Introduction
Goal-oriented working methods are common in departments, company management, and more. But for the individual, event-driven working methods are much more common in today’s companies. It’s a constant stress to meet all deadlines, emails and chats constantly crying out for attention, and the calendar is packed with meetings. When will it be time to do your own tasks? It feels like you must work around the clock.
There is a great risk that we are working too much event driven. But there are ways to better balance everything that happens and time for your own tasks. In this article, you will learn how to create a more goal-oriented way of working.
Multitasking is not the way to go to goal-oriented working methods
In today’s companies and organisations, most employees are white-collar workers. Many employees can therefore influence much of their daily performance level. Therefore, prioritizing the most important tasks is extremely important.
The access to large amounts of information and the possibility of fast communication via many channels means we are constantly in “standby” mode. We write, receive and wait for email/chat etc., use several computer programs simultaneously, easily answer yes to meeting invitations, and at meetings we bring the computers so our multitasking can continue.
It seems that we believe that efficiency is measured by how much we do at the same time. Research shows it is exactly the opposite. By doing two things at the same time (which require concentration), it takes 25% longer to get them done than if we did them one by one.
Research shows that doing two things at once (that require attention) takes 25% longer to get them done.
By doing one thing at a time, you become more focused and less stressed. This is a good way to create a more structured and goal-oriented working methods.
The secret of your future is hidden
in your daily routine.
Mike Murdock
Become more productive and reduce your stress with a goal-oriented working methods
Because we have a constant flow of communication, tasks and interruptions, there is a risk that we will not see the full extent of our work. We only see what we have on our ‘to-do’ list for the day. The rest is a bit abstract.
To see your full workload is a way of cementing it in your mind. By making the tasks visible by writing them down, you can look at the list and think about what you need to do in the next month. Write down the most important tasks. Then you set goals for what you want to have achieved with each work task by the end of the month. The next step might be to make a rough estimate of how much time you need to complete each goal.
When you make your tasks visible, the more concrete they become and the easier they are to remember.
Once you’ve set goals for the tasks for the next month, you can plan when you’ll do them. Some tasks are quick and can be written on a “to do list”. Other tasks may take several hours and can be booked as separate work meetings in your calendar. The advantages of booking appointments for your own meetings are that they are visible, planned, and that you have set aside time for them.
When the calendar has a mix of your own work meetings and other meetings, it will also be easier to prioritise the right tasks every day. You feel that you will have time, which also means your stress decreases. You are on your way to goal-oriented working methods.
With your own work meetings with a clear purpose and goal in the calendar, it becomes much easier to prioritise the most important work tasks every day.
Ulla Lilliehöök
