In the morning someone sits down to prepare a quote; first the phone rings, then a customer appears at the door, then news of a breakdown arrives. By evening the quote is still half done.
In small businesses, the day can often fill up with whatever comes in at that moment, and work that is important but seems able to wait can fall behind. This article looks at ways to tell urgent from important work and to make time for important work, through a series of questions.
⚡ Example scenario: At an air conditioning service, breakdown calls come in all day; maintenance plans and pending quotes wait their turn for weeks. When it turns out that a job went to another company because a quote was late, the service decides to set aside the first hour of the morning for quotes and to assess incoming calls briefly first. This habit can help keep important work from falling behind.
What Is the Difference Between Urgent and Important Work
Urgent work is work someone expects to be dealt with right away; important work is work that shapes the business's tomorrow but seems willing to wait. A task being urgent may not mean it is important, and an important task being quiet can push it into the background.
The table below summarizes types of work, examples and how each can be handled.
| Type of work | Example | How it can be handled |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent and important | A breakdown the customer expects fixed today | Right away |
| Important but not urgent | Preparing a quote, writing a task guide | With a fixed time in the calendar |
| Urgent but not important | An information question that can wait | With a short reply or later in line |
| Neither urgent nor important | Small chores that come up during the day | In a batch or in a free moment |
| Work someone else can do | A routine order check | By describing it and handing it over |
How Can Urgent Work Fill the Day
New requests during the day tend to break up the task at hand and pull attention toward whatever arrived last. When calls, messages and customers at the door come one after another, the day can end without a return to the planned work.
Knowing the first task before the day starts can help keep it from getting lost among incoming requests. We described deciding on tomorrow's first task a day ahead in our article on end-of-day steps to prepare for tomorrow; the topic here is the decision made when requests arrive during the day.
When Does Postponed Important Work Become Urgent
Important work left waiting can move onto the urgent list as its time runs short. A computer without a backup or a postponed quote can, on an unexpected day, become the only topic of that day.
We described how quiet but important tasks such as backups can be handled in our article on checks to make before your computer breaks. How giving a postponed task a new day can help keep it from being forgotten is covered in our article on why tasks from meetings get forgotten.
Why Can Everything Look Urgent
Some tasks look urgent not because they are, but because they were noticed late. When a gap in a job due soon is noticed on the last day, that day it can push other work aside.
Checking a job before handover and settling the day in advance can reduce work left to the last minute; we covered the steps of this preparation in our article on preparing to hand over a job to the customer. Before starting on a new request, asking whether it needs to be done today or can join the queue can also make the distinction easier.
How Can Time Be Set Aside for Important Work
Making time for important work can come down to deliberately opening a place for it in the calendar.
Three ways can stand out for protecting this time.
1. Setting aside the first hour of the day
The first hour of the day can be a time when calls and visits have not yet picked up. Setting this hour aside for an important task can reduce how often that task gets postponed during the day.
2. Grouping interruptions together
Looking at incoming messages and calls waiting for a reply in batches at set times during the day can reduce the need to drop work at each notification. A way to reach you in a truly urgent case can be left open.
3. Breaking important work into small pieces
A long task broken into pieces that fit short time slots can move forward even on a busy day. Noting where things stopped at the end of each piece can make it easier to return to the work.
How Can Urgent Work Be Reduced
Part of the urgent work has its roots in small gaps that could have been noticed earlier. When recurring urgent tasks are written on a list, it can become clear which of them could be handled in advance.
For example, a ready answer for calls that come with the same question, an order placed in advance for a material running low or a regular check can make it rarer for these tasks to turn urgent. These preparations can also sit among the important but not urgent tasks.
Which Tasks Can Be Handed to Someone Else
Part of the urgent work can also be done by someone else who knows the job. Seeing which tasks can be handed over can widen the time left for important work.
| Task | Who can do it | How it can be handed over |
|---|---|---|
| Frequent information questions | The employee who answers the phone | With ready answers |
| Routine order check | An employee who knows the orders | With a short guide |
| Arranging appointments | An employee at the front desk | With a shared calendar |
| Routing simple breakdowns | An experienced employee | By showing it in person |
| Tracking materials | An employee who knows the storeroom | With a simple list |
Before handing a task over, it may be necessary to explain how it is done. We covered when a written guide or showing it in person may suit a task in our article on writing a task down or showing it in person.
Summary
When urgent work crowds out important work, the tasks that shape the business's tomorrow can be postponed. Telling urgent from important, reducing work that only looks urgent because it was noticed late, giving important work a fixed place in the calendar, grouping interruptions and handing some tasks over can help strike this balance. Rather than saying no to requests, putting them in a suitable order may be enough in many cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can urgent work be told apart from important work?
Urgent work is work someone expects to be dealt with right away; important work shapes the business's tomorrow. Asking what would change if a task were not done today can make the distinction easier.
Why can important work fall behind?
Important work is usually quiet, and no one asks for it right away. Because requests arriving during the day are more visible, it can be easier to turn to them first.
How can interruptions during the day be reduced?
Looking at messages and calls waiting for a reply in batches at set times can help. A way to reach you in a truly urgent case can be left open.
Which hours can I set aside for important work?
The first hour of the day can be a time when interruptions have not yet picked up. Setting this hour aside in the calendar and breaking long tasks into pieces can help.
Should I say no to requests?
Putting a request in a suitable order instead of saying no may be enough in many cases. Telling the customer when it will be dealt with can make the wait easier to understand.
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