Setting Priorities

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Setting Priorities Terrell Yon yonterre_at_embarqmai
l.com
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Session Objectives

• Better understand the need to set priorities
• Focus on importance, not urgency in time
  management
• Recognize that effectiveness requires balancing
  relationships, roles and activities
• Understand the value of periodic assessment of
  tasks

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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.
• Dont 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

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Importance versus Urgency

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

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Importance versus Urgency
URGENCY HIGH LOW URGENCY HIGH LOW
HIGH LOW IMPORTANCE Crisis Deadlines Problems Planning Prevention Relationship Building
HIGH LOW IMPORTANCE Interruptions Some calls Some e-mail Trivia Watch TV Escape activities
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Importance versus Urgency

• Habit 3 in Stephen Coveys 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.

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Importance versus Urgency

• 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.

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Importance versus Urgency

• 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

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Importance versus Urgency

• Goals
• Consider big picture view things that need
  attention
• Set one or two each week that are likely to have
  the most impact

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Importance versus Urgency

• Tasks
• To Do Lists
• Organize by roles
• Evaluate with integrity
• Consider Toggle method
• Focus on one or two until completed

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Application
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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.

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ASME Perspective

• Tasks
• Programs, events leading, delegating,
  communicating, etc.
• Running meetings make meetings effective
• Administrative duties budgets, forms, updating
  rosters, etc.

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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

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Application
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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