Skip to main content
Welcome to Soft Skills Students! I’m Michael Forrester, and in this lesson we’ll dive into the art of prioritization—a cornerstone of effective time management and capacity planning. Structuring your work ensures you deliver high-impact outcomes, stay in sync with stakeholders, and make your contributions visible.
The image compares "Structured Efforts" and "Scattered Efforts" in prioritization, highlighting the benefits of structured work.
Key decisions in prioritization involve balancing:
  • Value: Which results matter most?
  • Effort / Time: How long will it take?
  • Urgency: Are deadlines looming?
Breaking big projects into one–two-day chunks helps you estimate effort, track progress, and deliver in increments. Below are two proven strategies to decide what’s next on your list.

​
1. Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)

WSJF calculates a priority score by dividing the sum of business value and time criticality by job size (effort). A higher score signals a higher priority.
The image illustrates strategies for prioritization using the WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First) method, featuring a triangular diagram with sections labeled Task, Time, and Value. There is also a person in the bottom right corner, possibly explaining the concept.

​
WSJF Prioritization Matrix

Map tasks into four quadrants based on value versus effort:
QuadrantActionDescription
Do NowHigh value, low effortTackle immediately for maximum ROI.
Do NextHigh value, high effortSchedule soon but allocate proper resources.
Do LaterLow value, low effortSlot into backlog; may revisit.
Don’t DoLow value, high effortDe-prioritize or drop entirely.
The image shows a prioritization matrix labeled "Strategies for Prioritization – WSJF," with quadrants for "Do Now," "Do Next," "Do Later," and "Don't Do," based on effort and value. There's also a person in the bottom right corner.
Compute each task’s WSJF score:
WSJF score = (Business Value + Time Criticality) ÷ Job Size
The image explains the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) prioritization strategy, showing a formula and examples of features with their business value, time criticality, and job size. There's also a small inset of a person speaking in the bottom right corner.

​
Example Comparison

Feature C (highest value, low effort) outranks A and B. Always recalculate if value or deadlines change.
The image explains the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) prioritization strategy, comparing three features based on business value, time criticality, and job size to determine their priority. Feature C has the highest priority, followed by Feature A, and then Feature B.

​
2. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

Often, 20% of tasks yield 80% of your results. Identify that critical 20%—whether it’s revenue-driving features, customer-impacting fixes, or reputation boosters—and focus on them first.
The image shows a bar graph illustrating the Pareto principle for task prioritization, with bars labeled 20%, 40%, 60%, 70%, and 80%. There is also a person speaking in the bottom right corner.
Rather than a formula, use your judgment to spot high-impact tasks. Then dedicate most of your bandwidth to that vital slice.
The image illustrates different prioritization strategies, including Pareto, WSJF, and FIFO, with a diagram showing paths to each. A person is also visible in the bottom right corner.

​
Adapting to Rapidly Changing Inputs

Even the best-laid plans must flex when emergencies occur. Keep your priorities visible, but stay ready to re-evaluate based on new stakeholder requests or shifting deadlines.
The image shows a bar chart titled "Adapting to Rapidly Changing Inputs," with Task 01 having the longest bar. There's a message below saying, "Stay aligned while adapting to current realities!" and a person is visible in the bottom right corner.

​
Communicate Priority Changes

Whenever you bump or reorder tasks, inform everyone affected—team members and stakeholders alike. Transparency prevents confusion and broken agreements.
The image is a presentation slide titled "Effective Communication of Priority Changes," featuring colorful speech bubbles and figures, with a note emphasizing the importance of communication. There's also a person in the bottom right corner.

​
Project Work vs Interrupt-Driven Work

Context switches erode focus. If you juggle support tickets and project tasks, timebox each segment—for example, 90 minutes on firefighting and 90 minutes on project deliverables.
The image is a presentation slide titled "Project Work vs Interrupt-Driven Work," featuring a simple illustration of a car at a traffic light. It includes a suggestion to keep workflows separate and isolate time blocks, with a small video of a person in the bottom right corner.

​
Visualize Your Workflow

A Kanban-style board (To Do → Doing → Done) makes priorities crystal clear. Pull one task at a time, finish it, then move on.
The image illustrates a workflow visualization with two stages, "Stage 01" and "Stage 02," progressing from "To Do" to "Completed." It emphasizes the importance of visualizing work in DevOps for better understanding and management.

​
Integrating Prioritization, Time Management & Capacity Planning

These three disciplines overlap and reinforce each other:
  • Prioritization: Which tasks come first?
  • Time Management: When will you work on them?
  • Capacity Planning: Who will do the work?
The image shows a Venn diagram illustrating the intersection of prioritization, time management, and capacity planning. There is also a person in the bottom right corner.

​
Summary

  • Break large tasks into day-sized chunks.
  • Use WSJF or the Pareto Principle (80/20) to rank work.
  • Communicate any shifts in priority immediately.
  • Timebox interruptions vs. project work.
  • Visualize progress with a Kanban board.
  • Align tasks with team capacity and deadlines.
The image is a summary slide titled "The Art of Prioritization," featuring three key points about prioritizing tasks, assessing effort, and using strategies like the 80/20 rule. It includes icons and a small image of a person in the bottom right corner.
Experiment with these techniques to discover what resonates best with your team and stakeholders. Thanks for reading—see you in the next lesson!

Watch Video