1. How to Manage Conflicting Priorities
2/24/2011
Work -- Personal Life -- School? Managing Conflicting Priorities: Making Decisions About What Is Important And What Is Not
Kathleen E. High, M.Ed., GCDFI
Education & Career Consultant
Dream Chasers & Goal Setters
Kathleen E. High, Adjunct Counselor, Cypress College

2. Why this workshop? Personal Experience: Professional Experience:
18 years as a community college student (pursuing a 2-year degree)
Finished 120 units in two years at the university
Spent the next two years obtaining my master’s degree
What was the difference? Learned how to identify priorities
Professional Experience:
Teach a variety of “college success skills” classes
Discovered I was pretty typical
Most students struggle with the same issues I did
Conclusion: Most students have difficulty knowing how to prioritize
Many adults in transition also have difficulty prioritizing
Academic Success
Career & Life Planning
Career Exploration
Academic & Life Success
Educational Planning
Freshman Seminar

3. How Do You Determine Priorities?
YOU NEED TO DECIDE WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE
You are the one who knows the intricate details of your life
You will be the one to live with the consequences of how you prioritize
There is no magic answer….
But, there are a few things to consider:
Awareness of Self
Different Types of Needs
“Needs vs. “Wants”
Values
Dreams
Goals
The “Rules”
Consequences
Tools for Determining Your Priorities

4. Awareness of Self - Who Are You?
Ask: Who Am I?
Generation
Personality
Interests
Culture
Values
Dreams and Goals
“Season of Life”
Role(s)
Responsibilities
Boundaries

5. Awareness of Self Who Are You? (Cont’d)
Follow Up Activities:
Take Career Assessments for Self Awareness
Meet with your case manager
Consider Taking Classes:
Career Exploration
Academic & Life Success
Handouts:
Culture, Education & Unspoken Expectations
Boundaries
Generational Values

6. Different Types of Needs (Maslow)

7. “Needs” vs. “Wants”
Sometimes the challenge is in not recognizing the difference
Ask: What Are My “Needs”?
Ask: What Are My “Wants”?
Follow Up Activities:
Take Career Assessments
See Your Case Manager or a Career Counselor
Handouts:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Culture, Education & Unspoken Expectations

8. “Needs vs. Wants”

9. Values Ask: What is important to you? Follow Up Activities: Family
Work
Education
Career
Moral Integrity
Independence
Spiritual Life
Etc.
Follow Up Activities:
Take Career Assessments
Handouts:
Success
Opportunity vs Security
Values Survey
Culture, Education & Unspoken Expectations

10. Dreams Ask: What do you want for your life? Follow Up Activities:
Career
Family
Financial
Education
Independence
Travel
Own your own business
Retirement
Follow Up Activities:
Workshops: Empowering You: Job Seeker Strategies
Take Career Assessments
Classes: Take a Career Planning Class
Handouts: TimeLine
Dream Chaser’s & Goal Setter’s Journey
Success

11. (i.e. How will you get there?)
Goals
Ask: Have You Set Goals to Achieve Your Dreams?
What Do You Need to Do To Achieve Them?
(i.e. How will you get there?)
What Are Your Short-Term Goals?
What Are Your Mid-Range Goals?
What Are Your Long-Term Goals?
Follow Up Activities:
Workshops : Job Seeker Strategies
How to Get Your Dream Career
Handouts: TimeLine
Dream Chaser’s & Goal Setter’s Journey
Reaching Career Goals
Setting Effective Goals

12. The “Rules”
What are the “rules” (official policy, actual law, informal)
Are the “rules” legitimate? (Official vs. Unofficial)
Are the rules current and still in effect, or have they changed?
Who established the rule? (Is their authority legitimate?)
If differing authorities create conflicting rules, which authority takes rank? (i.e. importance, power, etc.)
If rules conflict with each other, which rule takes rank?
Will there be consequences if you disobey the rule?
If a conflict in consequences, which consequences would be greater?

13. Deadlines Are their deadlines involved? If yes –
What would be the consequences for not meeting the deadline?
Are the consequences greater for one missed deadline than for another?

14. Codes of Ethics Many professions have an official “Code of Ethics”
Read the actual code itself
Ask yourself:
What codes are of issue?
What does it say?
What is the ‘spirit’ of the code?
What would be the consequences if the codes are violated?
Consult with another professional/supervisor if in doubt

15. Consequences What will happen if you DO this thing?
What will happen if you do NOT do this thing?

16. Time to Identify Your Priorities
What is Your Season of Life?
What is Important? / What is Urgent?
Rank Your Priorities
Rank Your Sacrifice Items
What Can Wait?
Are Your Goals and Priorities Taking You in the Same Direction?

17. Current Season of Life? Dependency Play Independence/Self-Sufficiency
Sacrifice
Survival
Care for Self
Breaking
Care for Family
Solitude/Isolation
Learn
Introspection
Work
Restoration
Rest
New Beginnings

18. What Is Important / What is Urgent
Ask: What is Important?
What did you identify before?
Ask: What is Not Important?
Anything that interferes with “Important”
Ask: What is Urgent?
Will happen if I ignore this?
Major Negative Consequences!
Ask: What is Not Urgent?
Answer: Nothing Serious!
Follow Up Activities:
Workshop: Empowering You: Job Seeker Strategies
Meet with Case Manager
Handouts: Discerning Seasons
Covey’s Quadrants
Priority Clarification Exercise
Priority/Goal Alignment
Managing Financial Responsibilities
Difficult Choices

19. Ranking Priorities
What is so important that you don’t want to loose it?
What is Priority Number 1
What is Priority Number 2
What is Priority Number 3
What is Priority Number 4
What is Priority Number 5
Note:
Notice there is no such thing as two Priority #1’s
There is only ONE #1, and then you have ONE #2

20. Ranking Sacrifice Items
What is not important, and that you are willing to give up to maintain your priorities?
What is Sacrifice Item Number 1
What is Sacrifice Item Number 2
What is Sacrifice Item Number 3
What is Sacrifice Item Number 4
What is Sacrifice Item Number 5
Note: These items must be different from your list of priorities – This is what you would be willing to give up to keep your priorities

21. What Can Wait? “What can wait without incurring major consequences?”
One Hour
One Day
One Week
One Month
One Year
Until Payday
The end of the semester
A more convenient time

22. Priorities & Goals – Going the Same?
What Are Your Goals?
What Are Your Priorities?
Are They in Alignment? (Going the Same Direction)
If not, you will NOT achieve your goals
If Not in Alignment, What Do You Do?
Change Your Goals - or -
Change Your Priorities

23. Wrap Up Reminder: Who should determine your priorities?
What do you need to consider?
Who are you?
“Needs vs. “Wants”
Values
Goals
Tools for Clarifying Your Priorities
Ask yourself?
Based on what you learned today, ask yourself:
Do you have a general sense of where your priorities should be?
How are you going to “prioritize learning how to prioritize”?
What next steps should you take based on what you learned?