Importance Of Setting Goals And Priorities

Chapter Three Discussion Questions – 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9

1. Why is setting goals and priorities important?

Setting goals and priorities are an important part of any successful plan. By setting goals you are making a statement about what you wish to accomplish. Goals provide you with focus and motivation. You are more likely to get things done when you set goals for yourself. Priorities are the key to helping you to meet those goals. Priories help you to determine what tasks need to be done and when. Setting priorities keeps you on track and on time.

2. What does accountability mean? To whom are you accountable, and in what ways?

Accountability mean taking responsibility for your actions and being answerable to others for those actions.

Go over the list of tasks and prioritize them from the most important to the least important. Cross off each task from the list once you complete it.

Use a calendar or planner to keep track of upcoming events, appointments, and due dates. In order to stay on track, check your planner or calendar daily and write down additional information immediately so you do not forget it.

Do not procrastinate. Choose a task and start working on it. Delaying a task will only make it that much hard to get started. Commit yourself to working on the task for a specific amount of time each day until it is completed.

5. Explain the “four categories” method of organizing your work. Give an example of your own (not from the text) for each category.

The four categories method is a way of organizing your tasks into one of four categories that indicate the task’s priority and importance according to the company’s business needs. These categories are Urgent and Important, Important, but not Urgent, Urgent, but not Important, Neither Urgent nor Important.

Examples:
Urgent and Important
• Booking a conference room for next week’s staff meeting
• Preparing your supervisor’s PowerPoint presentation for the staff meeting
• Ordering a catered lunch for the staff