The Joy of an Empty To-Do List
At work, one of our case management databases allows you, supervisors, or almost anyone to place call-up dates on cases that are on your docket. It's not anonymous but also not super transparent who placed the call-up. In day-to-day operations there is often a call-up attached when a case first comes onto your docket so you notice that a case has been added. After that, it is usually people managing their caseloads that place additional call-ups to track the status of cases.
Now that we understand call-ups a little bit, allow me to introduce the idea of expired call-ups. This is simply cases where it is passed the call-up date, and the flag has either not been changed or removed. This can happen for any number of reasons. Mostly innocent or non-consequential. A few might be real boo-boos.
It's not uncommon for my coworkers and I to have expired call-ups on our cases. Often times, we only have the opportunity to review them once or twice per week. Or maybe we were on vacation, or otherwise away from the office. Today when I logged on, it was with much dismay that I realized that my expired call-ups had grown to 4 pages! Approx. 80 cases that all demanded my immediate attention. Talk about a stressor and cause of anxiety.
It was immediately apparent that this situation had to be resolved. And quickly. Here is what went into getting things back under control.
1. Look for call-ups placed by someone other than me.
These would most likely either be new cases that I needed to be aware of or cases that my supervisor needed more information about. Do these first.
2. Look for really old, expired call-ups
These were most likely cases already updated or completed and I simply forgot to remove the call-up. Easy fix.
3. Look for today's call-ups.
This is the opposite of the above. These cases likely have actionable deadlines approaching and should be made a priority.
4. Now dig into the rest.
5. if whatever action needed could be done in just a few minutes, do it.
6. If not, determine if there was a hard deadline looming on the case and schedule new call up accordingly.
7. For the more routine, or long-term cases...
... I started with the oldest remaining ones first.
8. The first 3 got a call-up assigned for tomorrow.
9. The next 3 were assigned the day after tomorrow.
And so on, until all the cases had been assigned call-ups stretching out for roughly a month.
As an aside, When I only had about 3 batches left to assign it was time for me to go to a planned appointment. Well, that appointment had to wait a little bit. It was addictive to be so close to an empty call-up box.
10. Starting tomorrow, make reviewing, completing, and updating my daily call-ups a morning routine / habit.
This is going to be the hardest part by far. But I'm motivated. At least right now.
11. Remembering what it felt like to have that empty box.
It was both a mental and physical rush of relief and satisfaction. This will surely decrease over time but hopefully it will remain the primary motivation for daily call-up completion.
12. Creating a new baseline gives you many advantages.
Chief among them is the opportunity to see daily progress and accomplishment.
No comments.