The least helpful tip for being productive I ever got was to pack every day with blocks of time dedicated to just one task.
At first it seemed promising and gave my days a sense of structure and purpose. But it quickly proved counterproductive, limiting and stressful. It didn’t give me flexibility for surprises or changes in priorities. I often overestimated how much I could do,
Does this resonate with you?
As an operations exec, juggling multiple stakeholders, complex projects, and tight deadlines is all par for the course. Anticipating how long tasks will actually take is a moving target and often futile.
If time blocking hasn’t worked for you, it’s time to explore other methods.
In this episode, I'll go beyond time blocking and give you a new approach to time management that could completely change the way you work.
Check out the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/32.
Boosting Productivity: Understanding Time Blocking Through Personality Types
Hey Ops Execs!
As an executive coach and trusted advisor to operations executives, I am often asked for advice on managing time. Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. There are as many approaches to time and tasks as there are personalities.
For many, time blocking works. For example, consider the Enneagram system. Type perspectives 1 (the Perfectionist), 3 (the Performer) or 8 (the Protector), may find that time blocking fits well given their natural focus on efficiency.
However, type perspectives 9 (the Mediator) or 7 (the Epicure), might find the rigid structure of time blocking to be too constrictive.
In the Myers-Briggs personality framework, if you’ve got a Judging preference, time blocking may come easily to you. You’re more naturally inclined to plan and organize your time.
But if you’ve got a Perceiving preference, time blocking might be more demanding. Perceivers tend toward spontaneity and flexibility, and the ability to plan as you go.
So, here’s a disclaimer that type descriptors don’t really determine what will always work best for you. Generally, people of every type can adapt and find ways to make time blocking, or any other strategy, work. It depends on your willingness to experiment with it and ability to adjust your approach and habits.
For me, as an Enneagram type 9 perspective, and an INFP, time blocking feels like pushing water uphill. I really wanted it to work, and I didn’t understand why it didn’t, because it worked for other people I knew and trusted. I thought that maybe there was something wrong with me.
When I got some much-needed context about working with my natural strengths, I started looking elsewhere for ways to approach the challenge.
Breaking Free from Time Blocks: The Parkinson’s Law Perspective
The game changed for me when I explored Parkinson’s Law. It was written by Cyril Northcote Parkinson, a British naval historian and author, in 1955. He studied inefficiencies in administrative bodies and governments.
Parkinson’s Law suggests that work tends to expand to fill the time available for its completion. That means if we give ourselves too much time for a task, it can become more daunting, overcomplicated, and stressful.
This made me rethink my approach to time management and productivity. It shifted my focus from blocks of time to the type of work. And, bear me out here, I wound up drawing from inspiration in the culinary world.
Mixing It Up: What Ops Execs Can Learn from Chefs about Productivity
I began relating projects and tasks to different cooking techniques. Some tasks are like slow-cooked dishes. They require extra time to allow flavors to marinate and develop. Others are more like a quick stir-fry, where adding more time only leads to overcooked, soggy outcomes.
With this mindset, my approach to my workday wasn’t about rigid slots to be filled, but as a menu of tasks that are cooked differently and to order.
Quick stir-fry tasks need rapid execution on a high heat. They're more routine, like administrivia, sorting email and answering quick ones as I go, and running reports. For those, I set shorter, more intense work periods. It keeps things crisp and efficient, otherwise I can get lost down the rabbit hole.
Meanwhile, projects that are more high-value and complex, need the slow-cook treatment. They take time to develop their full flavor. Things like strategic planning requires deliberation, research, and stakeholder engagement. When it’s rushed, it winds up being uncooked and underdeveloped.
Focusing on mastering the art of timing in the kitchen helped me start to manage my projects and tasks in a way that felt more intuitive and realistic. I could focus on making sure things got just the right amount of attention. No more and no less.
So, if time blocking isn't working for you, try sorting by which tasks are ‘slow-cooks’ versus ‘quick stir-fries’ and see what happens.
And in any case, it’s good to keep experimenting with productivity techniques. It’s okay if some don’t fit you. You'll find the unique blend that works for you, your style, and your responsibilities.
Today I’ll leave you with this question: If you were to examine the 'menu' of tasks before you today, which ones would benefit from a slow-cook approach? And which ones are simply waiting for a quick stir-fry?
If you’re looking for productivity tips to streamline your meetings, check out episode 4, “The Meeting Habit That Drains Operations Executives' Energy”. You’ll find it at yourfuturerealized.com/4.
You can’t stop the chaos, but you can change the game.