Dear Bob ...I just finished reading an article from Forrester, dated December 29th, 2006 by Lewis Cardin titled "How CIOs Should Spend Their Day." In the article it says that we should set aside 30% of our time to work with or in the interest of those above us in the organization, 30% for those at our level in the organization, 30% with our Department to strengthen it, and 10% of our time should be spent o Dear Bob …I just finished reading an article from Forrester, dated December 29th, 2006 by Lewis Cardin titled “How CIOs Should Spend Their Day.” In the article it says that we should set aside 30% of our time to work with or in the interest of those above us in the organization, 30% for those at our level in the organization, 30% with our Department to strengthen it, and 10% of our time should be spent on ourselves.What are your thoughts on the division or management of our time? – Franklin CoveyDear Franklin …I’m guessing what Cardin really meant was that CIOs shouldn’t forget to actively deal with each of these areas. Fixed percentages are so … inflexible. I don’t disagree with Cardin – the idea is fundamentally sound. We do use a different slice-and-dice, though, which I’ve written about before: the “Management Compass” (“Which say are you facing?” Keep the Joint Running, 12/12/2005).The Management Compass has four directions: North (to those you report to), East (to your organizational peers), West (to those in the company who make use of what your organization delivers), and South (to those reporting to you). CIOs need to manage and build strong relationships in each of these directions, and that takes time.I also agree with Cardin’s point that CIOs (and not only CIOs, but everyone) should reserve some time during the day for personal improvement, priority-setting, and planning. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself doing things out of habit, not because they’re still a good idea. – Bob Technology Industry