Was tun Sie, wenn Sie eine Führungskraft sind, die mit mehreren Problemen gleichzeitig jongliert?

"Who's got the monkey?" 🐒 Leadership OFTEN involves juggling numerous issues. Yet, managing an excessive number of problems without a clear end in sight is only sustainable for a limited time. Despite the complexity of our brains, effectively managing numerous tasks remains a challenge, let alone resolving problems. Before delving into prioritization, avoid hastily reorganizing urgencies or assuming every problem should remain your responsibility. Leaders often take on unresolved employee/peer problems. Just because the monkey landed on your shoulder, doesn't mean it should stay there indefinitely. 💡 I frequently pose this question: If I had to eliminate just 10% of the problems on my plate, what would I remove & how would I do it?

As an executive coach, I guide leaders in reframing their mindset to effectively handle multiple challenges and become more agile in the workplace. Utilizing tools like the Eisenhower Matrix, we prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. By adopting a strategic approach and delegating tasks according to team strengths, leaders can focus on high-impact activities while empowering others to gain new skills as they co-create solutions. Through coaching, leaders cultivate resilience, adaptability, and a clear focus on long-term goals, enabling them to navigate dynamic situations with confidence and achieve sustainable success. When a leader feels like they are drowning in problems, it usually means they are trying to row the ship alone.

Before saying yes to something, take a moment to evaluate if it's possible for you to do it. You don't need to say yes exactly when someone is asking something from you, you can say "let me check and I'll get back to you in 30 min (1h, tomorrow, whatever works for you)".

I think this is a very common situation for business leaders - to have too much on their plate. I used to feel like I was playing whack-a-mole. This is not likely to change anytime soon in the current business climate (but maybe I am wrong). Obviously, prioritization is the key. What needs your most attention? Does your team know that you are buried -can you delegate anything to them to help them grow while you get some much-needed support? Do your bosses know that you are underwater? I think sometimes leaders THINK they need to do it all - and this can cause further harm if you don't raise your hand soon enough to get adequate help.

Leaders often need to juggle multiple things and need to manage this as a necessary evil of the role. So prioritize regularly and make sure you are working on the most important items. Stop the sunk cost fallacy. do not spend any more time on any task just because you already spent weeks on it . if the item has no value anymore stop that and pick up the next most important item. Delegate like hell as you cant be a leader without that Develop a trusted team so you can avoid micromanagement

Delegation is a highly effective, often over looked, development opportunity. Some of the best leaders I have worked with are purposeful about involving others even when they have the capacity to do the work themselves. That way when they are stretched and need the help, they have a trained resource ready to go. The main roadblock, unfortunately, is fear. If delegation makes you nervous, consider where and how you would feel comfortable delegating down to someone. Then purposefully consider how to stretch your comfort level. Almost always, you will be pleasantly surprised by how well your team rises to the occasion.

Yes, the thing about leadership is YOU ARE NOT ALONE in dealing with problems. The key is to empower your team to be solutions driven.

Prioritize Tasks: Once you've assessed the situation, prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. Identify critical tasks that directly contribute to the organization's goals or address pressing issues. Use frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix or ABC prioritization to categorize tasks by importance and urgency.

Ensure that everyone knows the answers to: Who does what? By when? In your update meetings, ensure everyone is focused on the priority and has the resources they need to accomplish their portions of the tasks.

Delegate Responsibilities: Recognize that you can't tackle all problems single-handedly. Delegate tasks to capable team members or seek support from colleagues who possess the necessary expertise. Empower your team to take ownership of certain issues and provide them with the resources and guidance they need to succeed.

Frequently, embracing flexibility can trigger stress. It's natural for us to gravitate towards what has historically proven effective, whether it's our leadership approach, operational procedures, or interactions with colleagues. However, by discerning what is effective and what isn't, prioritizing key objectives, and focusing on what's immediately within our control, we can steer towards optimal outcomes.

Manage Time Effectively: Implement time management techniques to optimize your productivity and focus on high-priority tasks. Break down larger problems into smaller, manageable tasks and allocate dedicated time slots to address each one. Avoid multitasking, as it can lead to decreased efficiency and increased stress.

Communicate Transparently: Keep stakeholders informed about your workload and the status of various issues. Communicate openly about your priorities, challenges, and progress, and don't hesitate to seek assistance or reprioritize tasks if necessary. Transparent communication fosters trust and collaboration within the team and enables effective problem-solving.

When you find yourself juggling multiple responsibilities, examine the situation comprehensively. First, why are so many projects on your plate? Is there a need to reevaluate the distribution of work within your company? Secondly, is it necessary and strategic that you complete them all, or are there opportunities to delegate and provide growth opportunities to others in the organization? Third, prioritize. What is the most impactful and urgent item for you to complete first? Finally, audit how you can make the most of your time. Are there meetings you can skip or deadlines you can push?