Now that we have dealt with prioritising and have the Organiser organised it is time to bring practical application to your Do it list.
When you write the list leave two imaginary columns on the left side – in other words indent the items. In the column nearest the list you write the priorities, A1 etc. So a list may look like this:
| | |Phone John Smith 019234 567890
| | |Plan the Conference meeting agenda
| | |Complete ministry proposal for the elders’ meeting
| | |Brief staff about holiday arrangements
| | |Report back to staff on trustees meeting
| | |Monitor progress with Sally about Easter outreach
| | |Ask Mike to set up meeting with local press officer
Note the ‘2 columns’ of space beside each item.
I prioritise this list at the beginning of the day according to its importance measured by my own responsibility and gifting, the impact on others of not getting the job done, and so on:
| |B4|Phone John Smith 019234 567890
|*|A2|Plan the Conference meeting agenda
| |A1|Complete ministry proposal for the elders’ meeting
| |B2|Brief staff about holiday arrangements
| |B3|Report back to staff on trustees meeting
| |C1|Monitor progress with Sally about Easter outreach
| |B1|Ask Mike to set up meeting with local press officer
Once the day progresses I use a series of symbols which indicate progress. These are:
* Urgent
[J] Delegate [to Jan]
^ In Process
/ Completed
> Transferred
x Dropped
( ) Reference
These are either assigned to the list before the day begins i.e. * representing Urgent is placed on the list before prioritising to ensure that urgency is weighed alongside importance according to the ‘truth table’ discussed in the blog of January 28th. This symbol serves to alert me to take into consideration that there is an urgency as well as importance, hence the symbol beside priority A2. Delay in planning the agenda would prevent the agenda being circulated on time and hinder certain people from preparing adequately.
In the next blog I shall discuss the meaning and purpose of the other symbols, and show how to use them.