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Bill's Im-Perfect Time Management Adventure
Bill’s Im-Perfect Time Management Adventure begins with an anonymous email – it warns Bill, an engineer at Syscon, that he's on a list of project managers at risk of layoff. A conversation with his boss confirms his fears – his poor time management skills threaten his financial security and his family’s wellbeing. To escape failure, he must improve dramatically, and fast.
In quick succession, he tries several prescriptions for better time management – a new smartphone, a popular book and a colleague-turned-coach. None yield the results his management team wants, and he sinks deeper into panic. To make matters worse, Syscon temporarily transfers him to another company: a cost-saving move that the company has used in the past a precursor for permanent separation.
Backed against the wall, Bill finds space to think, and he discovers the need for every working professional to develop an individual time management system. He tests his ideas on himself before speaking up to his colleagues-on-loan. Brewed in the company’s culture and supported by an open-minded executive and an eccentric time management researcher, Bill’s ideas start to bear fruit. He and his new colleagues realize that they already have time management systems in place; asking working professionals to implement new systems without taking their original habits, practices and rituals into account just doesn’t make sense.
With his colleagues' help, he visualizes the group of core skills that people already use unconsciously to manage their time as seven “ladders” that people can climb in order to improve dramatically in a short time.
His good luck runs out, however, when Syscon calls him back. Though his future unnerves him, he returns with a commitment to apply his new approach to help turn the company's chronic problem of low productivity around.
When he arrives, he must lead a sub-par team, and the pressure to keep his own job rises as he struggles to save theirs. To make matters worse, his colleague-turned-coach now sees him as a threat to his own upward mobility at Syscon.
To survive the test of attrition, Bill must boost his whole team’s productivity, and his new method offers the only chance.
“Finally! An engaging story about time management with flesh-and-blood characters. Bill’s Im-Perfect Time Management Adventure reads like a suspense novel. You’ll hardly know that you’re learning the most organic and flexible system for managing your time that exists.”
- Judith Kolberg, author Getting Organized in the Era of Endless: What To Do When Information, Interruptions and Work is Endless and Time is Not
"Francis is unique because he has not only come up with a good time management system for himself, but he has then gone on to dissect what works and then present it to the world in a format other people can directly apply without any prior knowledge.”
- Yaro Starak, Entrepreneurs-Journey.com
"Substantial productivity tips packed up and rolled into a superb novel."
- Leon Ho, founder of Lifehack
In quick succession, he tries several prescriptions for better time management – a new smartphone, a popular book and a colleague-turned-coach. None yield the results his management team wants, and he sinks deeper into panic. To make matters worse, Syscon temporarily transfers him to another company: a cost-saving move that the company has used in the past a precursor for permanent separation.
Backed against the wall, Bill finds space to think, and he discovers the need for every working professional to develop an individual time management system. He tests his ideas on himself before speaking up to his colleagues-on-loan. Brewed in the company’s culture and supported by an open-minded executive and an eccentric time management researcher, Bill’s ideas start to bear fruit. He and his new colleagues realize that they already have time management systems in place; asking working professionals to implement new systems without taking their original habits, practices and rituals into account just doesn’t make sense.
With his colleagues' help, he visualizes the group of core skills that people already use unconsciously to manage their time as seven “ladders” that people can climb in order to improve dramatically in a short time.
His good luck runs out, however, when Syscon calls him back. Though his future unnerves him, he returns with a commitment to apply his new approach to help turn the company's chronic problem of low productivity around.
When he arrives, he must lead a sub-par team, and the pressure to keep his own job rises as he struggles to save theirs. To make matters worse, his colleague-turned-coach now sees him as a threat to his own upward mobility at Syscon.
To survive the test of attrition, Bill must boost his whole team’s productivity, and his new method offers the only chance.
“Finally! An engaging story about time management with flesh-and-blood characters. Bill’s Im-Perfect Time Management Adventure reads like a suspense novel. You’ll hardly know that you’re learning the most organic and flexible system for managing your time that exists.”
- Judith Kolberg, author Getting Organized in the Era of Endless: What To Do When Information, Interruptions and Work is Endless and Time is Not
"Francis is unique because he has not only come up with a good time management system for himself, but he has then gone on to dissect what works and then present it to the world in a format other people can directly apply without any prior knowledge.”
- Yaro Starak, Entrepreneurs-Journey.com
"Substantial productivity tips packed up and rolled into a superb novel."
- Leon Ho, founder of Lifehack
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Francis Wade
10 books7 followersFrancis Wade is an innovator, content author and management consultant. He owns Framework Consulting, a firm headquartered in Hollywood, Florida and spends much of this time in Kingston, Jamaica, a place he's called home since 2005. Francis is a graduate of Cornell University in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering, where he earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees. Most of his attention is spent on Time Management 2.0 and turning new productivity research into practical ideas that leaders of companies can use. He has done marathons and several triathlons, including one Ironman-distance race.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 11, 2013
Loved this book. I expected a poorly written attempt at a story, as I got it on a list of cheap Kindle books, but instead I was instantly engrossed- probably because I'm a productivity nut, and love anything that will improve my time management and work results.
I enjoyed how the book progressed, and allowed us to watch experiments happen, and trial and error. I also loved how it gave us "permission" to not be totally attached to a specific methodology, but to experiment and develop our own (yes, some of us OCD types need permission!)
Because the book itself was so helpful, I signed up for his course, as well, and look forward to working my way through that!
I enjoyed how the book progressed, and allowed us to watch experiments happen, and trial and error. I also loved how it gave us "permission" to not be totally attached to a specific methodology, but to experiment and develop our own (yes, some of us OCD types need permission!)
Because the book itself was so helpful, I signed up for his course, as well, and look forward to working my way through that!
March 7, 2013
If you asked me about my time management skills I would readily answer that while I may have a few areas for improvement I have an OK system. Sure some things fall through the cracks but that happens when you are very busy and have a lot on your plate, right?
How wrong I was. After reading Francis Wade’s book - Bill’s Im-perfect Time Management Adventure I must say that a whole new world has opened to me. The author, Francis Wade created the everyday man through which to relate his tale and I do mean everyday man - heck I was a little uncomfortable with how much Bill and I have in common. In fact, I use the same excuses he does when confronted by his boss’s complaints about his productivity.
“I am not perfect - especially when doing almost three person’s work - I am bound to miss a few things”
As you can tell I more than identify with the protagonist’s plight.
Then there is the whole smartphone argument, Francis Wade highlights some hard truths that will hit hard for crackberry addicts like myself. So often we think that by getting the latest technology it will automatically lead to us being more productivity.
Overall, Francis Wade wrote a deceptively simple easy-to-read business fable that explores the topic of Time Management in an innovative way that we can all learn from. My only issue is that I was often conflicted between stopping to take notes or continuing the book. Not to worry, the author included several resources at the end of the book so that I could continue my own time management journey. My favorite resource is the Mytimedesign self-assessment that identified my skill level in the fundamental and advance skill types that were mentioned in the book.
Summarily, I wholeheartedly recommend Francis Wade’s Bill’s Im-perfect Time Management Adventure
How wrong I was. After reading Francis Wade’s book - Bill’s Im-perfect Time Management Adventure I must say that a whole new world has opened to me. The author, Francis Wade created the everyday man through which to relate his tale and I do mean everyday man - heck I was a little uncomfortable with how much Bill and I have in common. In fact, I use the same excuses he does when confronted by his boss’s complaints about his productivity.
“I am not perfect - especially when doing almost three person’s work - I am bound to miss a few things”
As you can tell I more than identify with the protagonist’s plight.
Then there is the whole smartphone argument, Francis Wade highlights some hard truths that will hit hard for crackberry addicts like myself. So often we think that by getting the latest technology it will automatically lead to us being more productivity.
Overall, Francis Wade wrote a deceptively simple easy-to-read business fable that explores the topic of Time Management in an innovative way that we can all learn from. My only issue is that I was often conflicted between stopping to take notes or continuing the book. Not to worry, the author included several resources at the end of the book so that I could continue my own time management journey. My favorite resource is the Mytimedesign self-assessment that identified my skill level in the fundamental and advance skill types that were mentioned in the book.
Summarily, I wholeheartedly recommend Francis Wade’s Bill’s Im-perfect Time Management Adventure
February 23, 2013
If you are even slightly interested in efficiency AND peace of mind.... read this book. Foll disclosure, Francis was my boss and partner in consulting for many years ; he knows of what he speaks. Besdes, who can resist a good business fable? Enjoy
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews