Parallel execution
Keep your portfolio of activities in balance
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Planning and executing on lots of different activities in parallel can be a big headache. It's easy to unintentionally end up with too much to manage on some fronts, and simultaneously be underinvested on others (particularly if you are someone with a bias for action).
A simple technique for anticipating and mitigating this is to map everything out. Even if each individual activity on your to-do list makes sense in isolation, the important thing is that they sit together as a coherent portfolio of work.
To get started, think about each activity on three separate dimensions:
The time horizon for getting it done
The level of familiarity or certainty you attach to it
The anticipated size of the prize
Once you've mapped your portfolio you can give it a quick sense check:
Do you have the right balance of quick wins vs. long-term impact?
Does the degree of (un)familiarity match your risk tolerance?
Have you got enough bandwidth to run everything in parallel?
A balanced portfolio will typically include a range of activities that pay off over different time horizons, with greater clarity around near-term deliverables and more uncertainty about how long-term initiatives will play out.
It's not a hard-and-fast rule though – every situation is different, and sometimes a risky short-term bet or predictable long-term effort will make sense. The point is to be intentional about what you take on, thus maximising your chances of success.