No matter what level an employee is within a company, everyone needs training at some point or another. Even those who have been in a given industry for years have areas in which they can brush up. The ABC technique is simple yet powerful but does require some training. So what is the ABC method?
Simply put, it is placing your priorities in a good order. For instance, things that are the most important go into category “A.” If something is almost as important or is hinged on the completion of that task, it should go into category “B.” From there, continue to organize priorities. Having this technique can make even the longest to-do lists easy to manage. There are many tips and tricks to maintaining this organization, but the following three will get you started on the right track.
1. First Determine the Top Priorities
Rather than going backwards, start with what is most important. If something falls into category “A,” it means it must be done as soon as possible. This means if it is not done first or in the most timely manner, there will be dire consequences.
2. Decide on Secondary Tasks
Now that the most important of all has been isolated, start to look at what is the next in line of importance. This is considered a “B” item. These types of tasks mean someone will be unhappy or inconvenienced if it is not complete, but there will not be dire consequences.
3. Weigh Out the Consequences
By deciding what absolutely needs to be done first, you have decided what has the highest level of consequence. However, you must also look at what will come out of you choosing that as the worst consequence. This is especially important for “C” tasks. These are tasks that would be nice to get done, but do not necessarily have any true consequence if they are not completed.
At this stage, it is important to re-evaluate. For instance, if the “B” task is not completed, who is inconvenienced? Is it another colleague, or is it a client? Weighing out all three stages before moving forward can be an important aspect of the 3 Best Practices for your ABC training.
If you have questions about ABC training or other training techniques, contact us today.