Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are six questions to consider when trying to prioritize tasks to execute effective leadership. 

• How can donors benefit from task prioritization? What does a successful leader in philanthropy look like? 

• Read about authentic leadership in philanthropy.

As leaders, we are faced with many tasks to complete. If we don’t choose carefully, we will often work on the wrong tasks rather than the right ones. By “right,” I mean the tasks that will produce the optimal results and address the most critical issues they face. I also refer to the tasks that we are uniquely qualified and positioned to be working on ourselves instead of delegating to someone else.

When considering what to work on, start with the “big rocks,” the priorities and cornerstones that you first need to “place in your jar” before filling other things (the metaphorical pebbles, sand and water) around it. These could be “one-off” tasks that can be achieved in a single time block (we’ll discuss time blocking later,) or may span several days. If you don’t put the top priorities into your calendar first, all of the other demands will clutter your time and mental bandwidth.

The “big rocks” are commonly called “MITs,” or most important tasks. Whatever term you use, it is critical to identify the tasks that will produce the most important results you’re looking to achieve. Not everything on your plate is of equal importance, so don’t treat them equally.

One way to start identifying your MITs is to ask yourself these questions:

  1. What are the most 2-3 important things that I need to do today?
  2. What is the task’s value or ROI?
  3. Is it related to your goals?
  4.  Is it a task that you’ve been thinking about for some time?
  5. Have you been putting it off for too long?
  6.  Is it a task that will free you up to work on your real MITs?

Read the full article about how leaders can prioritize by Naphtali Hoff at SmartBrief.