Navigating too many priorities
- Priya Venkatesan
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
Are you a leader running on a treadmill with too many work priorities?
When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
~ Simon Fulleringer.
When nothing is a priority, we are busy but not effective. We run, but reach nowhere.
If you are tired of the tread mill, here is something you can reflect on.
Measure of success (MoS)
There is a difference between tasks and what qualifies them as successful.There are activities that are part of your job description (tasks) and there are measures of success (Measure of output).
The Importance of an activity for prioritisation is determined by how an activity contributes to your/your team's MoS.
When you prioritise tasks, see which ones are contributing to your MoS and they ideally should get prioritised over others.
Laser focus on number of priorities
Priorities are like arms. If you think you have more than a couple, you are either lying or crazy ~ Merlin Mann
Most of us have used magnifying glass in our childhood to focus the rays of the sun and burn paper.
Priorities are like this magnifying glass. We need ideally one glass. May be 2-3 is admissible.
But more than 3 makes it treadmill.
Optimise on priorities to atleast 1-2/ quarter.
Cut through illusion of busy-ness
Distractions masquerade as busy-ness, make you feel important and relevant and steal your time.
Beware of those and cull them as if your life depends on it.
The "n th" meeting on the same subject, the glittery stakeholder wise status report, office gossip, etc. will keep you busy but will get nowhere.
Colour/ tag your calendar
Identify tasks in your calendar that as Strategic, Operational, Tactical, Distraction and colour them in different colours for a month.
You would have a visual on where you are spending your time.
Slowly aim to change the colour if you wish to.
5 questions to help you prioritise and take control of your time:
What is my KPI and what tasks directly contribute into it? Do these have time on my calendar?
What tasks are not part of my KPI but take too much of my time? What can I do about them?
What tasks are robbing my energy? Can I automate, delegate, or let them go?
What amount of my time goes in getting ready for my next role versus handling operations in current role?
What cadence will I reflect on how I assign priority?
Ditch the treadmill. Be more.
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