4 effective methods for prioritising your tasks

Task management is a daily challenge in our professional and personal lives. So, how can we be sure, in this world where demands are constant and days are far too short, to prioritize the tasks most likely to help us achieve our goals? How does our ability to effectively prioritize these tasks become an essential asset? Explanations with Rémy Jourdan, specialist in support in personal development, management, interpersonal communication.

Prioritize your tasks and manage your time efficientlyis lying can make all the difference between an accomplished day and a frustrating day, at the end of which you come home with a feeling of unfinished business or even a feeling of guilt.

Several methods exist to guide you. Here are four that use the art of prioritization. Each offers a unique approach to help you cope with the flood of daily tasks.

1. The Eisenhower Matrix for Effective Prioritization

The Eisenhower Matrix is named after the general and former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was renowned for his ability to effectively manage his time and priorities. This classic prioritization method is based on a 2×2 system. The matrix categorizes tasks based on their degree of urgency and importance.

This matrix therefore divides your tasks into four categories:

• Important and urgent : These tasks require immediate attention and are directly related to your core goals. These are the ones you will need to address as a priority. They are your top priority.
• Important, but not urgent: These tasks have a big impact on your long-term goals. But they do not require immediate intervention. Schedule time to address them appropriately.
• Urgent, but not important: Delegating or accomplishing quickly are often the best options. Often misleading, these tasks seem pressing. But they don't necessarily contribute to your core goals. They are often distractions or urgent demands... serving the needs of others more than your own needs. You can therefore delegate them, if possible, or manage them quickly, but without investing too much time.
• Neither important nor urgent : These tasks are activities with little or no productivity. Avoid letting them steal your valuable time. These are distractions that take your attention away from what's important and are often time-consuming. Minimize the time spent on this dial.

Using this matrix, you can prioritize your tasks based on their long-term impact and degree of urgency. This allows you to make informed and calm decisions.

Example

A project management team at a financial services company uses the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize its daily tasks:

• Important and urgent: Handle a customer emergency related to a critical financial transaction. This is both an important (high financial risk) and urgent (looming deadline) task.
• Important, but not urgent : Prepare quarterly performance report for clients. This task is important for maintaining customer satisfaction, but it does not need to be addressed immediately.
• Urgent, but not important: Respond to a routine email from a colleague requesting information on a minor project. This task is urgent because it concerns an immediate request. But it does not have a significant impact on the main objectives.

Neither important nor urgent : Redo the information brochure intended for customers to make it more attractive. This task is neither important nor urgent, at least compared to the others, and can be postponed.

2. The added value method to evaluate your tasks

This method involves evaluating each task based on two key factors: the potential impact on your goals and the effort required to achieve them. By assigning a numerical value to each factor (for example, a rating of 1 to 5), you can calculate the ratio of impact to effort for each task.

This helps you identify high-impact tasks that require your priority efforts.

By prioritizing those tasks that provide a “ impact/effort » high, you optimize your efficiency, since you will concentrate on the activities that generate the most significant results with the least possible effort. You will invest your energy intelligently and spend it wisely.

This is the typical logic of efficiency: the tasks to be prioritized are those which offer the best returns per unit of effort.

Example

The management team of a manufacturing company must decide between two potential projects. It evaluates each project according to the impact/effort ratio.

Project A (new product) could generate an additional turnover of 1 million euros per year, which is considerable for the company. Score awarded: 5. The development and production of this new product would, however, require a significant resource in terms of time and manpower, but below the resource ceiling. Rating: 4.

Project B (process optimization) could result in cost savings of around 300,000 euros per year. Rating: 3. Although it requires some effort, process optimization is less intensive in terms of time and human resources than Project A. Rating: 2.

Result: although it seems counterintuitive given the considerable impact of project A, it is project B which will be chosen. Project A indeed offers a ratio of 1.25 (impact 5/effort 4), while project B offers a ratio of 1.5 (impact 3/effort 2). The company can achieve significant cost savings with relatively less effort compared to Project A.

3. The Pomodoro technique to prioritize through concentration

If you struggle with procrastination or have trouble staying focused, the Pomodoro technique may be the solution. Named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer (“pomodoro” in Italian), this is an approach to prioritization that is as simple as it is innovative. It consists of dividing your day into fairly short time intervals, generally 25 minutes (called “pomodoros”), followed by a short break of 5 minutes. After 4 consecutive pomodoros, you give yourself a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

This different approach to prioritization is based on the virtues of concentration : an interval work cycle relies on our ability to maintain maximum concentration over short, but repetitive periods.

Indeed, dedicating each 25-minute interval to a specific task requires us to work with maximum concentration, and to tackle complex tasks in small steps, while maintaining high mental energy. This allows us to progress constantly without tiring ourselves out mentally: regular breaks are there to clear the mental load and recharge the batteries.

Example

A freelance writer must handle several tasks simultaneously, including writing articles, creating content for social media, and reviewing client documents. During each pomodoro, he focuses on a specific task.

For example, during the first pomodoro, he does documentary research to write a new article. The timer he uses reminds him not to get lost unnecessarily in time-consuming searches (classic with Google).

During the second, he sketches a plan for his article. During the third, he completely switches tasks and works on content for social media, and so on.

After completing 4 consecutive pomodoros, he takes a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes to relax, recharge and respond to emails or calls if necessary.

In addition to the direct efficiency during the execution of tasks, we note that this method allows him to better evaluate the units of time necessary for each type of activity and therefore to improve his ability to plan.

4. The MoSCoW method for classifying tasks

This method is often used in project management or software development, but it can also be applied to task management in general. This involves classifying each task into one of the following categories:

• Must have: the essential tasks that are essential for the success of your project or the achievement of your objectives. You will need to complete them as a priority.
• Should have: important tasks, but which are not essential in the short term. You will need to complete them once the “must have” tasks are completed.
• Could have : tasks that are desirable, but not critical. If time permits, they can be tackled after the tasks in the first two categories.
• Won't have : tasks that are lower priority or that can be delegated or eliminated altogether without compromising objectives.

Using the MoSCoW method, you can make informed decisions about what SHOULD be done first and what you COULD do, postpone or eliminate.

Example 

A mobile application development team must prioritize the functionalities of a new online shopping application during its launch:

• Must have : setting up the secure payment function, displaying products and shopping cart. These features are essential to the core app experience.

• Should have : integration of price comparison function and advanced search filters. These features improve the user experience, but are not critical for the initial launch.
• Could have : added a personalized recommendations and sharing function on social networks. These features add value, but they can be integrated later.
• Won't have : integration of a live chat function for real-time customer support. This feature is not at all decisive for the initial launch.

Using the MoSCoW method, the team can ensure that essential features are developed first, allowing for a successful launch of the app with core functionality while allowing flexibility for later additions.

A win-win logic

Virtue is contagious and if the company generalizes the use of these tools, it could, for example, claim to:

– inform and optimize decision-making with more objective criteria;

– align daily activities with the strategic objectives of the company and therefore optimize profitability;

– ensure that major problems are resolved as a priority. This avoids costly delays, ensures deadlines are met and customer satisfaction;

– reduce the time spent tracking down and correcting errors and bugs, reduce waste, avoid delays and crisis situations and the stress that accompanies them;

– launch new products (or deliver projects) on time and gain a competitive advantage in the market by achieving earlier sales;

– better satisfy its customers by focusing on their most important requests and needs and therefore retaining them.

Motivated employees bring happiness to the company, and the efficiency of each person contributes to improving customer satisfaction. So, beyond your personal comfort, everyone wins.

Each of these methods offers a specific angle to approach this complex challenge of optimizing your most precious asset: your time. Each method has its advantages and can adapt to different work styles and situations. Experiment with each one to find the one that works best for you. You will finally take control of your schedule and focus your energy and efforts on the most important tasks. You will free your mind from these secondary tasks which, anyway, would have ended up being eliminated due to lack of time. Allocating your resources wisely will significantly help you achieve your goals, ultimately optimize your personal and professional success... and free you from a large amount of stress!