Getting Unexciting Things Done

Whether at work or at home, we all have tasks that we enjoy doing and others that we just don’t find very exciting! Getting unexciting things done can be difficult. At times, we can share them with others, or even hire someone else to do them. Yet, there are also things that we just can’t give to someone else. For example, if my doctor tells me I need more exercise, I have to do that myself!

Every college course on organizational behavior addresses the issue of how to increase employee motivation to complete various tasks. The term “intrinsic motivation” applies to tasks that tend to be fun to do or are personally rewarding. Management theories suggest that the more “intrinsically rewarding” the task is, the less likely that people will postpone it or require close supervision.

As a young boy, I was expected to do several jobs around our home. I happened to enjoy mowing the lawn, yet disliked jobs like painting our white picket fence. Apparently, the dislike for painting fences goes back at least to the days of Mark Twain.

In Twain’s Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom tricks other boys into painting 800 square feet of wooden fence for him by convincing them that it is something “fun to do” (instead of work)! While this strategy paid off well for the clever Tom Sawyer, most of us have to figure out how to get unexciting tasks done without “manipulating” other people!

Getting Unexciting Things Done at Work

Let’s look at two categories of unexciting tasks or projects:

• Tasks that we can get other people to do.
• Tasks that we must get done ourselves.

When I was a U.S. Naval Officer, I had to write performance reviews for about thirty people in my division. I didn’t look forward to that task, yet I could not delegate it to someone else. Fortunately, there were many other tasks that I could assign to someone else!

Things We Can Get Others to Do

Several years ago, I did a project for a chemical plant. A member of the site’s Fire Brigade said something I’ve never forgotten:

“Everybody wants to fight the fire. No one wants to roll up the hose!”

Let’s take a closer look at the fire hose analogy. Because it involves a group of people, there are several ways to ensure that the fire hose gets rolled up and properly stored:

• Assign the task to certain brigade members based upon seniority (or some other criteria). If it takes at least two people, designate who those two will be.
• Rotate the task, regardless of seniority or other criteria. In this way, everybody does that task, yet not every time it is required.
• Get “volunteers” to roll up the hose. Some people may not mind doing it! Our work with personality assessments (like the WorkPlace Big Five) reveals that each of us have a unique set of personality traits that makes it either easier or harder to get certain things done!
• Ask team members for their suggestions about the best way to ensure that the hose gets rolled up. They may suggest a reward system, assigning the task randomly, or another option.

Applying These Principles to One Specific Task

Now, let’s look at a task at work that you consider unexciting or boring. Think of one such task and answer these questions:

• Is this a task that you could “assign” or delegate to a single person? If so, who would that be?
• Could you break the task up into smaller pieces and spread the work around?
• Could you pay a contractor or part-time person to do it?
• What other options could you consider for getting that unexciting task done?

Reflecting on Things You Really Need to Do Yourself

As mentioned earlier, there are some things that cannot be done by others. Pick an unexciting task that falls in this category. Then answer these questions:

• What is it about this task that makes it difficult for you to do?
• Do you always tend to avoid or postpone doing this task?
• What have you already tried to help motivate yourself to do this task?
• For large tasks, what rewards could you give yourself at certain milestones along the way?

Applying These Principles in Your Personal Life

I’ve focused primarily on how getting unexciting things done applies in work situations. But, many of these strategies also apply outside the work setting.

Let’s say that your teenage son tends to postpone certain chores you ask him to do. Perhaps you could “share the work” taking half of the work yourself – or just do it with him. You might ask your son if he has a friend who would want to earn some money by splitting the chore with him. Ask your son for strategies that might work for him. I bet he can come up with some creative ideas!

For personal tasks that you must do yourself, try to identify ways to reward yourself for getting unexciting things done (instead of procrastinating). How about rewarding yourself with dinner out? Or watching a movie you’ve been waiting to see? Or going to visit a good friend? How about sleeping in an hour later the next day? Get creative!

Hiring Others to Get Unexciting Things Done

If your budget allows for it, many of the things that you dislike doing at home can probably be done by others. You can hire people to organize your home office or garage. If you dislike yardwork, you can get a local yard helper or landscape company to do it. Obviously, a professional organizer or landscape service will probably have a different viewpoint about things that you consider to be “unexciting” tasks!

Are You Having Difficulty Getting Unexciting Things Done?

Consider hiring a coach! Contact us for a brief consultation about how coaching can help you organize your life, get unexciting (and exciting) things done, and meet your goals!