I recently had a privilege of spending a few days with a large group of highly successful, talented managers and I asked them one question: "How do they deal with the pressure or even a certain sense of guilt of leaving something undone when they realize that certain things on their plate are not as important as something else?" Below I share some of the answers I collected along my own ideas inspired by this encounter.
- Minimize time spent in reactive mode
- Schedule time on your calendar to work in reactive mode, specifically to work with email. Communication tools such as smartphone, instant messaging and email are the most common sources of reactive mode of operation, so restrict times when you allow yourself to access and use these tools.
- Try to avoid sending emails off hours. This will only encourage others to operate and expect you to work in reactive mode.
- Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.
- Maintain a list of priorities on a regular basis
- Focus on what you can finish in a day
- Force yourself not to jump to action right away when tasks appear on your plate, artificially push them off, let them either earn the right to be worked on or gradually fade off your list.
- Recognize false urgency by examining and understanding who and in what way will be impacted if you don't do this
- Take a risk, learn to say NO
- Just because someone invites you to a meeting you don't have to accept. Decline and see what happens.
- If you find yourself in a conference call that goes nowhere, your contribution is minimal/questionable, and you are multi-tasking on something else, excuse yourself and hang up.
- 2-5 minutes before the end of a scheduled conference call, remind participants that time is running out and hang up when the time expires.
- Delegate whenever you can, even if you don't have direct reports
- Learn to recognize which tasks can be matched with someone in your organization who can accomplish them.
- For repetitive things that routinely get onto your plate, seek to adjust the process
- Share with your leader, manager, mentor. Be open and honest. Seek advice.
