Techniques for Setting Priorities

In order to have an effective todo list you need to be able to prioritize but how do you know what to prioritize? How do you go about setting priorities for your todo list? In this article we will discuss a couple of techniques for setting priorities that you can use to ensure that you get things done and get them done on time and in the right order.

Setting Priorities According to Deadlines

One of the first techniques for setting priorities is to prioritize your todo list according to the deadlines of the various activities. If you have a task on your todo list that needs to be done today or where the deadline is approaching fast then this should be one of your top priorities, those tasks that do not have a deadline or where the task is still quite distant will probably be lower down the list of priorities.

Setting Priorities According to the True Importance of a Task

On your task list you will have a number of items of varying importance - some will be very important items that have to get done, while others will just be tasks you want to do. When setting priorities it is important to be honest about the importance of an item - you may want to do an item first because you like it, but there may be a task that is more important but that you do not want to do. When you need to put unpleasant tasks ahead of those you enjoy promise yourself the pleasant but unimportant task as a reward for completing the important but unpleasant task. It is important though that your list is honestly evaluated for those items that are truly important.

Setting Priorities by Categorizing

Another of the techniques which may be used for setting priorities is the ABCD technique. In this technique you will categorize your todo list with the letters A, B, C and D. The A items are those tasks that are really important; the B's are tasks that are quite important but perhaps not as important as the A's. The C's are tasks you want to do but that are not important and that do not need to be done immediately, while the D's are tasks that you will probably not end up doing. By breaking your todo list down in this way you are able to focus on the A's until they are done, then move onto the B's, etc.

Personal Setting of Priorities Begins with Knowing what's Important to You

If you are setting priorities in your personal life then there may not be any deadlines (other than goal deadlines) or anything that is obviously more important. In this case you need to determine what your personal priorities are - what do you value most in life? If you know which of your goals are most important to you then you can prioritize according to the importance of your personal goals.

Setting Priorities with a Group

Another area which may cause problems when setting priorities is when trying to set priorities with a group. If you are trying to set priorities with a group then there are a number of priority setting techniques which you may use - dot voting, weighted voting, or consensus. Consensus is often the most time consuming but may be needed if everyone is going to implement the decision. Dot voting does not give a very accurate reflection of member's ideas and may alienate a minority. One of the most useful group priority setting techniques is weighted voting; for this method each member gives a number to the list of items - the highest number to the most important and the lowest number to the least important. These figures are then added up and the ranking worked out by the total value given to the items.

In conclusion, priority setting techniques should begin with an understanding of the urgency and importance of the different items. This may be done by listing your items in order of importance, or if you prefer by assigning them a priority category. If you are setting personal priorities then you need to think about what is important to you, what you value most in life. Group priority setting may be done using a variety of voting techniques, weighted voting or consensus often being the most useful.