Have you ever felt like too much is coming at you all at once? What if there was a proven way to cut through the chaos and focus on what truly matters?
At an organization I worked with recently, I found an all too familiar situation at play. Maybe it’s one that you’ve experienced before? Multiple demands landing simultaneously, each one seemingly urgent, each stakeholder expecting immediate attention. Your inbox overflows, your phone won't stop buzzing, and your calendar looks like a game of Tetris gone wrong. The result? You end up with this constant feeling of being overwhelmed, that your quality of work is slowly declining, and you always leave work with the nagging sense that you're still behind…
What if there was a systematic approach to handling this chaos—one that's been battle-tested in the most high-pressure environments imaginable? This is part 1 of an 8-part series helping describe that systematic approach. In this post, we’re talking about triage! A concept found in emergency medicine that could revolutionize how you manage your workload.
In The Emergency Room
In emergency medicine, triage is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. Not everyone who arrives at the ER gets immediate attention—and for good reason. The patient with chest pains needs attention before someone with a sprained ankle (though you still don’t love waiting if you’re the one with the ankle problem). What’s more, women in labor typically bypass the emergency room altogether! In most communities, women in labor are not treated in the emergency room but are instead quickly taken to labor and delivery
In business, we face a remarkably similar challenges – yet we forget what medicine has been successfully practicing for a long time. Not all requests are created equal, but our nature as humans makes us treat them as if they are, leading to:
- High-value strategic work receives the same attention as routine tasks.
- True emergencies are buried among "urgent" but less critical requests.
- Constantly shifting priorities lead to team burnout.
- Client satisfaction declines as nothing is completed properly or fully.
How Triage Transforms Business
When performing triage on incoming requests, these three questions create a comprehensive framework for decision-making:
- "How quickly would negative consequences occur if we don't address this?" (Urgency) This question focuses purely on timing and immediacy: Will problems emerge within hours, days, weeks, or months if this isn't handled? Is there a genuine deadline driving this request, or did somebody just make up an arbitrary date by which to finish? By isolating the time dimension, you can determine if something requires immediate attention regardless of its overall importance.
- "What is the magnitude of impact on business objectives?" (Importance) This question assesses value and significance independent of timing. Will this substantially affect your bottom line, strategic direction, or core operations? Or is it a minor enhancement or routine matter? Something can be extremely important but not urgent, or urgent but relatively minor in the grand scheme—this distinction is crucial for proper prioritization.
- "What specific expertise is required to deliver the best outcome?" (Lane) This final question determines who should handle the work. Does it need creative strategic thinking from senior leadership? Technical expertise from specialists? Efficient execution following established processes? Or collaborative advisory guidance? The answer maps directly to your service delivery lanes.
The Power of Triage in Your Conversations
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of implementing triage is how it transforms conversations. Instead of vague promises about "getting to it soon," you can have transparent discussions about priorities:
"Thanks for the conversation today. Just as a follow from our discussion, together we assessed this request as a Level 2 priority, which means we'll have it completed in the next 4 days. If you believe this is actually a Level 1 emergency that requires immediate attention, we'll need to discuss what other work will be delayed as a result."
This approach educates clients about the true costs of "everything is urgent" thinking and often leads to more reasonable expectations.
Start Small, Scale Gradually
You don't need to overhaul your entire operation overnight. Begin by implementing triage principles in your own work, then expand to your immediate team. As the benefits become apparent—less stress, better quality work, improved client relationships—you'll find others eager to adopt the system.
The next time you feel overwhelmed by competing demands, remember that emergency rooms handle life-or-death situations every day using triage. If it works there, it can work for you too.
Next week, we’ll explore the concept of 'Full-kit'—a strategy to ensure you're always prepared to tackle your priorities head-on.
Have you tried using triage in your work? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below!