Comments on: The Art Of Time Management: How To Be Effective http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/ Work smart, play smart Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:23:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Nick Pagan http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-29051 Nick Pagan Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:18:57 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-29051 Root Cause Analysis: The basic premise is that most people respond to the symptoms of a problem and end up heavily distracted by that. The problem is that symptoms never go away if the cause of the symptom remains. It's only when you work on eliminating the cause, or significantly reducing the effect of the cause that symptoms disappear or create little annoyance. Imagine that you keep getting a flat tire on your bicycle. You keep fixing it but a day or two later after riding the tire is flat again. You repair it but the same thing happens, over and over again. The next time you give the tire as well as the inner tube an inspection. You discover a tack embedded in the tire that you couldn't see before. Under pressure when riding, the tack is exposed and punctures the tire. Symptom: A flat tire (repeatedly) Response: Fix the flat (short-term solution) Cause of the problem: A tack in your tire Proper Solution: Remove the tack Or as I wrote in one of my <a href="http://www.nickpagan.com/blog/189/leave-the-cage/" rel="nofollow">posts</a>... Symptom: Too many emails Response: Apply GTD (short-term solution) Cause of the problem: Unempowered workforce Solution: Create better procedures for the staff Root Cause Analysis:

The basic premise is that most people respond to the symptoms of a problem and end up heavily distracted by that. The problem is that symptoms never go away if the cause of the symptom remains. It’s only when you work on eliminating the cause, or significantly reducing the effect of the cause that symptoms disappear or create little annoyance.

Imagine that you keep getting a flat tire on your bicycle. You keep fixing it but a day or two later after riding the tire is flat again. You repair it but the same thing happens, over and over again. The next time you give the tire as well as the inner tube an inspection. You discover a tack embedded in the tire that you couldn’t see before. Under pressure when riding, the tack is exposed and punctures the tire.

Symptom: A flat tire (repeatedly)
Response: Fix the flat (short-term solution)
Cause of the problem: A tack in your tire
Proper Solution: Remove the tack

Or as I wrote in one of my posts…

Symptom: Too many emails
Response: Apply GTD (short-term solution)
Cause of the problem: Unempowered workforce
Solution: Create better procedures for the staff

]]> By: James http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-29037 James Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:21:41 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-29037 Never heard of root cause analysis, Nick. Thanks for bringing it up, will have to do some research on it! Never heard of root cause analysis, Nick. Thanks for bringing it up, will have to do some research on it!

]]> By: Nick Pagan http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-28846 Nick Pagan Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:43:57 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-28846 Anyone interested in the 80/20 rule should definitely read the book of the same name by Richard Koch. That book and the principle itself changed my life for the better. Life for me became even better when I started thinking in terms of root cause analysis. If you get that whole principle right you can eliminate a lot problems so that you don't even have to apply 80/20 thinking. That can really takes things to another level. Anyone interested in the 80/20 rule should definitely read the book of the same name by Richard Koch. That book and the principle itself changed my life for the better.

Life for me became even better when I started thinking in terms of root cause analysis. If you get that whole principle right you can eliminate a lot problems so that you don’t even have to apply 80/20 thinking. That can really takes things to another level.

]]> By: Psych Blog http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-26918 Psych Blog Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:23:02 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-26918 By: Michael Erwin http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-26852 Michael Erwin Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:48:32 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-26852 Great example of how you can fall in to the trap of spending time doing things just because you have the time. This highlights the need to regularly reflect and make sure you are doing what is most important to you. Great example of how you can fall in to the trap of spending time doing things just because you have the time. This highlights the need to regularly reflect and make sure you are doing what is most important to you.

]]> By: James http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-26528 James Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:29:56 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-26528 Yeah, the rule has so many applications. It's very versatile. Business, advertising, diet, social life... Yeah, the rule has so many applications. It’s very versatile. Business, advertising, diet, social life…

]]> By: Fit Bottomed Girls http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/10/01/the-art-of-time-management-how-to-be-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-26527 Fit Bottomed Girls Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:26:22 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=1400#comment-26527 I'd never heard of that rule, except for it relating to diet (80% healthy stuff, 20% really good stuff). Makes sense though (for both time and diet)! I’d never heard of that rule, except for it relating to diet (80% healthy stuff, 20% really good stuff). Makes sense though (for both time and diet)!

]]>