How to Prioritize Tasks in High-Pressure Situations

𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... How do you decide what to focus on when everything feels urgent? It’s not a theoretical discussion. Right now, strategies are shifting monthly in response to a volatile geopolitical and economic landscape. Financial realities are forcing tough calls. Teams are being asked to deliver more with less. In moments like these, the ability to prioritize with clarity isn’t just helpful, it’s essential to keeping the business on track, protecting your team’s energy, and focusing on what truly adds value. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲. Here’s what I come back to when the pressure is on: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 – If it doesn’t support our business goals, it’s not a priority. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Business goals evolve fast. Review them regularly with your leadership peers to ensure priorities still align. 2️⃣ 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 – Will it actually move the needle? 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Be ruthless here. If the answer is no, park it. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 – If we take this on, what gets delayed, swapped, or delegated? 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Audit workloads openly and create the space for people to speak up before deadlines are at risk. 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲-𝗼𝗳𝗳 – What are we not doing if we say yes to this? Is it worth it? 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Name the sacrifice so it’s visible, then decide if it’s the right one. 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 – Commit to what you’ve promised, and if priorities shift, have an honest conversation with those affected. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Be transparent early. Explain the change, the reason, and the new plan so stakeholders feel informed, not blindsided. 👉 My go-to tool is a simple impact vs. resources quadrant: 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Quick wins, do them. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Golden priorities, choose with care. 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Fillers, only if capacity allows. 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Rethink, stop or reframe. AI has expanded what our teams can take on, but that doesn’t mean we fill the space with more activity. It means we focus on the work that matters most, now and in the future. If you want to dig deeper, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (links in the comments): 𝗘𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 – Classic urgent vs. important decision tool. 𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 – Harvard/BCG method for predicting project success. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 – Research on trust and human sustainability in leadership. How do you approach prioritization when everything is fighting for first place?

Sometimes I look back at my time on active duty in the Air Force and wonder how I got everything done . . . how did I get kids to soccer, stay credible in the airplane, do laundry and grocery shopping, and focus on my role as a commander and leader. The reality is that there were often times throughout my career where I felt overwhelmed by multiple competing priorities . . . there just didn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get it all done. The only way I could keep my head above water was to get serious and deliberate about prioritizing. I didn’t always get this right (in fact, many times I did not), but here are a few ideas that can help you prioritize and make the most of your time: 1️⃣ Identify Your Goals/Priorities: Clearly define your objectives to focus on tasks that align with your priorities. 2️⃣ Prioritize Tasks: Conduct a thorough analysis of your daily tasks. Determine which tasks are urgent and important, and focus on completing those first. (I didn’t know about the Eisenhower Matrix then, but I find it highly effective now for prioritizing my tasks.) 3️⃣ Delegate Responsibilities: Trust others to handle tasks not directly related to your core responsibilities, freeing up time for priorities. 4️⃣ Set Realistic Deadlines: Break down larger tasks into smaller steps with achievable deadlines to maintain steady progress. Micro/quick wins are also nice. (I personally enjoy crossing items off of my to-do list.) 5️⃣ Learn to Say No: Be selective about new commitments to avoid overloading your schedule (sometimes easier said than done, and it’s helpful to have an accountability partner on this). 6️⃣ Block your Schedule: Consider setting aside specific blocks in your schedule for strategic thinking. Creating this space ensures that you are actively working toward your goals and objectives and not just getting bogged down in the weeds. 7️⃣ Review and Adjust: Regularly reassess your schedule and priorities to ensure they align with your goals, adjusting as needed. (I use a high-tech sticky note and review/re-write at the end of each day). Whether you’re a business professional, military member, entrepreneur, or student, effective time management is key to maintaining productivity and reducing stress. #LeadWithCourage ----- 🛩️ About me: I’m Kim “KC” Campbell, a retired Air Force Colonel, fighter pilot, author, and keynote speaker. I work with organizations that want to develop courageous leaders and teams so they can overcome challenges, navigate uncertainty, and elevate performance.

I've managed 5 high-performing product marketing teams at startups and public companies, and there are 2 commonalities I've noticed at each: 1) it's easy for PMMs to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks on their plates, and 2) teams are rarely recognized for their true effort or impact by upper management. That's why I want to share my prioritization matrix 👇 It’s been a game-changer in how my teams approach projects and focus on what truly drives results. I’m curious—does this framework resonate with your approach to prioritizing tasks? Here's the concept: Rack up the wins by focusing on projects that offer high visibility and impact for lower effort and avoid those that drain your energy and don’t align with company goals. (Note: you could replace visibility with impact on this scale, but it's important that what you're working on is actually on the radar of those in upper management). Here’s how to prioritize: Quick Wins: These are the golden opportunities! High visibility, low difficulty — they bring great returns with minimal effort. Look for ways to get a few of these in your quarter. Strategic Initiatives: Aim for ONE strategic initiative per quarter. These are high-visibility, high-difficulty tasks that are aligned with your long-term goals. Go deep, plan ahead, and focus on the impact. You will be the most proud of these, but you need to be realistic about them. Routine Tasks: You’ve got to keep up with these, but don't let them consume too much of your time. Find a system to manage them efficiently. Avoid: Stay clear of high-difficulty, low-visibility tasks. These projects often don't yield the results you need, and they’re energy-draining. They don't align with your values or long-term success. 💡 Action Step: Review your current or upcoming projects. Classify them into high or low reward, and high or low effort. What projects are you spending too much time on that aren’t worth the effort? Time to realign and focus on what truly matters! #Productivity #TimeManagement #Prioritization #WorkSmart #StrategicFocus #CareerGrowth #Leadership How do you manage your / your team’s workload?

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! 👇💬

How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent 👇 Ever feel like everything on your to-do list is "urgent"? As Product Managers, this feeling can be overwhelming. But the truth is, not everything is equally important. Today, I’m sharing simple strategies and personal methods to master prioritization even when everything feels urgent. 1. The 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle): Focus on High-Impact Tasks When everything feels urgent, it’s easy to confuse "busy" with "productive." How it works: The 80/20 Rule states that 80% of results come from 20% of the work. My Approach: Identify the 20% of tasks that will create 80% of the impact. Ask, "If I could only accomplish one task today, which one would have the biggest impact?" Ruthlessly cut or postpone "low-impact" tasks until essential work is done Example: Instead of responding to every email immediately, I’ll spend the first hour of my day working on the most critical task like preparing a roadmap presentation for stakeholders. 2. One Big Thing" Method: Reduce Cognitive Overload When everything feels urgent, decision fatigue sets in fast. How it works: Focus on just one "big thing" per day and make it your primary goal. My Approach: Every morning, I ask, "If I could only achieve one thing today, what would it be?" I write it down at the top of my planner and prioritize it over everything else. Once it’s done, I’ll move on to smaller tasks or "urgent" requests. Example: If I need to finalize a product strategy document, that becomes my "One Big Thing" for the day. Only after it's complete will I review smaller tasks like answering Slack messages or attending low-priority meetings. 3. The 2-Minute Rule: Avoid Task Accumulation Tiny, quick tasks have a sneaky way of building up until they feel "urgent." How it works: If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now instead of delaying. My Approach: I’ll address simple requests (like approving an expense) as soon as I see them. This prevents my task list from filling up with low-effort items that drain my mental bandwidth. Example: Instead of saving 5 tiny Slack requests to "do later," I’ll handle them at the moment if they take less than 2 minutes. Prioritization isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.   Which of these 3 methods do you use most often? #productmanager #productmanagement

90% of "urgent" requests aren't. Here is a system for finding the 10% that counts. Excellent carousel from Andrea Petrone 🔥 "This is top urgent!" "I need this ASAP!" "Can we talk? It's very important." Sound familiar? The truth is:  When everything is urgent, nothing is. I used to pride myself on juggling 20 priorities. Until I realized I was just a very efficient hamster. Running fast. Going nowhere. The shift that changed everything? Stop managing tasks. Start managing outcomes. 1️⃣ Don’t start with your tasks, start with your outcomes ↠ Ask: “What does success look like this week?” ↠ Clear on results = drop what doesn’t serve them ↠ Busyness ≠ Progress 2️⃣ Use the ‘Impact vs. Effort’ filter ↠ Plot your work into 4 categories: ↠ High impact / low effort = do first ↠ High impact / high effort = plan and schedule ↠ Low impact = question if it’s worth doing at all 3️⃣ Prioritize people, not just projects ↠ Some of your most important work is invisible: ↠ Building trust, clarifying direction, helping them ↠ Your calendar should reflect this 4️⃣ Choose 3 priorities per day—max ↠ The brain isn’t built for 10 urgent tasks ↠ Choose 3 things that matter most. ↠ Everything else? Bonus, not baseline 5️⃣ Say “not now” without guilt ↠ You don’t have to say “no” forever, just not now ↠ Try: “Happy to revisit your idea next week?” ↠ “This deserves full attention which I can't offer now" 6️⃣ Share your focus with your team ↠ Tell your team what you’re working on and why ↠ This creates alignment and fewer interruptions ↠ You can’t lead with clarity if you prioritize in silence 7️⃣ Check in weekly: what’s noise vs what matters? ↠ Each week, ask: What’s the most valuable thing I did? ↠ What could I drop with no real consequence? ↠ Over time, you’ll learn to spot true priorities faster The most successful people I know? They do less. But what they do matters more. Stop wearing "busy" like a badge of honor. Start wearing "focused" like a superpower. Because at the end of your career, Nobody remembers how many emails you answered. They remember the impact you made. What's one thing you'll stop doing this week? ♻️ Share if you needed this reminder 👥 Follow Ani Filipova for daily content on leadership, career and change 📩 Join my newsletter - link in the featured

My coworker once quit because our boss said everything was urgent. The coworker tried to get the boss to prioritize, but she refused. I respect my colleague's decision, but we aren’t all able to quit. On the blog this week, what do you do when everything is urgent? 🚨 How to Triage the Urgent Emergency departments triage cases to decide which patient to assist first. You might not make life-or-death decisions, but your prioritization matters. Here are some things to consider. 1️⃣ How Fast Will a Bigger Problem Emerge? Give greater priority to tasks that are going to get worse quickly. And deprioritize tasks where they might resolve if you ignore them. 2️⃣ How Severe Will the Consequences Be? Give greater priority to an urgent task that will lead to bigger problems. This is about the materiality of the problem... 1 week, 1 month, 1 year impact? 3️⃣ Will We Miss the Window? One thing we forget is that urgent doesn’t necessarily mean disaster. It’s possible that the urgent task is about capitalizing on an opportunity. Prioritize the task where something more valuable might be lost. 4️⃣ Who Else Could Help? Sometimes, it isn’t about the action itself, but whose priority it becomes. Differentiate between tasks that only you can do and those others can do. Prioritize the task where you're the lynchpin. 5️⃣ Is it Even Worth It? The hardest triage decision is leaving a patient to die. Is there an urgent task that will take too much time and effort? 🦸 How to Make the Save When faced with multiple urgent matters, there are two bad options. ‣ One is to try to work on them all simultaneously. ‣ The other is to work on one while others become more desperate. 1️⃣ Divide Things Into Chunks Think about your activities in chunks. In the Emergency Room metaphor: You stop the bleeding on one patient and then move to another. You don't need to completely rehabilitate one patient before the next. It’s ok to move between tasks once you’ve completed a chunk. 2️⃣ Focus for Efficiency One main problem is that you respond to rising anxiety by multitasking. This reduces efficiency, increases errors, and adds stress. In an Emergency room, they use a blue curtain to isolate the patient. You could try a curtain, but a more metaphorical barrier would probably suffice. 3️⃣ Tap Into the Team Urgency can blind you to the people around you. Be sure to lift your head occasionally; you might find people to pitch in and help. If you’re facing multiple urgent tasks, don’t try to go it alone. Have you ever worked in a place where everything was urgent? How did you handle it?  #psychology #urgent #priority

The Worst Prioritization Advice I’ve Ever Gotten as a Program Manager at Amazon “Just work on what feels most urgent.” This advice sounds smart. Until you realize everything feels urgent when you’re overwhelmed. • Slack threads light up • Customers escalate • Leaders shift priorities And suddenly you’re running on adrenaline, not strategy. I tried this advice early in my PM career. And I spent 3 weeks chasing low-impact fires…while the real project slipped. Now? I filter urgency through impact, not emotion. Here’s how I avoid bad prioritization traps: 1/ I sort tasks by consequence, not noise ↳ “What happens if I do this late?” ↳ Most ‘emergencies’ die quietly 2/ I force tradeoff conversations ↳ “Happy to jump in…what should I pause to make room?” ↳ Fake urgency folds under pressure 3/ I slow down before I reshuffle ↳ If I feel reactive, I pause and write it down ↳ Panic ≠ plan 4/ I protect strategic work like a deadline ↳ Deep thinking. Process building. Decision docs. ↳ It only survives if you guard it like your launch date 5/ I normalize saying “this isn’t the highest priority” ↳ Respectfully, clearly, consistently ↳ That phrase has saved me from months of stress Urgency is a feeling. Impact is a fact. 📬 I share clarity-first prioritization systems weekly in The Weekly Sync: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6qAwEFc What’s the worst prioritization advice you’ve ever gotten?

Think negative. It'll help you. Here's what I mean. People don't have time or the mental space to constantly ask themselves "how should I prioritize?" when work is busy and things are hectic. My solution: The Drop Test. It's a simple yet effective question: "What would happen if I did NOT do task A vs. task B?" It's a shift from positive prioritization ("what would happen if I did X?") to negative prioritization ("what would happen if I did NOT do X?"). This question forces you to consider the consequences of inaction for each task. By framing the decision in terms of potential negative outcomes, it taps into our natural tendency to prioritize avoiding losses over gaining rewards. Here's why it works: 1) It makes the stakes real. By visualizing the consequences of not doing each task, you get a clearer picture of their true importance. 2) It cuts through abstract priorities. Instead of trying to decide which task is more 'important' in a vacuum, you're considering tangible outcomes. 3) It leverages our bias towards loss aversion. Research shows we're more motivated to avoid negative outcomes than to achieve positive ones. It's quick and easy to use. In the midst of a hectic day, you can ask yourself this question and get clarity in seconds. Remember, the goal isn't to stress yourself out about potential negative outcomes. Instead, the Drop Test is a quick mental exercise to gain clarity on your priorities when you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to focus your efforts. Thank you for your time! Source: Schmidt, A. M., & DeShon, R. P. (2007). What to do? The effects of discrepancies, incentives, and time on dynamic goal prioritization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 928–941.

Crisis doesn’t create leaders—𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 When everything’s on fire, the best leaders don’t just fix the problem—they manage the panic. My years as an engineer and manager at Amazon taught me a thing or two (or a million?) about how to stay calm during high severity incidents. Here’s how to keep your cool when it feels like things are on fire: 1️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿: Ground decisions in data and resist the urge to react emotionally. Emotional reactions add fuel to the fire—facts will guide you out. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 & 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆: In times of crisis, silence breeds confusion. Keep your team updated with short, actionable updates to maintain clarity. Include timelines, customer impact, and next steps. 3️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆: Not everything can be solved at once. Identify the biggest impact areas and tackle them first. Write out a list of questions you need to answer, prioritize based on impact, and start from the top. 4️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲: Don’t hesitate to engage and bring in additional support. Trust your team to handle key pieces of the incident. High-pressure moments are when autonomy shines. Leading through high-severity incidents isn't just about technical expertise—it's about maintaining composure under pressure. Calm leadership inspires trust, clarity, and results. Stay calm, lead strong, and watch your team follow suit. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How do you think about leading thru stressful times? Tell me in the comments. ⤵ ---- ♻️ Repost and share these leadership tips ➕ Follow me, Ashley VanderWel, for more 📲 Book an anonymous coaching session