Working on a team that includes Business Analysts,
Project Managers and Software Developers, the sphere of responsibility can
quickly grow out of control. Like any
team or organization, prioritization always represents a challenge and a great
manager made an interesting thought when some discussion was being made:
"Consider your sphere of control, your sphere of
influence and sphere of concern."
I loved this visual concept when thinking about
priorities. I found it a great way to reset myself.
Think about the things you CAN do (whether you should or
not is another thing to think about later) - these are things in your
control. If you can't change how the
other team will react, what their priorities are, etc., then stop trying to
control it. Control what you can and
prioritize that accordingly. Then those
things you're worrying about - consider what you can influence. And then only focus on those items. If you think you have no effect on the outcome,
then save your time. And then concern -
what do you need to know so that you can best plan your actions for the
future. These thoughts are great when
considering which meetings to attend.
Setup a meeting when you need action - control what you can and
influence others to attend and contribute so that you can move on with your
deliverables. When responding to a
meeting invite as what your level is for that meeting - control, influence,
concern.
And this can go both ways, especially when considering
organizational structures. A manager
that chooses to attend a meeting may positively or negatively influence those
attending.
Everyone is given 24 hours in a day - it is up to you how
you spend it, so prioritization gets to be a key component in your daily
actions. So remember what you can
control, influence and are concerned about and see if this approach helps you
streamline your day for more attention to higher priorities (like surfing! :)
).
What are your thoughts?
