In many ways, leadership is about resource management. As a busy executive, there are few resources more valuable than your own time and attention. Unfortunately, many high-level corporate players have trouble turning down responsibility. As a result, they end up facing what's known as "priority overload."
This condition is defined by trying to accomplish too much at once. You dilute your attention among too many tasks, making it difficult to excel at any of them. It leads to a significant irony: you'd accomplish more by trying to achieve less.
Think about how you approach your other resource-management responsibilities. You scrutinize your budget for every penny of savings. You monitor your team's output for any potential productivity improvement. But do you give the same attention to protecting your time?
Unfortunately, the answer is often "no." And the consequences can prove drastic for your ability to succeed.
The Consequences of Priority Overload
One study found that multitasking (necessary in a priority-overload situation) significantly undercuts productivity. The data point to a decline of up to 40% on that front. Startingly, the same data pointed to an even broader detriment. The numbers suggested up to a 10% fall in IQ, all thanks to multitasking.
As you spread your attention too thin, you lose your productive capacity. At the same time, your lack of focus means you have less intellectual capacity to direct critical tasks. The result? You lose efficiency and your overall competency declines.
Basics of "Essentialism"
There are ways to avoid these negative consequences. In 2014, author Greg McKeown published a book called Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. This work defined a potential solution to the priority-overload problem.
McKeown argues that limiting your priorities is key to achieving success. Concentrate your scarce attention on a few truly indispensable tasks. Then, you can put your best efforts into those goals rather than have your time and energy squandered on a bunch of secondary objectives.
The Essentialism method breaks down to a few simple rules:
- Separate critical priorities from the more trivial ones.
- Don't let other people prioritize for you.
- Stop trying to do it all.
- Concentrate on three central self-directed mantras:
- "I choose to."
- "Only a few things really matter."
- "I can do anything but not everything."
Think of it this way: When everything is important, then nothing is really important. Or, as McKeown puts it in the book, "Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it's about how to get the right things done."
Tips for Avoiding "Priority Overload"
Essentialism provides a powerful philosophical basis for focusing your attention. However, you still face the challenge of putting the ideas into action. With that in mind, here are a few practical suggestions to help you avoid priority overload:
Learn to Say "No"
Don't immediately default to "yes." Instead, when asked to take on a new project, use softer language, like "let me look into that." From there, you can review your current bandwidth and determine whether you can complete the new assignment.
As part of this process, take a few actions before you commit to a new responsibility:
- Get feedback from your team.
- Have an action plan before you accept an assignment.
- Focus on core competencies.
Play the "What If?" Game
Don't try to prioritize in the abstract. Put things into concrete terms. Look at the tasks you need to accomplish and judge the practical consequences of delaying each one.
In other words, play the "what if?" game. Consider the potential downsides of waiting on a particular task. If those consequences are acceptable, it moves to the bottom of your to-do list.
Meanwhile, anything crucial should immediately go to the head of the line.
Create a Priority Map
A priority list isn't good enough. Priorities interact in complicated ways. One task leads into another and influences your approach in a series of other areas. That's why a priority map provides a better tool.
You have to answer many questions before determining how to focus your attention. What's the deadline? How important is the task? How long has this gone without being addressed?
Instead of a simple ranking of priorities, create a detailed order of operations. Consider how long each task will take and what resources will be necessary. Schedule each step and try to stick to your timeline.
Routinely Review Priorities
Priorities and deadlines can change quickly. You shouldn't lock into a particular order of operations. Schedule regular reviews to ensure that you remain focused in the right area.
That said, you don't want to whipsaw between shifting priorities. Make your review process rigorous and skeptical of any refocusing of your attention. In most cases, you're better off seeing a task through to completion rather than jumping to something else because of a minor change in circumstances.
Delegate
Use your team as a resource. Any task that can be accomplished by someone else should get shifted to that person. As an executive, much of your value comes from your ability to utilize the talent around you. Trust your team members and get the most out of their unique skill sets.
As part of this, consider the following tips:
- Stop micromanaging
- Switch to a results-oriented approach
- Build strong lines of communication with your staff
Surround Yourself with the Best Talent
It's also crucial in this scenario to have a robust team-building infrastructure. You'll have more confidence handing over tasks if you know you're surrounded by the best employees.
A recruiting firm can become a valuable partner in this endeavor. The right staffing agency can deliver the perfect talent for your organization. Beyond that, you get access to the best temporary help as well. This resource lets you free up more of your own time (and your employees' time) to focus on high-priority work.