You're knee-deep in statistical projects. How do you handle new priorities thrown into the mix?

1. Tasks that are both urgent and important should be tackled immediately, while important but non-urgent tasks can be scheduled for later. Urgent but less important tasks can be delegated, and tasks that are neither urgent nor important can be postponed or eliminated. 2. If the new task can be completed in less than 2 minutes, do it right away. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 3. When a new priority arises, reassess your entire schedule. You may find that a less critical task can be rescheduled or delegated, freeing up time for the new priority. 4. If you realize the new task will interfere with other priorities, communicate this to the stakeholders involved. 5. Learn to Say No.

A strategic approach is crucial. Start by evaluating how this new task aligns with your current workload. Is it a quick fix or a significant addition? Prioritize tasks: address critical & immediate ones first, schedule important but non-urgent tasks later, delegate less critical ones, and defer or eliminate tasks with minimal impact. If the new task is quick to complete, handle it immediately to avoid backlog. Reassess & adjust your schedule to accommodate the new priority effectively. Communicate with stakeholders if the change affects other priorities. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to classify tasks into four categories: urgent & important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important.

Work backwards from the project's stakeholder needs--and make sure the 'new priority' is likely to yield the greatest improvement the project given its' use case. It is easy for other statisticians and those in science-type roles to add things to a priority list things they find interesting but will only have a small effect, if any, on end-users. If that's the case, write up the 'interesting priority' and document it somewhere for those who might pick up the project down the line.

In a previous role, a critical new client request came in while I was deep into a major analysis project. I first assessed the impact of this new priority on my current workload. By evaluating the urgency and importance of the client’s needs, I was able to understand how this request would affect my existing commitments.

Divide time and effort based on the impact that a new requirement is going to create. Plan it before starting on developing the foundations, and most importantly stick to the deadline for each.

When faced with conflicting deadlines, I used a prioritisation matrix to categorise tasks based on their urgency and importance. This approach helped me focus on high-priority tasks first, ensuring that critical deadlines were met without compromising the quality of ongoing projects.

Assess the impact and time urgency, ONLY focus on the most important and most urgent tasks. Get them done ASAP. Communicate the shift of priority to your stakeholders and explain why you do things this way. Get their alignment.

- Focus on the questions behind the statistical projects. If there is a dataset, most likely it was created with a purpose - If there are trustworthy ways to automate simple processes, go for it - Aim to develop a general framework, with specific variations for certain scenarios. This greatly facilitates automation

Managing multiple priorities effectively required strict time management. I implemented techniques like time blocking to allocate specific periods for each task, ensuring that I dedicated focused time to both new and existing projects. This approach helped me stay organised and reduce stress.

In a scenario where additional priorities were introduced, I assessed the strengths of my team members and delegated tasks accordingly. For instance, I assigned routine data processing tasks to junior analysts, allowing me to focus on high-priority analysis and strategic planning.

We all only have 24h a day, and one body to be at one place. As a person running 6 diffrrent businesses, empowerments and delegations are the keys to my own success. Communication is the key; manage your own expectations.. often times, these are tied up with ones' salaries. Also.. you should also have some level of expertises before delegating the work, so that you can also give the person feedbacks.

When new priorities emerged, I adapted my project plans by adjusting timelines and resources. For example, I revised project schedules to incorporate new tasks while ensuring that the quality of ongoing projects was maintained. Flexibility in planning helped me manage the increased workload smoothly.

Clear communication was crucial when new priorities were introduced. I regularly updated stakeholders and team members about changes in project timelines and priorities. This transparency helped manage expectations and ensured that everyone was aligned on the new goals.