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Project Management 101: How to Prioritize Tasks Effectively?

Prioritizing tasks and activities is a challenge for project managers in many industries. Without prioritizing the tasks,you risk of project failure. It can create confusions and drain team morale. According to C. Ray Johnson, the author of CEO Logic : How to Think and Act Like a Chief Executive, you need to spend more time doing the right things instead of focusing on improving productivity or making the best use of your time.

In this article, we will provide some tips on how project managers can cut through the fog and effectively prioritize the tasks so that they do the right things at the right time.

1. Begin with the End in Mind

The author of the best-selling self-management book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,Steven R. Covey, had said that you need to begin with the end in mind. In other words, you should work backward when planning your tasks. This will result in more effective project management.

You should look at the due dates of each task. Also, you need to consider how much effort is required for each task. Next, you should work backward to find out the tasks that should be done right now. In this way, you can more effectively prioritize the activities resulting in the efficient allocation of resources.

2. Evaluate Value of Each Task

Another effective way to prioritize tasks is to assess the value of each task. You should find out which tasks will create the highest value for the end customer. For instance, it’s important to focus on fulfilling customer’s core requirements before working on optional tasks.

Another way to assess the tasks is how they will impact overall project outcome. We are talking about tasks that if not completed immediately will result in project delays or increased costs. You should look at tasks that if not completed earlier will result in a negative impact on the project such as missed deadlines and cost overruns. Find out if there are high priority dependencies that should be finished now before tackling other tasks.

3. Use Online Project Collaboration Software

Managing a project without using an online collaboration software is a surefire way to project failure. It’s important to use an online project management software to keep the entire team on the same page regarding project task priorities.

Using an online project management tool allows everyone from the upper management and the employees have greater visibility about the project tasks. It can help a project manager to assign and prioritize tasks that will be visible to everyone. Make sure that the work collaboration software that you use for prioritizing tasks will effectively meet your requirements and budget.

The above three tips can greatly help in prioritizing tasks and activities. When you are able to effectively prioritize work, you will be able to see to it that the projects get completed on time and within the specified budget.