Setting Workplace Priorities
What guidelines or parameters do you utilize for setting your workplace task priorities?
My workplace task priorities are rather straight forward and clearly stated. My only leeway comes from my ability to modify my value management style to incorporate a more classical view toward management in order to meet organizational objectives. I tend to use historical data, coupled with the availability of new technology to speed the process.
Hi James! Thanks for your comments! I have the pleasure of guest facilitating ML101 for awhile and look forward to the discussion. I too lean toward the classical view; Fayol, as you know, distinguished early on the function/role of management from the other areas (technical, financial, etc.); he steered ayay from Taylor's more scientific approach and focused more on unity and general interest, yet scientific management still has a place when considering workflow, particualrly when one has multiple and competing responsibilities.
In leading others, I have found that how closely we supervise, whether its more Fayol function or Taylor process, depends upon the level of experience and the level of motivation of our employees.
Agree?
Thanks again,
Jay
ML101
Hi James! Thanks again for responding directly. Please don't feel as if you must respond to all of the forum questions, but I welcome the chance to participate with you in discussion at your discretion.
It's true; so many management and leadership scenarios and examples are subject to a value judgment, and our responses reflect not only our leadership styles, but our knolwedge of the different management theories of which we have been introduced.
I would love to hear about some of the areas or approaches where you may disagree with the proposed solution.
Best wishes for the final; please feel free to contact me in the forum at any time!
Jay
ML101 Facilitator
The primary guidelines or parameters I use to set my priorities are deadlines and the affect on the organization's bottom line.
Things that must be done by a certain deadline must always be handled with a higher and higher priority as the deadline approaches.
As General Manager, when free of the constraints of an impending deadline, my prioity is always to do whatever is necessary to positively effect the bottom line.
Normally I set the priority by what will have the greatest imapact and has the closest deadline.
Dr. Ryan,
I would say that the guidelines are often dictated by the day of the week. Each working day has its own set of priorities to cover and report on. The best practice is to follow an agenda or a to do list. I was taught by a manager when I was just getting started in my career to follow a to do list or a microsoft office calendar or a daily activity worksheet or communication board of each week within the month. I have found that I maintain accountability but I can recheck past events for management and the organization as well.
Kathleen,
I agree with you regarding the importance of an agenda or following a calendar, etc. Within this I think an important thing to remember is don't let the agenda or calendar override the human factor. We must be sensitive to keeping meetings & being respectful there, however we must also balance our "agenda" with the priority of people.
Ryan
It is important to be aware of your managers and the organization's initiatives. This helps set priorities in the area that your have influence. Continuously check in and make sure priorities are aligned and keeping the lines of commuincation open.
mike,
well put. We must make sure that we are aligned.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
What guidelines or parameters do you utilize for setting your workplace task priorities?
As the manager of three departments, there are several things that I need to do to assure that my department projects, reports and goals are achieved timely:
1. First thing in the morning, create a list of tasks and projects in bullet points.
2. Put them in priority order by deadline project.
3. Using outlook as my calendar to better visualize each task separately, has helped a great deal.
By creating a detailed list, it also helps me identify what needs to be done on each task even if this one does not have a close deadline, it allows for me to start each phace wihout leaving things for the last minute.
With over ten years working for the same company, I have never had a compliance issue and all my projects and/or reports have always been submitted on a timely manner.
Personally I find it difficult to set priorities due to my position. As a Security Director of multiple locations my time & priorities are usually dictated by problems that occur throughout the Campuses as I deal with incidents of theft, student verbal & physical assaults on other students & staff, alarm & video system breakdowns and so on. Though I hand in a calendar of my scheduled locations & tasks, my priorities change as incidents occur. I find it hard to make upper management understand that this is a position that requires the freedom to work an ever changing schedule and shouldn't be held to the same constraints as someone working nine to five, not with students in house from morning till 10:00 PM at night.
Art,
this is definitely a challenge especially in regard to priority setting. I would also say it's important that your administration understand the importance of long-term planning on overall prevention so maybe the problems are a little fewer.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Jay, I find many of the managers I have worked for demonstrate a very close management style, overseeing minute details of my positional responsibilities rather than focusing on results. They also expect me to practice the same management of my reports. My personal preference is to manage toward results by leading employees to understand objectives, strategies, and methods, then empowering them to complete the job. I find I must eventually communicate my style preference to my boss through proven results and an articulation of how I achieve it.
Thomas,
yes, a manager who tends to pacesetting (micromanaging) will expect to see this in others. As you said, demonstrating that your leadership approach still gets results is crucial to helping him/her see the benefits.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I get clarification from my DOE (my Boss) as to his priorities or I judge by the due dates. If something seems like it isn't do able I will go back to him to clarify how he would like me to prioritize the tasks or goals.
Kim,
this is a great way to deal with seeming conflicting or overwhelming priorities/goals.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In reference to guidelines I have a simple philosophy and it coincides with my Director and that is, "W.I.N." What's Important Now. I've learned to adjust to the needs of my Director as she communicates different tasks. She likes for me to be as fluid as possible. So the biggest thing for me is to be able to lead my team through changes as they arise.
George,
this is a great point & idea. Being fluid & adaptable is vitally important in today's rapid environment.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am a Program Director in an allied health college. It helps to utilize "buckets" to prioritize tasks. These buckets are labeled as such:
Daily tasks-Admin
Daily tasks-Student
Once categorized, projects are then divided by priority in each bucket and the top task in each category is worked on during the course of the day (two projects at once, but not multitasked). I would like to say that projects started are finished straight through, but that is a "perfect-world". Students and faculty alike are prone to interrupt and of course they come first in education.
