You're juggling urgent IT issues and long-term goals. How do you maintain the balance?

To prioritize and categorize tasks effectively, I use - 1. the Eisenhower Matrix to classify tasks into four quadrants: Urgent/Important, Not Urgent/Important, Urgent/Not Important, and Not Urgent/Not Important. 2. I have also tried (and was successful) when applied the MoSCoW Method: Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won’t Have. 3. One can consider implementing RICE Scoring (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) to rank tasks or use Kanban boards to visualize and manage tasks: Backlog, To Do, In Progress, Done. Conduct daily stand-ups for quick reviews, weekly reviews for adjusting priorities, and monthly/quarterly strategic reviews for long-term goals. This ensures balance between immediate IT issues and strategic planning.

there are two approach that i have found effective in these instances 1/ set aside a dedicated time, say few storypoints every sprint or 20% team capacity to work on long term goals e.g. modernisation, reducing tech debt etc. 2/ while dealing with urgent IT issue, not only fix the issue at hand but do a RCA and put in the long term fix to avoid similar problem to reoccur. Prioritising long term quality goals acts as flywheel to help reduce time to find RCA & fix urgent IT issues and will also help in overall decrease in number of urgent issues.

As per my opinion both handling urgent IT issues as well as taking care of long-term goals, are important. However, one needs to prioritize them wisely. When urgent IT issues arise, it is crucial to assess the impact of IT Issues on business operations. One needs to categorize the issues based on their severity. For instance, a server outage affecting customer transactions takes precedence over a routine software update. This doesn’t mean sidelining long-term projects; it is all about finding a rhythm that allows you to address critical issues without derailing future plans. The organization needs to allocate funds and resources effectively to maintain progress on both fronts.

The prioritization of opportunities must be done using known criteria, which we have already used in other practices. To gain the trust of stakeholders and shareholders, it is important to demonstrate short-term results and present a consistent plan to achieve medium and long-term results, with their respective check points. As a rule, resources are not infinite. Most of the time they are scarce. Therefore, it is necessary to employ the best effort in what brings the greatest result to the most relevant processes. The key success factor is knowing how to qualify opportunities from this perspective.

Una opción es utilizar el método de clasificación basado en la matriz de Eisenhower, donde se identifica qué es urgente e importante y qué puede esperar. Esto permite abordar las crisis inmediatas sin descuidar los objetivos estratégicos. Dedica tiempo semanalmente a revisar y ajustar tus prioridades. Involucra a tu equipo en este proceso para obtener diferentes perspectivas y asegurarte de que todos estén alineados.

Practically all the techniques and tools necessary for the survival and growth of businesses supported by IT in their day-to-day lives have already been invented. So, when you are involved in activities other than research and development, there is no need to seek merit for the authorship of things. The good use of available resources, in an effective and efficient way, desirably innovative, is a great advance, makes a lot of difference and can turn into a great advantage. Reducing the complexity of activities, subdividing them into smaller tasks, using ready-made elements, accelerators, will make it possible to achieve results before others.

Streamlining processes is essential for managing both urgent IT issues and long-term goals. Evaluate existing workflows and identify areas where improvements can be made. Implementing automation tools and standardizing procedures can significantly enhance efficiency, freeing up time and resources to focus on strategic initiatives. By simplifying processes, teams can respond to urgent issues more swiftly and dedicate more energy to achieving long-term objectives. Continuously refining and optimizing workflows ensures that teams remain agile and responsive in a dynamic IT environment.

By automating routine tasks, such as network maintenance or incident management, you not only reduce manual effort but also free up time for more strategic planning. This efficiency helps prevent daily disruptions from consuming all your strategic bandwidth, allowing your team to stay focused on long-term objectives. Leveraging automation tools can significantly enhance productivity and ensure that both urgent issues and future goals are effectively managed.

All people have capabilities. It is essential to know how to recognize them, value them and give them the necessary confidence so that they always deliver their best. People need to feel that they are part of the whole, that their task is relevant and that they have autonomy. No one wants to feel like a button to be pushed. People want to feel recognized and able to make their own decisions. To achieve this, each one needs to be placed in the correct position, the activities need to be subdivided according to the level of complexity, and distributed in such a way that everyone can carry out their tasks, from end to end, autonomously and without failure.

Building a team with diverse skills and empowering them to make decisions enhances competence in handling urgent IT issues. This approach not only fosters a sense of ownership and accountability but also enables you to focus more on planning and executing long-term IT strategies. By delegating effectively, you can ensure both immediate challenges and future objectives are addressed efficiently.

Delegation is a powerful tool for balancing urgent and long-term tasks. Assigning tasks based on team members' strengths and expertise allows for efficient handling of both immediate and strategic work. Encourage a culture of empowerment where team members take ownership of their responsibilities and contribute to achieving the organization's goals. Effective delegation not only distributes the workload evenly but also fosters a sense of collaboration and accountability within the team. By leveraging the collective skills of the team, IT leaders can focus on strategic planning and decision-making.

Always keep the long-term vision in mind but flex priorities when necessary. No long-term plan survives the realities of "today" in its entirety. Strategy adjustments are needed even in absence of specific issues because in the world of IT nothing ever stands still. The key is to only allow adjustments to the plans that do not contradict or completely deviate from the long-term vision. It can be tricky.

Flexibility is crucial in managing the demands of urgent IT issues and long-term goals. Encourage a mindset that embraces change and adapts to evolving circumstances. This involves being open to revising plans, reallocating resources, and shifting priorities as needed. Implementing agile methodologies can provide the flexibility required to respond to urgent challenges while maintaining progress toward long-term objectives. Embracing flexibility empowers teams to innovate and find creative solutions, enhancing their ability to navigate complex IT landscapes effectively.

The key is to integrate these changes into your overall strategy while keeping your long-term goals in focus. This flexible approach ensures that immediate challenges are managed effectively without derailing your broader objectives.

Ensuring that every team member understands both the urgent tasks and the broader strategy helps align efforts and minimizes the risk of missteps. Regular updates to stakeholders about how urgent issues are being addressed and their relation to the overall strategy are vital for maintaining cohesion and ensuring everyone is on the same page. This transparency helps in managing both immediate needs and long-term objectives seamlessly.

This investment enhances your team’s ability to handle urgent issues efficiently while also supporting your long-term goals. A well-trained and skilled workforce is better equipped to tackle future challenges and drive sustained success. Your approach underscores the importance of preparation and continuous improvement in achieving both immediate and future objectives.

Even when solving problems in the short term, you should always keep the long-term, strategic goal in mind. You should consider whether what you are currently doing could still be useful in five years' time. In this way, you can often avoid having to do things twice.