This article has been accepted for publication in the October 2004 issue of Executive Branch, the newsletter for the Maryland Society of Association Executives

Key Criteria For Managing Priorities And Getting Things Done
By Barbara Brown, PhD

Does your staff (or perhaps even you), use the following criteria to consistently manage priorities?

1. Doing what they like before doing what they don’t like
2. Doing the easy tasks before doing the difficult tasks
3. Waiting until a deadline approaches before they really get moving on tasks
4. Doing tasks that are interesting before doing tasks that are uninteresting
5. Working on tasks in the order of their arrival rather than their significance
6. Working on the squeaky-wheel principle

If these are the criteria your staff uses to get things done, they are not doing the best job of managing priorities. Effective priority-management requires diligence and effort. Think about how your staff members regularly decide what tasks to perform. How do they determine what to do first, second, and third? And while everyone needs a break from dull, complex, and time-consuming tasks, don’t let doing the non-significant supercede doing what’s critical.

Use these criteria to help your staff differentiate among tasks:

1. Critical Tasks: Do First

• Something that is overdue
• Something that will affect/impact others if not done immediately
• Something that will benefit performance in several other areas

2. Essential, But Non-Critical Tasks: Do Second

• Something that is required but can be scheduled
• Something that will not affect/impact others if not done immediately
• Something that will benefit performance in limited areas

3. Contributory, But Non-Essential Tasks: Do Third

• Something that is relevant but can be performed when convenient
• Something that will not affect/impact others if not done immediately
• Something that will have no impact on performance if not done immediately

Use these criteria to help your staff decide “which” tasks to perform when there are no differences. That is, all tasks are critical.

1. One critical task will have greater effect or impact on other staff members
2. One critical task has greater potential costs in equipment, resources, or supplies
3. One critical task will have greater effect or impact on other components/offices
4. One critical task will have greater impact or benefit on other tasks
5. One critical task will have greater impact on performance in other areas
6. One critical task will result in greater negative repercussions
7. One critical task must travel through several “chains-of-command” after completing
8. One critical task must be reviewed by several individuals after completing
9. One critical task is prone to problems, corrections, or returns
10. One critical task requires collecting information from several other offices
    

Top

~~<<>>~~

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: Articles, Tips, and Tools can be reprinted in company newsletters or magazines. If placed electronically, a Live Link to Dr. Brown's website must be included. Please use the following credit for every item: Dr. Barbara Brown shows organizations how to use High-Performance Leadership to create the kind of links among people, goals & performance that produce positive results. For more tips, visit: www.DrBarbaraBrown.com or email: Barbara@DrBarbaraBrown.com.