Setting priorities

Setting Priorities Terrell Yon

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• Better understand the need to set priorities• Focus on importance, not urgency in time

management• Recognise that effectiveness requires

balancing relationships, roles, activities and quality of output

• Understand the value of periodic assessment of tasks

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Session Objectives

Session Outline• Session purpose • The meaning of time management• Importance versus Urgency• Challenges in setting priorities• ASME perspective• Key points• Priorities scenario

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The Purpose of Setting Priorities

• Priorities are about:– Making time to attend to important

matters– Getting tasks done– Keeping track of tasks to monitor

progress

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Time Management

• “Try” versus “Make” time.• “Don’t have the time” versus “Making

a priority”• 80% of results come from 20% of

your activities• About 50% of your time is out of your

control• Multi-tasking is not an effective use of

time

Importance versus Urgency

• How do you spend your time?• How do you react to crisis?• What is essential?

Importance versus UrgencyURGENCY

HIGH LOW

HIG

H L

OW

IMP

OR

TA

NC

E

Crisis Deadlines Problems

Planning Prevention Relationship Building

Interruptions Some calls Some e-mail

Trivia Watch TV “Escape” activities


• Habit 3 in Stephen Covey’s list for highly effective people “first things first” is about setting priorities.

• The underlying principle is the need for balance in relationships, roles and activities.– Things which matter most should not be at the

mercy of those which matter least.– Focus on the truly important and say no to the

unimportant.


• To determine priorities one needs to review:– Roles– Goals– Tasks

• Consider weekly reviews since daily gives a limited view and too many things change in a month.


• Roles– Organize all that you do by roles

• Enables a view of balance and comfort level

– Roles represent responsibilities and relationships

– Examples• Family – spouse, parent• Work – projects, administration, training• Volunteer – ASME, Church, Scouts


• Goals– Consider big picture view things

that need attention– Set one or two each week that are

likely to have the most impact


• Tasks– “To Do” Lists– Organize by roles– Evaluate with integrity

• Consider “Toggle” method

– Focus on one or two until completed

Application

Challenges in Setting Priorities

• Understanding goals and expectations• Triage list of all tasks and determine “must

do” items– Break up big tasks

• Scope• Timeline• Relationships – consider involving others in

completion of efforts.

ASME Perspective

• Tasks– Programmes, events – leading, delegating,

communicating, etc.– Running meetings – make meetings effective– Administrative duties – budgets, forms, updating

rosters, etc.

ASME Perspective• Example Tasks

– Accessing unit financial information online– Submitting updated rosters for unit committees– Scheduling meetings, creating agendas,

conducting meeting– Planning programs (sections) / developing

Products and Services (division and sections)– Delegating / recruiting volunteers to carry out

programs– Creating a strategic plan for the unit– Identifying /nominating candidates for Honors &

Awards, filling out necessary paperwork

Application

Summary of Key Points

• Importance matters more than urgency and should be the basis for actions

• Time management is about making time for important activities

• Planning, execution and reflection are important to achievement

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Related Sessions

• Team Building

• Business Plan Methods

• Effective Meetings

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Setting Priorities

Technology

Setting priorities