Is a Timebox a Tardis?
How to really speed through work
The Build your own HPT Blog is based on the ‘High-Performance Management and Teams’ Management model for improving IT Management and Teams capability. Based on many years of IT management consulting, improving the performance and productivity of IT Departments and Teams across the Insurance, Banking, Finance, Health, Transport, Retail, Superannuation and Technology sectors.
High-Performance Teams are successful because they love their work.
Any team can achieve High-Performance.
Is a Timebox a Tardis?
Well no, it is a simple and effective time management technique that I use for writing blogs, books and articles and for my email. I have used this technique for years now and it changed the way I work.
Timeboxing is a discipline really, it works like this.
Let’s say I’m doing my email.
My goal is to do as many as I can.
I allocate 20 minutes to do it.
I look at the time and work out when 20 minutes will be up and sometimes I set an alarm.
I then get as many emails done as is possible in the time allowed.
When the time is up, I move on to my next job.
High-Performance Teams use Timeboxing - because it is great for doing things you don’t like and for when you have a stack to do and not a lot of time to do it in.
Let’s say I’m writing a Business Case (something I hate).
My goal is to make a start, do an outline.
I allocate just 30 minutes, and do as much as I can in that time.
I do an outline and maybe one or two paragraphs, but at least I have made a start.
Tomorrow, I will allocate an hour.
Timeboxing focusses your attention on the task at hand because mentally you know you only have a fixed amount of time to do it in.
So, Timeboxing is simply fixing a set period of time to work on a task or group of tasks. Instead of working on a task until it’s done, you commit to working on the task for a specific amount of time instead.
Several project management approaches use Timeboxing.
Timeboxing is also perfect for meetings such as Project reviews or where you want to get through as much work as possible, in the time available.
And remember, Work contracts to fit in with the time we give it, or, work expands to fill the time available.
High-Performance IT Team examples:
Executive Management teams.
Project Office and Project teams.
Technical and Service Delivery teams.
IT/Business integration.
Managed Services teams.
Teams managing mergers and acquisitions.
