What is the ALPEN Method?
- A: Write down tasks, appointments, and planned activities
- L: Estimate the Length of time needed
- P: Plan buffer time
- E: make dEcisions
- N: Note the results (review)
This method for time management and increasing productivity was developed by economist and time management expert Prof. Lothar J. Seiwert. “The ALPEN method is as simple as it is effective,” says the successful author of numerous self-help books. It focuses the user on pragmatic daily planning and the consistent setting of priorities — with just five minutes of planning per day.
How to Apply the ALPEN Method
1) Write down your tasks and activities:
When using the ALPEN method, you should ideally do this in the evening before the next day. Create a to-do list with all the tasks and activities you need to complete, along with all your appointments and breaks for the following day. If necessary, you can also add any outstanding work from the previous day to the task list. There is no need to follow a specific order when writing down these items. You can also cross-reference this process with a SWOT analysis to keep the goals that matter to you in view.
2) Estimate how long the work will take:
Now make a rough estimate of how much time you will need for each item. Please keep in mind:
- Be realistic in your time estimates and draw on your experience.
- Don’t make your schedule too tight
- Set a time limit
- For appointments, also write down the exact times
3) Plan buffer time:
Buffer time is intended to account for unforeseen situations without having to fundamentally change the original plan.
- Plan 60% of the time allocated for a task for the actual execution
- Plan 40% as a buffer for unexpected events and estimation errors.
If you finish a task before the estimated end time, you have more time for the next task or can take a break until it is time to start the next one.
4) Make decisions:
Set priorities: What do you need to get done first? What is more important, what is less important? What can be delegated? Is there anything that is not necessary and can be left out?
Once you have worked through the list, you can create a schedule that lists all the tasks to be completed and indicates how much time you have allocated for completing them. This way you no longer have to decide what to do next, and you can be far more creative and productive. This is also a good opportunity to group similar tasks together according to the Time-Blocking method.
5) Review:
In this review you should check whether you have completed the items on your task list and whether your planning was accurate. Any work you did not finish or left incomplete should be carried over into your plan for the next day. You should pay particular attention to the quality of your planning and use the insights and experience gained to improve your planning in the future.
Teamwork with the ALPEN Method
The ALPEN method helps individuals structure their days. But it works for teams too. Build buffer time into the calendar. Not a lot — just enough to absorb the unpredictability of a working day without losing direction. Set aside a short daily time slot for urgent, unplanned tasks. This keeps the team flexible.
Work on your lists together. Sit down, share your tasks, and align with each other. That way everyone knows when a colleague is deep in focused work and should not be disturbed. Collaboratively planned lists create space for genuine collaboration — and even for shared breaks that hold the team together.
At the end of the day, everyone should set their tasks for tomorrow. Quietly, focused, without rushing. Then the next morning does not begin in a fog, but with clear goals. And a team that knows its goals works faster, more calmly, and better together.
In a Nutshell…
Work management can be quite simple: with the ALPEN method — the time management method that asks you to work with carefully crafted task lists, buffer time, and planned breaks to make your day productive. This method also pairs well with the Eisenhower matrix. For daily planning in a team, project management tools and Timeboxing can complement the ALPEN method. You can find further fundamentals in our overview of time management.
Senior Advisor
Jörg Friedrich is the original author of the project management software Allegra and continues to accompany its development to this day. He has many years of industry experience as a project and department manager. He also serves as a professor in the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences.
