What should you stop doing this week? The case for de-prioritising

I ran a masterclass recently on survival mode and sustainable performance.

And the question that got the most vigorous nodding reactions was all about de-prioritising.

Not your priorities (and FYI, "priorities" was never meant to be plural. You're supposed to have ONE priority. But I digress.)

Your depriorities (not a real word, should be). The things you're going to stop doing. The projects you're going to park. The meetings that could be an email. The good idea from three months ago that everyone is still carrying out of habit because nobody has given themselves permission to drop it.

Most teams have never been asked that question. And it's usually a revealing one.

Why survival mode makes you add, not subtract

When people are in survival mode, the instinct is always to push harder and do more. Add another strategy. Launch another initiative. Fill the gap with activity. If we're busy, we must be moving forward, right? RIGHT?!

But often the most powerful thing a leader can do is strip things out.

I know this from my own experience. I spent years working at a pace that felt productive but wasn't. The hours went up. The quality went down. I was always busy and rarely at my best. That's not a work ethic problem (I was so committed, too committed). It's biology.

Your brain cannot perform well indefinitely under chronic pressure.

Eventually it stops trying to perform and starts just trying to survive.

Why prioritising harder won't fix an overloaded team

Prioritising harder won't fix an overloaded list. Or an overloaded nervous system.

When teams are running on empty, asking them to work smarter is not enough. The list itself needs to change. The cognitive load needs to come down. And that requires a leader who is willing to make the call.

One question worth asking your team this week

What's one thing on our list right now that could just...go?

Not next quarter. Not when things calm down (they won't). Now.

You might be surprised how much everyone already knows the answer.

If this resonated, my free guide on tackling burnout goes deeper on the organisational side of this - https://www.clareekenny.com/free-burnout-guide

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