As Soon As Possible
I’m not really a fan of the phrase ASAP, you might even say I detest it. The ambiguity of the time frame combined with the urgency of the phrase is unsettling and tough to deal with. You might consider “as soon as possible” to be the rough equivalent of “immediately” but I don’t believe that’s the case. The term “immediately” implies such urgency that you should drop what you are working on and delve into the new task, and while it may be a bad time management tact, at least it is unambiguous.
When someone utters the phrase ASAP they are suggesting it is urgent, but not that you should drop other urgent matters to do it. The problem with this is that it is tough to prioritize several minor emergencies without any further context. ASAP might end up being three days from now if you’ve got other urgent tasks that require attention as well, but someone who suggests that you get to something ASAP rarely means you should tackle it in three days. They may be upset when they inform you on the second day that they have a meeting in an hour and need that work done now.
The problem with an ASAP task is compounded by the fact that the type of person who requests them rarely bestows just one. How do you prioritize two tasks that need to be done as soon as possible? How do you prioritize three? The task list becomes muddy and impossible to complete satisfactorily and is really indicative of bad management more than anything else, but that doesn’t make it less stressful.
Ideally the phrase would be abolished and managers would never utter it in a professional environment, but inevitably you will be tasked with an ASAP project. When this happens, don’t just nod and grumble. Try to determine the real time frame required (if there is one). It is surprising how often a task gets over-emphasized for no tangible reason; the only thing this accomplishes is added stress. Invite them to help you prioritize the task correctly in sequence within your to do list if it isn’t immediately obvious how the task should fit into your personal schedule.
Using a shared task list and project management tool like basecamp can be extremely valuable in eliminating the stressful free fall of an environment where every task “must be done as soon as possible.”