Jason A. Belt

The first things I lose when there is chaos are discipline and organization. Inputs and asks come from all directions and I feel the pressure to act in response as the requests keep coming and then I keep reacting.

This behavior on my part gives the power over my organization to those external to it, requesting things from me, and so they drive the agenda.

First: External requests from other departments in a business are vital as a business is a team and these teammates are not requesting things at random or based on a feeling that just pops into their heads. There is some sort of trigger causing the request.

Second: Responding to those requests is equally vital as oftentimes these requests are client driven as well. Clients = revenue and revenue = life of the business.

How do I keep myself from losing discipline and organization when external factors drive more and more volume?

Sometimes I don’t. I am human and I want to do a good job and I want others to think I am doing a good job, so I do give in to the pressure to respond immediately. I hover over my email, and Teams, and or start obsessing over the “queue” of tasks coming from all sides.

Until I don’t anymore when the chaos becomes measurable by my lack of macro results and increase in stress responses.

So, when I finally pull out of the input and response tailspin…

Here are a few of the things that help keep me organized and making progress on the macro while fielding the micro day-to-day business demands.

1. I write things down on a physical post it and stick it on my desk…
   • if it is something that popped up and is not connected to a larger aim or project then it is something I cannot manage in our tools.
   • When the task is accounted for, I wad it up and try to make a basket from my chair into the trash can… feels good!
2. Use a collaborative note-taking app like OneNote, Notion, Evernote…
   • Place my team in it
   • Make note “buckets” that include daily, weekly, monthly, etc.. org subjects
   • Write about the items as we move and refer to the notes as a form of records and documentation related to decisions
   • Rely on the shared notes to bolster communication, collaboration, and transparency
3. Build an ongoing project management habit using a shared PM tool.
   • This tool has a record of each macro change being tackled.
   • The owner of the change can collaborate with others
   • Share work products and or documents
   • Updates and due dates can be tracked
   • Outcomes are measured by completed items
4. Constantly ask “Why”
   • When micro inputs hit the team, ask why are these groups asking?
   • Do we have a problem someplace warranting the ask?
   • Do we have a management system or process broken someplace?
   • Is someone struggling to keep up with their job?
   • Asking questions and then applying the lessons learned is crucial to making progress.
   • (BONUS) – external asks.. often indicate future changes.. so it is free advice from others that can be used to improve.. trash the ego and listen.

Progress over perfection is a mantra I say to myself when the heat is on and we are driving major change within the organization. Mistakes are great ways to learn, log, and make lasting changes.

So, when the micro inputs of day-to-day business pick up and I am tempted to lose sight of discipline and then my organizational habits… I focus on the above list and get back to those operating norms. In the end, the external teams within the org want to see progress and will appreciate transparency around lessons learned during your teams’ journey and you should ask about theirs too. The business is an organism made up of different people, processes, and technology demands, with a shared fate.

Happy Leading!