How to Prioritize at Work

Prioritizing in the workplace is a constant juggling act, in which we're required to continuously re-order our daily tasks around all sorts of incoming action items. You might not always be able to predict which tasks will be thrown your way in the run of a workweek, but you can adopt a few practices that will help you create your own system of prioritization.

Instructions

1. Create a "master" list of everything off the top of your head that needs to get done at work. This may seem overwhelming at first, but list-making is a little like journaling in that it feels good to let things out on paper. You'll also likely discover that the things which need to get done aren't so daunting after all.

2. Determine which items on your master to-do list are of the highest priority. Then move those items to a daily to-do list.

3. Review each incoming task request or action item you've received at the beginning of the workday. This includes correspondence by email, fax, voice mail, memo or regular mail. Determine their order of priority and add to your daily to-do list or master to-do list accordingly.

4. Pay attention to prioritization flags at work. Emails, packages, memos and even voice mails can all be marked "urgent" by the sender to indicate their level of priority. Pay attention to these indicators and take them into consideration, even if you assume that the sender's priorities are not the same as yours.

5. Remember that items, which don't require immediate action, are not necessarily "low-priority." For example, you might have a deadline for a major proposal due a few months down the road. In this case, determine what portion of the task you want to have completed by certain milestones (i.e., complete the first draft by a certain date) and flag reminders for those deadlines in your calendar.

6. Talk to your boss or supervisor regularly about prioritization. Ensure that you're both on the same page about which of your work responsibilities are high and low priority.