Priorities- The 3P's

In the Navy we were always trying to accomplish more than possible inside a workday.  We used to say it was like trying to fit five pounds of shit into a one pound sock.  In other words, you have too much on your plate and never enough time to do it.  So, I learned how to do it.  The problem wasn’t ever going to go away.  No matter how hard you tried, your bosses and peers were always going to need something from you NOW!  So instead of trying to fix them, I learned how to handle it.  I narrowed it down to an issue with Priorities.  I call them the 3 P’s.

Priority #1:  Do those things only you can do!  There are those jobs or tasks of which are your sole responsibility.  Ones which cannot be delegated due to things such as sensitivity, experience, etc.  These might include such items as professional counseling of your subordinates, pay, or items that require only your attention.  These are your #1 priority and must be treated as such.

Priority #2:  Delegate those things which can be delegated!  If you have requirements that can be delegated then do so.  When delegating though, you must give clear and concise directions of your expectations ALONG WITH A DUE DATE.  If you do not give a due date, your workers may give the task their own priority which may not work with yours.  Also, when delegating, give those you are delegating the authority to make decisions as required to complete the task.  If you make them feel empowered to perform the task without supervision, but with a clear expectation, they will ultimately be happier to help and turn out a better product.  Lastly, when delegating, it does not relinquish the importance of the task.  You need to follow up with those performing the task for a few reasons; one being to show that it is in fact important to you and you are not just dumping grunt work on them, and two is to see if they need any assistance to keep them on task.

Priority #3:  Ignore the rest!  Just blow off anything else.  Quite often we are asked for something immediately as the boss is walking around with his or her hair on fire due to a crisis.  In these instances, they are asking everyone to do this task, specifically anyone who is willing to listen.  I used to have bosses who would come up with a crazy idea on Monday, and by Tuesday it was their most important item.  B.S.!  It wasn’t usually as important as they thought.  So, you blow it off.  Especially if they did not give you any expectations or due dates.  If it is indeed important to them, they will come back and ask again, this time with more specifics, at which you make it a Priority #2 and delegate it!

This is the beginning of a short series of my lessons learned.  I will delve much more into how to delegate and when it is okay to do so.  Today is just the tip of the spear for building a more efficient team both up and down the Chain of Command.  Please share this with people you feel may either learn from or add to this blog.  Your input is what will really make this blog work for all of us.