delivering the ideals.

Time budgeting leads to better defined training and coaching outputs, namely improving delivery of this or that ideal. And since ideals are derived from KPIs this means that time budgeting leads directly to much more clearly defined payback from training investment.

Summary

Time budgeting will improve personal effectiveness, increase focus on the most appropriate things people need to do, and improve training and coaching payback: Overall time budgeting will improve organisational performance.