Imagine you have a full work calendar and the feeling that the tasks never want to end. You work hard, but at the end of the day you have the feeling that you haven't really made any progress. The cause of this feeling could be a lack of prioritisation. In a world where time is often considered the most valuable resource, it is essential to prioritise correctly in order to stay effective and avoid overwhelm. This blog article shows you how you can use targeted prioritisation to organise your tasks sensibly and focus your energy on the essentials. It also highlights common prioritisation mistakes to help you avoid them and improve your productivity and well-being.
Table of contents - What you can expect:
Why prioritise?
Setting priorities - methods
Set priorities - mistakes
For you, prioritising means deciding which tasks are most important and urgent so that you can complete them first. By organising your to-do list sensibly, you avoid getting lost in less relevant tasks and ensure that your limited time and energy are used optimally.
This strategy not only helps you to reduce stress, but also enables you to tackle major challenges early on, allowing you to get through the working day in a more relaxed and efficient manner.
Prioritisation serves as an effective strategy for avoiding Procrastination. By sorting your tasks according to their importance, you gain clarity about the next work steps. By concentrating on essential tasks, you prevent distractions caused by secondary activities. Such a clear focus makes it easier for you to get started quickly with your work and reduces the tendency to avoid it.
The ability to prioritise is a decisive factor for success and happiness, both in professional and private life. A lack of prioritisation often leads to procrastination, missed deadlines, poor decisions and ultimately just degenerates into stress. See setting priorities not just as an organisational measure, but as an absolute necessity. Due to limited resources such as time, money and labour, you have to make decisions every day on how to make the best possible use of these resources.
If you're wondering where all the time has gone again, you should start prioritising. But how exactly do you go about it? We will introduce you to tried and tested methods that will make it easier for you to organise your tasks hierarchically:
Appointments, meetings, minutes - your to-do list is long, but time is short! If you recognise yourself in this situation, you sometimes no longer know where your head is. Which task should you tackle first? The phone call with the customer? Or would it be better to answer Mr Dringlich's e-mail first? What is important anyway?
Prioritising is often difficult, especially when you are under time pressure. In such situations, the Eisenhower matrix - named after former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower - can help. With this method, you divide tasks into four categories:
By assigning your tasks to these categories, you can decide which should be completed first, which you can delegate or which to-dos you can cancel completely. This gives you a clear focus on your project schedule so that you are not distracted by unimportant tasks.
You will always have project objectives that are considered extremely important. But do all objectives necessarily have to be considered as such? Probably not! During the course of the project, situations may arise in which you have to make decisions that may influence the project objectives. In order to prioritise these sensibly, the MoSCoW method to.
Must have (must-have requirements): Tasks that must be fulfilled. These are crucial to the success of the project and are non-negotiable. If these requirements are not met, the project is deemed to have failed. Example: In a software development project, the application must have a secure authentication function. Without this basic requirement, the entire project is jeopardised.
Should have (target requirements): Important, high-priority tasks that should be completed whenever possible. Failure to complete them can jeopardise the success of the project, but in the worst case they can be postponed to a subsequent project. Mandatory requirements always have priority. Example: When implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system, integration with existing company applications should be prioritised. The success of the project will be jeopardised if this important task is neglected.
Could have (optional requirements): Fulfilment is sought, but project success is not measured by them. Often labelled as "nice to have", they can be neglected or postponed in the event of time or resource conflicts. Nevertheless, they should be looked at more closely if they can be implemented without great effort, as they often make a big difference to the satisfaction of the project team. Stakeholders make. Example: For a marketing project, the integration of social media functions into the campaign platform could be desirable. Although this is not crucial, it could significantly increase stakeholder satisfaction.
Won't have (Will not be implemented): These requirements are clearly defined and should not be implemented as part of the project. This serves to clarify what is not (yet) being sought, but could be important for future collaboration. Example: During the development of a corporate website, it is decided that the integration of online games will not be realised (at least for the time being), as this does not correspond to the main objectives of the project.
The term "MoSCoW" was originally written as "MSCW". To make pronunciation easier, the "o "s were inserted and deliberately written in lower case, as they have no meaning in terms of content.
Also the Pareto principle helps you to differentiate between important and less important tasks. This method, also known as the 80/20 rule, formulates a basic statement that you can apply to numerous contexts:
With 20 % of effort, 80 % of effect is already achieved.
In other words, there is a significant linear imbalance between effort and result. In practical application, always ask yourself the question: What is the relationship between the effort invested and the benefit achieved? For each task, you should weigh up what this ratio looks like and then decide on this basis whether the task should really be completed immediately, how thoroughly you should complete it and whether you should complete the task at all. The figures 20 and 80 per cent only serve as a rough guide. It is only important that you categorise your tasks into "high effort" and "low benefit" when setting priorities.
The basic principle of the Action priority matrix should be familiar to you by now. As with the Pareto principle, ask yourself two crucial questions:
Effort: What effort does this task require?
Impact: What benefit do I achieve with this task?
The evaluation of the tasks is clearly presented in a matrix and you derive specific recommendations for action based on this.
Quick Wins: "Quick successes" - These are particularly attractive tasks that achieve a high impact with little effort.
Major Projects: "Larger projects" - These represent the more demanding tasks in everyday working life that should rarely be neglected.
Fill-ins: "Pause fillers" - Tasks with little effort and low impact. These often need to be completed and are suitable for phases in which full energy is not required.
Thankless tasks: "Ungrateful tasks" - tasks with high effort but low impact should be carefully scrutinised.
The Action Priority Matrix thus offers a structured method for evaluating tasks and acting in accordance with their priority.
Would you like to focus clearly on the essentials and set effective priorities? Then the ABC analysis may be the right method for you. The ABC analysis helps you to focus on the essentials. Elements are divided into A, B and C classes in order to prioritise them.
Data is classified according to defined criteria such as turnover, consumption or profit. Three main classes are created:
A elements: These are the few particularly high-quality elements with a significant share of value. Identifying these elements is crucial, as this is where the greatest leverage for success lies.
B elements: These elements form the midfield with a moderately high number and a mediocre value. Depending on the situation, it may make sense to take a closer look at them or to disregard them for the time being.
C elements: These are the many elements that occur in large numbers, but only have a comparatively small impact on the overall picture. Focussing intensively on these elements only has a limited impact and can often take a long time.
The ABC analysis is used in various business areas such as logistics, purchasing, customer analysis, time management and, of course, project management.
The Ivy Lee method is a simple but effective technique for increasing your productivity. It starts with a to-do list on which you list your most important tasks - ideally no more than six. These tasks are then prioritised and you focus on the task at the top of the list. Before you move on to the next task, check whether your priorities have changed or new tasks have been added in order to organise the day in a structured and efficient way.
The ALPEN method offers a structured approach to time and task management to give you a clear overview of your to dos:
|
A - Write down tasks
|
Note all upcoming to dos at the beginning.
|
| L - Estimate length | Estimate the duration of the tasks. |
| P - Plan for buffer times | To avoid time pressure, buffer times must be planned. |
| E - Prioritise decisions | Prioritise tasks. You can use one of the other techniques mentioned for this. |
| N - Follow-up check | At the end of the day, take stock and check how much of the list was achieved and whether the time allowed was sufficient. |
The GTD principle, developed by bestselling author David Allen, takes a systematic approach to task management - Getting Things Done. It starts with collecting all upcoming tasks and recording them in a structured system, such as a calendar. This process ensures that you can keep your mind free for more important things. You then decide in a disciplined manner whether new tasks make sense and can be integrated into your plan by reducing projects to the next necessary sub-steps and structuring them according to time and place of execution.
Stephen R. Covey's three-step method, known from "The 7 Ways to Effectiveness", is based on three central principles:
The 10-10-10 method, developed by Suzy Welch, offers a change of perspective in decision-making by looking at long-term effects. You ask yourself three questions: How will you think about your decision in the future? 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years think? This technique helps you to look at decisions not only in the short term, but also to weigh up their long-term consequences. It helps you to make the right choice by focussing on your future goals and the impact of your decisions.
The SMART method helps you to formulate clear and achievable long-term goals. It is made up of five criteria:
Sspecific - the objective must be concrete and clear
Medible - there should be clear criteria for monitoring success
AAccepted - the importance of the goal must be understood and accepted by everyone involved
Realistic - the goal must be realisable and achievable
TThe time frame should be minimised - a specific period with sufficient buffer times should be defined.
This method ensures that your goals can be precisely formulated and systematically pursued.
The Pomodoro method aims to improve self-organisation, time management and focused work. It begins with the creation of a to-do list, in which tasks are prioritised and broken down into smaller steps. Tasks are then divided into 25-minute units, known as pomodori, in which you concentrate intensively on one task. Each unit is followed by a 5-minute break, and after four units a longer break to increase productivity and concentration throughout the day.
Setting priorities efficiently is crucial for structuring the working day and minimising stress. Putting off tasks that need to be completed promptly, also known as procrastination, is a widespread phenomenon. The causes of this behaviour are manifold, and you are probably familiar with the associated effects such as stress or a burdened conscience. Although there is no universal cure for procrastination, there are numerous methods, tips and tricks at your disposal to counteract this tendency.
In this context, our ZEP software can help you to utilise your time more efficiently in order to increase your productivity and reduce stress. Under the motto "Work smarter, not harder", ZEP supports you throughout the entire project management process - from the dynamic Project planning about the Resource planning until the exact Project time tracking.
This way you can set your priorities, pursue your project goals and not get lost in unimportant things! Get your free, no-obligation 30-day trial here! Trial version from ZEP!
Do you often have the feeling of getting bogged down by a multitude of tasks and deadlines and regretting the order of your activities afterwards? This may be due to spontaneous decision-making without a long-term perspective or because you are not sure what is really important to you.
If you are easily influenced by others and like to hand over decisions, you may lose control of your own priorities. However, prioritising means acting in a self-determined way and actively steering your future in the desired direction.
Even with the best prioritisation methods, it can happen that priorities are not always adhered to. To avoid common mistakes and prioritise effectively, follow these tips:
Even if you have managed to set your priorities sensibly thanks to the tried and tested methods, there are always a few pitfalls that could trip you up. These are the most common mistakes when setting priorities:
Priorities do not get time 🕒
Priorities should create order, facilitate organisation and save time, energy and stress. It is crucial to invest enough time to set the right priorities. Prioritisation itself should be seen as the top priority. If this is ignored, the wrong tasks will take precedence even before the order of priority has been established. The work starts flying blind.
Goals are lost sight of 👀
Setting priorities is not difficult in itself: you decide which tasks should be completed first and work through the list item by item. But then new tasks are added and the overview of projects and open construction sites is lost. It is therefore very important to keep an eye on the big picture. With a long-term perspective, the many small tasks can be better organised and put together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Priorities are not adhered to ❌
Even the best priorities are ineffective if they are ignored. People tend to deceive themselves. Constant distractions from phone calls, noisy emails or colleagues can mean that good intentions are quickly forgotten. It is important to remember that priorities are set for a reason and to focus on them.
Tasks are not delegated or are delegated incorrectly 🔄
Prioritising means not only organising your own tasks, but also considering whether someone else is better suited to take on part of them. This not only speeds up results, but often improves them too. However, delegating does not mean losing sight of the task at hand. Even if a colleague is taking care of the task, progress should be monitored or the task assigned to a more suitable candidate.
New information is ignored 🚫
Priorities are not fixed laws. It is permissible and even advisable to regularly scrutinise, redefine or adjust them. New information or circumstances in particular should be taken into account, as they may shift existing priorities. Priorities require flexibility in order to adapt to changes.
Effective prioritisation is the key to a productive and stress-free way of working. A clearly structured plan and proven methods such as the Eisenhower matrix, MoSCoW method or the Pareto principle help you to organise your tasks sensibly and focus on the essentials.
However, despite the best strategies, mistakes can occur, such as ignoring new information or failing to prioritise. This is where ZEP can offer you valuable support. Our software not only helps you with dynamic project planning and resource allocation, but also with accurate time tracking and efficient prioritisation. With the right techniques and the support of ZEP, you can optimise your time, achieve your goals and concentrate on the essentials.
Use these insights and tools to optimise your day-to-day work and long-term success to secure.
Examples of work priorities include tasks such as meeting important deadlines, dealing with urgent customer enquiries or implementing several projectsthat have a significant impact on business success. Managing critical issues or achieving performance targets can also be priorities that have a direct impact on the success and efficiency of your team.
To prioritise correctly, start by rating your tasks according to importance and urgency and dividing them into categories such as "urgent and important" or "important but not urgent". Use methods such as the Eisenhower matrix or the ABC analysis to define clear priorities and use your time efficiently.
If everything seems important, it is helpful to prioritise tasks according to their long-term impact and their contribution to the overall goals. Set yourself clear goals and use prioritisation techniques such as the MoSCoW method to rank tasks according to their actual necessity and the degree of achievement of your overall success.
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