How to Efficiently Set Up Priorities

Image: Make priorities clear using colour-coding ideas

This article, authored by Cory Popescu was first published on the blog of the Society of Internet Professionals (SIP). SIP is a not-for-profit, Toronto (Canada) based International organization to connect, learn and share. Our Vision is to provide the opportunity to leverage technology to have an inclusive future for everyone.  Since 1997, SIP has spearheaded many initiatives, educational programs, and networking events.

Setting up priorities in a tasks list is crucial to organized work and to its completion in due time. Establishing correct priorities means that you are in control of your time and of the results of your projects. By organizing your plans and tasks lists appropriately, you gain more time and consequently can use it to grow your business, career or life.

In order to attain increased work efficiency, you would establish the priorities in the following way:

•    The action list for the next day is conceived and released the afternoon before you leave the office. This translates into an efficient start point for the next day.

•    Categorize your tasks by priorities, so you can act upon them accordingly:

     Priority #1: crucial and prompt, to be done immediately.
     Priority #2: to be done today, however not critical, may be delegated.
     Priority #3: important tasks, minor delays may be accepted.
     Priority #4: routine, not essential tasks which can be performed casually.

•    Respect firmly your action lists, their priorities and deadline. Defend them in front of your peers or bosses if necessary. The successful completion of your task lists lead to achieving your ultimate goals.

•    Be relentless about receiving un-planned extra tasks even for short term, as one day completion. Analyze thoroughly, communicate, if applicable with your co-workers, negotiate on deadlines and task approach before committing to additional work. If you think it is jeopardizing your current assignments and you do not get extended deadlines or more resources, just say nicely “it can wait” and recommend redirection to a less loaded team/person.

•    Watch you deadlines earnestly and observe them enthusiastically. Should you miss, use your failures to set up more realistic deadlines for new and urgent tasks. When you foresee that a deadline cannot be met, contact parties involved and explain the issues, attempt to establish together a new attainable deadline. Keep an electronic or any kind of agenda with you to monitor closely your tasks and especially your deadlines.

Keeping your tasks lists accurately and sharing them with your co-workers, managers and subordinates could also prepare you to prevent unexpected developments. When you are out of the office, things can still get accomplished due to your meticulous plan. Therefore, work stops chasing you, and you are in control of the events making stress a fact of the past.


Cory Popescu

Your comments are welcomed

Click on the links below to read the other articles by Cory Popescu:
What are the Industries that Most Use Internet of Things?
The New Thought Process of Machine Learning 
Can IT Professionals Become Savvy Networkers?

Efficient Action Lists: Your Effective Time Management Tool

Image: Make priorities clear using colour-coding ideas

This article, authored by Cory Popescu was first published on the blog of the Society of Internet Professionals (SIP). SIP is a not-for-profit, Toronto (Canada) based International organization to connect, learn and share. Our Vision is to provide the opportunity to leverage technology to have an inclusive future for everyone.  Since 1997, SIP has spearheaded many initiatives, educational programs, and networking events.

Every day we receive lots of tasks to do, and sometimes they have insane deadlines. Tasks stack up in plan lists, action lists in all our “extended” memory tools, such as computers, iPhones, electronic calendars and hard-copy agendas. In order to not get swamped by them, and to fulfill them successfully we need to organize them to bring us the most efficient results.

Structuring these lists in an organized way implies performing the following:

•    Synchronize all tasks lists. If you have several lists, and they are not synchronized, it means that you would find tasks in a master list that are also part of another master list for the same objectives.
•    Define the priority for each task and create four different action lists reflecting the priorities for each task category, as per below.

1. Priority #1 list contains tasks which are “important and urgent” and require immediate attention and completion.
2. Priority #2 list contains tasks which are “urgent and not important”. You are compelled to work on these because they bear the “urgent” flag, however, if applicable and possible, you can delegate them to someone else. Nevertheless, they must be performed and completed immediately. Complete these tasks based on the order of priority and urgency.
3. Priority #3 list contains tasks which are “important and not urgent”. These tasks can be postponed for a few days. Beware with this list because endless postponement leads to glitches in project development and completion and it may lead to failure of the entire project.
4. Priority #4 list contains tasks which are “not important and not urgent” and which may be resolved in between the timing of other tasks or when you have spare time. These are the fittest to delegate.

•    Write all the tasks in your agenda and do NOT perform any task if it is not part of the list.
•    Combine performing tasks you like with tasks that you do not like. Start with one which you do not like and keep intertwining with pleasant tasks to keep your productivity up.
•    Define the best time to perform the tasks. For example, given that the task of prioritization into the four categories already took place, and there are priority #4 tasks to be done, it might be the best to perform them at the end of the working day when your attention is not the sharpest.
•    Keep an eye on the status of each task. Some tasks may “transform” status from “not urgent” to “urgent”. So, keep doing the tasks from all categories diligently not to find yourself in a time crisis.
•    When a new task appears, write it in your agenda and prioritize it with a deadline.

Prioritizing your tasks well gives you a good idea to start your projects efficiently.  Setting-up priorities and knowing how to combine the performance of different tasks will considerably reduce your stress levels and give you more control on the projects and on the management of all your resources to produce the desired results.

Cory Popescu

Your comments are welcomed

Click on the links below to read the other articles by Cory Popescu:
What are the Industries that Most Use Internet of Things?
The New Thought Process of Machine Learning 
Can IT Professionals Become Savvy Networkers?