How To Prioritise Your Tasks
When you look at your To Do List and it’s as long as your arm, it can be hard to know where to start.
Especially if you are dealing with an unusual work environment. It is easy to feel overwhelmed.
The era of Covid-19 has introduced us to a new way of working. Packed offices are out, and working from home is in. Zoom calls have largely replaced in-person meetings.
With these changes came disruption, and it has become harder to draw the line between work and home. And even when we headed back to the office, there were all those extra Covid considerations that didn’t exist before.
So, how can you navigate it all and still remain productive?
Here are some ways you can get things done while still keeping yourself sane.
Set your hours
In an office, you’d have set working hours and a time when you would head home. Do the same if you are working from home - choose a clocking off time and stick to it. Even if you are in the office, you can use your calendar to your advantage and block out hours so you can get focused work done without being interrupted.
Prepare for your meetings
Just because a meeting is on Zoom, it doesn’t take any less preparation than an in-person meeting. Do your preparation so you can make the meeting efficient. And think carefully about whether it really needs to be a meeting or whether it could just be an email.
Determine what is really important
Sometimes everything seems important and it’s hard to know what you should actually focus on. So, take some time to really discover what are the vital tasks on your list. List down everything you have to do, then separate them out into categories.
The Eisenhower Matrix can help you choose what’s actually important and what just seems like it is. It uses 4 boxes to separate tasks into Important/Not Important and Urgent/Non-Urgent. Focus on the tasks that are in the Important and Urgent box first. Do the Important and Non-urgent items next, then try to delegate or delete the rest.
Embrace the word ‘No’
It is easy to get talked into things or feel obligated to attend various meetings. But, they aren’t always necessary! So, embracing the word ‘No’ can actually be a huge productivity booster.
Obviously, saying no to everything is not practical. But, if it isn’t essential right now or you don’t have time to fit it into your current schedule, then No can be a good option.
Getting Your Project Attention In A Busy Environment
Alright, we have dealt with how to prioritise your own time. But, what if that isn’t the problem now? What if you need to get your particular project some airtime in amongst all the Covid talk?
To break through the noise, try some of these tips.
Align with company values
Ensure that your project aligns with the company values. By doing this, you can ensure it gets the attention it deserves, but also that it can be implemented effectively.
Get buy in from other staff members
Before you present your project to management, canvass the rest of your team or other staff members and gauge their interest. If you can show buy-in from others in the organisation then your project might be in with a better chance.
Do you really need that meeting?
Just like you, your managers and stakeholders probably have lots of meetings every day. Think about whether you can provide the information for them in another way like an email or a quick phone call rather than a full meeting.
Get your facts in order
Everyone is busy, ensure you are making the most of everyone’s time. Get all the information you need and put it into a great presentation that doesn’t waste time. Offer the problem and the solution in one neat package. This might include costings or timeframes too.
Make safety part of every conversation
Rather than proposing new projects that are entirely safety focused, ensure that safety is part of every conversation. That way, it can be incorporated into any project that is being discussed or implemented. Everyone wants a safe workforce, so prioritising safety considerations at every step will allow you to build an incredibly safety focused organisation.
Need some help devising the right safety plan for your organisation?
For information about health and safety equipment and protecting your workers, we can give you all the advice you need to back up your proposals. Get in touch with our Direct Safety team today to see how we can help.