Abusing Time

Business Pundit has some thoughts on time management.

As a life-long procrastinator, i don't see it as a problem. I prefer to think of it as a way of maximizing the cognitive component of the end work product. Time spent thinking about the problem is not wasted and time spent "doing" is usually time taken from thinking. (Which was a point Business Pundit made here.)

OTOH, procrastination is often learned behavior in a corporate environment. With many managers employees learn that finishing early means there will be more Mickey Mouse revisions and more make work.

That's where the HBR article loses me.  He treats the problems as though corporate culture and managerial behavior have no role in creating them.  But in truth managers can create problems more easily than they can solve them. Just as there can be self-esteem issues behind perfectionism and procrastination, so,too, can a manager's fragile ego play a role in setting deadlines and offering criticism.  It takes self-discipline to  give clear direction and to distinguish between adding value and creating busy work.  The author (not Business Pundit) never mentions that.