This is very important when we have so many things to do with so little time. I have learnt to prioritize my task like this:
1. What is urgent... just like the past few days. I actually have planned to work on a data migration project but due to the flood situation, I have to prioritize my time to ensure our employees are safe and getting the help they need. After I have done all the arrangements, then only I managed to start on my data migration project this afternoon.
Yes, interruptions as such had caused a 2 days delay in my project. So today and tomorrow, I cancelled all not urgent meetings so I could catch up with time to clear the migration backlog. It is the same when it comes to my regular deadlines, like pay day, finance reporting –> all these are very time sensitive matters, so it always go to the top of my list to be completed first.
2. What is important… I do have so many ideas in my head & i do want to do everything. But one thing I have learnt over the years, exactly like how a lion hunts, you need to focus on 1 victim. You know, like the Russian proverb, “If you chase two rabbits, you will catch either one.” So we zone down to the few things that is important and focus on it. For the past few years, I have spent a lot of my time building our HR programs – SMARTiSE, SHAKE-UP, EYE2EYE. Every other fancy things like organizing flowers to mothers on Mother’s Day, not so much because to me, developing talents is more important.
Also, I often say this to my boss, “I only have one pair of hands, you tell me what you want to be done first.” Because I also can understand what is not important to me, doesn’t mean it’s not important to him. So we negotiate with each other what gets executed first.
3. What I am good at… because when I am good at something, I will be able to do it better, faster. Everything else, we outsource to the experts to get it done because same principle, they can do it better, faster. Remember, as we climb our way to the top, John C. Maxwell said we need to move from being a generalist to a specialist. I couldn’t agree more.
In that order, 1, 2, 3, prioritize.
Bimbo
