In this episode, Niamh explores the difference between an urgent task and an urgent person. She offers practical advice on how to make better decisions about what really needs your attention and how to manage expectations to avoid unnecessary stress and an overloaded workday.
00:00 Understanding Urgency in the Workplace
00:31 The Impact of Urgency on Decision Making
02:54 Managing Expectations and Communication
04:17 Identifying the Source of Urgency
06:27 Responding to Real Urgency
06:54 Reflecting on Personal Urgency
07:30 Final Thoughts on Urgency and Stress Management
It is a common struggle to differentiate between a genuinely urgent task and a request that feels urgent simply because of who is asking. This can happen especially when a request comes from someone in a senior role. Niamh, reflecting on her own career, admits that she used to be an "urgent person" herself, creating a feeling of urgency for others without always managing their expectations. Confusing the urgency of the person with the urgency of the task can throw off your priorities, overload your workday, and create unnecessary stress for both you and your colleagues. Learning to recognise this difference is the first step towards a calmer, more productive workday.
Niamh provides several strategies to help you manage urgency effectively. The first step is to pause and ask clarifying questions such as "When's the next step due?" or "What's the impact if this is delayed?". This allows you to gather more information and determine the true priority of the task. If you are a team leader, it is vital to set clear expectations by always including a due date and explaining the 'why' behind the deadline, which helps reduce unnecessary stress for your team. Niamh also suggests taking proactive steps to identify and address the root causes of recurring urgency, also known as "fire starting". By looking for trends and creating buffers, especially in a middle management role, you can take a moment to assess the situation before passing on a sense of urgency to others. Even when a task is genuinely urgent, you can still be fast without being frantic by taking a breath before acting.
Learn to distinguish between an urgent task and an urgent person.
Discover how to use clarifying questions to understand the real priority and deadline of a task.
Understand the importance of setting clear expectations to reduce stress, especially as a team leader.
Identify "fire starters" or patterns that create unnecessary urgency and take proactive steps to address them.
Realise that urgency can often be a feeling rather than a fact, and that being calm and fast are not opposites.
Separate the Person from the Task: Just because a senior or influential person asks for something, it doesn't automatically make it urgent. A quick moment of reflection can save you a lot of stress.
Ask Clarifying Questions: If you're unsure about a deadline, use questions like "Is there a hard deadline?" or "What's the impact if this is delayed?" to get a clear understanding of the task's true urgency.
Leaders, Manage Expectations: As a leader, always set clear expectations by communicating due dates and the reasons behind them. This helps your team operate without unnecessary panic.
Create Buffers: In a middle management role, take a moment to pause and assess a request before passing on the sense of urgency to your team.
To help you manage urgency in your workday, Niamh has created a guide with a list of clarifying questions. You can download the resource here.
Welcome to The Better Workday Podcast with your host, Niamh Moynihan. Niamh is the founder of Better Workday. She will challenge you to think differently about how you manage your time, energy, attention and relationships at work to be successful while supporting your well-being.
In each episode Niamh shares new insights and practical ideas to help you create a better workday.
If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend or colleague who might also benefit from these tips. If you would like to support the podcast, please subscribe and leave a rating or review.
The Better Workday Podcast on Spotify
The Better Workday Podcast on Apple Podcasts