It has been a challenging start to the year for many of my family and friends. Layoffs abound and concerns over a recession and additional job loss are the hot topic. I have two friends that just lost their jobs with no real notice or even signs of it coming.
Many in my inner circle are being pressed to preform at a heightened level not seen in years in the workplace. Billable hours are a hot topic in my house as several of my immediate family work in consultative environments including yours truly.
Like the stock market, work is never a straight line or consistent. Work and the economy ebb and flow outside of any predictable model. As we schedule our day, week, and month on our outlook calendar there is no place to put unforeseen issues. My work in an HR consulting environment is hard to plan because things change so quickly and issues present themselves with little to no notice.
So how do you manage advertisy?
I try to play by the Covey time management philosophy of addressing the important and urgent/important first. Responding to urgent but less important issues need to be compartmentalized. Some of this gets tabled and some pushed down to my team. Communication is key. Let folks know you will get back to them but it will need to wait. Tell your boss that you have prioritized the important too. Often times they get a call or email saying you are being unresponsive….However you need to eliminate the noise and get the important things done.
I have learned over my almost 4 decades of work to leave some holes on my schedule that are blocked out for “me work” which is a variety of follow ups, project work and important communication. Some days it is 30 minutes and optimally it should be 90. This time is your flex or agility to handle the adversity. I also use Monday midday and Friday midday for regular meetings as those historically have been the best times to get others time and attention. I have found that these are the least rescheduled meetings each week. Of course some folks take long weekends and this occasionally is a challenge, however 1pm and 130pm meetings on EST on these days always seem to check the most boxes of availability across time zones. In addition it does not interfere with folks leaving half day on Friday or getting their mailbox cleaned out on Monday Morning.
Making partners is also important in dealing with adversity. The saying two heads are better than one is critical is solving problems and challenges. You may not have the skills or capability to solve every issue. That is where a colleague or partner can help. Don’t displace the stress on them but leverage their experience and knowledge. There is no shame in saying I don’t have all the answers.
Look for a compromised solution if you cannot respond as others might expect. The bottom line is finding a solution to your adversity. It may not be perfect or it may need additions down the road, however sometimes it is ok to build a bridge in the short term and you work through a longer term fix.
The bottom line is stay calm and focused. You cannot control when an issue arises, only the way you prepare and handle one!
HumanCapital3 