The time management styles of deputy ministers in Canada: Towards a taxonomy

Abstract

Deputy Ministers in Canada play a critical role in defining all aspects of policy and operations for their respective departments and also contribute significantly to their government's collective initiatives. While there exists a solid understanding of the roles and functions of Deputy Ministers, there is little perception of how individuals actually shape the position in terms of time management. Understanding how senior executives in Canadian public service organize their time is critical to an appreciation of how they prioritize their functions. Using results from a 2020 survey, this study documents how Deputy Ministers in Canada divide their weeks in terms of personal work and meetings. This study goes further to discern a taxonomy of five time-allocation styles of Deputy Ministers: Operational, Balanced, Managerial, Strategic and HR-Focused.