Pomodoro means tomato in Italian, but for time management it refers to a technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s and re-discovered by today\u27s project managers

Giesbrecht, Beth A.

English

The University of Nebraska, Omaha

University of Nebraska at OmahaDigitalCommons@UNOWhite Papers Nebraska Business Development Center1-1-2015Pomodoro Technique for time managementBeth A. GiesbrechtUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha, bgiesbrecht@unomaha.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/nbdcwhitepapersPart of the Other Business CommonsThis White Paper is brought to you for free and open access by theNebraska Business Development Center at DigitalCommons@UNO. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in White Papers by an authorized administratorof DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contactunodigitalcommons@unomaha.edu.Recommended CitationGiesbrecht, Beth A., "Pomodoro Technique for time management" (2015). White Papers. 19.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/nbdcwhitepapers/19PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERnbdc.unomaha.edu            1  I live in an old house with an old basement—old enough to have a room half filled with dirt where coal used to be kept for the furnace. My husband is afraid to go down to the base-ment, so I have a perfect excuse for letting it get cluttered – I’m the only one who uses it. However, a couple of times a year it begins to annoy even me and I have to clean it out. The only way I can avoid procrastination and focus on this task is to break it down. I make a commitment to go to the basement for 30 minutes each evening, and eventually it all gets cleaned up and organized. So, I was interested when I heard about the Pomodoro Technique since it’s built on 25-minute chunks of time.In my non-basement work, I’ve been experiment-ing with this old/new method of time management. I find it helps me get more done when I’m out of the classroom and at my desk all day. Based on our BrainA 2008 University of Illinois study showed that being tethered to your desk for long hours actually reduces your productivity, while regular short breaks keep you focused and energized. I notice the truth of this study when I have my “desk days” at work. I lack focus. I procrastinate. Psychologists tell us that procrastination is a mecha-nism for helping us cope with anxiety. There are gen-erally three sources of procrastination: (1) pressured by others, you are doing something against your will, (2) you feel pressured to be perfect, or (3) you are afraid of making a mistake. The problem with procrastination is that it feels like a reward. It gives us a temporary relief from stress. To counter this, the Pomodoro Technique gives a reward for focused work. After completing a 25-minute pomodoro period, there is a small break. This break gives our brains small moments of offline time which in turn allows new logical insights. Doing work in a pattern like this – 25 minutes of focused work followed by a five-minute break – provides a productive rhythm throughout the day. Plan-Do-Check-ActThe Pomodoro Technique is also supported by the Deming-Shewhart Cycle (aka Plan-Do-Check-Act). If you are unfamiliar with this cycle, it’s crucial to Lean, Continuous Improvement and Agile. You Plan by defining goals and the processes needed to reach them. You Do the new processes. You Check Pomodoro Technique for time managementBeing tethered to your desk for long hours actually reduces your productivity, while regular short breaks keep you focused and energized. PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERnbdc.unomaha.edu            2  (measure) steps of new processes against the expected outcomes. If the new process is an improvement, you Act by putting it permanently into the process.You need three pieces of paper, a pencil and a timerThe three pieces of paper are titled (1) To Do Today (2) Activity Inventory (or backlog to the Agile practitio-ners) and (3) Records where you keep the metrics that you’re currently tracking. Keep it low tech – paper and pencil – when you start. You can adapt parts of the technique later. Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s developed the Pomo-doro Technique when he was in college in order to keep his mind focused on his studies. “Pomodoro” is Italian for tomato – Cirillo used his kitchen timer that was shaped like a tomato. So find a timer. I downloaded a $2 app for my iPhone that even has the little tomatoes on it – so cute!Write out your Activity Inventory – all the things that you need to get done in the future. Each day, move tasks to the To Do Today list and estimate how many pomodori (25 minute segments) it will take to complete them. Start your timer and work on the most important one. When the timer goes off, take a three- to five-minute break. Walk away from your work area, get a cup of coffee, gaze out the window. If you have finished the task, check it off and move on to the next one.Never switch tasks during one pomodoro period. If you finish before the timer rings, use that time to look over what you’ve done – refine it, repeat what you’ve learned, note new conclusions. At the end of four pomodori, take a longer (15-20 min-ute) break. Continuous ImprovementA big part of Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is to continuous-ly improve. As you complete your daily list, also input on to your Records sheet. What you choose to measure will depend on what you’re trying to improve, for example:1. How many pomodori you get done in one day2. How many and what kind of interruptions happen during your day. 3. How good you are at estimating how many pomodori it takes to accomplish a taskSo at the end of the day, gather your metric and adjust your Activity Inventory. Returning phone calls or emails take up their own daily pomodori.I’ve found this a very effective method to help me concentrate on the task at hand. You can certainly make adjustments, but try it as I’ve described it for a couple of weeks before you tweak it. Now, I’ve got to go down to my basement. But only for one pomodoro!Sources Pomodoro Technique Illustrated by Staffan Nöteberg http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/pomodoro-technique.htm  http://baomee.info/pdf/technique/1.pdf The problem with procrastination is that it feels like a reward. It gives us a temporary relief from stress. PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERnbdc.unomaha.edu            3  About the authorBETH GIESBRECHT, BS Education, Project Management Professional (PMP), has more than 30 years of curriculum development, consulting, and computer technology expertise with a special emphasis in project management and data-bases. She excels at instructional design, involving students through simulations, and customizing training to fit customer needs. Giesbrecht has successfully directed companies through various phases of the project management process. She currently teaches Project Management, Business Analysis and Leadership courses for the Nebraska Business Development Center.  About the Nebraska Business Development CenterNBDC is a cooperative program of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). NBDC partners with the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Com-munity College, Wayne State College, Mid-Plains Community College and Chadron State College to provide consulting and business support services from offices in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, North Platte, Wayne, Auburn, Scottsbluff and Chadron. Learn more about NBDC at nbdc.unomaha.edu© 2015 Nebraska Business Development Center Permission is given for reproduction of this whitepaper in whole or in part, provided that the copyright notice is preserved and that the author and the Nebraska Business Development Center are acknowledged.

Pomodoro Technique for time management

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Pomodoro Technique for time management

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