The history of how people have approached prioritisation has evolved over time, influenced by cultural, technological, and economic changes. Here is a brief “history” of how we prioritise and how the methods and thought processes we use to prioritise have changed over the years:
1. Ancient and Pre-Industrial Societies:
In ancient times, prioritisation was often based on survival needs. The focus was on basic tasks that ensured sustenance, safety, and community cohesion (think Maslow and you would be about right):
- Basic Survival Priorities: Hunting, gathering or farming to provide food was prioritised based on the seasons or environmental conditions.
- Religious and Social Hierarchies: Many societies had religious or tribal leaders who determined priorities, often based on ritual, spirituality, or social hierarchy.
- Scarcity of Time Tools: Time was managed around natural cycles like day and night or seasons, with limited tools for managing time and tasks.
Example: In early agricultural societies, planting and harvest times were prioritised based on the seasons and weather patterns. Communities prioritised religious festivals or communal work.
2. Industrial Revolution (18th-19th Century):
The industrial revolution brought dramatic changes to how people worked and therefore how they should prioritise their tasks:
- Efficiency and Productivity: With the rise of factories and mechanised labour, prioritisation started focusing on productivity and efficiency. Tasks were broken down into smaller, more specific actions in assembly lines.
- Time as a Commodity: The concept of "time is money" became prominent. Clocks and timetables became essential for managing shifts and coordinating tasks.
- Emergence of Management Theories: Early management thinkers, like Frederick Taylor, emphasised the importance of scientific management, where efficiency and task prioritisation were studied and optimised.
Example: Factory work prioritised output and efficiency, often at the expense of worker health, with management systems like Taylorism focusing on maximising productivity through detailed task breakdowns.
3. 20th Century – Early 1900s to Mid-1900s:
The 20th century saw the rise of formal management theories, which significantly shaped prioritisation in both personal and professional contexts:
- Time Management Tools: The invention of personal planners, calendars and later on, paper-based organisers (like the Filofax) helped individuals manage priorities.
- Scientific Management & Taylorism: Frederick Taylor’s scientific management theory emphasised the optimisation of individual tasks for greater efficiency, leading to the prioritisation of task simplification.
- Military Influence (WWI and WWII): Military planning during both World Wars saw the emergence of strategic prioritisation and resource allocation on a massive scale.
- Eisenhower Matrix: Dwight D. Eisenhower popularised a method of task prioritisation, focusing on distinguishing between urgent and important tasks. This matrix became a foundational tool for prioritisation, especially in business contexts.
Example: During WWII, military strategists had to prioritise resources, missions, and objectives, balancing urgency (immediate needs) and importance (long-term goals).
4. Late 20th Century (Post-WWII to 1990s):
The post-war era introduced new approaches to prioritisation as society moved into a more globalised and knowledge-based economy:
- Project Management and Task Prioritisation: The rise of project management methodologies like PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) and Critical Path Method (CPM) introduced formal ways of prioritising tasks in complex projects.
- Self-Improvement and Productivity: The 1980s and 1990s saw a surge in personal development literature, such as Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, which introduced the idea of aligning personal priorities with long-term goals and values.
- Technological Influence: The rise of computers and early software tools (like spreadsheets) allowed for more advanced and dynamic prioritisation in both work and personal life.
Example: Corporations adopted project management methodologies like Gantt charts and the Critical Path Method to prioritise tasks that could be completed in parallel or sequentially, optimising efficiency.
5. 21st Century – The Digital Age:
The digital age has transformed how people prioritise tasks, with rapid technological advancements and the rise of information overload requiring new approaches:
- Technology and Automation: Software and apps now automate prioritisation, helping users manage complex task lists in real time. These tools often integrate with AI to suggest priorities based on deadlines, workloads or importance.
- Agile and Lean Methodologies: The rise of Agile frameworks in software development has shifted prioritisation toward iterative processes, with a focus on delivering the most valuable features first, responding dynamically to feedback.
- Information Overload and Multitasking: With the rise of smartphones and 24/7 connectivity, people often struggle with "decision fatigue" and information overload, leading to a greater need for effective prioritisation techniques.
- Mindfulness and Work-Life Balance: In response to the constant pressure to stay connected and productive, prioritisation is increasingly balancing personal well-being with professional demands. Techniques like mindfulness focus on managing attention and reducing distractions.
- Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): This principle, which suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts, has become widely adopted in business and personal productivity to prioritise high-impact activities.
Example: Agile frameworks in tech development prioritise delivering small, incremental improvements over large, monolithic projects, allowing for flexibility and real-time reprioritisation based on user feedback.
6. Modern Prioritisation in the 2020s and Beyond:
Today’s prioritisation strategies are shaped by the fast-paced nature of global communication, markets and ever-evolving technologies:
- Artificial Intelligence and Automation: AI tools are increasingly being used to automate prioritisation in areas like email sorting, task management and customer service. AI helps individuals and organisations focus on the most critical actions by providing data-driven insights.
- Remote Work and Global Collaboration: With remote work becoming more common, especially post-pandemic, the need to prioritise communication, collaboration tools and time zone management has become crucial.
- Well-being and Mental Health: There’s growing awareness of mental health and many people are now prioritising their well-being alongside productivity, using methods that encourage balance, such as deep work and mindful prioritisation.
Example: AI-powered task management apps can now analyse a person’s task load and suggest optimal times for completing them based on historical data, deadlines, and individual productivity patterns.
- From Basic Survival to Efficiency: In early times, prioritisation was about meeting survival needs. With industrialisation came a focus on efficiency, productivity, and optimising labour.
- From Hierarchies to Personal Management: Management theories and tools emerged, allowing individuals and companies to formalise task prioritisation. By the late 20th century, the shift was toward more personal time management and aligning priorities with long-term goals.
- From Productivity to Balance: Today, prioritisation blends productivity with an increasing focus on work-life balance, mental health and well-being, driven by technology and the fast pace of modern life.
Let me know if you'd like to dive into any specific period or approach in more detail!
So that is a brief history of prioritising, something that we each do 100s of time a day without necessarily thinking about it.
Intuitively it makes sense that at every opportunity there is an optimum choice/decision to be made, and we use business simulations to allow talent to experience the impact of different decision choices.
Our simulations allow companies to establish their commercial priorities and appropriate responses with their leaders and managers in a challenging, fun and memorable way. Aligning people to the business’s priorities and equipping them with the appropriate capacity to act is how a company will deliver its strategy.
