Determining and Setting Priorities

Each fall the Navy selects the group of Sailors to be promoted to Chief Petty Officer (middle management). For those who’ve never served in the Navy, this is a huge thing and involves an intense training period, including extensive mentoring, prior to the New Chiefs being “accepted” by their soon-to-be peers and “pinned” with much pomp and circumstance.

Part of the process is for each person to reach out to as many of their predecessors as they can to get to know them, network, receive mentoring and guidance, etc. Part of this activity is receiving written advice from each person that they keep in a designated notebook.

So, other than being that time of year what does this have to do with LinkedIn and business? I’m glad you asked!

After reading a post earlier on work/life balance, I’d like to take this opportunity to share part of what I generally share with them, with you. My mentor when I was going through the process (and a bit unbalanced) introduced me to this concept he described as an evolving triangle. I have modified it slightly to be a series of triangles (because every concept is better with pictures!).

You – Sleep, exercise, sex, recreation, hobbies, continuing education, stress relief, etc.

Family – Spouse/Significant Other, children, parents, close friends, etc.

Work (mission/full-time school) – Work hours (evenings?), days (weekends/holidays?), travel, projects, etc.

The top of each triangle represents your top priority while the left and right corners respectively are second and third (though they could potentially be roughly equal). As we move through life and our careers, we are faced with situations that require us to make decisions about where our priorities lie and those can, and should, change as appropriate.

What’s appropriate? I wish I could tell you but only you can decide that for yourself and your decisions could look very different from those I would make.

In every decision there is risk, the important thing to understand is that change is the only constant and that you must use all available information to make the best choice you can and to accept the consequences of that choice. As circumstances change and you begin to feel unbalanced, reexamine your triangle and adjust as needed.

So, what happens if you choose “wrong?”

If you focus on your job, could you end up single/divorced or in poor health? Yes.

If you focus on yourself or your family, could you lose your job? Also, yes.

If you focus on your family, could you end up losing your job and/or in poor health? Again, also yes.

That doesn’t mean that there is no good choice, just that you must keep your perspective, no outcome is a foregone conclusion. There is always something that is going to be in the priority spot, don’t let whatever that is be decided for you and don’t be afraid to change your focus when things aren’t working as planned. Also, keep in mind that there doesn’t have to be a large distance between priorities, you don’t have to focus on the primary to the exclusion or detriment to those lower on the list.

For those who like using visuals, the triangle concept can easily be used for any set of competing priorities. I hope that this concept will help you put things in perspective as well as it did for me.

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About the Author: Lee Crowson is a Storyteller and Asker of Questions who also happens to be a Navy Veteran and problem solver with over 22 years’ experience in organizational and operational leadership, communications, and training. He has a strong passion for continual learning, endurance running, the outdoors and helping others to reach their full potential. He writes and speaks because it is more easily understood than his interpretive dance.

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