Flexibility is Everything

Being flexible with the weather is one thing. Being flexible when your boss says they’ll need that document finalized a week earlier is another thing entirely. We have all had these situations occur and they can be very frustrating! As a workflow coach, I’m always digging into people’s workflow to help them think more efficiently, offer tools and new ideas, and talk through frustrations. Below are five defining elements that I encourage people to think about when we get frustrated and pulled off track.  

Understand your current workload. When someone comes to you with a shifted timeline, you’ll need to know what else can get punted. Try classifying the work on your plate by highest priority and highest impact. Plus, it’s a good reminder that the lowest-priority and lowest-impact stuff could probably be pushed anyway.

Language to use: “If you would like me to take that on, let me know what I can let go of to make room for it.”

Ask why. This is to understand the big picture for the shift, not to sound like a jerk. More info will help you avoid resentment and frustration and may even build buy-in. 

Language to use: “Help me understand how this task or project connects to the bigger picture of our team/business/organization?”

Hold your ground. If you have done the first two and priorities can’t shift and there is no clear connection to the bigger picture, then you’ve got to be able to say no and then justify why—say no with kindness, and without guilt!  

Language to use: “I’m just not able to take that on right now, but I’m happy to help you find the right person for the job.”

Ongoing communication is key! Make sure you have your 1:1’s and team meetings set up, committed to, and dialed in to include the big picture of what you’re working on so the people you work closest to have a pulse on what you’re working on (and you on what THEY’RE working on).  

Language to use during the meeting: “Let’s look collectively at the next 30/60/90 days to make sure we are all synced up on projects and our big picture”.  

Be okay with discomfort. Admittedly, I am not great at this … when my schedule gets messed up, meetings get canceled, or people ditch appointments, I get uncomfortable because I like order and structure. However, I’ve learned over the years that every time this happens, I can get more comfortable with my discomfort. It’s an opportunity to accept it and remember that if I can’t change it, I shouldn’t get worked up about it!  

Language to tell YOURSELF: “Accept this change and find a productive way to spend the time that just opened up for me!”

All in all, flexibility is not about being reactive. As Cal Newport says in his book Deep Work, “High Quality Work Produced = Time Spent x Intensity of Focus. We can’t always control what’s happening, but we can control our reaction to it. Move the C in reactive and become creative! You just got the rare gift of having more time or clarifying your priorities. Now clear the decks and get to work on what’s most important.”  

Sara Caputo transforms how individuals, teams, and small businesses navigate workflow and increase workplace efficiency. Her work has been featured in Working Women, Success, and Forbes, as well as other national and regional publications. She can be reached at sara@saracaputoconsulting.com.