How Do You Prioritize?

I have a very simple, but very effective technique for determining priorities on a daily basis. This “philosophy” has been tested over 7 years in a variety of projects and 3 different companies. It’s especially useful if you manage multiple projects and have to juggle multiple priorities.

Here it is! Just group all of your “to-dos” this way, and you’ll always do things in the “right” order:

PRIORITY #1: Your Crew

(Examples: people who report to you, members of a project team you rely on, etc.)

Always, ALWAYS tend to Your Crew first. Leadership is about serving the team you lead. Project Management (at any level, and who DOESN’T manage projects?) is about leadership. Your Crew takes care of you, so you should always take care of them first. No matter what.

PRIORITY#2: Your Clients

(Examples: your actual clients if you are a consultant, the executive who sponsored a project you are doing, the people who use your website, etc.)

I see common “wisdom” practiced every day where project managers serve their Clients first, then their Crew. This makes no sense to me. Here’s why: if you serve your Crew first, they’ll help you serve your Clients in ways you didn’t even imagine! Plus, they’ll have your back whenever times get tough with your Clients (and they will), because your Crew knows you’ve got their back (and best interests) in mind.

PRIORITY#3: Your Company

(Examples: a request from the HR team to do some mandatory training, filing your invoices for payment by your Accounting team, etc.)

You’d be surprise at how long you can push off “mandatory” company stuff that bogs you down. It’s especially useful to report to someone who can take care of these things, or at least buy you time. Now, I know this might be an unpopular one (“But Regis, I want to be a team player”), but think about it: if you’re not doing #1 and #2 first, there is no need for an HR team or Accounting team. #1 and #2 grow your business and support all of those other “company” things. If you’re leading the way for your Crew and your Clients, everything else becomes secondary.

Next Steps

  1. Sit down and look across your to-do list.
  2. Who is YOUR Crew? Who are YOUR Clients? What Company stuff is on there?
  3. Reprioritize using this new method you just learned, and reap the rewards!

See also: