“Desire dedicates our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions.”
– Dallin H.Oaks
We often hear about defining objectives and making to-do lists in our workplace. But the majority of employees waste their time procrastinating and performing unimportant tasks.
According to Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University, leading researcher on the subject, and author of Still Procrastinating: The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done, we all put tasks off, but about 20 percent of U.S. men and women are chronic procrastinators.
Have you ever felt the guilt of not doing what you should be doing? We all have been there, avoiding an unpleasant or tedious task and rather scrolling down the Instagram feed to feel a temporary mood boost. Did you know this guilt makes you procrastinate even further, creating a vicious, self-defeating cycle?
To overcome chronic procrastination, successful business leaders adopt what is known as the ABCDE method which allows them to set priorities for their most critical tasks, ensuring that they produce results and stay on task.
Let’s look at the ABCDE method in more detail now.
How does the ABCDE method work?
The ABCDE method helps employees to identify the most important tasks. It is one of the most effective techniques that can be used regularly for significantly improved productivity.
The first step is to create your comprehensive to-do list. Do not leave out anything while creating this list. Once you have your to-do list ready, start putting tasks in each of the ABCDE categories.
Here’s how you categorize your tasks
“A” – Task that is the most important:
An “A” category task is the most critical item on your to-do list if it has a significant impact or outcome. You must determine which tasks should be included in the “A” list.
Decide which task has the most potential to affect your performance. There can be several “A” tasks, which you can list as A-1, A-2, and A-3.
You can now choose a time frame in which to perform these activities.
“B” – Tasks with medium priorities:
“B” category tasks are significant as well, although they only have minor repercussions. These are basic responsibilities, such as attending a meeting with your coworkers. Failure to complete a task listed in this category has no serious consequences.
“C” – Tasks with the lowest priority:
These tasks have no consequences and can be skipped. These responsibilities aren’t always connected to projects or work, but they should be taken into account. Taking a coffee break, eating lunch with coworkers, and performing personal duties are examples of “C” category tasks.
“D” – Tasks that can be delegated:
Delegate the task that you believe the other employee can complete more efficiently and effectively than you. You don’t have to delegate the entire project; you can delegate a portion of it to someone with more knowledge and expertise who can produce the end product more quickly than you.
“E” – Tasks that don’t matter:
These are jobs that don’t need to be completed any longer. You can fully eliminate these duties because they are unimportant and yield no results. These are minor tasks that consume a significant amount of time yet are of no consequence. So make the most of your time and focus on finishing the “A” category chores.
How to practice the ABCDE method
Once you have organized all of your daily tasks in one spot on your to-do list, classify them into A, B, C, D, and E categories. Prioritize your duties in a way that will help you in the long run. The method’s most important rule is to never skip a step.
To boost your productivity and produce superior outcomes, make it a habit to practice the method. Encourage your teammates to try this strategy, and analyze the results.
Time management is the most crucial aspect of this strategy. You will find it a lot easier to complete the rest of the assignment within your assigned time frame if you can finish your “A” category tasks, which are the most important.
Wrapping up
The best way to implement the ABCDE method would be by using KonarkPro, the most effective time tracking and team management app for your company. Features like automated time sheets and insights reports, among others, offered by KonarkPro, allow you to track how productive your staff is throughout the day.