Career Advice - Triaging Tasks
In the corporate world, you're often pulled in multiple directions—juggling requests from bosses, senior staff, and coworkers. Learning how to triage tasks effectively is essential for not just surviving but thriving in your career.
What Is Triaging?
Triaging is the process of prioritizing tasks based on urgency, importance, and complexity. The goal is to ensure you're spending your time where it matters most.
Why Is Triaging Important?
You only have so many hours in the workday. Unless you plan to regularly work beyond what you're paid for, you need to manage your time wisely.
Effective triaging:
- Keeps you focused on high-impact tasks
- Helps you meet deadlines without burning out
- Builds your reputation as reliable and efficient
- Puts you on the radar for promotions and raises
My Method for Triaging Tasks
There are many ways to triage, and you’ll need to find what works best for your role and workplace culture. Here’s the approach I personally use:
1. Grab a Memo Pad
I use a small memo pad with around 20 lines per page. The limited space forces me to be concise and helps me focus. I start a fresh page each day. A 10-pack costs just a few dollars—an easy investment.
2. Write Down Every Task
As soon as a task is assigned, I write it down immediately. Don’t rely on your memory—details slip away fast, especially in a busy environment.
3. Evaluate Each Task Using Four Criteria:
- Importance – Is the task mission-critical? Will it impact a bigger deliverable or stakeholder?
- Effort – How much time will it take to complete?
- Complexity – Is it a simple task, or does it require problem-solving, coding, or coordination?
- Timeline – When is it due really? Be cautious of vague deadlines like “no rush” or “ASAP.” Dig deeper to find the true timeline.
⚠️ Tip: If someone says “I needed this yesterday,” ask yourself whether it's a real crisis or poor planning on their part. Understanding the bigger picture helps you respond appropriately.
4. Rank Each Category
I rate each of the four factors as high, medium, or low. I used to use a 1–10 scale, but that added too much friction.
5. Assign an Overall Priority
Based on your rankings, give the task an overall score or label (e.g., Top Priority, Medium Priority, etc.).
6. Sort Your Task List
In the left margin, I number the tasks based on their priority for the day. This becomes my roadmap.
7. Re-Evaluate as the Day Progresses
As new information comes in for each task, adjust rankings if necessary. Flexibility is key.
8. Repeat Daily
Consistency matters. Whether you triage daily or every other day, make it a habit.
Final Thoughts
This method gives me a structured way to plan my day and protect my time. When new requests come in, I write them on a separate sheet and evaluate whether they can wait until tomorrow. Most of the time, they can.
Of course, there are days when urgent issues pop up and all plans get tossed out the window. That’s normal. On those days, you shift into firefighting mode - but the triaging habit ensures those days are the exception, not the norm.
