Time is our most precious resource, so it’s a good idea to model the time management techniques of extremely productive and successful people. Robert C. Pozen was a former chairman of MFS Investment Management and now lectures at Harvard Business School. In his book “Extreme Productivity” he outlines his six step process to get organized and then follows up with some specific tips to be extremely productive.

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“In every organization, some employees spend an inordinate amount of time on tasks that don’t really matter.” Robert C. Pozen. Extreme Productivity (Kindle Location 100).

6 Steps To Get Organized

Despite all your rushing about how productive are you really productive during the times you work late nights and weekends? Robert’s 6 step process offers a solution to the trap of being super busy with minor problems that distract you from accomplishing your primary objectives.

Write everything down

– no matter how small the task, write it down. Organize by time horizon

– categorize each task according to the time commitments they demand. Start with the long term goals that will take 5 or more years to achieve, then medium-germ goals, and finally the tasks you must complete weekly or daily. Rank your objectives

– categorize your goals into three areas and then prioritize them on a 1 to 10 scale. The three areas are: What you want to do. What you’re good at. What the world needs from you Rank your targets

– label and rank your targets as “enabling targets” or “assigned targets” on a 1 to 10 priority scale. “enabling targets” are productive activities that move you closer to your goals. “assigned targets” are busy work that you must do but don’t really help you reach your goals Estimate how you actually spend your time

-now look at how much time your spend on your productive activities and on your busy work activities. You might be surprised by which three activities use most of your time? Address the mismatch between priorities and time spent

-create a tiered to do list with top priority tasks at the top and lower priority tasks at the bottom. Set deadlines (specific dates) for higher priority tasks and completion time ranges (not specific dates) for lower priority tasks. Routinely update your to do list.

The author also goes on to outline how to research effectively for writing reports, how to ensure meetings are productive, some tips on public speaking, and reading and writing effectively. I found these sections very tedious and kind of obvious.

“The key to time management is carving out time to think as opposed to constantly reacting.” ~Robert C. Pozen. Extreme Productivity (Kindle Locations 101-102).

“Professionals who demand perfection out of every task – without regard to significance – will soon find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of their low-priority tasks.”~ Robert C. Pozen. Extreme Productivity (Kindle Location 103).

My Review: To be honest I found the book kind of obvious and basic in it’s recommendations, so I am not recommending it. The “extreme” expectations of the title were not really met. I will however be applying some elements of the authors six step process especially the questions in step 3.

SOURCE: Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours