Issue link: https://info.corpedgroup.com/i/414837
Timing Is Everything The struggles of everyday project managers are deeply rooted in how these managers spend their time. More often than not, everyday project managers site lack of time as the reason for not being able to accomplish key project milestones that lead to successful outcomes. For a clearer understanding of how people manage time, it is helpful to look at Stephen Covey's "Time Matrix", which was made famous in his book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" (see exhibit 1). The Time Matrix asserts that all the events that make up our lives fall into one of the following four quadrants: 4 Quadrant 1: Situations are both urgent and important. Urgency is defined as requiring immediate action and importance is related to how much we value something. Example: An accident. If we see an accident, it is important that we stop what we are doing and take immediate action. Not only is it important, but it is also urgent that we respond quickly. More examples include project crisis, working on something just before it is due and putting out fires at work. Quadrant 3: Situations have a low sense of importance and a high sense of urgency. Example: A ringing telephone. The ringing creates a sense of urgency and looking at the caller ID tells us how important the call is to us right now. From there, we decide how to act by answering the phone or letting it go to voicemail. Much of our workday is filled with Q3s like unproductive meetings, an influx of e-mails, unimportant phone calls and minor interruptions. Quadrant 2: Situations have a high sense of importance and a low sense of urgency. Example: Taking care of oneself. It is important to eat well, exercise and get enough sleep. Yet many people only take care of themselves when there is a problem (when it becomes a Q1). Being proactive and taking care of situations in a timely manner is acting in Q2. This is the quadrant of leadership. It includes situations such as planning, prioritizing and preparation. Project management techniques and processes are Q2 activities. Quadrant 4: Situations are low in importance and low in urgency. Example: A friend who dislikes their job and complains about it every time you see them. At a certain point, listening to their complaints without them taking any action is a waste of time. Q4 is the quadrant of waste and excess and includes situations such as too much socializing at work, procrastination and busy work. 1