You’re in a Business Relationship Manager role. How can you prioritize tasks to make the most impact?

1 Assess the value and urgency

The first step to prioritize your tasks is to evaluate them based on their value and urgency. Value refers to how much the task contributes to the business goals, outcomes, and satisfaction of your stakeholders. Urgency refers to how soon the task needs to be done, considering the deadlines, dependencies, and risks involved. You can use a matrix or a tool to rank your tasks into four categories: high value and high urgency, high value and low urgency, low value and high urgency, and low value and low urgency.

2 Focus on the high value and high urgency tasks

The second step is to focus on the tasks that have both high value and high urgency. These are the tasks that are critical for the success of your partnerships and the delivery of IT services. You should prioritize these tasks over the others and complete them as soon as possible. You may need to communicate with your stakeholders, IT teams, and other BRMs to ensure alignment, collaboration, and support for these tasks.

3 Plan and schedule the high value and low urgency tasks

The third step is to plan and schedule the tasks that have high value but low urgency. These are the tasks that are important for the long-term vision and strategy of your partnerships and IT services, but do not have immediate deadlines or consequences. You should allocate time and resources for these tasks in advance and monitor their progress regularly. You may also need to communicate with your stakeholders, IT teams, and other BRMs to ensure alignment, collaboration, and support for these tasks.

4 Delegate or automate the low value and high urgency tasks

The fourth step is to delegate or automate the tasks that have low value but high urgency. These are the tasks that are not very relevant or beneficial for your partnerships and IT services, but need to be done quickly due to external factors or requirements. You should try to minimize the time and effort you spend on these tasks by delegating them to someone else who can handle them or by using a tool or a process that can automate them.

5 Eliminate or postpone the low value and low urgency tasks

The fifth step is to eliminate or postpone the tasks that have low value and low urgency. These are the tasks that are neither important nor urgent for your partnerships and IT services. You should avoid or delay these tasks as much as possible, as they can distract you from your priorities and waste your time and energy. You may need to communicate with your stakeholders, IT teams, and other BRMs to explain why these tasks are not a priority and negotiate alternative solutions or timelines.

6 Review and adjust your priorities

The sixth step is to review and adjust your priorities regularly. As a BRM, you need to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs and expectations of your stakeholders and the IT environment. You should monitor the feedback, results, and impact of your tasks and projects and update your value and urgency assessments accordingly. You should also communicate with your stakeholders, IT teams, and other BRMs to ensure alignment, collaboration, and support for your priorities.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?