Olivares is well known for his passion for work.

Early on, Olivares would rise early, go to confession, wake Philip IV and discuss the day's events with him, before then working throughout the rest of the day, often until eleven o'clock at night.

Initially, Olivares would meet with him three times a day, although this declined over time until he met with the king only once a day.

While living a private life of 'spartan austerity' himself, Olivares is skillful in using the formal and elaborate protocol of the court as a way of controlling the ambitions of Philip's enemies and rivals.

Determined to attempt to improve the bureaucratic Castilian system of government, during the 1620s Olivares had begun to create juntas, smaller governmental committees, to increase the speed of decision making.

By the 1630s, these are increasingly packed with Olivares' own placemen, tasked to implement his policies.

Olivares places tight controls on the use of special royal favors to circumvent tight spending controls.

The result is a very particular combination of centralized power in the form of Olivares, and loose government executed by small committees.