One of the major issues I have with today’s workplace is that we’ve made every article of work seem like an A priority.
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I hear it from clients all the time, and I experienced it myself. Without a clear sense of the most important outcomes you need to achieve, you get sucked up in and overwhelmed by “all the work.”
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When you aren’t clear on priorities – or when priorities shift practically without notice – you may find yourself being constantly interrupted by the latest emergency, a fire alarm if you will.
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You know the kind. You’re in the middle of an already stressful day, when you get that multiple exclamation point URGENT message from your boss, saying [YOUR LATEST EMERGENCY!!!!] needs to be handled by close of business.
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Aside from the queasy feeling you may get, you also realize your neatly organized plan for the day is shot to heck.
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So in this week’s column for The Muse, I show you how to better manage the Fire Alarm process. How to avoid it, how to get through it, and then how to recover quickly from it. Because you know it’s going to happen…
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Read this week’s column and then see what you can do in your own workplace to provide leadership around this prevalent workplace issue.
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Then, let me know what happens!
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How to Stop Fire Drills From Screwing Up Your Entire Day
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It’s a beautiful summer Friday morning, and you’re positioned for an early getaway from the office. Then you check your inbox and cringe. Maybe swear. There it is—the message title in red, the exclamation point marking it urgent. Your dream of a sunny Friday happy hour at the beach melts away as you read the request that’s needed by 4 PM today.
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We’ve all been there. The dreaded fire alarm—office jargon for the unplanned, unexpected, high-energy intrusion into your peaceful Friday. Because let’s face it, fire drills never happen at a good time, right?
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Continue reading on The Muse ->
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Image: Pixabay