Perspectives
Juggling
Multiple Priorities with a Smile
by Ann
Lovett Baird
Ever feel
like you have more in your life than you can handle? Do you need 24 more hours
each day? Getting everything done is more than time management anymore. It’s
about life management, whether it’s a matter of managing all the functions and
tasks of your corporate job, keeping the engine of your business running, or
balancing work and family life.
One thing
that’s really key to managing a lot is polishing
your attitude. When you have lots going on and you feel overwhelmed, your
mental outlook can really deteriorate, which creates a vicious cycle downward.
Here’s an
example. Let’s say you’re working on a huge Instructional Design project that
requires coordination of various Subject Matter Experts, internal and external
design consultants, documentation, design and review meetings and short
deadlines. Your attitude starts to deteriorate because you don’t have
enough time to manage the job the way you want to. Your beautiful project plan
is demolished by company changes that indicate changes in your project. The
company shifts cause delays in getting the work done, but you’re deadline
doesn’t change! Now team members begin to complain to you, because they have
other priorities and cannot plan around the constant changes.
So, how
do you keep your attitude from drowning?
Here are
some ideas.
-
Deal with your own frustrations separately from the project team. They need to know they have a strong positive leader.
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Continue to back up, look at the big picture, and keep yourself and others focused on the goal.
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If team members start to get negative, acknowledge where they are coming from, then steer them back to the goal at hand.
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Negotiate deadlines and/or the scope of the project the best you can, so you don’t constantly feel like a victim.
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Be aware that something that seems negative at first glance, can be beneficial in the long run.
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When you plan a project in the first place, build in “iceberg” time. It’s like the part of the iceberg that’s under water that you can’t see at first. There may be corporate changes or project changes that you can’t anticipate that impact the project plan.
Focusing
on staying positive will help you and the team use creative energy to find
unique solutions to project challenges. Keeping the energy of the team focused
on the goal will ensure that you and your client, internal or external, have a
desirable project outcome, with relationships in tact.
About the Author:
Ann
Lovett Baird, principal of Lovett Consulting Group, has been involved in the
training field since 1986, and a member of ASTD since 1989. She has served as an instructional
designer, trainer and consultant to the Financial Services, Marketing
Technology and Business Services industries. Ann founded Lovett Consulting
Group in 1995. The firm is proficient at identifying and creating
competency-based training for employee skill development. Ann can be reached at
214-350-1696 or mailto:ann@lovettconsulting.com.