In my first job (in the Civil Services), virtually every task marked for my personal attention was ‘urgent.’ And then, the next task would also be, unsurprisingly, urgent.
Some days, I got so fed up that having a law and order problem almost came as a relief — at least I did not have to do this nonsensical work.
Today, this is also the fate of many of us in the corporate world. When multiple urgent tasks get dumped on you, what should you do?
We typically accept both, and then, panic and multitask, trying to do both simultaneously. But in reality, multitasking is just rapidly switching between two tasks. And every switch overloads your brain, and makes you slower and more stressed.
Also, a few hours later, instead of achieving one task completion, you have two partly-completed tasks. It is like having two half-baked cakes — you can eat neither.
Instead, when you get slapped with multiple urgent tasks, pick one. If it involves your boss, seek their help to prioritize. Otherwise, pick a task yourself and let the other person know that their task will take a bit more time.
We fear that we will disappoint others. But being told upfront to expect a delay is much less disappointing than a negative surprise later.
Try to manage human expectations, not defy human limitations.
– Rajan