As a leader and manager, it may feel that everything is important, all the time, every day, day in and day out.
But we know for sure that not everything is urgent (or on fire).
Knowing the difference between important and urgent is what separates the calm, cool, collected decision-makers and leaders … from the not-so-calm, cool, collected ones (hint: the former is the goal).
Understanding Urgency vs. Importance
So (to start) when it comes to what is urgent versus what is important, there are a few key distinctions to clarify:
What is Urgency?
Urgency refers to tasks that demand immediate attention, so deadlines or tasks that have external pressure tied to them – which can cause acute stress or frazzled decision-making. Things that are urgent often create a sense of emergency, but they don’t necessarily contribute significantly to long-term goals or wins.
What is Important?
Importance refers to tasks that contribute to long-term goals, values, or key outcomes. These tasks might not require immediate attention but can have significant long-term consequences. Importance aligns with strategy, vision, and overarching business objectives.
The Urgency vs. Importance Decision Matrix
The Urgency vs. Importance Matrix helps managers and leaders better prioritize tasks based on two factors: urgency and importance. This system lays a simple yet effective framework to prioritize tasks and ensure that leaders and their teams focus on what matters most.
- Escalate Immediately: Urgent and Important Tasks: These need immediate attention (as the name implies). Escalation is necessary, and it usually involves key decision-makers.
Example: A client crisis, a system failure, a key partner pulling out of a deal.
- Propose for Approval: Low Urgency but High Importance: These are significant tasks that don’t require immediate action but require analysis, collaboration from the team, and approval before moving forward.
Example: New business strategy proposals, long-term project plans, significant financial investments.
- Decide Without Leadership: Low Urgency and Low Stakes: Empower (and thoroughly train) your team to take ownership of these tasks without needing constant approval. These are neither urgent nor high-stakes.
Example: Routine administrative tasks, minor operational decisions, day-to-day operational issues.
- Inform About Progress: High Urgency but Low Stakes: Hold the team accountable for rapid progress while regularly updating leadership (you) on milestones. These are tasks that need quick action, but the stakes are low, so regular progress updates are usually sufficient.
Examples: Quick updates on projects and meeting deadlines for non-critical reports.
5 Benefits of Defining Priorities (Urgent vs. Important) Effectively
Prioritizing isn’t just about getting more done; it’s about focusing on what matters and what moves the needle forward while enhancing productivity, empowering your team, and keeping everyone aligned with your long-term vision.
Here are a few benefits of coaching your team to prioritize (effectively):
Improved Time Management
Distinguishing between urgent and important (and fast) helps leaders avoid wasting time on low-impact work and instead focus on high-priority tasks that drive long-term success for the business. This approach allows leaders to protect valuable time for strategic thinking and meaningful projects.
Preventing Burnout
Constantly reacting to ‘urgent’ tasks can lead to burnout. The matrix helps leaders balance urgent tasks quickly while giving important tasks the time they deserve. This reduces stress, creates a stable sense of control, and prevents decision-making fatigue.
Increased Productivity
Productivity isn’t about working harder but working smarter. Learning to effectively prioritize (by using the matrix) enables teams to focus on tasks that align with the organization’s goals, eliminating time spent on low-value activities.
Clear Priorities Lead to Focus
When team members understand which tasks are truly important (or urgent), they can act with greater efficiency, confidence, and autonomy. They spend less time on distractions and more time on high-impact tasks, leading to faster and better outcomes—long-term and short-term.
Encouraging Ownership
Empowered team members develop problem-solving skills and become more motivated as they see and feel how their work contributes to the organization’s success. This also allows leaders to focus on higher-priority tasks, creating a more efficient and engaged workforce.
Reduce Decision-Making Stress with Prioritization
By distinguishing urgent tasks from important ones, leaders, managers, and team members can make more focused decisions, eliminate unnecessary stress, and (again) make cool, calm, collected decision-making – easy.
Here’s how:
- Don’t react to urgency: Never let every urgent task dictate your actions. Instead, assess whether the task is also important or just a distraction.
- Focus on long-term goals: Prioritize tasks that contribute to your organization’s long-term success, even if they’re not urgent.
- Delegate appropriately: Use the matrix to delegate low-stakes tasks to the right team members, freeing up your time for more important work and giving your team a sense of autonomy and accomplishment.
3 Ways to NOT Prioritize Effectively
Leaders often make the mistake of treating every task as urgent, but other mistakes can have a bigger impact:
- Treating Urgency as Importance: Not every urgent task has high stakes. Don’t let the pressure of a deadline override thoughtful decision-making.
- Ignoring Low Urgency, High Stakes Tasks: Some long-term decisions need time and thought. These tasks tend to get neglected due to their low urgency, but their consequences can be long-lasting.
- Micromanaging Low Urgency, Low Stakes Tasks: Giving excessive attention to tasks that don’t impact long-term goals can prevent leaders from focusing on more important matters. We don’t recommend this.
Effective prioritization allows managers and leaders to make more informed decisions and create a work environment where the team feels empowered to act independently. But prioritization isn’t just about working harder — it’s about working smarter – and helping your team do the same.
