The ability to prioritise tasks doesn’t always come naturally, but it’s a skill that comes in handy in all areas of life. Whether you’re juggling your role’s responsibilities, running your own business, or just dealing with personal admin, managing priorities helps you stay on top of things.
However, mastering this skill can be challenging. Different work environments present different obstacles, so you need to prioritise your workload in a way that suits you and your job. In this article, we cover ways to help you prioritise tasks effectively and explore how you can highlight your prioritisation skills in your resumé and cover letter.
Prioritising requires tackling tasks in order of importance and urgency, so the most pressing tasks are done first. It involves evaluating each task, understanding its impact on your overall goals, and deciding if it requires immediate attention or if it can be done later.
Here are some examples of jobs where prioritisation is especially important.
Project management: a project manager needs to prioritise tasks to ensure a job is completed on time and within budget. They might use a priority matrix (a method to sort tasks by urgency) to determine which tasks should be done first and which ones can be pushed back or delegated.
Customer support: in a customer support role, urgent issues would be addressed first (a client needs help with something immediately), while less-urgent issues could be addressed later (a client has a product enquiry).
Jotting down a to-do list and working through it from top to bottom is not always the most efficient method of doing things. For example, addressing tasks as they arise would not be a good example of prioritisation.
By understanding what prioritisation is, you can develop a clear method to manage your tasks, ensuring you focus your efforts where they matter most.
How do you prioritise your work? By using certain methods and tools, you can manage your workload to achieve your goals more productively. Here are seven ways to help you prioritise your to-do list.
The first step is to organise your tasks based on urgency and importance to ensure time-sensitive jobs are done first. The Eisenhower Matrix is a structured approach that helps you categorise tasks into four quadrants.
Urgent and important: tasks that require immediate attention and are essential to your goals
Important but not urgent: tasks that are essential but can be scheduled for later
Urgent but not important: tasks that need quick action but have less impact on long-term goals
Neither urgent nor important: tasks that are not critical and can often be delegated
For example:
Urgent | Not urgent | |
Important | 1. Deadline for project | 1. Update stakeholders |
2. Customer issue | 2. Professional development | |
Less important | 3. Team meeting | 3. Responding to non-critical Emails |
4. Office catch-up | 4. Brainstorming ideas |
Deciding which tasks are the most important comes down to their urgency and impact on your project or goal. For instance, if you’re working on a project with an approaching deadline, tasks directly related to that should be your top priority. This means that other important tasks, like long-term planning and skill development, should be placed to the side for a later date, while you handle the urgent ones first.
It’s one thing to organise your tasks and another to set aside the time to tackle them. The best way to do this is to block out your calendar for each task to help boost your productivity. By having dedicated timeslots for each task and sticking to a structured approach, you can focus on the task at hand without any distractions (or impromptu meeting requests!).
We all need to set boundaries in life and work life is no different. While setting aside time to dedicate to each task is great, you also need to communicate this to those around you so you can focus without any interruptions. For example, you might say, I’m currently working on something that needs my full attention. Can we discuss this after 3pm when I have more time available?
No matter the problem, you can guarantee there’s a digital tool out there that can help. Tools like digital planners help you map out your days and visualise what needs to be done and when. App lock features on your phone can limit access to distracting apps during work hours to help manage your screen time, so you stay on track with your priorities (no doom-scrolling!).
It can be tempting to jump in and out of tasks to try and get everything done at once. However, studies have shown that focusing on one task at a time is a better way to boost your productivity. By concentrating on a single task from start to finish, you improve your focus and the quality of your work.
It’s not always easy to hand tasks over – especially if you’re someone who likes to take control. However, being able to delegate tasks to teammates who might be better suited to them is an essential skill. For example, if you’re managing a project but one of your team members has more design experience, then delegating the design side of the project to them can lead to better results. Find out your team’s strengths and use them. You could say something like, This task needs a great design eye like yours. Do you think you could take a look for me?”
Being able to prioritise effectively is an important skill that is valued across plenty of industries. Highlighting these skills on your resumé is a great way to stand out and boost your chances of landing an interview. Here are a few examples on how to approach this:
Project manager role
Professional experience:
Project Manager, ABC Corporation
March 2019 – Present
Administrative assistant role
Professional experience:
Administrative Assistant, XYZ Inc.
January 2017 – February 2019
Your cover letter is the first impression you make on a potential employer, which is why it’s important to highlight your prioritisation skills and show how you will handle the demands of the job.
Project manager position
Dear hiring manager,
I am writing to express my interest in the project manager position at ABC Corporation. With more than five years of experience managing large research projects, I have proven expertise in prioritising tasks effectively to ensure successful outcomes. In my current role at XYZ Uni, I support a team of professors and researchers in tracking and reviewing milestones, keeping projects on course to meet deadlines. I look forward to discussing my experience with you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Administrative assistant position:
Dear hiring manager,
I am excited to apply for the administrative assistant position at DEF Company. My previous experience has equipped me with exceptional prioritisation skills, which I believe are essential for managing the responsibilities of this role. At LMN Corp., I was responsible for all file storage and retrieval, demonstrating my ability to organise and prioritise work accurately and efficiently. I am eager to bring my expertise to DEF Company.
Best regards,
[Your name]
During an interview, it’s common to be asked how you prioritise your workload. ‘How do you handle multiple tasks and priorities’ interview questions are a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to handle competing priorities and ensure all tasks are completed on time.
For example:
In my previous role as a project manager, I prioritised my workload by recapping my to-do list every morning. Tasks that were both urgent and important were addressed first, followed by important but not urgent tasks. I set clear deadlines for each task and scheduled them in my calendar, blocking out dedicated time to focus. This method allowed me to manage my workload effectively, ensuring tasks were completed on time and projects stayed on track.
Mastering prioritisation can improve every area of your life. Understanding what prioritisation entails and deciding which tasks are most important, takes practice, but can be made easier using technology and knowing when to delegate. Implement the above strategies in your daily routine and you can enjoy reduced stress and overall improved work performance.
To identify the most important tasks on your to-do list, prioritise them based on their urgency and impact on your overall goals. Tasks that are important for meeting deadlines or have significant consequences if not completed should be your top priorities.
Three different ways to prioritise are using the Eisenhower Matrix, ABCDE Method, and MoSCoW Method. The Eisenhower Matrix categorises tasks into urgent/important quadrants. The ABCDE Method ranks tasks from A (most important) to E (least important). The MoSCoW Method prioritises tasks as must have, should have, could have, and won’t have.
Urgent tasks require immediate attention due to deadlines or time constraints, while important tasks are things that must get done, but not necessarily straight away. Prioritising effectively involves recognising what’s important and urgent and what can wait.
Use tools like calendars, scheduling apps and digital planners to map out your day. Assign dedicated time slots for high-priority tasks and ensure you have uninterrupted periods for focused work. Review and adjust your schedule at least once a day.
Minimise distractions by:
Estimate the time required for each task by breaking it down into smaller steps. High-priority and complex tasks may need longer time blocks, while simpler tasks can be completed in shorter intervals.
Yes, delegating tasks is an effective way to improve prioritisation and ensure that tasks are handled by those best suited to complete them. Delegation allows you to focus on high-priority tasks while using the strengths and expertise of your team members.
If unexpected tasks arise, reassess your priorities and adjust your schedule to accommodate them. Flexibility is an important part of prioritisation, as you may often have to adapt your schedule for unexpected interruptions.
To avoid multitasking and focus on completing one task at a time:
By concentrating on one task at a time, you can boost your productivity and reduce the cognitive load associated with switching between tasks.
Yes, there are several productivity tools and apps that can help you prioritise your work, such as Trello, Asana, Todoist and Microsoft To-Do. These tools often include features like reminders, deadlines and progress tracking, making it easier to stay organised and focused on your priorities.