Loved this post Torsten. This post truly stands out as a great reminder in 2025 to be at the driver's seat of our limited time.
I'll add that I also like asking the stakeholder "why is this ask needed? is this a big problem impeding your operations?". Sometimes, instead of dedicating hours on a task, maybe the task might not be needed and one item crossed off. Sometimes, its easy to laser focus on one perspective but sometimes taking a step back helps take a step forward
Yeah it’s definitely key to pressure test the importance of any request. One of my favorite pieces of advice is to never blindly work on something, but to make sure you deeply understand the context and business problem it’s supposed to solve.
GTD is a classic. It’s been forever that I actually looked at it directly, so I can’t say for certain what is inspired by it. But it definitely laid the groundwork for most that came after.
I have a similar method to yourself. In the last few years I've added a new overlay on how I split my time - by trying to allocate time over the month to 1/3 people, 1/3 strategy and 1/3 tasks. Of course you can vary the proportions to suit your role. Hope you find that useful although I suspect you've heard of it before! Cheers
Loved the take on having a combo of a todo list and a calendar.
That brain dump of a todolist is priceless, to reduce the stress of trying to remember things. The calendar part is critical imo no only for understanding when you’ll do things, but also as the gatekeeper. I also do weekly planning, and if I finish filling the space on the calendar and have some tasks left, I know I to adjust expectations with people.
Loved this post Torsten. This post truly stands out as a great reminder in 2025 to be at the driver's seat of our limited time.
I'll add that I also like asking the stakeholder "why is this ask needed? is this a big problem impeding your operations?". Sometimes, instead of dedicating hours on a task, maybe the task might not be needed and one item crossed off. Sometimes, its easy to laser focus on one perspective but sometimes taking a step back helps take a step forward
Yeah it’s definitely key to pressure test the importance of any request. One of my favorite pieces of advice is to never blindly work on something, but to make sure you deeply understand the context and business problem it’s supposed to solve.
Lovely post. A reference to Getting Things Done (GTD) by Allen is a must here.
Especially the concept of actionable items vs projects.
GTD is a classic. It’s been forever that I actually looked at it directly, so I can’t say for certain what is inspired by it. But it definitely laid the groundwork for most that came after.
Sounds like portfolio management, agile and communication. A good read, thanks. Were you an engineer in a past life by any chance?
Yeah I’m definitely mixing and matching things that work for me. Re: engineer, probably just extended exposure over time
I have a similar method to yourself. In the last few years I've added a new overlay on how I split my time - by trying to allocate time over the month to 1/3 people, 1/3 strategy and 1/3 tasks. Of course you can vary the proportions to suit your role. Hope you find that useful although I suspect you've heard of it before! Cheers
Loved the take on having a combo of a todo list and a calendar.
That brain dump of a todolist is priceless, to reduce the stress of trying to remember things. The calendar part is critical imo no only for understanding when you’ll do things, but also as the gatekeeper. I also do weekly planning, and if I finish filling the space on the calendar and have some tasks left, I know I to adjust expectations with people.
Great work on those deep dives.