Triage Tactics: How To Get A Grip When You're Overburdened With Work

In an emergency, physicians and nurses are in the same predicament as you are—everything requires immediate attention—but the stakes are much higher. (The first step to remaining calm is recognizing that your position isn't as bad as being in a room full of burn victims.)

Triage 101

Here's my opinion on how small-business entrepreneurs might use triage tactics:

1. Breathe deeply in and out.

You can't concentrate because you're thinking about all that has to be done today. You can find yourself whirling in circles, unsure of where to begin. Start standing up, close your eyes, and inhale several deep breaths if you find yourself in this situation. Make a promise to yourself that you'll get through this, and then get a pen, paper, and a calendar and start writing lists. Sharpies and Post-It notes, I swear, are the lifeblood of my company.

2. Evaluate.

What definitely must be completed today, and what may be deferred? We typically panic when we see a full calendar, even when some events aren't fixed in stone. If you had planned to begin a project due next month today, but numerous clients have recently requested bids that you must submit tomorrow, push the job with the longer deadline back. Cancel any meetings and appointments that aren't absolutely necessary. You don't have to read your email newsletters. Try to give yourself as much breathing room as possible.

3. Establish a priority list.

If you don't want to let one of your clients down, you need to be brutally honest with yourself about your priorities. After you've decided on a way, get started: Prioritize based on income (the best-paying work gets first priority), client relationships (your biggest client, your oldest customer, or the new client you want to amaze gets your time and energy first), or any other reason that makes sense to you. For example, if you have a high-paying client who only uses your services occasionally, they may be ranked lower on the priority scale than someone who spends less but is a frequent customer.

4. Make a deal.

If you have sympathetic clientele, you may be able to purchase more time. Ask if a deadline or delivery date can be extended, or if a meeting can be rescheduled if you're genuinely stuck. Don't push it if the customer is hesitant or if you get the slightest feeling you're intruding. There are situations when changing a date or deadline is no problem, but you'll never know unless you ask.

5. Assign responsibilities.

As entrepreneurs, we frequently become overwhelmed due to taking on too much. When you're prioritizing your duties, think about what you might delegate to somebody on your team. (Triage nurses don't really treat the patients; instead, they pass them on to someone else.) If the issue calls for it, you may choose to hire independent contractors to do the task. Even if it makes the difference between upsetting a client—and maybe losing their future business—and maintaining them as a customer, hiring someone to do the work is likely well worth it. Just make sure you don't waste more time explaining and supervising the individual to whom you're delegating than you would if you did the task yourself.

Doing Prior Planning

Spend some time at the end of the day (which will most likely be dawn the following day) checking your future calendar and rescheduling anything you've put off, so nothing falls through the gaps permanently. Also, make efforts to make future overload less likely and make coping with it simpler the next time it occurs. Try:

Include "buffer time" in each day's schedule. You'll be better prepared to handle last-minute problems without causing your entire day to be thrown off if you're not booked to the last second.

Delegating. As I previously stated, this is an important aspect of the triage procedure. Develop a strategy for delegating if you don't already do so. Begin with easy tasks and work your way up. You'll lessen your workload and be less likely to need triage in the future if you delegate while you're not in crisis mode.

Putting together a village. Have a list of dependable contractors, freelancers, or anyone you can call on at a moment's notice, so you aren't caught off guard when you need help the most.