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    When stamina and focus come together...

    Governance Management Performance Phd Research Time Management
    What's the best way to cope with (and survive!) a busier than normal work week? When I was out delivering pamphlets this afternoon—for Party-by-the-Lake, a Halloween alternative which is enjoyed by 3000 people in our local community—I found myself thinking about this very question, based on my own busy week ahead:
    • On Monday, I get to relax—with my wife—because it's Labour Day
    • On Tuesday, I fly to Dunedin for a board meeting, and home again afterwards
    • On Wednesday, I fly to Sydney Australia to collect data for my PhD research, after which I fly to Auckland New Zealand
    • On Thursday, I will collect more data, before flying home at the end of the day
    • On Friday, I have two CEO interviews scheduled, followed by a trip to visit my PhD supervisor to finalise details the trip to speak at ECMLG in Austria
    • On Saturday, I have a strategic planning workshop to attend (as a participant, not a facilitator)

    This schedule will see me in four cities, in two countries, in four days. Does reading it make you feel a little tired? In all, the week will involve ten hours in the air; at least seven hours waiting in airport lounges; and, several early starts and late nights. It will be mentally and physically draining, I'm sure. Hopefully, I will still be compos mentis by the end of the week! While I'm somewhat out of practice with such busy international schedules, I expect to call on several habits that have served me well when dealing with similar schedules in the past:
    • Focus: Block out everything not related to the work directly ahead. Prepare well in advance of meetings, and review notes the evening before. Plan to arrive at airports and meeting venues early, to allow a little time to relax and refocus. Check email and social media websites daily (only), lest they divert your focus.
    • Physical care: Avoid alcohol and big meals if possible. Get outside and walk, every day. Drink plenty of water, and get as much sleep as possible (flights are great for this).
    • Stamina: Think about the week as a whole, not just the day or the few hours directly ahead, and pace yourself. A tough week is akin to running a 10,000 metre race, not a 100m metre sprint. A short focus will put you at risk of not making it through the week. Good levels of physical fitness is a real blessing here—which is why I try to get out on my bike two or three times every week—although this requires a pre-emptry commitment because, unfortunately, physical fitness can't simply be "turned on".

    So there you have it, some of my techniques for dealing with a busier than normal schedule. How do you cope with such weeks?
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    Project management: why can't we get it right?

    Management Performance Research Societal Wellbeing Time Management
    Many years ago, when I was just a few years out of university, I heard an alarming statistic: that most projects (70% or more) were delivered late, cost more and provided less than originally planned. Some were never completed at all. I recall discussing this with my then colleagues and associates, because it seemed like an important problem that needed to be solved. My colleagues said that new systems and processes were being developed, and that this would alleviate the problem. 

    Fast forward a generation... Many systems and processes have been introduced—including MS-Project, PMP, Prince2, PMO and others—but have the expected gains been achieved? Sadly, they have not. As a recently published KPMG report indicates, most projects are still late, cost more, provide less or fail outright. On this evidence, little has changed. Much time and effort has been spent developing and promoting new systems—and millions of dollars are still being wasted.

    So, what's gone wrong, and why haven't things improved? In my view, most project management systems and processes have failed to deliver any material gains, because they do not address the vagaries of the most crucial factor: people. A more holistic approach is required. Rather than spend more effort refining systems and introducing yet more processes, attention needs to turn to the people factors. The research literature is replete with information to guide a new generation of people-focussed effort. However, until someone takes up the challenge—to deal with the motivational, behavioural and other psycho-social factors—I suspect the wastage will continue.
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    Adding a string to my bow

    Research Teaching Time Management
    I added a new string to my bow (so to speak) today—by becoming a Tutor at Massey University. So, with tutoring in the mix, I now have six strings to manage and keep in tune (Doctoral candidate, advisor, director, husband/father, cyclist, tutor). The task I've taken on is to teach the 115.108 Organisations and Management paper on the Wellington campus. It's a core paper in the BBS programme, and should be a lot of fun.

    Preparing for weekly lecture and tutorial sessions will be a new experience for me, one that promises to be both demanding and fulfilling. I'll need to organise my time in a more structured manner than I've been used to—to ensure I meet the weekly cycle and provide space for students to visit to ask questions. On the upside, the idea of contributing to the learning and development of the next generation of business men and women is quite neat.

    One initial observation: the systems and processes Massey has in place for new staff—even part-timers on fixed term contracts like me—are amazing. When I visited the campus today, I discovered access to key on-line resources had already been configured, an office had been assigned, access keys and cards were waiting for collection, and staff were bending over backwards to be helpful. If today is any guide, I'm in for a fulfilling semester ahead. Hopefully, the students agree!
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    Hello 2013

    Phd Research Time Management
    According to the calendar on my desk, today is 4 January 2013. However, in my mind's eye, today is "day two" of 2013—because yesterday was the first day back at my desk since about 18 December.

    The two-week break has been refreshing. I spent a lot of time on the three 'R's: reading, riding, relaxing (with family and friends). However, now it's time to "get stuck in" again—to what is shaping up to be a huge year of data collection, analysis and (hopefully) writing. 

    I spent the morning reviewing my doctoral journey to date, and sorting out the priority items that need most attention over the coming weeks. Here's what emerged:
    • Prepare an ethics application, for consideration by the University's Ethics Committee (all research involving human participants must be approved before it can proceed).
    • Recruit three companies to participate as cases in the research.
    • Review and rewrite the literature review I conducted last year.

    So, hello 2013. As I proceed, I'll draw strength from Isaiah 40:31.
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    Expanding one's horizons...

    Readings Research Time Management
    One of the promises (or more correctly, one of the aspirational goals) I made when setting out on my doctoral journey was to read widely—particularly in "off-topic" areas. My reason was selfish: to expand my horizons, maintain a sense of sanity and (hopefully) trigger some new ideas, because the sheer volume of on-topic material is enough to intimidate even the most ardent student.

    However when I paused for a few days after completing the confirmation process, I realised that progress towards my "read widely" goal had stalled somewhat. In the daily routine of reading about governance, strategy, research methodologies, philosophy, and the theory of knowledge creation, I'd lost sight of the bigger goal.

    Having realised what had happened, I decided an active remedy was required. To this end I have explicitly reserved an hour a day to read off-topic material. Further, I have decided to embrace the novel genre (for the first time in my adult life!), and specifically the so-called modern classics. A search engine provided the starting point: To Kill a Mockingbird. Next in line is yet to be determined, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!
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    Reading—to relax and learn

    Readings Research Societal Wellbeing Time Management
    Are you a reader? I used to be. But university intervened. Thirty years ago, after reading my way through university (text books, journals and articles—not novels or anything of general interest), I lost my appetite for reading. When asked "What are you reading?", I'd answer with "Nothing, university cured me." After plowing my way through heavy material for four years, I had reached the point where I simply did not want to pick up anything longer than an article. I still read a little, but my diet was based entirely on articles published in the popular press (Times, National Geographic, The Economist, HBR), and material I needed to read for work.

    A few years ago, after a long hiatus, a switch flipped. I rediscovered reading again—reading for pleasure and relaxation, that is. I can't recall the time, the place or the exact trigger. Like earlier in my life, I still read to learn. But now I also read to relax. Here's a selection of titles I have read recently:

    • A Beautiful Mind: Sylvia Nasar
    • London, The Biography: Peter Ackroyd
    • Into the Wider World: Brian Turner
    • The Bridge of San Luis Rey: Thornton Wilder
    The following titles are stacked up awaiting my attention:
    • Titan: Ron Chernow
    • Thinking Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman
    • One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich: Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
    • Created for Community: Stanley Grenz

    I tend to read about times, people and places—history and biography. I've discovered that, by reading this sort of material, I relax and learn at the same time. Articles like this motivate me. Reading about the past helps me understand today's world.

    If you read, I'd be interested to hear your story.