Get the big picture, then master your tasks Question: I have so many tasks on my plate that I often don't know what to do first. The e-mail flow is so heavy that I don't know how to organize it so that I can determine my next actions, let alone find time to answer them all. How can I get out of these trees so I can see the forest? Answer: Once you know what your forest looks like, you'll be able to see which trees fit. You'll then be able to get organized and take action. Outline the big picture of your job. Write down your top tasks and major responsibilities so you're clear about what you should be doing. List the time-eaters that are outside your scope, too. Then, gain focus by getting your e-mail under control. Assess which e-mails are necessary for your core account-abilities. Realistically, many are probably unrelated and could be deleted unread. Just like clearing clutter from a room helps you feel lighter, getting your work life in order will give you new energy. If you have hundreds of e-mails waiting, pare them by sorting by sender. Delete those that are information only, including newsletters and status updates for non-core projects. Create a system to organize the keepers based on your personal style. If you like a detailed filing system, replicate that in e-mail; use broad categories if they work better for you. Decide on an approach to track e-mails that need responses, perhaps creating a separate folder or using "action needed" flags. Then, file your remaining e-mails into your new system. Some simple steps can help maintain your system. Decide what time of day you'll review e-mails, and plan your work. Be disciplined about deleting unneeded e-mails unread and getting off unproductive distribution lists. To understand what the boss wants, understand the boss Question: My boss isn't very clear in his expectations for me, so I often feel like I'm falling short and not doing what I should be doing. How can I make this better? Answer: Understanding and communica-tion are the keys to improving your situation, and it's up to you to take the lead. Start by reminding yourself that both you and your boss want you to be successful at your job. Then, focus on gaining a deeper understanding of what you need to be successful, as well as insights into how his mind works. Take a recent task that your boss assigned, using it as an example to analyze your styles. Think about what he told you, other informa-tion that would've helped you, the frequency of progress checks and the clarity of the goal. Consider how you each gave or received infor-mation. Remember, this isn't about one way being better or worse—it's about gaining under-standing. Build on your insights by creating a plan to be more effective in working with your boss. Try meeting with him to discuss your ideas for setting clear expectations. When a new task is assigned, take the lead in how you seek information about his expec-tations. If he's more linear than you are, suggest walking through the task from start to finish. If you're more of a planner while he tends to go ivith thefloiv, offer to plan out the task. Generally, use your insights about his style to frame his expectations and increase his comfort with the steps you're taking to do your work—while you also get what you need. Even well-intentioned people can miss the mark when communicating about work expectations, especially under time pressure. Taking the time to understand how people operate and using that information to commu-nicate effectively can ease this challenge and set you up for success. You can share work and add skills without lowering standards Question: I find it hard to delegate tasks to others. A coworker told me I have "control issues." My boss says I need to stop being a perfectionist. But I feel that I need to do it all myself to be sure it's done correctly. Help! Answer: Perfectionism and control create a powerful, performance-limiting trap. Changing your approach to sharing work will open up more robust possibilities. Your first step is to explore the dynamics that lead you to maintain tight control. If errors that have been costly in the past, then letting go of control may seem risky. But you can make strategic decisions on which work to delegate and how closely to maintain thought. Also, consider the benefits of successful del-egation. You may have seen positive outcomes and high morale. Remind yourself of these examples when you're trying to ease up on control. And be open to learning from someone else's way of performing a task. You may be more in your comfort zone with detail work and less comfortable with strategic thinking. Consider which aspects of your job are a stretch, and be clear about your strengths and development needs. Your goal is to become comfortable with knowing what you don't know—and then to use this knowledge to grow. Start safe. Choose someone you trust to do a good job, and do a final review of the work. Widen the net of people you're comfortable with by delegating lower-risk tasks, gradually including more visible or complex tasks. To ensure that work quality is maintained, provide specific, actionable feedback while staying open to new or different solutions for accomplishing the task. And remember to express your appre-ciation. Perfectionism can hold you and your organization back. However, you can maintain your high standards while increasing your contribution by building your skills and investing in others. http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/feb/08jamal.htm --

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