LEARNING TO PRIORITISE YOUR WORK

New Straits Times, Saturday, January 19, 2002.
By Davis Sharp

       The very nature of your job may mean that you are often up to your neck in work. Perhaps it could be that you are given a new project and everything needs to be done now. "Where do I begin...", the lyrics of a song race through your mind as you battle to bring some order to your chaos. You start to mull over that expression "organized chaos".

       To cope with such situations, you need one vital skill: know how to decide what's most important. It may sound simple, but many people seem unable to do this and instead they panic. If you are able to priorities, you are well on the way to keeping your work under control.

Assess Your Workload

    Do not wait for panic to set in. Get into the habit of sorting out your priorities all the time and regularly set yourself objectives and deadlines. If your boss gives you three things to do, all urgent, ask him which is the most important. Ask for a time limit too. One's person urgent may mean by the end of the week; to another, it could well mean within the next hour. Learn to recognize the people who call everything urgent. It may make their job easier if you work faster, but remember to balance that against how hard it makes your jobs.

    If someone habitually passes work on to you at the last minute because they cannot organize their own workload efficiently, speak up. Obviously you have to be tactful in relaying the message to them. You can't be overworked indefinitely. If your boss is making unreasonable demands, talk to him/her. Avoid moaning;explain clearly and coolly just how overworked or overloaded you are.

    When you really think you will not be able to complete an important task because of work overload, tell your boss; let him/her know immediately. If your company is large enough or doing well financially, speak to your boss about the possibility of getting temporary staff in to help out over the busy period. Workout how long a period you would need someone for, and explain the possible consequences if you are unable to get that assistance you are seeking.

Organize Your Time

       When every task seems urgent, look at each in turn and ask yourself what would happen if you do not complete it the same day. Would the delay cost the company a lot of money? Who would be let down and in what manner? Decide what you need to do next, not what you feel like doing. Divide your work into two segments: "Must" and "Want" categories and tackle the tasks in that order. Do not procrastinate. Sometimes we busy ourselves with minor tasks while something "bigger" (and "tougher") is lurking in the background.

       Urgent jobs are mostly not fun, but the longer the delay in attending to them, the harder they get. As in the manner of Clint Eastwood, bite the bullet and get through any unpleasant tasks as soon as possible. If you happen to have half a equally urgent, try to delegate but do it very wisely. It serves no purpose in delegation a job to someone who is not up to it.

Minimize the Present Load

    Perhaps you could obtain a secretary to screen all your incoming calls at peak periods, so that you are not constantly disturbed. If you do not have a secretary, ask a junior colleague to do it with a promise you will return the favour at a later date (make sure you return the favour).

    If you are focused on an urgent matter and have a regular meeting scheduled, see if you can postpone the meeting or get someone that you can delegate to attend in your place. Ensure through that you do not make this a permanent feature or people will label you as unreliable. It is not always possible or considered best to complete each area of work before moving on to another, so break up large tasks down to smaller manageable chunks.

    For example, start the ball rolling on one job by placing a few phone calls, then while you are waiting for the results put in the finishing touches to a report that you wrote a few days ago. Make certain that people know when you are not to be interrupted. If they drop in unannounced for a chat, tell them it is a bad time and you will speak to them later. Do not waste your time talking to them and then moan to them how busy you are. You are to blame!

    Your personal priorities are to stay healthy and remain calm. Keep a positive frame of mind; humour and grace under pressure is vital and professional. Accept that occasionally you will have work late or over the weekend to catch up with important work. However this pattern should not be the norm.