Managing Multiple Priorities

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Managing Multiple Priorities

• Presented to
• Austin Software Process Improvement Network
• Facilitated by
• Anne Pritchard
• Vice President
• Strategic Solutions Group
• www.strategicsolutionsgrp.com
• 512-821-1111

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Outline and Agenda

• Attitudes and Behavior Change
• High Payoff Activities
• SMART Goal Setting
• Identifying and Overcoming Common Time Wasters
• Getting Started

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What Causes Stress?

• Stress is caused by having worked all day long on
  other peoples priorities and goals and not
  having enough time to focus on your own
  priorities and goals!

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The Slight Edge

• Attitude
• Activity
• Skill

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Attitude and Behavior Change

• How are attitudes formed?
• How do attitudes shape our success and or
  failure?
• How do we change our attitudes and behaviors?
• What are the challenges associated with making
  the change?
• How do attitudes impact doing more with less?

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Attitude
Attitude and Behavior Change
The goals you seek must be supported by the
attitudes you have or
You will have to settle for the results your
attitudes will bring you.
The Cycle of Success
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Success Characteristics

• Goal Directed
• Sets SMART Goals
• Has a Plan of Action
• Takes action daily
• Keeps track of results and makes adjustments
• Self Motivated
• Finds ways to get the job done
• Positive Mental Attitude
• Sees possibilities vs obstacles
• Sees solutions vs problems
• Believes in themselves and the potential of others

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Attitude and Behavior Change

• How do we change our attitudes and behaviors?
• What are the challenges associated with making
  the change?

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Getting Back to Basics

• Identifying High Payoff Activities
• Tyranny of the Urgent
• Setting SMART Goals
• The Rule of Three
• Prioritize and Plan Daily

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This chart shows what your time is worth by the
hour, based on 244 eight-hour working days per
year (assuming a five-day week less vacation and
holidays)
What is your time worth?

• If Your Annual Every Hour is
  Worth Each Minute is Worth
  Earnings Are (Rounded to )

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What is a High Pay-off Activity?

• Is an activity that has the biggest impact on the
  results you want to achieve
• Is not where you always invest the majority of
  your time
• Must be fluid because they can change
• They are typically established for you

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What is a High Payoff Activity?

• Without a baseline of productivity we resort to
  activity and become a slave to the activity
• Will always give you the biggest return for the
  time invested
• Must be focused on, prioritized and scheduled

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High Payoff Activity Examples

• Planning Goal Setting
• Coaching
• Team Building
• Leadership
• Recruiting and Retention
• Tracking and Accountability
• Management
• Quality Control
• Communication

• Research Development
• Troubleshooting
• Supervision
• Customer Service
• Creativity and Design
• Project Management
• Reporting

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What Are Your HPAs?

• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
• 5.
• 6.
• How much of your time is allocated for each of
  the above identified items of focus?
• Which of the HPAs match your strengths?
  Weaknesses?

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Tyranny of the Urgent

• Crisis Mode Management
• Do
• Manage
• Communicate
• Plan and Set Goals
• What are the results of Crisis Mode Management?
• What are the most critical challenges you face
  daily that prevent you from investing time on
  your HPAs?

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Tyranny of the Urgent
URGENT
NOT-URGENT
I.
II.
Opportunities Preparation Planning
Prevention Delegation Proactive Relationsh
ips Do before becomes urgent
Crisis Problems Reactive Imperative Must Do
IMPORTANT
III.
IV.
Busy Work Interruptions Some Phone Calls Time
Wasters Some Meetings Some Emails Some Faxes
Irresponsibility Pleasant NO contribution to our
goals TV and Games Computer Stuff
NOT IMPORTANT
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Tyranny of the Urgent

• Proactive Management
• Plan and Set Goals
• Communicate
• Manage and Schedule
• Do in priority order
• Quadrant 2 thinking
• Track and Measure
• Simplify-Eliminate-Delegate
• What gets scheduled gets done
• Work Smarter not Harder

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FocusA Wandering Generality
The Goal
My Personal and Professional Responsibilities
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FocusA Meaningful Specific
The Goal
My Personal and Professional Responsibilities
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SMART Goal Setting

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time Bound

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Creating Balance
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 in each area
listed. 1Poor 10Perfect.
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The Rule of Three

• Simplify
• What are everyday activities that can quickly and
  easily be simplified?
• Eliminate
• What are everyday activities that can be
  eliminated for that instance or forever?
• Delegate
• What can you delegate to those around you?

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Planning and Prioritizing

• Imperative
• Important
• Skills, Activities, and Attitudes
• HPAs

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Time Wasters

• Handling Paper Flow
• Efficient Work Areas
• Managing Communications
• Saying NO
• Interruptions
• Fires and Emergencies

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Dealing With Interruptions

• Do you track your current interruptions?
• Are there certain people who interrupt more than
  others?
• Are there specific issues that create frequent
  interruptions?

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Coping With Fires and Emergencies

• How much of your time do you spend fire
  fighting?
• Are you searching for arsonists?
• Do any patterns exist?

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Coping With Fires and Emergencies

• Stay calm
• Isolate the true issue
• Return conditions to normal as soon as possible
• Learn something from each crisis
• Communicate with the team

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Slight Edge Thinking

• Attitudes determine behavior
• Bad attitudes compound faster than good ones
• Turn your challenges into opportunities
• Make the best of it while getting the worst of It
• Your greatest challenges in life lie within you

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How Do I Get Started?

• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to go?
• What are the gaps?
• How are you going to get there?
• How will you hold yourself and your team
  accountable?

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Question and Answer

• For More Information Please Contact Strategic
  Solutions Group512-821-1111
• or Visit Our Website at www.strategicsolutionsgrp
  .com