During a recent Division retreat, a question arose about the escalating workload and how officers should prioritize their work. As the team discussed various methods to determine what is important and where to focus, it dawned on me that we often behave like fish in the sea — easily distracted by shiny objects.
These “shiny objects” (urgent tasks and activities) captivate us and pull our focus away from the path we’ve laid out in our three-year work plan. While these tasks may be urgent, they often do little to move us closer to our long-term goals. Redirecting finite resources to work on them will lead us astray and prevent us from achieving what is important. The allure of these distractions lies in their urgency, as work today is characterized by busyness instead of effectiveness, short-term gains over long-term success, and immediate gratification over sustained progress.
As leaders, we must adopt a reflective approach and stay focused on our work plan. We must regularly pause and evaluate the tasks before us. Is this task truly important, or is it just urgent? Will it bring us closer to our goals, or is it merely a distraction?
Only by staying focused on our work plan can we achieve our organization’s mission.
