Are you currently making the best use of your time on the job? Is your team working on the highest value projects? Without a clear system to prioritize, we may be setting ourselves up to mismanage our workload.
Below is a simple, yet effective system to help prioritize value over volume. It's not about checking boxes off your to-do list, but rather focusing on the high-value projects that create the largest impact for your organization.
This isn't as obvious as it may seem; as Shawn Achor states, "Common sense is not common action. That's why even though doctors know better than anyone the importance of exercise and diet, 44 percent of them are overweight."
Although we understand the need to prioritize our workload, many of us succumb to focusing on lower value tasks when caught up in our busy routines.
Digital Leadership Tips: 5 Key Questions to Help Prioritize Your Work
What organizational priority does it support?
What is the KPI (Key Performance Indicator)?
How long will it take your team AND the other teams supporting your project?
What costs are incurred, factoring in the team resources dedicated to the project?
What will you say no to in order to take this project on?
Revisit Often:
- Decide where you will not spend time. What will you say no to today?
- Agree to only what you can deliver beyond expectations. Does Zuckerberg's "Done is better than perfect" apply to your organization, or does your management expect more?
- Treat our own team's time as a cost. Just because you aren't paying a vendor, doesn't make your team's time free. Don't treat time as a commodity and figure out ways for your team to accomplish more in less time.
- Treat each project as an opportunity cost - what important project aren't we working on by taking this on?
- Re-evaluate when scope changes and communicate risks outward
- Most importantly, understand your part of the process and how your work relates to your collaborators. Work actively with others to make sure priorities are shared across the organization and that you're working toward a common goal.
What other tips do you have to prioritize your work load? Leave a comment.
(key questions / shutterstock)