Knowing how to prioritise your daily tasks and demonstrate that you are working effectively is about making timely decisions for where to spend your time and attention on which tasks.

 

Using a priority matrix tool will help you to focus on the most important priorities. Stephen Covey developed a simple matrix framework for prioritising time and importance of tasks during the 1980’s and the tool is still relevant to use today.

When you use the tool for all your incoming work tasks the decisions about prioritising can be made simple for you by the way that you classify the tasks.

For example, the following categories are placed on the matrix:

1 High importance, High urgency

2 High Importance, Low urgency

3 High urgency, Low importance

4 Low urgency, Low importance

 

 

1 High importance, High urgency

• Work on these tasks before they become urgent
• Set clear expectations and deadlines when delegating work to others
• Reduce procrastination by planning and scheduling
• Point out other people’s behaviour when their urgency is not your urgency

2 High Importance, Low urgency

• Schedule the work for the appropriate time
• Check your schedule regularly – is this the work I should be doing
• Allow your objectives to drive the urgency, and not other people’s urgency

3 High urgency, Low importance

• Delegate what you can, depending on your work level
• Give work delegates directions, but allow them to do the work
• Say no to less important tasks
• Do the task correctly the first time, so no repeat work is created
• Encourage people to provide solutions, not just problems

4 Low urgency, Low importance

• Reduce procrastination by using a daily schedule or plan
• Eliminate low value work as it is received
• Don’t get caught in the office chat or politics if you are busy.
• Learn to say no

Working within prioritised task schedules can help you remain on task and focused about what is coming up throughout the day. You will be doing the most important work at the right time, and then completing the less important work when you have time to clear it.