An old (as in half a century or more!) simple prioritization approach is “Dump, Delay, Delegate, Do” … “4D” priorization.
How will AI help?
First, a brief explanation of the 4D prioritization steps in order … the order is important:
- Dump – decide what NOT to do. As important, dumping means NO ONE in your organization should be doing it. An often overlooked step in some leadership guidance, yet key to implementing 80/20 thinking and reducing waste. If others need to know it’s dumped, communicate.
- Delay (variously placed before or after Delegate) – Is it safe (enough) to wait a bit and find out more before anyone works on it? Do you need to find someone to delegate this to but they’re unavailable or need to be added to the team? Or maybe the situation might resolve itself? Note: you should set a trigger to review so not forgotten.
- Delegate – if it needs to be done but you are not the best person to do it (skills, responsibilities, effectiveness, low return for your time, etc.). Who can do it better or more appropriately? Then follow good delegation processes …
- Do – if it needs to be done and you’re the best person to do it. Prioritize against your existing “do” stuff.
How does AI enter into this?
Two steps depending on your AI use: Delegate and/or Do.
Which step depends on how much:
- You can “hand off” to AI
- You will be doing it in concert with AI. This is where a lot of personal productivity examples have been published.
Delegating to AI can also save your team’s time in addition to yours.
Either way, AI can multiply your effectiveness and that of your team.
As AI progresses, prioritization after the “dump” stage will center around “what should we be doing as humans” … what’s the most value a human can bring and focus on that. Let the AI take care of the rest – an evolution of what automation can handle for us.
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