Being flexible with the weather is one thing. Being flexible when your boss says they’ll need that document finalized a week earlier is another thing entirely. We have all had these situations occur and they can be very frustrating! As a workflow coach, I’m always digging into people’s workflow to help them think more efficiently, offer tools and new ideas, and talk through frustrations. Below are five defining elements that I encourage people to think about when we get frustrated and pulled off track.
Understand your current workload. When someone comes to you with a shifted timeline, you’ll need to know what else can get punted. Try classifying the work on your plate by highest priority and highest impact. Plus, it’s a good reminder that the lowest-priority and lowest-impact stuff could probably be pushed anyway.
Language to use: “If you would like me to take that on, let me know what I can let go of to make room for it.”