Really busy role - how to prioritise tasks?

[OhMyDaze2022]

Started new role and the workflow is crazy - deadlines to get reports done, emails, meetings, client meetings, plans, speaking to other colleagues and organisations constant interruptions. It's FULL ON. If your job is similar to this do you have a way of deciding what needs to be tackled first? How do I manage this workflow so I can feel less overwhelmed?

TIA

My job feels a bit like this sometimes. Colleagues swear by online tools like Trello and Todoist but I've never got on with them personally. My method is to write down down all my tasks at the start of each week then sort them into a matrix of urgent vs important which I find helps a bit with prioritisation. Will watch this thread though because I still feel in a mad disorganised panic most of the time tbh.

www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm

Actually this is a better link

todoist.com/productivity-methods/eisenhower-matrix

That sounds like a good idea, thanks @MunsteadWood but how do you decide on what goes where?

Lists! Constant workload priority reviews and good communication with colleagues. Stop and breathe between tasks because it will help you focus.

So do you look at deadlines and emergencies first then work back from that?

[quote MunsteadWood]My job feels a bit like this sometimes. Colleagues swear by online tools like Trello and Todoist but I've never got on with them personally. My method is to write down down all my tasks at the start of each week then sort them into a matrix of urgent vs important which I find helps a bit with prioritisation. Will watch this thread though because I still feel in a mad disorganised panic most of the time tbh.

www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm[/quote]
I think the matrix suggested by PP is a good place to start. The danger with a million tasks floating around, that you can’t possibly complete, is you become efficient at processing pointless crap, as opposed to effective at doing the things that matter.

It’s hard to be specific without knowing more but

• take control of your diary. Have specific times you will take calls and do emails, or you will never get anything done.
• reduce meetings if you possibly can
• spend some time figuring out what is important and what isn’t - you don’t have to tell people you are overwhelmed, but you can ask - how do you prioritise, or how would you prioritise this. You will get a sense as you go forward.
• use some system to decide what matters
• allocate 3-4 hours a day for this core work
• attach to dos to blocks of time in your diary, otherwise you will try and do too much
• base your time allocation on what time similar tasks take
• make sure you have a very specific brief, so you aren’t overworking
• ask how good does this need to be? Done is better than perfect.
• delegate grunt work if you can
• resist anyone trying to dump on you if you can

If you are a perfectionist or a people pleaser, work on managing that.

Yes, I've done plenty of roles like this.

How would I manage it?
Routines (daily, weekly, monthly)
Demon calendar management (adding every little detail, blocking slots in case a meeting happens)
Bashing through emails (open, read, answer, delete or archive)
Writing every.single.little.detail.down.
Working on things in date order with help of calendar (print today's papers, speak to Sue about tomorrow's meeting, chase Bob for Monday's report, book meeting room for Tuesday's workshop, etc.)
Being proactive and anticipating what I need to do so I am always in front and not caught out by nasty last minute surprises.
Lots of filters on your Inbox so unimportant emails go into folders for review when you have time
Chuck the rest of email into an Archive Folder when done. The search function is good enough to find most emails at a later date.

I'm also very much a scribbler. I don't curate perfectly prioritised to do lists. I just don't have time. I use lots of scrap paper and index cards and scribble stuff down as I think of it. I generally have one task per piece of paper.

What role is it?

Did you not do something similar before?

When you're asked to do something always respond by asking when they need it for. That way you can keep a list of the top / urgent priorities. And those who say 'as soon as you can' with no deadline ...push them down the list or ask them to say when is the latest they need it by.

Deffo agree with @Luredbyapomegranate especially with the done is better than perfect.

In my role we have specific tasks which everyone knows are the most important. Reports which are important and everything just kind of decreases in importance from there.

I look at due dates as well as what it is that needs to be done in terms of importance And kind of prioritise it that way. Hard to explain without blatantly saying what it is I do haha.

Manage expectations if you know something is going to be a bit late or you physically cannot get it done don't just hide. Be upfront. Yesterday I got forwarded something that had a 3 day turnaround time when normally I should have a month to complete it. I straight up said I was concerned about the deadline as it was allocated so last minute and that it would not get done. I then was told just to keep her updated on progress. It's a lot less stressful if you're honest instead of silently panicking.

Block out time in your diary for certain things eg mornings responding to emails. Mondays admin, that kind of thing. If you don't do that you can easily find you spend your day going back and forth with emails and not getting on with tasks.

You're not obliged to be available for every phone call. Just because you're not in a meeting etc doesn't mean you're not busy and thus free to take a call. Screen them, if it's not important it can wait. Even if that means not answering at all, or answering it to find out what it's about and saying you're about to go into a meeting could they pop over an email with the request/query - deal with it at a time that suits you, that other person doesn't know your schedule.

Don't do free overtime - I say this one because if you find yourself always finishing late you set an expectation of what is achievable in a days work. Though in reality it's not really a days work because you're worki kg through lunch, starting early and finishing late. Manage your time effectively and do as much as you can but don't let it impact your work life balance otherwise you'll burn out. There are always things to be done and your to do list will never be finished.

I keep a master to do list which just keeps getting longer and longer but it’s so less urgent things don’t get forgotten. Every morning I look at it and make a list of the priorities for that day

Read Productivity Ninja books by Graham Alcott (don’t be put off by the title, they’re really good!).