Master Tasking

[via Michaelh Yatt's Working Smart Blog]
“Master Tasking” is the process of identifying your five to seven most productive, most important work-related tasks. A Master Task List is similar to a job description but more useful. It answers the question, “What was I really hired to do?” Here are some characteristics of master tasks:

• They are usually important but not urgent.
• They spell the difference between success and failure.
• You have a hard time getting to them.
• They are things you usually do on your own.
• They can be scheduled but usually aren’t.

The purpose of developing a Master Task List is to enable you to focus more easily on those activities that really add value to your department, your division, and your company. Once you have a Master Task List you can measure your performance against it. More importantly, you can schedule these activities so you accomplish the most important tasks related to your job.