Clashing priorities
This is a classic job interview question: how do you manage competing priorities?
I had this a few days ago, where two different colleagues, who were working on two different projects, sent me messages asking for help at the same time of day, and I'm the only one who can help them. Both of them need something done today. One of these people are going to lose out, and in this situation, I am the one who can decide how to direct my attention.
This is my thought process.
- Which of the two projects will fall behind the most if I don't help?
- Which project/colleague can afford to take a tempo hit more than the other?
- Can I pass off some information to one of them instead, and they do the labour based on that information? Passing off information means I don't have to actively occupy myself with helping them
- Which one is quicker to do? Is it possible to clear a quick one first and then focus on the second one which is longer?