Who's Got the Monkey

Overview

'Who's Got the Monkey?' is a classic management time framework originally published in Harvard Business Review. The metaphor of 'monkeys' represents tasks and responsibilities that need to be handled.

Types of Tasks

• Boss-imposed - Tasks and responsibilities assigned by your manager
• System-imposed - Tasks required by organizational processes and policies
• Self-imposed - Tasks you take on voluntarily or accept from others

Core Principle

Many people unknowingly take on other people's 'monkeys' — tasks that should be handled by someone else. The technique teaches you to:

• Identify which tasks truly belong to you
• Find ways to delegate tasks back to their rightful owners
• Avoid collecting monkeys that aren't yours
• Manage boss-imposed and system-imposed tasks efficiently