My manager's timesheet

Most workplaces ask their staff to complete timesheets. Presumably this has some kind of administrative purpose, and it also means the staff get paid. A good thing.

When I worked at Macquarie Bank, I had to divide my time up into tiny segments—usually 15 minutes each—and allocate them to the variety of projects I worked on—usually 10 or 12 per month. It literally took me four hours every month to complete.

By comparison, my manager typically completed just one line with one figure: one month of work on team management for my team.

It's funny that, from a timesheet perspective, large companies aren't interested in what their managers do. They pay them a lot of money to manage teams, but don't get much in the way of feedback about what they actually work on. Is that a good way to run a company? What other metrics can you use to assess the ability of a manager?

Portrait of Matt Ryall

About Matt

I’m a technology nerd, husband and father of four, living in beautiful Sydney, Australia.

My passion is building technology products that make the world a better place. In 2021, I started Mawson Rovers to develop robotics and software for space exploration. Prior to this, I led product teams at Atlassian to create collaboration tools for 15 years.

I'm also a startup advisor and investor, with an interest in advancing the Australian space industry. You can read more about my work on my LinkedIn profile.

blog@mattryall.net