Working in Big Law, time is often our most precious – and scarcest – resource. We juggle urgent demands, unforeseen crises, and long-term projects, all while needing to respond to various requests from colleagues and others at a moment's notice. It's a balancing act where efficiency is vital, so it's only natural for us to be constantly on the lookout for new ways of effectively managing our time.
Recently, "time blocking" seems to be everywhere, hailed as a potential game-changer for efficiency and time management. But what is it exactly? And more importantly, can it really work in the uniquely hectic ecosystem of a law firm?
What is time blocking?
At its core, time blocking is as straightforward as it sounds. It involves assigning specific blocks of time to individual tasks or groups of tasks throughout your day. This goes beyond mere to-do lists; it's about dedicating uninterrupted periods of time to your tasks and planning in advance to tackle what truly matters. It re-creates your day as a series of appointments, where some of these "meetings" are with your own tasks.
Getting started
Modern technology offers a myriad of ways to implement time blocking effectively. From dedicated apps to AI platforms like ChatGPT, there are many options for personalized assistance in planning your day, suggesting optimizations, and helping prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. To get started:
Choose Your Tool: Whether it's a simple calendar application or a sophisticated productivity app, select a tool that resonates with your workflow.
Assess Your Tasks: Break your tasks into categories—emails, meetings, projects, etc. This helps in assigning blocks realistically. Note deadlines, the amount of time required for each task, the level of concentration required, or if there is a better time of day to complete a particular task. Some tasks will naturally be more flexible than others.
Prioritize and Plan: Allocate time blocks according to priority and your identified scheduling parameters. Be sure to place high-concentration tasks during your peak focus times.
Navigating the law firm landscape
While getting started may be simple, navigating time blocking when your day is punctuated by urgent emails and immediate demands isn't so easy. However, the very chaos that challenges its implementation also underscores the need for it. The strategy isn't just about blocking time for focusing on pre-determined tasks; it's about strategically allocating buffers for interruptions, quick-response activities, and those unforeseen "just a minute" tasks that inevitably arise.
To successfully block your time, it's essential to build in those buffers. Allow for time in between tasks to respond to emails, return phone calls or chat messages, and handle quick issues that arise throughout the day. When needed, break up larger projects into smaller sprints. And, of course, flexibility will be essential to manage the fire drills that arise from time to time.
The pros
Enhanced Focus: By dedicating time to specific tasks, you minimize multitasking, known to hamper productivity and increase stress.
Visible Priorities: It's easier to communicate your workload and priorities to others when your schedule explicitly reflects them.
Sense of Control: Especially in a high-pressure role, feeling in command of your time can significantly reduce stress and improve job satisfaction.
The cons
Adaptability: The rigid structure may clash with the dynamic needs of a law firm, where priorities can shift rapidly.
Over-Optimization: There's a risk of overcommitting to planning, where the act of scheduling consumes more time than it saves.
Underestimation of Tasks: Misjudging how long tasks will take can lead to a cascade of adjustments and the stress of falling behind.
A balanced view
In truth, time blocking isn't a panacea, particularly in an environment as unpredictable as law firm management. Yet, therein lies its hidden strength: the practice encourages a mindset of intentionality about how you spend your time, pushing back against the tide of reactivity that can dominate the legal workplace.
For those accustomed to a day driven by external demands, deciding in advance how to use your time can be empowering. By deliberately setting aside blocks for immediate response tasks alongside deeper, uninterrupted work periods, there's potential to navigate the push-and-pull of law firm dynamics more smoothly.
Is it worth a try?
Given the pros and cons, integrating time blocking into the law firm management toolkit emerges not as a cure-all but as a strategy worth experimenting with. The key lies in customization—adapting the principles of time blocking to fit the unique rhythms and requirements of your role and your firm. Like any tool, its value is unlocked not merely by adoption but by adept implementation.
Each law firm, each team, and indeed, each day presents its unique set of challenges and opportunities. In the relentless quest for efficiency and effectiveness, time blocking offers a structured—yet flexible—framework to approach our day with a bit more strategy and a bit less scramble.
By: Kandice Stetson Thorn, Founder, WorkBetter for Lawyers