Would you imagine which of the task a manager has to do within a day is the most energy consuming ?
A function that -if not done in a proper timing and under favorable circumstances- may just consume all the energy required for other tasks?
Well according to Neuroscience it is PRIORITIZING!
It is so hard because it combines different high-energy requiring outputs from many different parts of the brain in one single shot (!) : imagining, moving around concepts on which you may have no direct experience, understanding new ideas, making decisions, remembering and inhibiting impulses.
That’s why an important managerial skill is to know how to PRIORITIZE PRIORITIES by:
– always doing this as first thing in the morning, when you are fresh and energized – eliminating all sources of distractions (phones,emails) while doing it
– adjusting your day plans so that prioritizing is followed by more ‘automated tasks’ (like checking your emails or catching up with colleagues) which require less brain energy.
