What Do I Do Next? The Class: ‘Prioritization In a Chaotic World’ Has the Answer

Examine nine ways to help understand context, diffuse politics, heal relationships, and find the right work at the right time

Published: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 - 12:00

(Modus Institute: Seattle) -- The eternal question: What do I do next?

We have goals (value to provide) that need to be completed. But there are so many of them, we don’t know where to start.

We want to do the right work at the right time. We want to make sure we get the important work done.

We want to make sure we have the capacity to deal with the urgent when it arrives.

The existential lament: I need to prioritize my work.

But how do I, with all my interruptions and unpredictable work, figure out what is the real priority?

How do I understand my context?

How do I let others know what I'm doing?

How can I get all my work done?

The eureka moment: Priority is achievable!

In the class, “Prioritization In a Chaotic World,” we examine nine ways to look at our work. One is our default setting, the other eight help us understand context, diffuse politics, heal relationships, and find the right work at the right time.

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Your instructor

Jim Benson

I have spent my career building large systems. From subways, to cities, to companies, to software, to skyscrapers. The movement of an idea from its first inception to completion excites me.

 Human endeavor requires people, capital, sweat, and a lot of frustration, but it is rooted in a central belief that we can create something from nothing and make the world a better place in the process.

Prioritization, our daily work, goal setting, planning, how we set up our systems to achieve results: all these rest in our ability to learn, to respond elegantly to change, and collaborate.

These classes take everything from my experiences and provide real, tangible, and realistic avenues for change.

Class curriculum

Introduction to the Prioritization Series
   Prioritization: The Right Work at the Right Time (10:38)
   What is Prioritization? (9:38)

 Why? Understanding the Need for Real Priority
   Why is Prioritization Scary? (7:02)
   What Gets In Our Way? (9:21)
   Respect Your Own Capacity (8:02)

 How: Mechanisms to Calm the Chaos
   Our Default Technique: Stack Ranking (6:03)
   Technique 1: The Priority Filter (9:20)
   Technique 2: Complexity (11:01)
   Technique 3: Unknowns & Fear (7:48)
   Techniques 4 & 5: Oldies But Goodies (5:40)
   Techniques 6 & 7: All About Us / All About Me (7:08)
   Technique 8: Projects & Relationships (6:25)

 Closing: The Right Work at the Right Time
    Right Work / Right Time: On Professional Pride, Understanding Our Work, & Quality (6:06)

Who should take this class?

When everything is a priority...nothing is a priority.

Prioritization isn't making a list, then ticking off tasks in order.

Prioritization is how we select the right work at the right time.

This class is designed for all of us who:
• Struggle to see real priorities
• Want to do the right work at the right time
• Have competing goals and tasks
• Desire a deeper understanding of the value we deliver
• Lack clarity around what we are doing and why
• Want more control over how and when we work
• Need to communicate overload or alert others to a looming problem… or are simply doing way too much.

We all want clarity, we all want to do the right thing.

Frequently asked questions

When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course—you decide when you start and when you finish.

How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like—across any and all devices you own.

What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Enroll in course: $129

About The Author

Modus Institute

Modus Institute classes are taught by Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria, who train, teach, and coach. They have written award winning books on applying neuroscience, lean, and organizational design to knowledge work. That’s a long way of saying they are keenly interested in how we work well together. They’ve found, after hundreds of client engagements, that nearly everyone comes to work ready to do a good job and to collaborate; business is just too good at putting up roadblocks. They help remove those roadblocks so professionals are satisfied, management is de-stressed, and customers are delighted.