Time ManagementHealth Services Masters Students

Tony TsaiOctober 14, 2010

It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants.

The question is, what are we busy about?

~ Henry David Thoreau

One symptom of impending nervous

breakdown is the belief that one's work is

terribly important.

~ Bertrand Russell

Also…

Being Productive

• We’re not really managing time. We’re managing our productivity.

• Two main aspects of managing productivity:

• What should I work on? When?

• When I work on something, how to maximize my effectiveness on the task? Focus

What Should I Work On?

What is the most important thing you need to get done today?

What are the three most important things you need to get done this week?

Urgent vs. Important?

Responding to time sensitive e-mails / Grocery shopping

Submitting a grant, Presenting a key talk / Fixing a car

Reading articles / Watching TV

Writing a manuscript / Going out with friends

Urgent

Not Urgent

Not Importa

nt

Important

1st Priority – Urgent & Important

Urgent / Not Important

Urgent / Important

Not Urgent / Not Important

Not Urgent / Important

Examples• Complete grant or manuscript by

deadline• Edit work by others• Complete manuscript review by

deadline

General Management Strategy• These things will tend to drive what you do• Break large projects into smaller tasks (e.g. start with writing

the methods)• Know when things are due / track using lists• …

2nd Priority – Urgent & Not Important

Urgent / Not

Important

Urgent / Important

Not Urgent / Not Important

Not Urgent / Important

Examples• Responding to time-sensitive email• Clinical issues• Certain meetings• Routine obligations

General Management Strategy• Some of these things are scheduled (non-discretionary)• Batch the work (e.g. do emails 2x a day, put all your meetings

together) • Leave an hour or two “open” on your schedule each day• …

3rd Priority – Not Urgent & Important

Urgent / Not Important

Urgent / Important

Not Urgent / Not Important

Not Urgent /

Important

Examples• Study development / data analysis• Writing• Going to talks on campus• Networking / develop collaborations• Things of personal importance (e.g.

certain committee work)

General Management Strategy• Block out time for each category of task regularly (make

yourself do them)• Give yourself firm deadline for things which do not have a

natural deadline• …

last Priority – Not Urgent & Not Import.

Urgent / Not Important

Urgent / Important

Not Urgent /

Not Important

Not Urgent / Important

Examples• Reading articles• Distractions (e.g. some email /

phone calls) • All the random stuff you get roped

into doing / some favors

General Management Strategy• Just say no (nicely)• Give time limit (if you want it by next week, I can give you an

hour to review it)• Give date limit (I can get to in in two weeks)• Keep it contained (time and frequency)

Managing Your Research Pipeline

Develop

Study

Collect /

Manage Data

Analyze Data

Write

• Brainstorming

• Develop ideas for studies

• Design specific studies

• Brainstorming

• Develop hypothesis

• Determine data sets

• Managing RA’s who are collecting the data

• This may be a more hands-off stage

• Get data set ready to analyze (you or statistician)

• Execute analysis based on hypothesis developed during study development

• Write draft

• Send to co-authors

• Revise

• Send to senior author

• Submit

• Wait and wait…and …wait (if lucky)

Managing Your Research Pipeline

Develop

Study

Collect /

Manage Data

Analyze Data

Write

• Work towards having several projects per stage (no set number of projects / but balanced)

• Analyze and Write are harder and more time intensive

• 15 months until you hit the job market – need to publish• You may only have time to execute one study from

beginning to end

• Talk to mentors and get pre-existing data sets

• Look for 2nd author opportunities

Balance of Activity

• What would you rather do (rank):• Thinking / Planning• Reading• Meeting / Communicating• Analyzing• Writing• Clinical and Service

• You may be doing too much of your preferred activities and too little of your least preferred activities

• Consider making more time for writing, this is a common issue for junior researchers

What Should I Work On?

• Summary

• Know what one thing you need to get done by the end of the day. 3 things by the end of the week.

• Do the important things as well as the urgent things (and then the less important things).

• Manage your research pipeline. You don’t want to be idle and then crazy busy.

• Make time to write.

How does Bruce Lee Manage Tasks?

The Key To Doing Things Well

• Focus on one thing at a time.

“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”~ Zen Proverb

• Quality of your work is dependent on the quality of your focused attention

• Create “chunks” of time (2 to 4 hours) ~3 times a week where you can concentrate on tasks which require focused attention

• Block out those “chunks” on your calendar

General Tips

• Do things at regular times of the week / routine is important

• Develop a system to track your tasks

• When something comes into your head, write it down and get it out of your mind

An Example Task List…

• Finish manuscript and send to Jeff

• Call MCIT about wifi problem

• Read Chapter 4 of book and prepare for class

• Email Betty to set up collaboration meeting

• Check on statistician about progress on analysis

• Set starting line-up on fantasy football

• Return book to Mike

• Plan mom’s birthday party

• Pay parking ticket

What do you remember?

Discussion

• Managing Your Productivity

• What should I be working on?

• How should I maximize my work effectiveness?

Pick one time management strategy and try it for 3 weeks. Be prepared to report back with your experience.

A Quick Word About Focus

• Being focused saves time

• Look for ways to tweak what you’ve already done to address something new

• Be green, recycle