We’ve all been there…
Pulled in so many directions that it is difficult to get anything done.
Facing too many projects with none of them getting the attention they need.
Feeling frustrated by the lack of progress in any direction.
Irritated that once again we’ve arrived in this situation.
Sound familiar?
If it does, chances are you’ve searched for solutions, tried and few, dismissed a few, and found some way to keep pushing ahead to make whatever progress you can.
Disappointing as it is, there is no magic bullet works every time solution that will alleviate the pressures of such times, and chances are that such times are becoming the norm and not the exception as you lead your credit union.
But you can get help from someone you may not have considered…just call on your colleague FRED:
1. Follow a System...When multiple projects scream for your attention and everything seems to need to be done immediately, one of the best things you can do is to rely on a system to help you allocate your time and energy to the work that really needs to get done. It doesn’t matter whether you use an online system, an old-school planner, or a simple to do list…just pick one and stick to it, allowing it to become a guide for allocation of your efforts and eliminating one decision you have to make.
2. Rank the Priorities…When too many projects, actions, or outcomes require your input and attention, the first step is to step back and define the priorities. Even when everything seems equally important, if you dig deeply enough you can find ways to discriminate among the options and reasons why one project takes priority over another. Make a list, review it, and rank them, then work in the priority order you have defined.
3. Engage Your Team…Leaders often fall back into an ‘on my own’ mentality when faced with too many competing things that all seem to need their attention. Retreating and spending every moment you can steal trying to advance multiple projects is almost never the right solution. As a leader you have others whom you can call upon and engage to help you get the work done. Start by defining small action steps that you can pass off to your team members so that progress is being made even when you cannot work on the top priority project.
4. Delegate, Dump or Defer…Before you let the pressure get to you, consider your options for the projects that are fighting for your attention. Which ones can you delegate to someone else in their entirety, perhaps using it as a way to develop the abilities of a team member who has shown potential? Which ones can you dump, that is remove from the ‘to do list’ to the ‘not going to do it’ list because priorities have changed and other things are now more important? Which ones can you defer and schedule for attention at a later date because that is the right thing to do in big picture?
There you have it…a way to engage your friend FRED (an acronym made up from the first letters of the four steps) in helping you push through the challenges and allocate your energy to reduce your stress.
ACTION ADVICE: Put FRED to work to help you manage the multiple projects that always confront credit union leaders. You’ll find this simple system effective and valuable in helping you manage your workflow, and it will become a useful tool in coaching your team and developing their skills.
IT’S YOUR TURN: What do you think? Do you have an approach that you use to help you work through times like those described in this post? Please share your ideas in the comments section below…we’ll highlight the best contributions in an upcoming post.
