How to prioritise tasks when everything is important

Being at the helm of a company is mentally and physically draining.

From facing countless pressure on a daily basis to making vital decisions on profitability, brand image, and customer experience, business leaders – by their very job descriptions – have the weight of the business on their shoulders.

Hence, effective prioritisation of tasks is beyond essential.

With queries and requests coming from all corners of the company, business leaders need to quickly decide what needs to be tackled first, in a way that does not mentally drain them and lead to burnout.

Here are five tips to help you get started.

1) Evaluate your current approach

Business leaders need to first take a long hard look at what approach they are currently using when it comes to prioritisation.

Is it effective? Can any improvements be made?

They need to ask themselves whether they are effectively tracking their to-do lists on a daily basis to see that each task is being completed according to their plans.

2) Assess which tasks and projects are important and urgent

It is important for business leaders to dedicate a portion of their week, possibly even once a day, to decide what they need to work on, and to also assess which tasks should be handled first and which ones they can afford to postpone.

This can be the first few minutes of the day on a Monday morning, or possibly the final 10-15 minutes of a Friday. It is good to keep in mind that different tasks are always coming in for business leaders to handle, and so they have to be able to actively assess and adapt to the situations they find themselves in.

3) Determine which tasks can be delegated to others

It is virtually impossible to do everything on your own.

Therefore, business leaders have to prioritise those tasks which they have to complete themselves, while delegating others to employees.

This has to be determined according to a task’s confidentiality, the value that it has to the business, and also the level of expertise required. Business leaders need to be honest with themselves about which tasks they genuinely need to handle on their own, and those that they can afford to trust employees with.

4) Communicate with your team

Tied to the previous point, in order to effectively delegate tasks, a business leader must also communicate efficiently with the rest of the team.

This might be obvious to many, yet communication is easier said than done, especially nowadays since many are relying on remote working.

Business leaders have to ensure that they are making the most of their primary communication platform. Whether this is face-to-face communication, by phone, or through programmes like Slack or email, it needs to be done regularly and efficiently in order to be effective.

Additionally, business leaders must make sure that the ideas being communicated are also executed by asking for regular updates on certain developments from managers and coordinators.

5) Prioritise yourself

As tight as one’s schedule may be, business leaders also need some downtime at some points in the day to replenish their energy and remain motivated.

They need to give a priority to their physical and mental wellbeing by spending time with their families and friends, participating in an activity or a hobby they enjoy, and last but not least, getting enough sleep.

Prioritising one’s own happiness can help business leaders excel both personally and professionally.