Auditing Success

Developing your autopilot priorities systems

Goal setting was covered in the Your Vision = Your Future section. This section is focused on setting day-to-day and tactical goals and objectives. For current managers, we recommend that you set long-term and short-term goals.

• Long-term goals: What do you want to achieve in the next 6 months to a year or beyond? These can be career ambitions, personal development, or long-term projects.
• Short-term goals: What are the immediate tasks or deadlines that contribute to your long-term goals? These may include daily, weekly, or monthly tasks.

It is important to write down all the tasks, responsibilities, or activities you must complete. This will help you see everything in one place and avoid overlooking anything important.

Once all the goals have been set, it is useful to use a prioritization matrix to help identify the urgent and critical tasks that will improve you and the team. I recommend using the Eisenhower Matrix.

Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent vs. Important):

• Important and Urgent: Do these tasks immediately (crisis situations, deadlines).
• Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these tasks to work on over time (strategic planning, personal growth).
• Not Important but Urgent: Delegate these tasks if possible (meetings, minor requests).
• Not Important and Not Urgent: Consider eliminating these tasks (distractions, time-wasters).

Remember the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) that 20% of your tasks will drive 80% of the results. In addition to prioritization, deadlines need to be worked on to make sure the urgency of tasks is appropriately reflected.

Rember to delegate whenever possible. It frees use your time to focus on high-priority items while giving your team the opportunity to gain experience their skills. By taking this approach to setting objectives you will have your priorities set for the week ahead.