If you struggle to get to the strategic stuff you want to work on because the operational workload you're facing is getting in the way, the traditional urgent / important matrix is probably not cutting it
In this week's episode we explore a simple alternative that can make a big difference when it comes to getting strategic work ticked off
Key points from this episode
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Hello, and welcome to this week's episode.
2
:We are talking today about how
you can start to balance things.
3
:If you are in one of those roles that
loads of our clients are, where you
4
:have both the strategic priorities.
5
:So the things that you need to contribute
in terms of strategic objectives, but
6
:also you have got a heavy operational
workload, so your day to day stuff is.
7
:Taking up so much time and effort.
8
:How do you balance how you
spend your time and energy?
9
:How do you make sure the
strategic stuff still gets done?
10
:All of that kind of thing.
11
:So Pam, this is something that comes up.
12
:a hell of a lot for my clients and I
would imagine it's probably similar
13
:for yours as well where there's all
these kind of conflicting of like where
14
:the hell do I find the time when I've
already got all of this to get done.
15
:Pam: Yeah and it does it comes up
a lot and it comes up in loads of
16
:different situations as well because
it's not just when you're in a role,
17
:this can happen when you're in a brand
new role, when you're trying to work
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:out, where do I put the focus first,
or it can even come up for my clients,
19
:particularly when they want to start
a job search, but they're like, I've
20
:just got so much going on at work that.
21
:That's the priority.
22
:So it's trying to work out how
you juggle everything, isn't it?
23
:So how you get your workload in check.
24
:So you've got the time to think
strategically and also to do all the
25
:things outside of the day job as well.
26
:Jacqui: Yeah.
27
:And we've talked a few times in different
episodes on some of the challenges
28
:that can happen when this is situation.
29
:So we talked about what to do when
your workload is overwhelming, we've
30
:talked about how to create boundaries
and all of that stuff can be really
31
:useful, but I think what we recognized
is we haven't done anything where we've
32
:really shared any kind of practical
tools about how to prioritize.
33
:So if you do take some of the
tips that we've shared of, create
34
:some time to create a plan.
35
:Okay, but what's the structure?
36
:How do I actually go about doing that?
37
:And the generic advice that's
always given with prioritizing
38
:is, tends to be urgent, important.
39
:And the problem with the situation that
we come across, or certainly that I
40
:come across with clients, I'm making an
assumption that yours are similar is that
41
:everything feels like it is important.
42
:Everything feels like it's urgent.
43
:And so it's really hard,
because you prioritize things,
44
:you've got a to do list.
45
:There's so many things that are
both important and urgent that
46
:you don't feel any further forward
having spent the time to do it.
47
:So the framework we're going to cover
today is one that I've shared with clients
48
:of mine and it's been interesting, the
response to it, because I think sometimes
49
:people are Whoa, no, I can't possibly.
50
:And other times I Oh,
that's really interesting.
51
:It's really useful.
52
:So it will be intriguing to see what
the response is from the listeners.
53
:So the framework that I share
with clients is an alternative
54
:to the urgent important matrix.
55
:And it's still a two by two
matrix, but with this, what you're
56
:looking at is effort and impact.
57
:So what you're doing is understanding with
the various tasks that you do and that
58
:you need to be doing, how much effort or
energy or resource is going to need to
59
:go in to doing that thing, and how much
impact is it going to have when it's done.
60
:And so it's still a two by two matrix,
but what you're doing is looking, instead
61
:of how important and how urgent something
is, how easy or hard is it to do, and how
62
:much impact will it have when it's done.
63
:And when you start to think about
that, You can do similar to what you
64
:would do with the Urgent Important
Matrix of you can literally get a post
65
:it, write all the different things
down and plot them onto this graph.
66
:And that's how I've used it when I've run
in person sessions with clients is we've
67
:literally had a flip chart and we've had
a load of quick post its and we've got
68
:people plotting where these things are.
69
:So Pam, as a first, first thought
then, how does that one land with you?
70
:Pam: Yeah, it's different, isn't it, to
like the usual urgent, important thing
71
:that we've all kind of become accustomed
to because everything that goes on to
72
:your to do list all of a sudden is, once
it's on the list, you need to tick it off.
73
:It all becomes important.
74
:A lot of it will be urgent.
75
:And I always find that when you're
in that situation, that list
76
:just becomes longer and longer.
77
:And you just don't get
through it all do you?
78
:And the more you try to get through, the
more things get added onto the bottom and
79
:the less things you actually get done.
80
:So I actually really love
this way of thinking it.
81
:It is quite a different
way of thinking, isn't it?
82
:And, it was really interesting
your views around it.
83
:And one of the things that, that I liked,
what you were talking about on the blog
84
:was thinking of the effort as fuel
that you put in the car and the impact
85
:on how far you can get because you
don't really ever put , the effort and
86
:the energy that it takes to actually
complete the task into the picture do
87
:you, when you're doing your to do list?
88
:You just create this massive list and
then you're like I've just got to power
89
:through it and you don't take that
into consideration or even prioritize
90
:based on energy levels, do you?
91
:Jacqui: The thing with this, when
you think about it, is that, in
92
:effect, what it does is just takes
out urgency altogether, and it looks
93
:at, so the impact is effectively
equivalent, really, to the importance.
94
:So you're still looking at how important
is something, but in this way what you're
95
:doing is framing that as what impact
is it going to have when it's done.
96
:How important something is
in effect is probably fairly
97
:well correlated to the impact.
98
:On the flip side, though, you're
not looking at timeframes on this.
99
:You're looking how easy or hard it is.
100
:So you're not looking
at, is there a deadline?
101
:When is the deadline?
102
:And this is not to say, by the way, that
we're advocating that you just chuck out
103
:everything with an urgent deadline and
don't do it, but it's a different approach
104
:and a different way of looking at things.
105
:What you therefore are doing is
essentially saying okay, here's my little,
106
:four grid box, but the things that I'm
going to look to do first are the things
107
:that are low effort, but high impact.
108
:That's my quick wins box.
109
:That is where I can get something
done that will have an impact,
110
:but will not be hard to do.
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:And I think there's real merit in
understanding what those things are,
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:because it's all too easy on a big
to do list for them to get lost.
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:And the benefit when you do something.
114
:And you get it done and you get it
ticked off is that feeling of yes, you
115
:feel good for having done something.
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:It feels like you're making progress.
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:It feels like you're making momentum.
118
:And so coming back to what you were
saying about energy, it helps to maintain
119
:and create a sense of energy when
you feel like you're making progress.
120
:On the flip side, the things that
are high effort, but low impact.
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:They are the massive energy drains.
122
:They're the time suckers because it's
Oh my God, there's too much effort
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:and how much different, like no one's
even going to notice when it's done.
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:And those are the most
soul destroying things.
125
:And so if you're spending a lot of your
time in that quadrant, then what you're
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:going to find is that you're spending
a lot of effort or energy for very
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:little payback, very little impact.
128
:And so It's worthwhile understanding
and challenging and asking that question
129
:of do those things need to be done.
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:And if they do, do they
need to be done right now?
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:And do they need to be done in the
way that they've always been done?
132
:Or do we need to find a simpler
or quicker or easier way?
133
:Or can we do them to a lower standard
than what we would apply so that we
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:then change that equation so that
the impact might still be low, but
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:actually at least if we're not having
to put loads and loads of effort in
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:then it's not the ends of the world.
137
:So I really like that about this matrix
is that way of it, it just disregards the
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:time constraints for the purposes of just
undertaking the exercise and just really
139
:focuses on how important something is or
isn't and how easy or hard it is to do.
140
:Because if you're finding those
quick wins, we'll all recognize that
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:feeling, won't we, of finding the
quick wins and how good that feels.
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:Pam: Yeah, and it is, it's a totally
different way of it's a reframe, and it's
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:a reframe because it can be difficult
when you've got that huge to do list
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:and that massive amount of pressure on
you to, to be doing everything, to be
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:strategic, to do all the operational
stuff, to keep the team happy.
146
:It's, you just feel like sometimes
you're just in that hamster wheel,
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:don't you, on a day to day basis.
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:And this tool I think is.
149
:Brilliant to refocus and go actually,
what is going to be the, what are
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:going to be the easiest things to get
off this list and, what's going to
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:have the most impact and, that can be
the most impact on team, business, on
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:yourself, there's loads of different
things that you can look at that.
153
:And I suppose with this, then what
scenarios would you use this in?
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:Jacqui: There's so many, but we've
picked four for the purposes of
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:the podcast, because otherwise
we could be going for hours.
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:So the first one I would say is
when somebody is new into a role.
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:So when you're new into a role, whether
that's because you've been promoted
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:or you've started in a new business,
We've got our first 90 days episode and
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:we'll link to that in the show notes.
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:But we always talk about that
kind of first 30 days, especially
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:as being a real learning phase.
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:So what you're wanting to do is
to have those evaluations, create
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:that understanding, knowing what
might need to go into the plan.
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:And if you approach that learning phase
with this in mind, what this matrix can do
165
:is help you to shape and ask some really
helpful additional questions because you
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:don't just know what needs to be done.
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:You can then ask those questions of,
and what's going to be involved in
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:doing that and how much impact is that?
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:Because you won't always have the context
to answer the question when you're new of
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:how much impact will it or won't it have.
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:Some of these things will be things that
might have been, shelved and be handed
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:over to you of now you're starting,
here you go, here's your list of things
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:that we want you to achieve or get done.
174
:Others will be things where I've worked
with leaders that have gone into a
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:business and either there's been a vacancy
or there's been somebody in the role who
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:perhaps wasn't performing brilliantly.
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:And so it feels every rock they turn
over, it's like there's like more chaos,
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:more things crawling out from under.
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:It's just I'm just going to put this
back here and pretend I didn't see it.
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:But what this does is it allows you as
you're going through that learning phase
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:in a new role to start to understand
what questions do I need to ask?
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:Can I evaluate how much effort it is?
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:How much impact it will have?
184
:And if not, then you can ask the question
so that you can have that evaluation.
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:And then it starts to almost
then put them into that priority.
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:So again, your quick wins would be
first coming after that typically, or
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:coming potentially alongside that if
there weren't any quick wins would be
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:your high effort, but also high impact.
189
:And these often are things
that are bigger projects.
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:Things that can be chunked down,
things that will take time, things
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:where you might have stages of
something that you need to do.
192
:So in those early days in a new role, this
gives you a framework to start to almost
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:plot and see where do they all sit until
I feel like I've got a fairly full picture
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:and then I can make my plan, but I've been
plotting them as I've been gaining that
195
:understanding and doing that evaluation.
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:Pam: Yeah, and I think that's perfect
in a new role because the easiest
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:time I think is, when you start a
new role or when you look in at new
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:ways of prioritizing and new things
to do is when you start a new role.
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:It's so much easier to start off
and, make a change to the way that
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:you've done things in the past because
you can, because it's a new role.
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:So you are able then to go okay,
this is what I'm going to do.
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:These people don't know me, they
don't know how I've worked before.
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:So it's easier.
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:To, to start using a new methods than
it can be if, if you're well established
205
:in your role, like I always find while
being the new person in a role can
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:sometimes feel quite difficult because
you want to get up to speed as quickly
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:as possible and you want to get stuck in.
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:I always think it's the best time
because that's where you can create your
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:boundaries, where you can really get
stuck in, but, without working loads
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:of extra hours as well, because using
this tool, you will, you'll be able to
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:work less hours and make more impact
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:Jacqui: Such a good point about people
not knowing when you're in a new role,
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:whether you've used this as a tool before.
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:And I think it can help.
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:with that confidence, because
people sometimes have a
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:bit of a confidence wobble.
217
:We've talked about, buyers
remorse and hitting the wall
218
:when you're in a new role.
219
:And I feel like this, giving some
structure to your evaluation can
220
:help to maintain that confidence.
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:And other people can see
that you're taking quite a
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:structured and measured approach.
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:And you're so right about that is
easier when you're doing that in a new
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:role, and it's different people who
haven't seen how you were operating.
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:So they're not comparing, they're
just seeing this is how you are,
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:and this is how you operate,
and this is a tool that you use.
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:Pam: Yeah, and I think, the, when you're
doing that as well, and when you're
228
:implementing those things and when you're
trying them out and sharing those things
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:with, maybe with your new teams or your
colleagues or whatever, a lot of the time
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:you'll find that they didn't know what
that tool was or didn't know it existed
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:and it can be good for them as well.
232
:It's almost like sharing
the love, isn't it?
233
:When you find something that is going
to make your life easier, then, you can
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:share it with everyone else as well.
235
:What other scenarios then would we
use this in or could we use this in?
236
:Jacqui: Another one for me is
where you've got that situation
237
:where you want to get momentum.
238
:I had.
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:Somebody who I was coaching a little
while ago and they literally it's
240
:like their brain was so full of all
the stuff that they were trying to
241
:get to and it was all things that
were felt important felt urgent.
242
:They absolutely live their
life by a to do list.
243
:And this was about how do I gain momentum.
244
:On a few key things.
245
:And so what we did was exactly
that post exercise that I described
246
:of, okay, let's plot them.
247
:And I'm quite famous for this
clients is the rule of three.
248
:It's okay.
249
:You've plotted out all these things.
250
:You can pick three.
251
:And I remember like the look of sheer
horror of kind of I can't just pick three.
252
:I can't just pick three, but the
point of picking three is not that
253
:you're only going to do three.
254
:It's that you get your brain to
have absolute clarity on what
255
:the first three things are.
256
:And it's almost that don't stop,
don't pass go, do not collect
257
:200 pounds, just focus on three.
258
:And within the next week, 10 days, Lo
and behold, the feedback was, Oh my
259
:God, I can't believe how much progress
I've made on those three things.
260
:And it was just really putting it
into that framework and understanding
261
:where are the things that I can have
the impact without having to put loads
262
:of effort meant that they were able
to kickstart that momentum by just
263
:simply picking out the three top ones.
264
:But the natural thing.
265
:Is often to try and do
particularly in that piece of.
266
:So this was someone who was a global
director had, lots of different
267
:committees and subcommittees that they
were part of had all of this strategic
268
:responsibility but actually also had
quite a significant responsibility
269
:with operational day to day stuff.
270
:They were very approachable.
271
:They were very supportive and they
ended up with a lot of people coming
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:to them for a lot of other things.
273
:The whole have you got
five minutes type thing.
274
:And what the other thing that we
then did there was looked at, okay
275
:and of these other things that felt
like they were contenders for the top
276
:three, are there elements of that,
that your team could support you with?
277
:Are there elements of that, that somebody
else could get started on or where you
278
:could give them some direction rather
than that sitting with your mental load.
279
:And I think that's the other benefit
with this is that you will spot sometimes
280
:those opportunities for potentially
other people to do something, to
281
:support you with something so that you
can just get focused on those three.
282
:And that's the secret to that kind of
kickstarting momentum is that aspect of.
283
:You're putting to bed you've got the
list of all the other things, so you're
284
:not going to forget them, you're not
ignoring them, but you're putting to
285
:bed, focusing energy and attention on
them until such time as you've picked
286
:off at least one of these, and then your
brain has less to focus on, away you go.
287
:Pam: Yeah, I love that.
288
:It's like carving up the responsibility.
289
:So you go okay, these are the things
we're going to focus on, but actually do
290
:I need to focus on all of these things
myself or can other people get involved?
291
:And then you're going to move
the needle faster, aren't you?
292
:You're going to be able to get
through more stuff and also get other
293
:people involved, which can also be
great for their development too.
294
:And that just means
that your head is clear.
295
:Like when you told me about picking
the top three, that's something that
296
:I've been doing now for a while since
you shared that with me, because your
297
:to do list can get so overwhelming.
298
:And when you're just like I'm
focusing on the top three things.
299
:And when they're done, I'm going
to pick another three things and
300
:I'm going to keep moving through.
301
:And it does, it makes a massive
difference because those to do lists
302
:are absolute killers, aren't they?
303
:When you keep adding to it and you've got
so much stuff on it and just the thought
304
:that you might forget something, you
might forget, to come back to it later,
305
:or you might forget to do it all together.
306
:Having those thoughts going through
your mind can really Like, it's
307
:almost like a brain fog, isn't it?
308
:Because you can't focus on things because
you're just thinking about the whole list.
309
:Whereas when you're just focused
on those top three, and then, even
310
:prioritizing, one thing out of
them top three to get started on
311
:just makes a massive difference.
312
:And I find that I get through a
lot more stuff now doing that.
313
:And it's not, it doesn't
feel as pressured.
314
:You don't feel that massive amount of
pressure, when you open your notepad
315
:and you've got three pages, like I'm
thinking back to to my corporate days
316
:and I used to have a notepad and, I could
easily have three or four pages of a to
317
:do list and I'd just open it every day.
318
:And be like, where am I going to start?
319
:And do I start at the top
or do I start at the bottom?
320
:Or do I start in the middle?
321
:And usually the place that I started
was the place where, or, the point where
322
:people were shouting the loudest for it.
323
:So I'd open my emails and
I'd be like, Oh, okay.
324
:So you need that desperately.
325
:So that's going to become the priority.
326
:Or, somebody comes up to your
desk and they ask for something.
327
:So you right now that's the priority.
328
:Whereas now what I'll tend to do is I've
got the top three things and I'm like,
329
:yeah, I'm still working on that thing.
330
:It's still, it's still on my radar.
331
:However, I am also, I need to
get these things finished first.
332
:It's not I'm going to get to
you, but maybe it's going to
333
:be on Wednesday and Thursday or
Wednesday or Thursday rather than.
334
:I'm going to add it on
to today's workload.
335
:And it does make a difference because
you feel like you've got more structure
336
:in your day as well, because you
know what you're working on and when
337
:those things come in from the side
that you're like, yeah, that's fine.
338
:It's definitely going to be done,
but not right now or not today.
339
:Jacqui: And I think that communication
piece is also another real
340
:benefit of if you've got that real
clarity on here's my top three.
341
:These are the things now
that are my quick wins.
342
:This is what I'm going after.
343
:And then you get a side swipe, something
that comes in from nowhere, then you can
344
:ask yourself the question and there is
some discipline to doing this, but you
345
:can ask yourself the question of, does
this deserve is this more of a quick win?
346
:Is this either, higher
impact or lower effort?
347
:Does this kind of outrank one of the
three things that I'm working on?
348
:And if it's not.
349
:then you can communicate and you
can go back to somebody and say,
350
:look, appreciate that is important.
351
:These are the things that I'm working on.
352
:You don't have to share loads of
detail and, everything about all
353
:that you're doing, but it can be
really helpful to sometimes go back.
354
:And what I've found is that often if
you go back, something that somebody
355
:told you was like, also crucial.
356
:If you actually go back and say, okay.
357
:These are the things that I've got on my
list at the moment, which means I'll get
358
:to yours at this point, or, I can do this
element of it often what you'll find is
359
:people are just so much in that cold kind
of panic zone that they don't necessarily
360
:even know what's needed, why it's
needed , they're being quite reactive.
361
:And if you have that clarity of
well, these are the priorities
362
:that I'm currently working on,
I can get to that at this point.
363
:And this is regardless of the
effort impact matrix or urgent
364
:important or whatever else, if
you push back, it's surprising
365
:how often something that suddenly
366
:so important suddenly is not that
important after all, or not that
367
:urgent after all, or is neither.
368
:Or sometimes it's that you've
interpreted it as being urgent
369
:because somebody's asked.
370
:I think there's a real drive.
371
:With emails, people feel like, Oh, I
should have dealt with all my emails
372
:and I need to get back to people.
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:And so emails often people will try
and bash through a load of emails and
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:get back to people really quickly.
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:And it's how important is that
relative to, how much of an impact
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:is it going to have if you do that
versus if you spend this half hour
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:working on your number one priority.
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:And so when you start to look at
the impact of where you're choosing
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:to focus your energy and attention.
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:Sometimes those choices are different.
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:Pam: Yeah, definitely.
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:And I think just even just
stopping to take the time to
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:go what are the quick wins?
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:What do I need to park?
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:Because I think sometimes, I
know I used to do this, put
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:everything on the to do list.
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:So everything that I want
to do, even if it's like.
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:Not now, it's in, in the next 12
months, I put everything on the list.
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:So the list would be absolutely huge.
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:And then it's it just
becomes so overwhelming.
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:So even just kinds of creating
those, either creating the
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:different lists or putting.
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:The post it onto the matrix or even
setting up a Trello board where you've got
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:like the whole to do list and you can drag
the cards into the different sections.
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:So you're like these are the quick
wins or these are the priorities
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:or, this is what I'm working on.
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:And then you can literally just
move those things around, have
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:another list that's completed.
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:And then as you see the completed list,
become more full than the to do list.
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:You're like, yes I'm finally winning.
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:But I always think having that focus just
makes such a difference and also just like
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:having that conversation with yourself
where you're like, does this really need
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:to be on the list and I'm a put now and
just because I'm going to forget about
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:it or does it actually need to be done.
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:Jacqui: Yeah, so it's so important.
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:The other thing with this matrix, and
the other time that this can really come
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:into its own, is when you're looking
at restructuring a team, when you're
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:looking at carving up responsibilities.
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:So this could be as a result of somebody
joining the team, it could be a result
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:of somebody leaving the team, it could
be somebody coming back from maternity
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:leave, reducing their hours, going
part time, anything along those lines.
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:But what it can help to do is then
you can look at all of and with this,
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:you probably would just take all the
business as usual stuff and think
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:about where would you carve those up?
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:Where would those things sit?
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:And what this often does when you look
at it across a team is you start to think
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:about something that is low effort for one
person might be high effort for another.
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:So the Impact is the same, but one
person, because of their strengths
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:and their skill set, may be for
example, managing client accounts.
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:There are some people who would
absolutely relish managing client
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:accounts and other people who are
Oh, it's a massive interruption
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:to what I'm trying to get done.
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:And you can then have some of
that conversation around dependent
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:upon strengths and skill sets.
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:How does that feel for people?
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:What needs to be done?
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:You'll also sometimes find that
there's more than one person
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:that's currently doing the same
thing or overlapping things.
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:So you'll sometimes find when you look
at this across a team that there's
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:opportunity to streamline or change
how things are done so that things
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:are lower effort overall and therefore
In terms of resourcing, it can help
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:to just ease if you feel like things
are starting to creak at the seams.
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:This can be a really useful exercise
because what it does when you discuss it
434
:as a team is helps people to understand
their own and each other's priorities.
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:And sometimes then it can be about, not
putting pressure on at certain times.
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:So for example, in a finance team,
if you do management accounts every
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:month, there'll always be certain times
of the month where pretty pressured.
438
:And so therefore it might be a case of
looking at, how do you manage how that
439
:workload is separated and divvied up.
440
:And there might be people that aren't
involved in management accounts.
441
:And it's just almost that awareness
of how that all works together,
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:that can be really useful and really
beneficial sometimes to have some of
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:that conversation together about how
those things can sit and how they
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:sit for one person versus another.
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:Pam: Yeah, I really like the idea of
using it for the team as well, because
446
:looking at it from that different
perspective, and it could be that when
447
:you start to carve up the different tasks
and then you're looking at, different
448
:skill sets and things like that's a
real opportunity to see, what skill
449
:sets have we got missing from the team
or, where do we want to develop people?
450
:And it just takes it in a whole new
direction then as well, because it,
451
:you're then developing the team,
you're working together as a team.
452
:And it's all of that stuff that,
fits in so nicely with leadership
453
:and creating those high performing
teams when you understanding
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:the workload across the team.
455
:Because I know myself in the past,
when, when we got together as
456
:a team when you bring different
teams together, what you'll find is
457
:there's always duplication of work.
458
:There's always people that think.
459
:Things are important that are
not necessarily important and
460
:it's always a good opportunity
to go what are our priorities?
461
:What is our big focus?
462
:What is the vision for what we're
trying to create or deliver here?
463
:And then fitting it all into the matrix
together, then you're this gives us
464
:the overall view, but it also helps us
to understand each other's roles and
465
:also understand where the gaps are.
466
:Jacqui: And also, I think from an
engagement perspective, it helps people
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:to have that sense of recognition about
the impact of things that they do, because
468
:very often if people's Doing something
it's business as usual for them, they
469
:can lose that connection with the impact
and the reason why it's being done.
470
:And so actually, if as a team, you're
plotting stuff and saying this is high
471
:impact in terms of contribution to the
team, to the business, to our objectives,
472
:then that can be really motivating.
473
:And on the flip side, if you've
got people where actually.
474
:everything that they're being
asked to do is in that kind of high
475
:effort, low impact matrix, that
corner of the matrix, then that can
476
:potentially be pretty demoralizing.
477
:And if you've been frustrated with someone
that they're not pepped and at their best
478
:every single day, and then you recognize,
Oh, hang on a minute, relatively
479
:speaking, actually what could we do?
480
:to enable them to have something
that would give them a bit more of,
481
:balance it with some things that are
maybe lower effort and higher impact.
482
:How could, like you say, development,
what opportunities are there?
483
:How could you maintain
engagement within the team?
484
:That for me is a real plus because
so often a lot of the day to day work
485
:feels thankless, but when you come
back to this matrix, it is actually
486
:high impact like if it wasn't done,
that will be a significant consequence.
487
:So it can also help with that to feel
like, okay, it is quite high effort.
488
:But it is also really important
that that stuff happens.
489
:It does have an impact.
490
:And if it wasn't there,
that would be a problem.
491
:So at least then, even though it
might feel high effort, at least
492
:you feel like, yeah, there's a
contribution there that I'm making.
493
:Pam: Yeah, I love that.
494
:And everything that I do is thinking from
a job search and CV writing perspective.
495
:And what I find loads of people do
is they forget what they do on a day
496
:to day that is having a high impact.
497
:So what they'll tend to do is
they'll, they'll just put on a list of
498
:responsibilities rather than thinking
through what are the day to day things
499
:that I'm delivering that are having
a really high impact on the business.
500
:And they're the things that
should be going onto the CV.
501
:They're the things that should be
getting talked about in interviews and
502
:job applications and things like that.
503
:So just doing this as a way
of kind of understanding where
504
:you are making an impact.
505
:Individually is a really
great thing to do as well.
506
:Jacqui: So there we go.
507
:That's our final one then is actually
use this matrix to think about creating
508
:your CV and thinking about what you
need to include in terms of your
509
:experience and your contribution.
510
:Because you will find that there are
things that are there and the high impacts
511
:and identifying that and articulating it
both on your CV and in interviews as part
512
:of your job search is incredibly valuable.
513
:So thank you so much for joining us.
514
:We've covered an awful
lot of ground today.
515
:So I hope that as a kind of framework
has maybe been helpful and also
516
:perhaps got your brain ticking.
517
:If you are in that situation where you
got those strategic and operational
518
:responsibilities we feel for you.
519
:We know that is often a big challenge.
520
:So we hope that as a tool will potentially
be something that will help to maintain
521
:the momentum on some of those really
positive things and enable you to really
522
:recognize the impact of what you're doing.
523
:Thank you for listening.
524
:And we will be back again next time.
525
:In the meantime, if you have benefited,
please do share this with anyone that
526
:you think would also appreciate it.
527
:And of course, please do like and review
on your favorite podcast platform.
528
:Thanks for now.
529
:And we'll catch you next time.