Meeting Review: Effectively Managing Your Workload in a Dynamic Environment

Kirstin took us on a whistle-stop tour of effective tools for managing a heavy workload in a dynamic, ever-changing environment – whether that’s your own business or in an office, at home or hunting for a job- and how your personality type affects your capacity to perform your daily work effectively. This theme was familiar to a number of attendees who had undergone this type of analysis as part of team building initiatives at large companies. However, Kirstin’s message seemed to have more of an impact outside of the work environment, as we had the distance required to gain perspective on how our usual approaches may have been holding us back from achieving true efficiency. In this 2 hour workshop, we were able to focus on how to exploit our own strengths; and how to go about getting the best from our colleagues and associates.

For all the useful tips and tricks she provided for dealing with a demanding workload in the practical sense, the stand-out message Kirstin delivered was the importance of prioritizing self-care in times of stress. Judging by the murmurs of agreement in the audience, it seemed that for the majority, self-care (paying close attention to the needs of your body and brain) tends to be the first thing to fall by the wayside during these times- as Kirstin was able to show from her own experience. As the workshop was dynamic, attendees were able to contribute with tales of their own workplace triumphs and tribulations, and we shared our stories with our neighbours, helping us to get at the true reasons for our occasional underperformance.

Rounding off the evening with a run-through of the particulars of ‘saying no’ and managing stressful situations, we had learned several new tools and approaches, some of which we hadn’t considered before (simpleology.com looks set to change my life); and some we had but have been trying hard to ignore (the value of tackling the most difficult task on your agenda first). All in all, the workshop was a valuable lesson in cutting through the noise of our daily demands and effectively managing the truly important tasks.

By Annika Mills, PWG Guest

Thank you Annika for taking the time to write this!