Lorenzo V Tan - Tips for CEOs to prioritize your work opportunities

Lorenzo V Tan | 5 Tips for CEOs to Prioritize your Work There are times when every work seems like a priority. It is hard to figure out where to begin. Such confusion and uncertainty quite understandably impact productivity at the workplace.

Having too many responsibilities at one time can become stressful for the CEO. The top guy in the firm has to attend meetings, make strategic decisions, achieve targets, manage finances and lead the organization efficiently. If you learn to prioritize your work, such multitasking becomes more manageable.

Most often, the problem is not a shortage of time. Rather it is undefined priorities.

If you had 30 hours in a day, would you have been able to finish all your work as planned? Unlikely, because work expands according to time available.

CEOs need to take a hands-on approach to prioritize work on a day-to-day basis.

Here are some tips are discussed by Lorenzo V Tan.

1. Create a list

Whether you are the CEO or an employee, the first step towards prioritizing your work is to jot down a to-do list.

First thing in the morning, create a to-do-list of all the tasks that need to be done that day.

Rank your work according to their importance or urgency. Ideally, you should put the client's work over internal work because delaying the client's work can have serious consequences while internal work can be done later on.

2. Set realistic targets When you set your priorities, try and be realistic. Make a to-do-list with achievable targets and set time estimates for each task.

3. Don't be a slave to e-mails The Smartphone today makes your office follow you wherever you go. But don't rush to check your e-mail every time you hear a ping. When you plan your day, set aside time for checking and answering emails. Try to stick to the plan unless you are expecting some important urgent mails.

4. Multi-task wisely Some people like doing several things, all at the same time. And the result is less productivity because none of the tasks get undivided attention.

As a CEO at House of Investments, Inc. Lorenzo V Tan says multitasking is good but it should not affect the quality of work. Ideally, manage different types of tasks in a day but at a given time, pay attention to a single task only.

5. How to handle equally urgent tasks What to do when you have multiple equally urgent tasks to finish? Figure out which task will be more time-consuming. Ideally choose the task that will take less time, so that you can finish it off and then focus your mind on the rest of the work.

For the CEO, prioritizing work can become difficult at times. If you are finding it tough to set your priorities clear, consider joining a network of CEO peer group where you get to meet experts and other CEOs from non-competing industries.

A CEO club provides a convenient, comfortable setting where you can share your fears with the experts openly and get honest advice and in-depth insight into dealing with a particular situation.

Lorenzo Tan says time is the most precious resource. Use it wisely.