Currency in the New Economy

In eighth grade, my history teacher was Mr. Moriarty. The first day of class, he informed us that he graded every assignment we did, but your final grades were based entirely on attitude and effort. He was an older teacher, a few years shy of retirement. I still remember his gnarled fingers pointing at the class as he repeated his mantra of attitude and effort several times a class. 

I thought this was silly. The world doesn't operate based on attitude and effort, why should this class?

Except that he was right. And he was well ahead of his time. 

In a world where you can Google anything, expertise is less important. 

What's left?

Attitude and effort.

Mental Models, Functional Fixedness, and MacGyver

Mental Models

I recently came across the idea of ‘mental models.’ I keep a mindmap on my computer, and when I learn about a new concept, I try to fit it into the mindmap, and connect various ideas. Sometimes the connections are tenuous, other times they really click. This particular concept really clicked.

Here is a great definition from Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization (which I recommend, particularly the last half or so):

“‘Mental models’” are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior.”

Of course, without some sort of working theory, it’d be tough to take action, or hold any opinions at all. 

But if we examine these theories from time to time, we may realize they don't hold up. 

Functional Fixedness

Here is one example, the Duncker Experiment:

Participants were given a candle, a box of thumbtacks, and a book of matches. Their instructions were to:

•     Affix the candle to a corkboard on a wall.
•     Light the candle.
•     Ensure no wax drips onto the table. 

In the first experiment, most participants could not do it. 

They ran the experiment a second time, but with the thumbtacks outside of the box.

This time, every participant figured out they could use thumbtacks to pin the candle to the corkboard, and use the box to collect the wax.

All it took was placing the thumbtacks outside of the box for them to see that they were, in fact, different items and have different functions. 

(This is perhaps why MacGyver was so successful—he could see that bubble gum could not only be chewed, it could also prevent a nuclear explosion.)

The mental models concept also applies to businesses.

Think about how long Blockbuster stuck around after Netflix, even when their stores were empty. They couldn’t get past the idea that people like to save time, and one way to save time is to have DVDs mailed to you instead of having to go the store. 

You might also argue this applies to Windows 8. It is MESSY looking. People really like clean, minimal desktops. (Or perhaps this is a mental model of my own.)

I Am Not Stubborn!

The concept also applies to personal relationships. 

For years, my friends have all said how stubborn I am—that I must win an argument. But I’ve changed, I swear! But once in a blue moon, on those rare occasions when I do argue, they all say: “Oh, there he goes again.” 

Of course, I do the same exact thing with them. In many ways, I view them the same as I did 15 years ago. When I look objectively at them, I see incredible, dynamic change. 

Being 'Objective'

The book mentioned above—The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization—suggests “[bringing mental models] to the surface and [holding] them rigorously to scrutiny[,]” and in particular, the scrutiny of others. 

Of course, this assumes it is possible to identify our mental models. I would also argue we sometimes hold conflicting mental models, complicating the process.

But perhaps worth a try? 

Pareto Principle

Under the Pareto Principle, focusing time and energy on the “vital few” tasks rather than on the “trivial many” will increase productivity. But applying this principle to your to-do list is deceptively difficult.

In many cases, 20% of inputs cause 80% of outputs. For example: 20% of salespeople generate 80% of revenue, and a few key professional contacts provide most job leads. So prioritizing the most important salespeople and contacts makes sense.

The same logic should apply to task management, right? More time on the "vital,” less time on the "trivial," easy peasy.

In some cases, this is true. If you're learning to play the trumpet, spend more time practicing, less time shopping for fedoras and sunglasses, you will improve. If, while making a cup of coffee, you count sugar granules but carelessly grind the beans, the Pareto Principle can help.

But for two reasons, it's rarely that easy: 'vital' tasks often require 'trivial' tasks, and the principle makes it too easy to skip chores.

Here's an example:

Suppose I am a professional blogger with 10 hours in which to complete the following tasks:

• research article

• outline article

• write article

• bring trash to dump

• wash bed sheets

My livelihood depends on writing articles, so following the Pareto Principle, I write for 8 of the 10 hours. Although generally it's a good idea for bloggers to spend more time writing, I'm left with only two hours for the remaining four tasks—not nearly enough time!

Without solid research, my outline lacks direction, and my article lacks substance. In this case, spending more time on the most important task hurt me.

And suppose a dump run takes an hour no matter how fast I drive, and that washing the sheets takes thirty minutes. Now I'm left with a half-hour to research and outline my article. Maybe I should just skip the dump and wash the sheets some other day?

Okay fine, not a big deal once in awhile, but when will either be a vital task? Compared to my livelihood, aren't chores always trivial? At some point the smell might make it vital, but do I really want to wait until then?

But there's a solution:

Break down tasks into specific actions.

For example, instead of 'research article' being the task, try: 'search Evernote archive;' 'Google around;' 'call Dan the expert.' If the Evernote search provides the most value, it is one of the “vital few” and should be given the appropriate time—Google and Dan can wait.

There will always be something that seems more important than chores. Make them easier when you can, skip them if you must, but don't pretend you're too busy for them. You're not!

The Pareto Principle can improve time management, but only if thoughtfully applied. Is it worth the effort? Maybe. Experiment, compare it to other methods, and decide for yourself.