Recently while speaking for one of my fabulous oil & gas clients I met with one of the leaders before the live webcast, we were discussing how she was an incredibly valuable resource within her company. Her extensive experience as an administrative professional meant she was the ‘go-to-gal’ for a variety of applications, processes and especially information!
After interviewing her we discovered her secret … it was her ability to sequence information.
She is regularly bombarded with constant requests for her time and attention and there is always someone wanting her to do something, be somewhere or have something completed.
Does this sound like you?
If you want to reduce overwhelm and increase your impact try these strategies to sequence how you respond to information daily:
- Know your 20% – what are the activities in your day that allow you to achieve 80% of your results? The Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto is famous for creating what has become known as the 80/20 rule. His discovery was 80% of Italy’s land was controlled by 20% of the population. He was then able to apply this formula to so many areas. It is especially applicable to how we choose to invest our time daily. Focus on your 20% of activities and information that will help acheive your goals.
- Know your agenda – just like every meeting needs an agenda to be productive… every person needs an agenda each day. What are the goals and objectives for your day? When you are clear about your agenda you choose which activities and requests to respond to first.
- Know Your methodology – let the people in your life know the best way to communicate with you. Are you an email girl (or guy), do you prefer phone calls or chatting face to face. Once they know your preferred style they can communicate with you in this way. Always ask people you work with ‘what is the best way to communicate with you?’ and make a note of their preference.
Sequencing is knowing the order in which things happen – you get to choose daily how you manage information and requests.
What can you do today to reduce overwhelm by sequencing information? We would love to hear your thoughts and your ideas. Share them on our blog.
Now that’s productive!
PS. If you want to increase your impact by knowing what you should implement first, check out my friend Pete Cook’s blog on Implementing an Implementation Mindset
