Management Tip of the Day: Allocate Your Time and Your Effort

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   TIPS   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile APRIL 15, 2013 Allocate Your Time and Your Effort To succeed in today's busy world, you need to decide what to excel at and what to do just adequately enough. Break down activities you do into three categories: invest, neutral, or optimize. "Investment" pursuits are areas where more time and a higher quality of work lead to an exponential payoff, such as strategic planning. Aim for A-level work here. In "neutral" activities, more time spent doesn't necessarily mean a significantly higher return. Attending project meetings is a good example. You don't need to excel; a B is fine. "Optimize" duties are those where additional time leads to no added value and keeps you from doing other, more valuable activities. The faster you get these tasks done, the better. Minimize the time spent on optimize activities so that you can dedicate your energy to higher quality work. Today's Management Tip was adapted from "How to Allocate Your Time, and Your Effort" by Elizabeth Grace Saunders. Read the full post and join the discussion » Share Today's Tip: FEATURED PRODUCT Harvard Business Review All-Access Subscription For over 90 years, Harvard Business Review magazine has been an indispensable and unrivaled source of ideas, insight, and inspiration for business leaders worldwide. Each issue contains breakthrough ideas on strategy, leadership, innovation and management. Available in Print, Digital Replica, Online Archive, and on our HBR iPad app as our All-Access bundled subscription. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Tip: PREVIOUS TIPS Act with Care When Someone Cries at Work Perfect Your Personal Elevator Pitch Use Personal Rituals to Make Changes Stick Get Customers to Advocate for You Choose the Right Chart for Your Slide Quickly Quiet Your Mind Evaluate Remote Workers Fairly Make Yourself an Expert Strike the Right Tone in Your Writing Keep Your Company's Secrets in the Digital Age All Previous Tips BEST SELLERS HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations Ebook + Video Case Study HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "Management Tip of the Day" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)