Why am I chronically running out of time and energy? I had asked myself this question many times, but the problem became acute when we relocated and built a new building. There seemed no end to what I was expected to do.
Then someone suggested I read an article from the November/December 1974 Harvard Business Review. As I read it, I realized the answer: Much of the time, I was working for my staff, not the other way around.
William Oncken, Jr., and Donald L. Wass, the authors, pointed out three kinds of tasks that consume time for managers:
Position-Imposed: Tasks your position demands; the pastoral duties expected by the congregation you serve.
Organization-Imposed: Requests for involvement in the community and in the local and district organizations of your denomination.
Self-Imposed: Activities that fulfill responsibilities as a spouse and parent, and other things you have decided to take on, such as continuing education.
If any of the three areas gets shorted, it's usually the last one, ...
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