3 Buckets of Work Time

Overview
The article introduces a simple three-bucket system for organizing work time. By dividing the day into distinct categories-focused execution, strategic thinking, and personal growth-technical leaders can improve focus, align activities with long-term goals, and maintain a sense of fulfillment.

Key Takeaways

• Break your day into three purposeful buckets: execution, strategy, and growth.
• Allocate time blocks deliberately to avoid reactive firefighting.
• Regularly review and adjust bucket allocations based on team needs and personal energy.
• Use the framework to communicate priorities with your team and stakeholders.
• Treat personal growth as a scheduled bucket to sustain long-term leadership effectiveness.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers seeking better daily structure.
• Technical leads looking to balance hands-on work with strategic planning.
• Senior leaders wanting a clear model to coach their teams.
• Anyone overwhelmed by constant context switching.

Frameworks and Methodologies

• The 3-Bucket Work Time framework (custom).