I just had to go to a mediation meeting a couple of weeks ago because of my immediacy issues. I didn't realize that it was a problem until it was brought to my attention. I was confusing immediacy with prioritizing, and learned that what's priority for me may be less important for my lab assistant.
I am not an "immediacy" person but I tend to hit the ground running. When I am assigned tasks, I usually start on them immediately to do the initial leg work to prepare the task for completion at a later date. After reading this module, it makes me stop and think that I need to prioritize things better to get them done more efficiently.
Being in the educational industry, there are always a number of "action items" that need to be taken care of at any given hour of the day. This training has helped me see the value in prioritizing what is important and what is urgent.
I tend to do 'worst first,' because the 'easy' or least time consuming, are, well, less time consuming! :) However, I feel I have a problem with immediacy - I tend to work through my lunches grading papers and exams while I eat, instead of giving myself a chance to unwind and relax before tackling big tasks like that. Looking back, I realize that when my co-workers 'force' me to go out to lunch with them, instead eating and working, I come back more refreshed and clear-headed, and grading those papers are less of a burden.
Taking this into account, I am willing to bet that my priorities would also change, if I were to give myself some time before jumping from one task to the next.
Anne, I understand where you are coming from. Sometimes lists can feel daunting and unmanageable. You might do well by dividing your list into two sections, tasks that need to be completed and tasks that are already complete. This way, you can enjoy seeing your progress.
Dr. Melissa Read
I usually try to do and complete every task as soon as they come in. That way, I won't have to remember to do them at a future date, but that doesn't mean I don't place some degree of priority on some task over others. When I am told that a certain item requires my immediate attention, I will tend to that task first. So far, this method has worked for me, therefor, I don't believe that I will divert from my current method.
a B-U-S-Y physician colleague of mine had the following sign on his office door:
'The urgent trumps the important"
I have always remembers this quote, and you know - it is true.
I do write down what I am going to do. I just go in order on the list and what gets done gets done and then I just add the rest to the next day.
sure, you need to prioritize. Fulfilling requests in the order in which they appear, can give you a sense of order BUT the priority is sacrificed.
The most important and often most difficult task is assigning an honest/appropriate importance to each task. You will receive an urgent email from a friend or co-worker with a task that is "RED HOT". You have to review the new task and determine its priority ICW your other tasks. The difficult part is informing your friend or co-worker that their "RED HOT" task is not your "RED HOT" task. It might be mean, but if you want to manage your time properly then you need to prioritize.
I think I have immediacy issues that are brought about because the faster I accomplish what is asked, the better I feel I look. It almost becomes a competition among co-workers given similar tasks.
I pretty much just make lists without prioritizing and try to make myself accomplish all of them I can before I leave. This may cause added stress now that I realize I should be listing them in order of importance.
Joseph, Nice! Thanks for sharing. Regardless of whether or not we are in the medical field, that saying certainly applies!
Dr. Melissa Read
Carol, I am glad you see the importance of prioritization. Your current method sounds a bit stressful, though I'm glad to hear you are able to get everything done. With a little prioritization, you'll probably end up with the same results at the end of the day but your experience getting there will be better.
Dr. Melissa Read
Tracy, If you have the luxury to save things until the next day, then you are in a great position. If ever you find that your queue picks up, you may have to take a more structured approach. For now, perhaps you should simply enjoy the flexibility!
Dr. Melissa Read
I have a 1 -4 approach with 4 being the most urgent and an update when things change or one or more tasks are completed.
I do make a to do list each week but I'm bad about doing those that can be completed quickly or easily. This tends to make me put off the longer harder task and ultimately finding I'm rushed to get the job done at a later time. I know and understand the concept of prioritizing my to do list and need to try some of the techniques taught in this section.
In the past, I had a huge problem with procrastination. Unfortunately the more responsibilities that I aquired, the more stressed I became. Forcing myself to write to-do-lists with deadlines definitely helped, especially since the older I became, the more my memory went. I even tried to get my mother to do the same and break her habit, of which was my influence. Unfortunately she would never remember where she put the list. Oh well.
George, Like it or not, many of us find ourselves in a similar position. It can be tempting to complete easy tasks first. Problem is, there are so many easy tasks that fill our queues that it's hard to get to the more complex stuff. Some of us break complex tasks down into smaller parts and that can help.
Dr. Melissa Read
Based on my job and what we have to do, we are given a list of daily task and which ones is priority to be accomplished for the day. However, I always look to see what task really do need to be finished first before every starting on any other task. Always make the boss happy if he says your priority is this task then it is that task. If he does not point out your priority for you then look at when they are due so that you can manage your priority on the task.
