The Managerial Time System

Getting Leaders Out of the Weeds and Focusing on What Matters Most

A simple method for evaluating whether you are using your time most effectively in advancing your level of thinking is looking at how you are spending your time in 4 core managerial areas. We call this method the CASM.

Using the CASM to Nudge Up Your Focus

All Leader-Manager activities can be classified into one of 4 role functions:

(C) Core function: These are the core outputs and results that you are ultimately responsible for. All activities related to delivering these results including client emails, phone calls and supporting documents are included in core function activities.
(A) Admin function: These are all the activities that you do to coordinate your other functions. These include filing, expenses, booking calendar appointments, travel arrangements, etc.
(S) Support function: Rarely do leaders function in isolation. The support functions are those tasks, projects and processes that you are involved in but ultimately don’t have ownership over. These are the times where you are included, advised or required for buy-in. Your opinion, insight and input is required for other colleagues (at your same level or horizontal across the organization) to move their projects forward.
(M) Management function: Coaching, mentoring, advising and directing are all tasks typically included in this section. Management function tasks involve all those activities focused on achieving results through other people, typically downward on the vertical scale.

Different distributions of time is a natural reflection of changing responsibilities within a business; however, spending to much time in admin and support functions can lead to neglect of direct reports and other critical managerial tasks. Working cross-functionally is important during a new role or entering into new responsibilities, but it’s not a long-term strategy. The CASM EFFECT is when a leader spends the majority of their time in admin and support functions and their work drives them.

The goal is to move toward CASM IMPACT. This is when time is split between managerial functions and core responsibilities. The goal is to have time spent in core tasks and the remaining time spent on management functions so that they drive work rather than the work driving them. Management is about rising to new levels of leadership and the CASM IMPACT is the state in which this elevation happens.