While individual contributors focus primarily on direct production work, managers need a modified approach to the ten-period framework that accounts for their unique responsibilities in people development and team leadership. This approach, combined with a block schedule for your team, will make the biggest difference to productivity from a time management perspective.

The Core Foundation Remains

The basic structure continues with ten four-hour periods per week, maintaining some key elements from the individual contributor framework:

Personal Growth (1 Period - 10%)

Managers maintain the same self-directed learning period. This might include:

• Leadership skill development
• Industry knowledge expansion
• Technical skills maintenance
• Personal interest exploration

Organizational Research (2 Periods - 20%)

The research component remains unchanged, though the focus might shift:

• Strategic initiative exploration
• Emerging management methodologies
• Industry and market analysis
• Future team capability needs

The Production Difference (7 Periods - 70%)

This is where the manager’s framework diverges significantly from individual contributors. The seven production periods are allocated across three key areas:

Collaborative Work (3 Periods)

Managers maintain the same three periods for direct collaboration:

• Pairing with team members on complex problems
• Participating in cross-functional team meetings
• Hands-on guidance and mentoring
• Direct involvement in critical deliverables

Team Planning (1-2 Periods)

Dedicated time for strategic and operational planning:

• Sprint or iteration planning
• Resource allocation
• Project roadmapping
• Deliverable scheduling
• Team capacity planning
• Strategic alignment work

People Development (2-3 Periods)

The remaining periods focus on developing and supporting team members:

• One-on-one meetings
• Performance reviews and feedback
• Career development planning
• Leadership development for emerging leads
• Team member growth planning
• Mentoring sessions
• Team culture building

Implementation Considerations for Managers

Balancing Flexibility and Structure

• Block regular one-on-ones during people development periods
• Keep some planning time flexible for urgent team needs
• Protect research periods to maintain strategic thinking time
• Schedule collaborative periods when team availability is highest

Setting Team Expectations

• Communicate your time structure to your team
• Establish clear boundaries for interruptions
• Create escalation protocols for urgent issues
• Set office hours during appropriate periods

Maintaining Effectiveness

• Track the actual distribution of your time
• Regularly assess team member growth and engagement
• Monitor team productivity and delivery metrics
• Evaluate the quality of planning outcomes
• Measure team development progress

Special Considerations

Emergency Management

• Build buffer time into planning periods for unexpected issues
• Create backup plans for critical one-on-ones
• Establish coverage with peer managers for research periods

Remote and Hybrid Teams

• Consider time zones when scheduling collaborative periods
• Use people development time effectively across virtual platforms
• Adapt planning sessions for distributed team participation

Scaling Considerations

• Adjust people development time based on team size
• Scale planning time with project complexity
• Balance hands-on collaboration as team grows

Success Indicators

Evaluate the effectiveness of this structure through:

• Team member growth and satisfaction
• Project delivery predictability
• Quality of strategic planning
• Team retention and engagement
• Leadership pipeline development
• Organizational knowledge expansion

Getting Started

1. Audit current time allocation
2. Identify critical one-on-ones and team meetings
3. Block essential people development time
4. Schedule regular planning sessions
5. Protect research and personal growth periods
6. Communicate the structure to your team
7. Review and adjust after initial implementation

Remember that this framework serves as a guide rather than a rigid structure. The key is maintaining appropriate balance across all responsibilities while ensuring both team and organizational growth.