Why task management is the new time management (and how to make it work with the 4Ts)

Does anyone ever truly conquer time management? I’ve had my moments where I feel like I’m on top of everything and have got good systems that are working well, and then…boom! It doesn’t take much for a few things to fall behind and then suddenly the to do list and the hours available just don’t add up.

I don’t think I’m alone either. I regularly hear from people who are well organised, focused, dedicated… and yet despite this they are struggling to get everything done in the time available. And the results can actually be really detrimental. Overwork, overwhelm, a lack of time for relationships and creativity, reputational damage... I really am painting quite the picture here aren’t I? But this is the reality of the modern workplace, which has only been heightened by more frequent change projects and access to an ‘always on’ technology.

I believe the answer is to switch to a “task management” mindset. It’s not actually that significantly different in many ways, but by making tasks the number 1 focus I do believe it can lead to different, and more impactful, solutions.

I recently adapted a model for my own task management. It’s actually a risk management model designed to encourage better mitigation planning. And when I think about it, maybe time management and risk management are actually more similar than they first appear. But the framework is simple and practical, and as I’ve been experimenting with it, I’ve found it to be really impactful. It’s known as the 4 Ts.

Treat, Transfer, Tolerate or Terminate?

These are the 4 options you have for any tasks on your ‘to do’ list. And when time becomes an issue, you need to deploy one of these options to take back control.

So, what are these options in reality?

Treat: Say you have a task to complete and estimate it will take you 2 hours. 2 hours which quite frankly you don’t have. Analyse the task at hand and ask yourself can you ‘treat’ the task differently in a way that can reduce the time it will take? There may be no magic solution here, but we shouldn’t rule out more efficient ways of working (hard as it may be to explore when up against the clock). Challenge yourself on the expectations. Does it really need 2 hours of your time, or could you do it in an hour with compromise on quality or quantity? There will be a bottom threshold to this of course, but often people work over and above the requirement even when time is tight. So, the first stage is to ask yourself if you can treat this task differently to still get it done without it taking as long?

Transfer: The next option is to transfer the task, and this actually has 2 options. The first is to transfer it to someone else. Effectively this is delegation, but often people only associate this with seniority. Delegation in matrix organisations isn’t always top down -delegation between peers and horizontally across teams is becoming increasingly common. Ask yourself if you’re the only person who can do the task, or perhaps even if you’re truly the best placed person to complete it? This can open up opportunities to transfer the task away from you, and potentially that may even become a long-term solution.

But the 2nd option is to transfer the task to another time. Are the deadlines imposed on the business by a key stakeholder (such as a senior team or client) or are they internal processes? If internal, there will be more scope to transfer to a different week or even month by negotiating on the deadline.

Tolerate: This isn’t my favourite option, but it is still a viable one. When pushed for time can you tolerate the workload temporarily? And this is where I stress temporarily. In the short term I’m not going to push back or delegate all my work if I have an important project on – I’ll simply roll up my sleeves and put in some extra hours. But there’s a difference between a genuine work peak and having to work over hours just to keep up with the tide. I will set a mental limit where tolerating this no longer feels a long-term solution. Otherwise, it can be easy for this to become your new norm. So, focus on knowing where the line is between temporary toleration and long-term issues.

Terminate: In extreme situations where no viable option can be explored, the task may need to be terminated altogether. If business critical this is obviously not going to be a solution but taking on projects over and above contractual obligations may be terminated during busy times. Typically, this may be where there have been sizeable changes to the business or headcount meaning plans have changed considerably, but simply not doing a task may be possible at times so don’t rule this option out entirely.

I have found using the 4 Ts to be really impactful – on both my output and mindset. It has brought back a sense of control when I feel at my busiest, and simply knowing I have a 4 Ts strategy has been a gamechanger. So, whilst I first came across this as a risk tool, I’m preferring it as a way to manage tasks and time!