"The Tyranny of the Urgent" is a concept introduced by Charles E. Hummel in his 1967 booklet, which addresses the ongoing struggle between urgent tasks and important tasks. Hummel argues that the urgent often overwhelms the important, leading to a cycle where immediate, pressing issues overshadow long-term, meaningful activities.
- Urgent tasks demand immediate attention and are often associated with stress and crisis management, such as replying to emails, attending meetings, or dealing with minor emergencies. They're often triggered by text messages, phone calls from "important" people, or responding to rumors. They're loud and in the end, don't do much to move the organization, or it's people, forward. Urgent things will takeover if you don't consciously identify them.
- Important tasks contribute to long-term goals and personal growth, like planning, relationship-building, and self-care. Important tasks make a lasting impact on people, on their careers, and positively shape the direction of an organization. These tasks are easily postponed in favor of urgent tasks. Yet, leaders who focus and prioritize on important tasks build organizational cultures that value what's right, not what's the loudest. Important tasks change lives.
- Use a Priority Matrix: Adopt tools like Stephen Covey’s time management matrix to categorize tasks into urgent/important, not urgent/important, urgent/not important, and not urgent/not important. This helps in making clear distinctions and focusing on what truly matters
- Empower Your Team: Train and delegate tasks to subordinates to handle urgent but less critical issues, allowing you to concentrate on strategic and long-term planning. Delegation can help reduce the constant pressure of firefighting and improve overall efficiency.
- Long-term Planning: Prioritize strategic initiatives that will have a significant impact on community safety and department effectiveness over immediate but less critical tasks. Regularly review and adjust strategic plans to stay aligned with long-term goals
- Conduct Periodic Reviews: Implement routine assessments of your task management to identify patterns where urgent tasks are consistently overshadowing important ones. This reflection can help adjust priorities and improve time management practices
By implementing these strategies, leaders can mitigate the tyranny of the urgent and ensure that they are focusing on tasks that will drive long-term success and foster a positive work culture. Doing so will also model to other leaders in the organization what is important vs. what is urgent.
Agree? Disagree? Got a story to share? Comment below on our experience and thoughts.
?? Global Security Leader ?? Global Training Coordinator ?? Global Technical Writer
8 个月I agree, Chris Hsiung, but would add that one must consider the value of a task alongside its importance and urgency. Some tasks may not seem urgent or important in the short term but can provide significant long-term benefits. Evaluating the value helps prioritize tasks that contribute to overall growth and ensures efficient allocation of time and resources. High-value tasks often align with strategic goals, boosting motivation and engagement. This approach leads to better decisions on what to prioritize or delegate and ultimately results in improved outcomes and satisfaction. Thanks for sharing your article with us.
27 + years Law Enforcement / Investigations | Behavioral Threat Assessment and Threat Manager | Administrative & Operations Management | Security & Risk | Master Instructor | Curriculum Developer | Business Owner
8 个月Insightful Chris Hsiung! I hope you and the family are well.
Complex Investigations | Crisis & Threat Management | Senior Manager | Corporate & Physical Security | Strategic Leadership | Budget Planning | People Management | Process Efficiency | Organizational Wellness
8 个月“A false sense of productivity.” This. To throw in a tiny bit of psychology, urgent is easier than important. Similar to how managing is easier than leading. Great article, Chris Hsiung. Right on point as usual ;)
Professor - CJ-Worcester State University | Host - The CopDoc Podcast | Author | Liberty University - Command College Program | Army Veteran | DEA - HHS IG (Retired) | Fulbright Alumni
8 个月Great post Chris! You provide an alternative to constantly putting out fires.
Division Chief (retired)
8 个月Completely agree. Several years ago as a police leader, I was moved to another division to lead a civilian unit that was struggling significantly with project management. I knew very little about how they operated but in the first few morning staff meetings, the very first obstacle was identified: they viewed every one of their 25+ overdue projects as a fire (urgent). Thus, bits and pieces of each project were getting done occasionally but none were getting completed and agency leadership was significantly frustrated. Once the mindset shifted to prioritization, the use of a comprehensive Gantt chart, and giving leadership authority to team supervisors, they were able to get things on track in short order. When everything is a fire, nothing is a priority.