Management Fundamentals 5th Edition by Robert Lussier

Exercise 27

Objective
To improve your skill at setting priorities.
Skills
The primary skills developed through this exercise are:
1. Management skill - decision making (setting priorities is based on conceptual skills)
2. AACSB competencies - analytic skills and reflective thinking skills
3. Management function - organizing (resources and time)
Preparing for Skill Builder 1
For this exercise, assume that you are the first-line manager of a production department in a large company. Read the to-do list of ten tasks that accompanies this exercise and assign priorities to each task by following the steps below. (Note: The ten tasks have been numbered for you. When you make a to-do list for your own tasks, we recommend that you not number them.)
1. Answer the three priority-determination questions by placing a Y for yes or N for no in the columns labeled 1, 2, and 3. Because you are not the top manager of this department, do not fill in the deadline/ time-needed column.
2. Assign a priority to the task by placing the letter D (delegate), H (high), M (medium), or L (low) in the priority column. Use the list at the top left to determine the priority based on the answers to the priority questions.
3. Determine which task to complete first. You may have more than one high priority, so select the most important one to do first.
Apply It
What did I learn from this experience? How will I use this knowledge in the future?
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Your instructor may ask you to do this Skill Builder in class in a group. If so, the instructor will provide you with any necessary information or additional instructions.