7/29/2019 Card 1 & 2

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Working Smarter

Toolkit Card 2 Task Prioritisation

This simple tool was allegedly created by US PresidentDwight D. Elsenhower. Its a way of categorising work tasks by sorting .

them into an order of urgency and importance.

LMHS HMHS Average concentration span under perfect conditions is 18 minutes.

URGENT IMPORTANTHow are you taking this fact into your planning?

Not Important & URGENTNOT IMPORTANT & NOT URGENT

LMLS HMLS

Not Important IMPORTANT

Not Urgent Not Urgent URGENT & NOT IMPORTANT is

deceptive because it is busy and stressful

but often with short term tasks lacking any real significant purpose.

Seven key questions to ask if task prioritisation is a problem

1

2 What could I have done to avoid the situation I am in right now? Multi tasking

3 Who could help me and what do I need to do to get that help?

4

Finding Time

5 Can I multi task?

6 Is the working environment conducive to me making my deadlines?

7 Can I delegate any of my tasks or responsibilities in order to make a deadline?

Ask yourself - "If the working week was shortened by three hours and I still had

the same workload, what could I STOP DOING that wouldn't adversely affect my

results?" Identify those activities and eliminate them from your schedule. If they

involve other people then begin a dialogue about how to change things

A good technique if you can do it but watch for trends whereby you start

something, get stuck or bored, move on to something else and repeat the

process. A recipe for stress and missed deadlines.

What are the consequences of not completing a particular task (be objective). If

they are awkward but neglible then make a decision.

Have I matched my challenging tasks with my peak production periods

(metabolic see Card 2)?

Working Smarter

Toolkit Card 1 Task Prioritisation

is a non productive place to work full of

unfulfilling and mundane tasks.

URGENT

Elsenhower Box

IMPORTANT

Each quadrant has levels of motivation (M) and

stress (S) associated with it. This can be low

(L) or high (H). The pairing ofM & S will

influence behaviour

Getting the conditions right

Some of us have 'peaks' at which we are at out best - morning perhaps. Schedule

your most stressful or demanding tasks to periods in which you are most

motivated to complete them.

Displacement

Watch out for 'displacement activity' trends: this is where you continually find

other things to do in order to avoid tackling tasks which you do not want to do.

Many things will distract you during a day's work. It's important to consider the

following and deal with it:

Concentration

Metabolism

Temperature, background noise levels, tiredness, hunger, understanding of task,

interruptions, external stresses (personal issues), health, All adversely affect

concentration levels.