In my first job, what used to really piss me off was that whenever I got a task from higher ups, almost always, it would be urgent. And sometimes, they would wonder, “Why is it taking you so long to get this done?”
If that was the only task I had, they would be right.
But I would be getting instructions from all and sundry — all my bosses, the government, the courts, and so on. And everyone would act as if the only thing I had on my plate was their task.
When we are a leader or manager, we have to remember that while we think that our work is urgent, others think that their work is even more urgent.
So when you assign a task to a team member, if possible, ask them — “Are you able to do this urgently or do you have other things on your plate?” And when possible, help them prioritize.
Even if you do this once in a while, your team will thank you.
Urgency sometimes becomes a curse. And we understand it until we become managers, when we start wondering, “Why does it take them so long?”
– Rajan