Handling a new manager who changes priorities daily

Hey Amelia,

I've been in a similar spot with a manager who kept flipping priorities, and it drove me nuts until I addressed it directly but nicely. Start by scheduling a quick one-on-one chat, maybe frame it as wanting to align better on goals to ensure you're delivering what they need. You could say something like, 'I've noticed priorities shifting a bit, and I want to make sure I'm focusing on the right things - could we touch base on the top three tasks for the week?' That shows you're proactive without sounding complainy. To lock in scope, ask for a brief email confirmation after any changes, so you have a record. It helps avoid misunderstandings and gives you something to refer back to.

For lightweight systems, suggest a shared Google Doc or a simple Trello board where everyone lists tasks and marks priorities with colors - red for urgent, yellow for medium. This won't slow things down since it's quick to update, and it lets the whole team see the big picture at a glance. You could even propose a 10-minute daily huddle via Zoom to confirm the day's focus, which keeps everyone on the same page without adding bureaucracy. If your manager's open to it, mention how this has helped other remote teams stay efficient. Just remember to emphasize how these ideas support better output, not criticize the current chaos.

Just schedule a quick call with your manager and be direct about it. Tell them the constant changes are throwing off your focus and you need clearer priorities to meet expectations without burning out and especially with kids demanding my time after hours. Suggest a simple shared doc or tool like Asana to lock in tasks for the week. I've done this before and it helped stabilize things without seeming whiny. Make sure to frame it as wanting to deliver better work. That way, you're proposing a solution, not just complaining.

Your manager sounds like they're winging it, probably over their head. Quick tip: send a daily email recapping the new priorities to get written confirmation. Propose a lightweight system like a shared Slack channel for updates only. Cover your bases, because if things go south, you'll have proof.

Been there with a boss who changes direction while I'm trying to line up daycare pickup and actual work. I started sending a morning note at 9 with the top three tasks and wrote, to confirm, today I'm doing A, B, C. if something new comes in, which of these drops. Then I asked to lock those for 24 hours unless it's a true emergency, and I framed it as wanting to hit their metrics and protect quality since I cannot do unplanned evenings. Offer to set up a tiny Kanban board visible to both of you so whatever is in Today is the commitment and everything else sits in Next. Suggest a 10 minute daily check where you say what you will not do as clearly as what you will do. The key line is, I can pivot, but when priorities change, tell me what moves out and the new deadline, otherwise quality will slip.