W01_L3_SelfManagement(1)

COMP3219 Engineering Management and Law

• Course conducted by Sarah Hewitt.

• Based on slides by Andy Gravell, October 2025.

Objectives

• Improve Awareness, Knowledge, and Understanding of:

  • Depth vs Breadth of Skills

  • Focused Work: Mono-tasking Alone and in Teams

  • Mid-level Tools:

    • Eisenhower Principle

    • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    • SMART Goals

  • Emotional Intelligence

  • Self-Management Factors

• Reference: *The Little Book of Big Management Theories.

Personal Growth

• Topchik's 5 Stages of Development:

  1. Attention-Getting: Lacks knowledge, makes mistakes, misses deadlines.

  2. Flying Blind: Keeps busy, works late, fearful of admitting weakness.

  3. Steadiness: Completes assignments, little interest in development.

  4. On the Rise: High work quality, trustworthy, eager to learn more.

  5. Doing: Completes work early, well respected, keen to advance.

• Source: The Accidental Manager, Topchik 2004.

Lessons from Research

• Positive responses to daily tasks correlate with higher productivity and success.

• Developing complementary skills is crucial for advancement.

• Quote from Steve Jobs: "The only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did."

Strength Analysis

• Strength Categories:

  • Honesty and Integrity

  • Technical/Professional Expertise

  • Problem Solving and Analysis

• Ranges of Effectiveness in Non-Technical Strengths:

  • No strengths: 34th percentile

  • 5 strengths: 91st percentile ===== Zenger, boost in effectivness by developing complementary skills.

Mono-Tasking and Distractions

• Concept of Flow:

  • Full immersion leads to energized focus and achievement.

  • Everyday distractions can disrupt focus, especially in teamwork.

• Multi-tasking reduces overall effectiveness.

Crystal Clear (Agile Method) - Cockburn

• Team setup involves:

  • Lead designer and 2-7 developers in proximity.

  • Utilize information radiators (whiteboards, flip charts).

  • Limited distractions to ensure timely delivery of usable code.

Mobile Phone Impact

• Concerns include:

  • Lower concentration

  • Distorted reality perception

  • Increased FOMO

  • Reduced memory retention

  • Elevated stress and anxiety

  • Poorer sleep quality

Self-Check Questions

• Is your mobile off?

• Do you disable notifications while working?

• How much time spent on:

  • Social media

  • Emails

  • Web browsing?

The Eisenhower Principle

• Decision Matrix:

  • Urgent & Important: Do It Now

  • Important & Not Urgent: Set Time Aside

  • Not Important & Urgent: Delegate

  • Not Important & Not Urgent: Question necessity

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey)

• Personal Habits:

  1. Be Proactive

  2. Start with the End in Mind

  3. Put First Things First

  4. Sharpen the Saw (self-care and continuous learning)

• Reactive vs Proactive Language:

  • Reactive: "There's nothing I can do"

  • Proactive: "I can choose a different approach."

Interpersonal Habits

• Components include:

  • Think Win-Win

  • First Understand, Then Be Understood

  • Synergize to achieve greater outcomes.

Why Habits Matter

• Habits intersect Knowledge, Skills, and Desire.

• Ikigai: Japanese concept meaning 'reason for being.'

Self-Management Instrument

• Assess self-management through questionnaires based on psychology.

• Focus on changing behavior rather than personality.

Self-Management Questionnaire (Houghton & Neck 2002)

• Rate agreements on statements related to:

  1. Goal Establishment

  2. Performance Reflection

Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988)

• Reflective questions to analyze experiences:

  1. What happened?

  2. What were you feeling?

  3. Evaluation of experience.

  4. Analysis of the situation.

  5. Future action plan.

Setting Goals

• Essential for personal and management success.

• How to enhance goal-setting for results?

SMART Goals (Doran 1981)

• Criteria:

  • Specific

  • Measurable

  • Achievable

  • Relevant

  • Time-bound

SMART Goal Example

• "Wanting to be rich" is vague.

• A specific and measurable goal: "Graduating with a 2:1 degree with assignable targets."

Emotional Intelligence (Goleman 1990s)

• Components Include:

  • Self-Awareness

  • Self-Management

  • Motivation

  • Empathy

  • Social Skills

• Quote from Steve Jobs emphasizing broader understanding.

Improving Emotional Intelligence

• Focus on:

  • Self-awareness through reflection and tests.

  • Cultivation of empathy and motivational alignment.

  • Development of social skills through connectivity and humility.

Self-awareness– reflection, personality tests and questionnaires

• Empathy– first understand, then try to be understood• Motivation– combine your passion, vocation, mission & profession

• Self-management– Eisenhower grid, constructive thoughts & behaviours

• Social skills– put your mobile phone away, be humble, eager to learn &SMART