Efficient and Productive, Top Time Management Strategies

Welcome to the third installment in the series, "Navigating the Path to Seniority: A Guided Journey for Junior Engineers"; In this article, we focus on skills essential for handling complex projects and meeting tight deadlines:

1. Seting SMART goals
2. Planning
3. Estimation and risk assessment
4. Effective communication, and
5. Adaptability

Image of a captain plotting a route in a map - via OpenAI

1. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals

You've probably been in a situation where you've been assigned a task from the backlog but it's poorly described, it can be difficult to know if your efforts are directed towards the expected outcome. To avoid running in circles, it's important to know how to set SMART goals.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, and it's a helpful way to ensure that your goals are clear and focused.

Before you start any task, take some time to think and write about:

• Why is this important?
• What specifically needs to be accomplished?
• How will you measure progress?
• Is the goal realistic and achievable?
• How it fits into your overall objectives?, and
• When does it need to be completed?

S.M.A.R.T. Goals - Attlassian

So if you're faced with an ambiguous task like:

Title: "fix bug in dropdown where content shows intermittently” Description: None

You can use this SMART goals template to structure it:

Title: Identify and fix the bug causing the dropdown content to show intermittently.

Description:

• Specific: Identify and fix the bug causing the dropdown content to show intermittently.
• Measurable: Test the dropdown after the fix to ensure that the content is consistently displayed.
• Actionable: Research and implement a solution that addresses the root cause of the bug.
• Relevant: Address the bug as it is a hindrance to user experience and could impact customer satisfaction.
• Time-bound: Complete the task within two days to minimize any potential or ongoing disruption to the user experience.

Here's another SMART goals example that feels less formal:

Description: Fix the bug causing the dropdown content to show intermittently, identify and address the root cause and test the dropdown to ensure it is consistently displayed, prioritize the user experience and customer satisfaction, appetite for this task is within two days.

As a software engineer, setting clear goals is essential for staying focused and achieving success. While it may not always be your responsibility to provide all the details, taking the time to understand your objectives can help you stay on track and make a meaningful contribution to the project.

In future article, we'll contrast SMART goals versus OKRs. Stay tuned for a comparison of their differences, practical examples, and why tech leads should be familiar with both methods.

2. Outline a plan and break it down

Once you have identified your goals, the next step is to outline a sequence that lays out the steps and tasks needed to complete the project. This should include a timeline for each task, as well as any necessary resources or dependencies. A well-organized schedule can help you stay on track and ensure that you are making progress towards your goals.

One way to outline your plan is to start with high-level goals and then break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. For example, if your goal is to build a new feature for a web application, your high-level goals might include:

1. Research and understand the requirements for the new feature
2. Design the overall architecture for the feature
3. Implement the feature
4. Test the feature
5. Deploy the feature to production

It's generally recommended to keep the number of goals low, as having too many goals can lead to feeling overwhelmed and may make it difficult to prioritize your time and resources effectively.

It's generally best to focus on a few key goals at a time rather than trying to tackle too many at once.

From there, I can break down each of these high-level goals into smaller, more manageable tasks.

3. Break down your plan to estimate time and identify risks

Part of effective time management is being able to accurately estimate how long tasks will take to complete. This involves considering any potential risks or challenges that may arise and allowing for extra time to address them. By accurately estimating your time, you can more effectively plan and allocate your resources, which can help increase efficiency and productivity.

Example of breaking down goals into smaller pieces:

1. Understand requirements for the new feature

   1.1 Review the project specification document

   1.2 Meet with the product manager to clarify any questions

   1.3 Research similar features in other applications to get ideas and inspiration

2. Design the overall architecture for the feature

   2.1 Research and review existing architecture for similar features

   2.2 Collaborate with team members to brainstorm design options

   2.3 Create a detailed design plan with input from the team

   2.4 Present the design plan to the project manager for approval

   2.5 Make any necessary adjustments to the design plan based on feedback from the project manager

3. […]

Having your plans broken down will make it easier to estimate the time to complete each stage, plus, it can help you identify any dependencies and risks involved.

Example of a list of tasks with their associated priorities, dependencies, estimates, and risks:

By including this information in your task list, you can more easily identify and plan for any potential risks or dependencies that may impact your schedule. This can help you stay on track and ensure that you are making progress towards your goals.

It can be overwhelming to know where to start, especially if you're not a seasoned at risk management. That's why we'll be discussing some simple strategies for identifying and managing risks in an upcoming article titled "Risk Management for the Rest of Us: Simple Strategies for Identifying and Managing Risks". Stay tuned for more on this topic!

Breaking down your plan into smaller, more manageable tasks can help you effectively estimate the time required to complete each stage and identify any dependencies or risks that may impact your schedule. By considering these factors and being proactive in your communication with team members and stakeholders, you can increase efficiency and productivity as you work towards your goals. In the next section, we'll delve further into the importance of effective communication in time management.

Communicate Effectively

It's important to communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. This can help prevent delays or misunderstandings that could impact your schedule.

To determine whether your communication is effective and timely, ensure:

• Messages are clear and concise.
• Ensure to address the right audience with the right level of detail and style.
• Practice actively listening and responding to feedback.
• Choose the right message channel (e.g., email, slack, face-to-face meeting).
• Set up reminders for important actions and deadlines.
• Adapt to fit the needs and preferences of your audience.

Call-to-action: In your next meeting, try asking how often they would prefer to receive updates, and see if there are any changes you can make to your communication style to better meet their needs. It will pay off!

By being proactive and adapting to change, you can maintain momentum and keep your project on track. In the next section, we will discuss the importance of flexibility and adaptability in time management and how to incorporate it into your schedule.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Imagine you're working on a software development project and you've carefully planned out your schedule and set your goals. You've even gone so far as to break down your tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces and identified any potential risks or dependencies. You're feeling confident and ready to tackle your work, but then something unexpected happens. Maybe a team member gets sick and can't work on their portion of the project, or perhaps the scope of the project changes and you need to pivot your approach.

In situations like these, it's important to be flexible and adaptable. By being open to change and willing to adjust your schedule as needed, you can maintain momentum and keep your project on track. It's also important to communicate effectively with your team and stakeholders to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. In the end, being flexible and adaptable can help you increase your productivity and achieve success.

Pad your estimates

Padding your schedule can help you account for unplanned tasks or activities that may arise. By allowing for extra time in your schedule, you can be more prepared for the unexpected and better able to adjust your plan as needed. It's important to be proactive and adaptable in order to maintain momentum and keep your project on track.

To determine how much extra padding to add, you may consider the knowns:unknowns:assumptions ratio, as those increase the risk of missing your schedule, I usually start at 20% and exchange padding over level of detail during negotiations. I use this rule when I'm asked to estimate a project of which I know 20% about.

Conclusion

By setting clear goals, creating a schedule, accurately estimating your time, and being flexible, you can increase your productivity and ensure that your efforts are aligned with your overall objectives. However, effective communication is also key in this process.

In the next article, "The Power of Brevity: How to Communicate Effectively", we will dive deeper into the importance of clear and concise communication in achieving your goals.

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