What Prioritization Techniques Do You Recommend?
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What Prioritization Techniques Do You Recommend?
In the fast-paced world of small business, where every task feels like a top priority, we sought the wisdom of CEOs and Founders to unveil their strategies. From using task lists and experience to incorporating Ayurvedic time management, discover the diverse techniques in these ten insights for mastering the art of prioritization.
- Use Task Lists and Experience
- Prioritize by Estimated Effort
- Employ the Pareto Principle
- Apply the 1:4:5 Rule
- Chunk Tasks and Reevaluate
- Delegate to Manage Priorities
- Align Tasks with Peak Productivity Hours
- Prioritize Based on Budget
- Utilize the Eisenhower Matrix
- Incorporate Ayurvedic Time Management
Use Task Lists and Experience
I keep a running task list to keep my most urgent tasks in front of me. Once I know what needs to be done, I focus on putting out the fires that take the least amount of time and the ones that have the most catastrophic impact on my bottom line.
Small-business owners face no shortage of things to do in a given day, but it's not realistic to think we have to accomplish them all at once. Sometimes, you have to let things fall by the wayside—not because you don't care, but because other tasks need to take priority.
Finding this balance takes practice. As you gain experience, it becomes easier to see what can wait and what you'll need to address immediately.
Prioritize by Estimated Effort
When everything feels urgent, I prioritize tasks based on their estimated effort. This means I tackle the most time-consuming tasks first, as productivity experts recommend.
However, if starting with smaller tasks feels more motivating, I'll clear those off the list to gain momentum before diving into more significant projects. This flexible approach helps manage the pressure of urgency while maintaining productivity.
Employ the Pareto Principle
An approach I use is based on the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. By identifying and prioritizing tasks that yield the most significant outcomes, we can focus our energy and resources more efficiently. This principle guides our team to prioritize projects that enhance our productivity tools and improve customer satisfaction significantly.
The ABCDE method is a prioritization technique we use at our company. Each task is assigned a letter: 'A' for high-priority items that require immediate attention, 'B' for important but not critical tasks, 'C' for nice-to-dos, 'D' for delegation, and 'E' for elimination. This clear hierarchy helps in making quick decisions about where to allocate time and resources, ensuring that critical tasks get the attention they need.
Apply the 1:4:5 Rule
The very first thing I do is look at all of my tasks and honestly assess how much I can get done and which tasks align with my priorities. Then, I use the 1:4:5 rule to make a to-do list: 1 high-priority task, 4 mid-level tasks, and 5 low-priority, simple tasks.
But my all-time favorite prioritization technique is the Champagne Moment Exercise, which I do weekly or monthly.
I ask myself, "What could I achieve this week that would make me so thrilled I'd want to celebrate with a bottle of champagne?" It helps me focus on significant, life-changing work and avoid getting bogged down by less impactful tasks.
Chunk Tasks and Reevaluate
Running my own career-hunting web hub and also working as a physician assistant means I'm often staring down a long to-do list.
One thing I've realized over the years is that prioritization need not be either/or.
I like to break tasks down into smaller chunks, and then reevaluate. Often, when prioritization seems impossible, this allows me to tackle multiple issues at once in an incomplete, but satisfactory way. This is especially true when I'm dealing with nervous clients or patients. Checking in and letting them know I'm in the weeds lets everyone feel seen, even if only a part of their project or lab work is done.
This technique keeps everyone fairly happy, while allowing me to skip decisions guaranteed to leave one or two people out in the cold.
Delegate to Manage Priorities
If you're a type-A personality like me (and so many other business owners), you're likely overly hesitant to delegate. The result is a list of priorities that seems never-ending, and since you're the best person for the job, every task seems equally important.
Change your mindset—that's what I did.
It wasn't easy, but I had to take a hard look at my own to-do list and accept that other team members needed to step in. Asking myself if I was truly the only one equipped to handle these responsibilities reminded me that I'd been through this decision before, during the hiring process. In other words, I brought these people on for a reason, and now I wasn't utilizing them.
Once I stepped back and handed out tasks, my own list became manageable, and prioritization became a breeze.
Align Tasks with Peak Productivity Hours
I prioritize my tasks by aligning them with my peak productivity hours, which for me are usually in the morning when I'm most focused and energized. By tackling the most demanding tasks first, I ensure they receive my best effort, while less urgent tasks are scheduled for later in the day. This strategy helps me manage my workload effectively and keep my business running smoothly.
Prioritize Based on Budget
As a music producer and solopreneur, I have to prioritize my artist deliverables based on budget. The way the music industry works is that producers get paid for technician time and royalties. Royalties often pay more over time, but as a small business owner, I need to cover immediate expenses upfront by charging for technician time and the number of songs, which is why artists with bigger budgets must take priority. This doesn't mean that I won't work with smaller artists, but it does mean that I have to prioritize those with a larger following as they bring in more income for my business, which allows me to keep doing what I do.
Utilize the Eisenhower Matrix
As a small-business owner, I’ve found that when everything feels urgent, the best approach is to use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks. The Eisenhower Matrix divides tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. This visual representation allows me to quickly identify what requires immediate attention and what can be scheduled or delegated.
For example, when preparing for a major sales event, I used the matrix to prioritize tasks like securing inventory (urgent and important) over redesigning the website (important but not urgent). It helped me stay focused on what would have the most immediate impact while ensuring long-term goals weren't overlooked.
Incorporate Ayurvedic Time Management
Nothing is urgent if everything is urgent. Here's how I tackle the day—with added perspective as a long-standing yoga practitioner and teacher.
Assess: Get a lay of the land. What must get done and what can wait? I scan my emails for red flags and fires, and leave the rest for later.
Batch: Once I know what I need to do, I write everything down to get it out of my brain. Then I mentally sort tasks by type and energy level, and assign them to a specific part of the day based on Ayurvedic principles.
- Admin tasks that are tedious but demand precision get done earlier in the day when my mind is fresh (payroll, reviewing reports, reading legal documents, etc.). 10 a.m.-2 p.m. is the fiery (Pitta) part of the day and supports this sort of work.
- Creative tasks that always take more time than you think get delegated to later in the day (generating content, brainstorming new business prospects, researching new industry trends). The energy of the late afternoon (2 p.m.-6 p.m.) is airy, or Vata, so it's the perfect time to create and use my right brain. Typically by now, I've also handled the pressing left-brain tasks, so my mind is freer.
- External tasks that require talking to other humans get their own bucket (client calls, prospecting, team check-ins). These typically all happen together, as they require active listening and open-mindedness.
Internal Check-In and Set the Stage: Now that I have my buckets sorted, I do a mental check-in to assess my energy level. If I need extra support (never underestimate the power of a snack and a green drink), I take a few minutes to set myself up for success. Sometimes you just need to clear off your desk as well. Visual clutter creates mental clutter.
Execute: There's no other way to say this—it's time to put your head down and just get it done!
End of Day Review: I take 20-30 minutes at the end of my day to write a recap. This updates the company owner, but it also frames what needs further attention tomorrow. I draft a hit list for the next day, and then shut it all down. Home life resumes. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. is the slowest, or Kapha, part of the day. Stopping work by 6 p.m. ensures a smooth transition into bed by 10 p.m. for restful sleep.
This is not a conventional method, but it is effective. I've used the principles of Ayurveda to structure and support my day for over 15 years, and they work! So if you feel like you're pushing water uphill at work, give it a try. It might ease the friction and open up a world of creativity and productivity.