3D’s for loving life, including work
Lately, my clients have been lamenting about all the things they do not like about their jobs. Newsflash - no one likes every task required for their role. When we dig into what percentage of their day is filled with tasks they loathe, there’s a magic number I’m looking for. If we determine over 50% of their week is filled with tasks they dread, that’s a big red flag for me. That employee is on track to be disengaged and start looking for a new job.
The 3D framework below will provide you with a cheat sheet for what to do with tasks you dislike.
#1: DUMP IT: Can you eliminate the task? What will be the repercussions? Will anyone even notice? One client stopped scheduling an unproductive meeting, and no one questioned her. Another client decreased her attendance at a recurring meeting by 50% and the only consequence was that her mood and productivity improved.
#2: DELEGATE IT: Might someone else be the better person to do the task? Or perhaps just getting help from someone for a part of the task would help it seem less dreadful. With today’s apps, platforms, and AI, you may also be able to delegate some tasks to technology. Outsourcing to a virtual contractor can be another efficient and cost-effective option for tasks you loathe.
#3: DO IT DIFFERENTLY: How might you enjoy the task more? Can you leverage a strength of yours? How might you need to rethink your role to include these tasks? A manager I was coaching, just wanted to get his “work” done, and not deal with the people-side of managing a team. Expanding his idea of a manager’s responsibilities, that his main function was to enable his team to succeed by helping each team member with obstacles, planning, or whatever else was needed, was the “aha” moment he needed to look at those people-tasks differently. Another client “batched” the tasks, setting a regular time when low energy tasks get done; such as on the first Monday of each month, 3 hours will be spent on xyz set of tasks. By doing this, those tasks aren’t hanging over you the rest of the month.
Take time to notice the tasks that always get pushed to the bottom of your list. These are the tasks to focus on first. To tackle the tasks you put off, think of the 3D’s. Can you DUMP IT, DELEGATE IT, OR DO IT DIFFERENTLY? If so, you may be able to re-engage, focus more on the tasks you enjoy at work and, in turn, find joy once again in your job.
Click here to download The 3D’s cheat sheet.
Warmly,
Bijal
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Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC