The one workplace skill that matters most

Over the past 30 years, humans have dealt with unprecedented change as the computer, digital and artificial intelligence ages were jammed into a single period of history, upending every aspect of our lives.

?This left humans with an uncomfortable paradox:

?·?????? The options to fill our days have risen exponentially.

·?????? The number of hours in the day have not.

?In this world, the most important skill comes down to one word: Prioritisation.

?Based on my observations, the people doing well from a life balance perspective in the 2020s are those who have best mastered this skill.

?Without it, we can be caught in a constant funk of feeling over-busy, time-poor, stressed and incessantly in catch-up mode rather than feeling in control.

?This can quickly lead to health issues and burnout. It is frankly unsustainable.

?Interestingly, choice was traditionally considered a big positive. We learnt in high school economics that it was one of the key positive indicators of a high standard of living.

?However, in about 2005, humans seemed to hit a tipping point where the growing number of choices (mostly fuelled by digital disruption) became overwhelming.

?Some of the extreme reactions included people sleeping fewer hours so they could squeeze more things into the day. As a result, doctors have been warning us for years of the health risks around sleep deprivation.

?The choice epidemic has led to a whole new industry of “choice editors” – companies, individuals and influencers who specialise in short-listing the world to help people make informed choices without having to research everything themselves.

?Smart leaders know that their success will depend on having enough time to think, plan and understand the big picture so they can set the right priorities.

?In his book A Promised Land, former US President Barack Obama talks about his early realisation that, as the leader of a major nation, his job would be limited to articulating a direction and vision for the country and promoting a healthy culture, clear lines of responsibility and accountability.

?Despite running a country with hundreds of millions of people, a President has regular meetings with less than 100 people and success depends on setting the right priorities and selecting the right people in those roles.

?Increasingly in government and private enterprise, we see leaders come unstuck because they try to micromanage. In a complex world, leadership is increasingly about prioritising the right things at the right time. The more options we have, the greater the imperative to have leaders with the time to understand the possibilities and make the best choices.

?In fact, as far back as the early 1900s, German General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord was quoted as saying that the “smart lazy” leaders should be placed in the very senior positions because they would make good decisions without getting caught in the weeds.

?Microsoft founder Bill Gates says he gives the most difficult problems to lazy people because they will find the easiest, most efficient solution.

?Setting the right priority list is quite a skill. There are plenty of techniques to do that but I find it comes down to three simple questions:

?What are the most important things to do today?

Am I the really right person to do them?

What can I do to clear my diary to spend time on the most important things?

?It is also crucial to have a realistic to-do list. I’ve found lots of people have up to 20 things on their list and fail every day trying to get through it.

?For most people there should only be three things on the list each day. If you get those done, you can use the bonus time to get through the less important tasks.

?You also need to make sure that you are setting priorities rather than having them set for you. This means saying no sometimes or at least discussing your priorities with a supervisor, so you are not inadvertently moved onto new tasks that are less important than the ones you are already working on.

?Setting priorities within limited hours is a remarkably difficult thing. But the simple act of starting each day with a basic assessment of the most important three things to do that day can be life changing.

?Shane Rodgers is the author of Worknado – Reimagining the Way You Work to Live. He is a business leader, strategist, marketer and former journalist and editor.