Squiggly Skill Sprint Day 3: Priority

Day 3 of the Squiggly Careers Skill Sprint, and today’s topic was about asking for prioritising work. (Link: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/skills-sprint-prioritising/)

The thing that jumped out at me from this podcast was the point about identifying where your demands are coming from; Are they things that you are taking on yourself, or are they things being passed onto you by others?

Working in customer support for so long, it’s an incredibly reactive function, where your priorities are constantly being defined by what is coming in from the field, or from colleagues pushing things. People that have worked with me know that I have stretched the metaphor of spinning plates to breaking point. It’s also a function where the most important topic yesterday is not necessarily the most important thing today. I always used to give guidance to the team that your priority first thing in the morning is not your most important ticket, but ensuring that it is still your most important ticket

My main strategy for this is to facilitate honest communication with your colleagues. Build confidence with them that you are being fair & balanced. Stealing from The Coaching Habit, one of the best questions to ask is “If you are saying yes to this, what are you saying no to”. Giving people a sense of what other plates you are spinning, and being able to have transparent conversations about them means that no-one feels left out, and you can maintain your position as a trusted partner.