Many a time, we do things that make us busy than effective. The result? Genuinely important things get pushed aside until they turn into crises. Knowing how to prioritize the work reduces stress. We should do what matters and when it matters.
The first step is to know what your work actually consists of. Make a list of everything you need to do, along with any deadlines you have. Once you know what you need to do, organize it. Start by prioritizing only those things that are deadline driven.
Prioritizing is not easy. But, it actually enhances your performance. It means easier completion and avoids procrastination. In order to move the ball forward you need to start somewhere. There are several ways you can prioritize your tasks. You can try one of these ways. The way you decide to organize is up to you. Everyone works best in their own way.
First thing in the morning, write down everything that needs to be done that day. Once you have listed down, separate the items into urgent vs. non-urgent to determine the top priorities for that day.
Completing certain tasks will offer more benefit than others. We are into financial services. For our kind of business, customer engagement, customer service and customer satisfaction plays a crucial role in our success. Let us follow a rule that customer work comes before internal work. Because customer work not done has bigger ramifications than internal work.
When creating your list of priorities, be realistic about your bandwidth. Setting unattainable goals will only cause disappointment down the road. The goal should be set in a SMART way – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound. Involve all the stake holders in the goal setting process and make them accountable for the performance. The individual’s priority should be in sync with the team’s priority so that there should be seamless progress across the system.
The most common way to prioritize the work is by due date. When you know when something must be finished, it is easier to find the time to finish it by its due date. If you know you have a task due on Tuesday, then obviously it would rank higher on your list than one due on Friday. If your tasks do not have any concrete due dates, assign them due dates yourself. By giving yourself a time frame to accomplish the work, you will likely be more productive.
Let us prioritize our work.
