Urgent!

Urgency isn't the enemy – it's how we use it that determines if it helps or harms us.

1. Understand the Harmful Effects of Senseless Urgency

Modern workplaces are overrun with the idea that everything is urgent. Constant demands for immediate responses and rushed deliverables often lead to stress, burnout, and decreased productivity. This misguided sense of urgency harms mental well-being and results in inefficiencies, like missed deadlines and excessive rework.

Unproductive urgency comes in two forms: fake and avoidable. Fake urgency involves acting on tasks that feel pressing but aren’t. For example, reacting immediately to an email that doesn’t actually need an instant answer. Avoidable urgency, on the other hand, stems from poor planning or procrastination, turning manageable tasks into last-minute crises.

Overusing “urgent” labeling is detrimental both for personal productivity and team morale. By misidentifying priorities, we lose focus on what truly matters, creating a chaotic environment. Redefining "urgent" in its proper context – issues that are both important and genuinely time-critical – is the first step toward mitigating these harmful impacts.

Examples

• A survey revealed 72% of workers say unnecessary urgency negatively impacts their work and personal lives.
• Responding briefly to an unimportant email often costs 20 minutes of lost focus.
• Teams rushing due to bad planning complete substandard work, requiring fixes and causing delays.

2. Adopt a Proactive Mindset for Better Prioritization

Just like eating too much ice cream ruins your next meal, indulging unnecessary urgency disrupts your focus on more meaningful work. Developing a proactive mindset allows you to identify and act only on productive urgency, reducing stress while achieving more.

Productive urgency involves addressing time-critical matters that genuinely push progress forward. For instance, submitting an application for a limited-time opportunity or preparing essential reports under a deadline. Being proactive also means reducing the unnecessary pressure you inadvertently place on others, ensuring smoother workflows for all.

To cultivate proactive habits, start with small changes. Plan ahead to prevent last-minute chaos, consider the impact of your requests on colleagues, and avoid jumping to tasks labeled "urgent" without first assessing their true priority. By doing so, you'll create an environment of thoughtful action instead of reactive fire-fighting.

Examples

• Asking teams for input on priorities can help align efforts and prevent distractions.
• Shifting your mindset from “As soon as possible” to “As soon as reasonable” promotes calm, realistic timelines.
• Thoughtfully planning allows you to avoid overtime crunches while still meeting deadlines.

3. Build a Proactive Work System for Smarter Productivity

Your productivity depends on how well you manage incoming tasks and competing priorities. A reactive approach, like responding instantly to constant email alerts, wastes time and disrupts focus. Instead, operating within a proactive system ensures you control the pace of your work.

Organize all your commitments—meetings, tasks, and deadlines—in one centralized system for clarity. Prioritize based on start dates, rather than just due dates, to prevent procrastination. Daily planning can further sharpen focus; review three key priorities for the day and dedicate uninterrupted blocks of time to them.

Moreover, simple rules like turning off email notifications and capping meeting hours help recover focus. Encouraging team members to communicate deadlines explicitly when assigning tasks brings clarity and decreases the occurrence of avoidable mistakes.

Examples

• Digital calendar tools like Outlook simplify tracking both tasks and deadlines in one place.
• Blocking time in a calendar for complex, priority tasks prevents reactive interruptions.
• Limiting meeting hours allows professionals to focus on high-value individual assignments.

4. Use Urgency Dials to Manage Deadlines and Resources

When facing multiple priorities or tight deadlines, urgency doesn't have to be fixed. Six adjustable “dials”—time, quality, scope, resources, budget, and risk—help you manage challenging workloads by tweaking expectations.

For example, if time is non-negotiable, you might reduce the scope of a project or enlist more team members to get the job done. Similarly, scaling back on perfection (e.g., 80% good on time rather than 100% perfect late) can help meet realistic deadlines. These dials allow flexibility without sacrificing overall outcomes.

Engaging stakeholders in adjusting these dials encourages collaboration rather than conflict. Exploring options instead of demanding immediate results protects both morale and the quality of work being delivered.

Examples

• Negotiating deadlines with stakeholders can ease pressure while ensuring quality outcomes.
• Investing in additional freelance resources shortens project timelines.
• Adjusting project scope prioritizes alignment with core objectives over unnecessary details.

5. Respond Purposefully Instead of Reacting Impulsively

Reacting impulsively to every incoming demand can create unnecessary chaos. A better approach is responding with intention, which involves taking a moment to assess the situation and plan a course of action before diving in.

When requests hit your team, pause to consider their actual urgency before disrupting schedules. Respond to critical tasks thoughtfully by evaluating their importance alongside existing priorities. Leaders should also model responsiveness over reactivity by showing their teams how to weigh urgency rationally under pressure.

This deliberate approach prevents knee-jerk decisions and allows balanced, well-informed actions. Teaching your team these methods fosters independence and equips them to handle future urgent demands effectively.

Examples

• Posing calm questions to clarify a task's urgency prevents rushed, reactive decisions.
• Leaders modeling deliberate communication create a sense of control during high-pressure situations.
• Delegating or negotiating demands sustains focus on core goals while still addressing urgent needs.

6. Mobilize Your Team with Clear Goals and Rewards

Motivating others to tackle urgent tasks requires clear leadership. To drive action, demonstrate your personal investment in the task and help set manageable deadlines for success. This communicates value while respecting individuals’ time and energy.

Address accountability by reinforcing the importance of deadlines rather than letting them slip. At the same time, foster two-way conversations where team members can challenge deadlines that feel unmanageable. Rewarding teammates for exceptional efforts adds recognition and increases motivation.

Building momentum for longer-term projects also requires mobilization early on. Establishing short milestones prevents delays from piling up and keeps the goal visible and achievable.

Examples

• Hosting a team lunch after hitting a tough deadline shows appreciation for hard work.
• Allowing open dialogue around deadlines encourages mutual respect for priorities.
• Sharing project progress in regular updates maintains energy and focus over time.

7. Model Calm Leadership to Defuse Chaos

Leaders must maintain composure, even during intense emergencies, to influence their teams positively. Acting with purpose and calm under pressure helps others follow suit, avoiding unnecessary panic.

Interrupt cycles of overreaction by figuratively “stepping to the balcony,” meaning taking a detached view of the bigger picture. This helps clarify which priorities need immediate attention and which can wait. Offering clear communication about expectations and using humor occasionally can also release tension in high-stake moments.

Making yourself approachable further inspires confidence and allows your team to focus on meaningful work. A supportive, present leader boosts morale and reduces workplace urgency loops.

Examples

• Paramedics practice calm movements to handle emergencies effectively, a tactic leaders can emulate.
• Humor, like light-hearted warnings about overreacting, relaxes team members during tense situations.
• Leaders who are consistently available boost team morale and trust.

8. Avoid Creating Unnecessary Urgency for Others

Your work habits impact others. Prematurely labeling tasks as urgent or failing to consider how your needs affect colleagues can derail productive workflows.

Minimize avoidable urgency by practicing better planning and communication. When assigning tasks, offer detailed context, include clear deadlines, and ask about existing workloads. Thinking ahead allows you to make requests at times that accommodate others' schedules.

Encouraging others to execute their immediate work thoughtfully also eliminates the domino effect of fake urgency cascading through an organization. Setting this example can gradually improve collective practices.

Examples

• Poorly planned last-minute assignments often lead to mistakes and extra costs.
• Teams with aligned calendars can distribute work more evenly, avoiding excessive overlap.
• Defining "priority levels" for tasks helps downstream teammates manage their responsibilities clearly.

9. Language Matters: Shift from “ASAP” to “ASAR”

The language you use when assigning tasks greatly influences how others perceive urgency. Using aggressive terms like "ASAP" might pressure your team unnecessarily, pushing them toward burnout or rushed decisions.

Switch to “ASAR”—"as soon as reasonable"—to show mindfulness of your colleagues’ workload while still highlighting the task's value. This adjustment fosters trust and healthier collaborations. Save the term "ASAP" for situations where immediate responses are truly non-negotiable.

Ultimately, this practice sets a tone of respect within any organizational culture, positively redefining urgency from chaos to strategic action.

Examples

• Teams using “ASAR” consistently report less miscommunication and increased satisfaction.
• Highlighting task importance while allowing flexible timelines prevents internal friction.
• Leaders consistently using respectful language foster more cohesive and self-regulated teams.

Takeaways

1. Replace “ASAP” with “ASAR” to communicate urgency thoughtfully.
2. Set three non-negotiable priorities each day to maintain focus and control.
3. Turn off email alerts to reduce unnecessary interruptions and distractions.