Blog Post

energise your tasks

When you're overloaded with work, you need to go back to the basis. "What are you hired to do?" Some already find that question challenging. That basis also relates to why you started this job in first place: tasks that energise you. Here's a tool to review your job.

The tool I am going to give you is super simpel, but it needs some of your time and attention to complete it. So here goes.

1. Make a list of all your tasks. Be as specific and concrete as can be.

2. Check each task whether it's really linked to the core of your job.

3. Check each task whether it's energising you.

4. Check each task whether it is time consuming and occupying your agenda.

You can use this table below as an example how you could order it for yourself. I took the example of someone who works in a customer service team.

Tasks	Core of your job	Energising	Time consuming
Contacting clients about their product satisfaction	x	x
Sending thank you letters to clients	x	x
Registering phone calls in system	x		x
Reporting weekly reviews on contacted clients
Answering the phone and reporting complaints	x	x	x
Processing complaints through email or chat	x
Supporting new colleagues in onboarding		x
Updating the log for sales department			x

know what you're hired to do

First step is to check again your job description or have a talk with your team lead on what the core of your work is. My experience is that this really helps a lot in rechecking your focus and priority. It's likely that you have started doing all kinds of tasks that aren't really your responsibility. Even when you think it is part of your core work, watch what happens when you ask colleagues for feedback. Ask them what they think your job includes, it might open up a blind spot and take some ease of tasks you don't actually have to do yourself.

Another important question is 'which tasks really energise you'? You started this job for a reason, and in time to took on other tasks that are less energising. Or perhaps it is time you start crafting your job more to your own talents and skills and prioritise your tasks based on what is energising you! Simply put, after filling in this tool, go to your supervisor and/or team, and discuss how to re-arrange or delegate tasks so you can really focus on the core of your work and the tasks that are inspiring and energising to you.

During this talk, you can also address the tasks that are taking most time of your agenda. WHY are they consuming so much time?

Because they are complex?
The work process has delays (waiting for others to respond before continuing)?
You miss the talents or skill for it so it takes you longer time than necessary?
Or it's simply the quantity of work that takes a lot of time?

Whatever the cause, it is worth discussing. Because that time spent can either be improved and made more effective, or put elsewhere so your contribution becomes more meaningful and you feel better at work too. Perhaps you need help and it's not a job for 1 person only. Or the process is doesn't function properly and should be improved. Or maybe certain colleagues can coach or mentor you in the process, so you can actually learn and improve yourself while becoming quicker at doing it.

if you need tips for those talks or how to ask for help

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