FEATURE TOPIC
have a list, albeit an online one – so when ‘action my to-dos’ pops up in my calendar, I work through the list one action at a time. Yes, my mind will wander and I’ll think of many other things I need to do, often on an unrelated topic, but I won’t let my head lead the way. Instead, I add that off-topic thought to my to-dos and action it later down the list. What other techniques do you find effective in juggling multiple priorities? KB: Anyone who knows me will know I live by my lists. When it feels like there’s too much to do and it looks like it’s all unachievable, I take the time to write down everything that needs to be done. It enables me to make sure I don’t forget something that may be important. It also allows me to review and prioritise my work. Each day I’ll make a list, starting with whatever meetings are scheduled for the day, and that will show me what time I have to do other things. It enables me to plan the day and the week, making me feel in control of what needs to be done. IH: I think looking after your own wellbeing to keep a clear head and maintain motivation in others is as important as any clever tools for managing workload. So alongside using planning tools, I would equally rank the importance of wellbeing and ensuring that you’re setting realistic goals and taking breaks. We all have different ways of managing many tasks, but I always find everything more manageable when it’s captured in a list – whether that be on a notepad, spreadsheet or app – it just allows you to keep a clear head and focus on the task in hand. A simple scale or traffic lighting system may then just help keep the context of the most important or urgent tasks being looked at first. It’s helpful to use your calendar tools to set some reminders of deadlines but always make sure you leave yourself a cushion to carry out the work if it has slipped down the list. We have to remember that delegation and accountability are techniques that can provide an opportunity for others to flourish and develop. Use them wisely and perhaps adjoin them to ensure all of the team have had some basic training in project management that just allows them to follow the same thought process and approach when delivering change pieces of work.
This issue, Jerome spoke to: ● Karen Beckett BA (Hons) ChFCIPP , head of payroll & benefits, Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust ● Ian Hodson MSc ChFCIPPdip , director of people and culture, Housing21 ● Dougie MacInnes MCIPPdip , payroll manager, Midland Heart ● Maria Mason MCIPPdip , partner, national payroll team/business services & outsourcing, BDO ● Samantha O’Sullivan ChMCIPPdip , the CIPP’s policy and advisory lead ● Simon Parsons MSc FCIPPdip MBCS , director, UK compliance strategies, SD Worx.
What advice would you give to other pay and reward professionals on handling multiple tasks and priorities? Karen Beckett: At times, it can feel like you’re being overwhelmed with the amount of work and different tasks that need to be done. My main advice is not to panic. It can consume you and you then don’t achieve anything. Take a step back and evaluate what needs to be done. Also, I would suggest taking a break between finishing one task and starting another. This can help to reset your mind to focus on the next task. As a payroll professional, I believe it’s always important to be flexible, as inevitably you’ll need to change your priorities as other work comes in. But most importantly, take regular breaks. This can be during the day but also ensure you have protected downtime at weekends and during leave. Ian Hodson: I often think the part that catches us out isn’t always the pieces of work we are driving but the involvement of our professional time in the pieces of work being delivered by other operational teams. We regularly forget that pay and reward have contributions to make where policies are being reviewed, other systems are being implemented, costings are needed or where we need to review pay levels, and this often absorbs our time as unplanned and unexpected involvement. My advice here is to make sure you have established internal networks and clear communication channels with key stakeholders. I’m a big believer in “do it once and do it well”, so there is no point in not delivering to full expectations knowing that you’ll need to revisit the work again in the near future. Doug MacInnes: This is all about how you manage your team, which includes your direct reports, your stakeholders and those you report to. It’s about not doing it all yourself and playing to your team’s
strengths. Make sure they have objectives in place that support handling multiple tasks and priorities. Having regular one-to-ones, coaching your team, giving feedback (more positive than negative) and delegating tasks means everyone will buy in and knows what happens and when. So, handling multiple tasks and priorities is all part of their skill set and doesn’t entail additional stress, pressure or working additional hours. “My main advice is not to panic. It can consume you and you then don’t achieve anything” Maria Mason: It’s crucial we make use of technology such as task management software. These systems help us centralise task tracking within our teams, ensuring that critical payroll processing activities are completed on time, even in the absence of key team members. By scheduling each task for specific periods, the software alerts us when tasks are due or overdue. This visibility enables managers to monitor the payroll’s progress throughout the period, guaranteeing that no task slips through the cracks. Moreover, such systems maintain a comprehensive audit trail of all actions, data and reports, and facilitate the necessary sign offs by key staff or clients for each payroll period. Excel timetable spreadsheets can also be leveraged to manage payroll tasks and track processes. These should be stored somewhere central to ensure the whole team has visibility of which tasks have been completed and which are still pending. Samantha O’Sullivan: Only doing one job at a time stands me in good stead. Typically, my to-do list is as long as my arm – and I do
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 103 | September 2024
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