Prioritizing Tasks To Meet Project Deadlines

During my time as a Principal TPM in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure team, I learned firsthand that knowing what to de-prioritize is equally crucial as prioritization. Prioritization is a delicate dance every Technical Program Manager performs daily. It's not just about crafting a to-do list; it's about making strategic choices that propel your projects and teams forward. Mastering this art can mean the difference between smooth sailing and utter chaos in the whirlwind of technical program management. It's all about feeling empowered by the decisions you make. Imagine your workload as a juggling act – not every ball is the same size, and not every ball needs to be caught immediately. 🤹♂️ Early in my career, I was juggling a major product launch, a team restructure, and a handful of smaller projects. Trying to do everything at once was a recipe for disaster. After a near-miss with a critical deadline, I started each day by listing my tasks and categorizing them into "urgent and impactful," "can be done later," and "delegate." The change was immediate and profound. Not only did I meet my deadlines, but my team also became more cohesive and efficient. 🎯💪 Some popular prioritization strategies that have helped me and many others include: Eisenhower Matrix, which categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance(Do First, Schedule, Delegate, and Don't Do). 📊  The MoSCoW method (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have) is another excellent approach, especially for managing project requirements. 📝  Ivy Lee method, where you list the six most important tasks to complete the next day and focus on them in order of priority. Each method can provide a clear framework for deciding what needs immediate attention and what can wait. Understanding the power of saying "No" can be transformative, allowing you to focus on what truly matters and avoid unnecessary stress. So, the next time you're feeling overwhelmed, remember: it's not just about what you do, but also about what you choose not to do. Share your prioritization hacks, challenges or stories in the comments! 👇💬

I missed a $6 Million call because I was prioritizing urgent items over important ones. How can you avoid making this mistake? As you're studying your calendar,it helps to understand what I call the “Do It Now” rule. You have to evaluate your tasks by urgency and importance to determine priority. The next time you look at your calendar, ask yourself: “Is this important or just urgent?” If a task is.... Urgent and Important: Do It Now. Not Urgent: Plan it, schedule it in your calendar. Give yourself a deadline! Urgent but Not Important: Delegate it. Trust your team to take care of it. Not Urgent and Not Important: figure out a way to eliminate it. It’s obviously not worth your time.

Starting a new PMM role can feel like you're juggling a million tasks all at once. 🤯 So, how do you prioritize what to tackle first? Here’s where the Action Priority Matrix comes in. This simple 2x2 matrix helps you categorize tasks based on Impact and Effort, allowing you to quickly identify "Quick Wins" and strategically plan larger projects. Here’s how you can make it work for you: 1️⃣ List all your tasks for the week (or another time period you prefer). 2️⃣ Rate the impact: For each task, ask yourself how impactful it is on a scale of 0-10. Remember, impact is about how crucial it is to the company’s and team’s key goals. 3️⃣ Evaluate the effort: Then, score the effort required to complete each task. 3️⃣ Plot your tasks on a 2x2 matrix and group them into 4 categories: -----> Quick Wins: Focus here to build early wins and gain confidence. -----> Major Projects: Plan these strategically. Break them into smaller milestones and turn them into quick wins, or seek additional resources. -----> Fill-Ins: Tackle these when you have downtime, or reduce the scope if possible. ----->Thankless Tasks: Avoid these. Delegate or eliminate them! The image shows some sample PMM activities grouped by category - bear in mind these are just examples :) Once you have your priorities mapped out, turn them into an easy to consume list and communicate them to your manager and get their feedback. This is a great way to show that you’re organized and disciplined. Don't be afraid to ask for support—or politely push back by explaining why some tasks may need to be prioritized. Over the years, this simple yet powerful framework has helped my clients achieve more results while avoiding burnout. What has worked for you? #ProductMarketing #newjob #coaching #growth #tech