What is Parkinson’s Law? And how to defeat it
One of the most infamous pop-culture quotes of all time comes from the Spider Man comics which states: "With great power, comes great responsibility". However, when you hear that quote, I doubt you think of how it can relate to time management skills. But I think that with slight adjustments, this quote can give some clear guidance on how to manage our time more efficiently.
Let's instead think of the quote as: "With more free time comes more responsibility". Now we can begin to gather some sort of understanding of what this principle is saying. Put simply, it states that as we are given more free time (usually experienced by those leaving school, at university or managing their own time/business), there is far more importance put on spending that time responsibly by planning and scheduling.
If you've left school, you've almost certainly experienced this. Through our early lives during school, almost all of our working time is dictated by timetables and schedules. But as we move through to college, university and the working world, we are faced with a bit of a dilemma: We have more free time, but we have to plan how we use that time to complete more tasks - often of higher complexity. This can be quite challenging.
What is Parkinson's Law
Ever thought about why students always leave assignments until the day before the deadline? Or why some have a simple task to do in a given day, yet take the whole day to complete it? There is this idea known as Parkinson's Law which states: "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". Briefly put, this means that if we plan on completing a task in a given time, we'll probably take the whole time to complete it. For example, if we gave ourselves a week to finish an assignment, we'd likely take the whole week to complete it. However, if we constrained this deadline to 3 days, we'd likely finish in that time constraint without compromising the quality of the work.
Even trivial tasks can fall victim to Parkinson's law, and you've almost certainly experienced it in one form or another. Whether that's as the student in the example above, or while setting deadlines for yourself. Although the deadline for the task might be weeks in the future, often times giving ourselves such a long time to complete the task can be unproductive and unhelpful.
1. Artificial deadlines
Another effective technique that can be used in conjunction with time blocking is the establishment of artificial deadlines. The concept of artificial deadlines is quite straightforward: you establish a deadline that is earlier than the actual required completion time. This strategy becomes especially beneficial in the context of projects that do not come with a strict, predetermined deadline.
For instance, in the case of writing this article, there isn't an explicit deadline set. However, in order to ensure that I complete this task efficiently, I've imposed an artificial deadline on myself. This self-imposed deadline serves as a motivator, pushing me towards completion. Without this artificial deadline, there's a chance that I might have lacked the necessary motivation to finish the task.
Employing time-blocking techniques in combination with artificial deadlines provides a robust strategy for mitigating the effects of Parkinson's Law, which states that 'work expands to fill the time available for its completion'. However, it's important to note that the most effective method for reducing the impacts of Parkinson's Law is to recognize its presence and influence in the first place. By being mindful of this phenomenon, we can take proactive steps to manage our time more efficiently.
2. Break Down Your Tasks and Deadlines
To counter Parkinson's Law, consider breaking tasks into manageable chunks, a method known as task chunking. This makes complex projects less overwhelming and more approachable by allowing focus on one piece at a time, thereby creating a sense of achievement with each completed part. Assigning a specific deadline to each task chunk enhances productivity and prompts action, helping to fend off Parkinson's Law, which dictates that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
By setting a limit on how much time each part of the task should take, you encourage efficient use of time. However, it's important to set realistic deadlines. Overly tight deadlines can cause stress and potentially compromise work quality, while too lenient deadlines may not provide enough motivation to get started.
3. Know what ‘Done’ means
A strategy to counter Parkinson's Law is to define 'done' for each task, a vital step in time management. Often, we prolong tasks beyond completion due to unclear endpoints stemming from perfectionism, vague goals, or overwork habits. This inefficiency wastes time and resources.
Defining 'done' involves creating a specific, clear completion criterion, such as a deliverable, an outcome, or a set of criteria. This definition should be so clear that there's no ambiguity about task completion. For example, 'done' for a report might be writing all sections and proofreading, while for a project, it could be achieving goals and delivering expected outcomes.
Having a clear 'done' definition allows you to focus on the task, prevent unnecessary work, and increase efficiency. The aim is not to work harder but smarter, aiding in countering Parkinson's Law.
4. Time-blocking
When I allot an entire day to write an article, complete an assignment, or delve into a specific subject matter, I often find that I end up using the entirety of the day to accomplish that singular task. This, however, changes when I have pre-planned engagements like a sports activity or a social outing with friends that take up around three hours of my day. Despite the time constraint, I still manage to complete the task at hand without compromising the quality, all within the reduced timeframe.
The secret behind my efficiency is a time management technique known as time-blocking. Time-blocking is a method where we dedicate specific blocks of time in our daily schedule to focus exclusively on one task. During these blocked-off periods, our attention is solely on the task at hand, with no room for distractions. This could involve blocking off two or three hours to wrap up an assignment, work on a project, or any other task that requires undivided attention. The crucial aspect is that the blocked time is reserved exclusively for the task we have assigned to it.
While time-blocking can significantly boost productivity, using it for every task may lead to the contrary. Overuse of time-blocking may lead to exhaustion and decreased productivity due to the intense focus required for each block. Hence, I suggest that time-blocking should be judiciously used for one or two of the primary tasks that need to be accomplished in a day. This way, it aids in maintaining productivity and focus, without causing burnout.
5. Have a reason to finish early
The reason why Parkinson's Law is so prevalent in university and business is because there often aren't enough incentives to complete tasks early. You may have even experienced this yourself. "Already finished your tasks? Here's additional work." or "You finished quickly! We’re shortening the next deadline."
Even leaders can find it tempting to refine a current task instead of starting a new one. This can serve as a safety net, helping to avoid the next, potentially intimidating task. The unknown can be daunting, but it's crucial to set a good example for your team. When you're done, finish early.
To counteract this, establish incentives for completing each phase of your work. Reward yourself for finishing early, whether it's by taking a short break, browsing the web, or going for a walk. Do something you enjoy and relish the satisfaction of earning it. The key is to connect rewards to results, not time spent. Make your goals specific and outcome-oriented – strive to 'complete this project' instead of 'spending an hour' on it without finishing.