How Communications Managers Prioritize Work (and What to Cut)

You’re drowning in requests, deadlines are looming, and everyone wants your attention. This is Communications Manager life. But the best ones don’t just react – they ruthlessly prioritize. This article will give you the framework to do just that. This is about prioritizing your work, not about general time management tips.

The Communications Manager’s Prioritization Promise

By the end of this, you’ll have a complete prioritization toolkit: a decision-making checklist, a stakeholder impact scorecard, and a ‘cut ruthlessly’ framework – so you can decide what matters most *today* and ditch the rest, without the usual guilt. Expect to cut 20% of your workload this week.

• A Prioritization Checklist: To quickly assess the urgency and importance of incoming requests.
• A Stakeholder Impact Scorecard: To rank tasks based on their influence on key stakeholders and business goals.
• A ‘Cut Ruthlessly’ Framework: To identify and eliminate low-value activities without sacrificing quality or relationships.
• An Email Script for Saying ‘No’: Use this when you need to decline a request without burning bridges.
• A Meeting Agenda Template for Prioritization: Use this to run effective prioritization meetings with your team and stakeholders.
• A List of Red Flags: Learn the signs that a task is not as important as it seems.

What You’ll Get: A Prioritization Toolkit for Communications Managers

• Prioritization Checklist: To quickly assess the urgency and importance of incoming requests.
• Stakeholder Impact Scorecard: To rank tasks based on their influence on key stakeholders and business goals.
• ‘Cut Ruthlessly’ Framework: To identify and eliminate low-value activities without sacrificing quality or relationships.
• Email Script for Saying ‘No’: Use this when you need to decline a request without burning bridges.
• Meeting Agenda Template for Prioritization: Use this to run effective prioritization meetings with your team and stakeholders.
• List of Red Flags: Learn the signs that a task is not as important as it seems.

What is Prioritization for Communications Managers?

Prioritization, for a Communications Manager, is the discipline of focusing on activities that directly protect or grow revenue, align key stakeholders, and mitigate critical risks. It’s about saying ‘no’ to the nice-to-haves and ‘yes’ to the must-haves. For example, prioritizing a response to a negative press inquiry over drafting a social media post about a company picnic.

The Communications Manager’s Prioritization Checklist

Use this checklist to quickly assess the urgency and importance of incoming requests. It helps you to decide where to focus your energy.

1. Identify the Stakeholder: Who is requesting this, and what is their influence? (e.g., CEO, Head of Marketing, external client).
2. Assess the Business Impact: Does this directly impact revenue, reputation, or risk? Quantify if possible (e.g., “protects $X in revenue,” “mitigates Y% risk of negative press”).
3. Evaluate the Urgency: What is the deadline, and what are the consequences of missing it?
4. Determine the Effort Required: How much time and resources will this take? (Estimate in hours or days).
5. Consider the Dependencies: Does this task rely on others? If so, how critical are those dependencies?
6. Align with Strategic Goals: Does this support the overall communications strategy and business objectives?

Stakeholder Impact Scorecard

Use this scorecard to rank tasks based on their influence on key stakeholders and business goals. It helps you to visualize the impact of your work.

Use this scorecard to rank tasks based on their influence on key stakeholders and business goals.

Stakeholder Impact Scorecard

Task: [Task Name]

Stakeholder: [Stakeholder Name]

Impact (1-5): [Score]

Business Goal Alignment (1-5): [Score]

Urgency (1-5): [Score]

Total Score: [Total]

The ‘Cut Ruthlessly’ Framework for Communications Managers

Identify and eliminate low-value activities without sacrificing quality or relationships. It’s about freeing up time for what truly matters.

1. Audit Your Activities: List everything you do in a week (meetings, emails, reports, etc.).
2. Identify Low-Value Tasks: Which activities don’t directly contribute to revenue, reputation, or risk mitigation?
3. Eliminate, Automate, or Delegate: Can you stop doing these tasks altogether? Can you automate them with tools? Can you delegate them to others?
4. Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries for your time and availability. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’.
5. Communicate Your Priorities: Let your team and stakeholders know what you’re focusing on and why.

Email Script for Saying ‘No’

Use this when you need to decline a request without burning bridges. It’s about being assertive and professional.

Use this email script to decline a request without burning bridges.

Subject: Re: [Request]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out. I appreciate you thinking of me for this. While I’d love to help, my current workload is focused on [priority 1] and [priority 2] to ensure we meet critical deadlines.

To ensure that [request] gets the attention it deserves, I recommend reaching out to [colleague] or exploring [resource].

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Meeting Agenda Template for Prioritization

Use this to run effective prioritization meetings with your team and stakeholders. It ensures everyone is aligned.

Use this template to run effective prioritization meetings.

Meeting Agenda: Prioritization Meeting

Date: [Date]

Time: [Time]

Attendees: [List of Attendees]

Objective: To prioritize communications tasks for the week.

Agenda:

1. Review of current projects and priorities (10 minutes).
2. Discussion of new requests and tasks (20 minutes).
3. Application of the Prioritization Checklist (15 minutes).
4. Ranking tasks using the Stakeholder Impact Scorecard (15 minutes).
5. Assignment of tasks and deadlines (10 minutes).

Red Flags: Signs a Task is Less Important Than It Seems

Learn the signs that a task is not as important as it seems. It’s about avoiding distractions.

• Vague Requests: The request lacks specific details or measurable outcomes.
• Lack of Stakeholder Buy-In: Key stakeholders aren’t supportive of the task.
• Unrealistic Deadlines: The deadline is impossible to meet with the available resources.
• Scope Creep: The task keeps expanding beyond its original scope.
• Low Business Impact: The task doesn’t directly contribute to revenue, reputation, or risk mitigation.
• No Clear Owner: No one is taking responsibility for the task.

The Mistake That Quietly Kills Communications Manager Productivity

Trying to be a hero and saying yes to everything. This leads to burnout, missed deadlines, and ultimately, lower quality work. The fix? Learn to delegate and say no. Delegate smaller social media tasks to an assistant and say no to requests that don’t align with your team’s overall goals.

Use this email to professionally push back on a request that doesn’t align with team goals.

Subject: Re: [Request]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out! While I appreciate the opportunity, our current focus is on [key project]. To ensure we’re successful, I’m unable to take on additional projects at this time.

Best,

[Your Name]

What a Hiring Manager Scans for in 15 Seconds

Hiring managers want to see evidence that you can prioritize effectively. They look for these signals:

• Specific Examples: You provide concrete examples of how you prioritized tasks in previous roles.
• Data-Driven Decisions: You demonstrate that you make decisions based on data and metrics.
• Stakeholder Alignment: You show that you can align stakeholders around priorities.
• Risk Mitigation: You highlight how you prioritized tasks to mitigate risks.
• Revenue Impact: You quantify the impact of your prioritization decisions on revenue.

FAQ

How do I prioritize when everything feels urgent?

Use the Prioritization Checklist to assess the urgency and importance of each task. Focus on tasks that have a high business impact and a tight deadline. Don’t be afraid to push back on deadlines if they’re unrealistic.

What if my boss keeps assigning me low-value tasks?

Have a conversation with your boss about your priorities. Explain how the low-value tasks are impacting your ability to focus on high-value activities. Offer to delegate the low-value tasks to others.

How do I say no to a request without damaging my relationships?

Use the Email Script for Saying ‘No’ to decline the request professionally. Be polite, explain why you can’t take on the task, and offer an alternative solution.

How do I handle scope creep?

Address scope creep immediately. Remind the requester of the original scope of the task. If the scope needs to be expanded, get approval from the relevant stakeholders and adjust the deadline and resources accordingly.

What metrics should I use to measure the success of my prioritization efforts?

Track metrics such as revenue, reputation, risk mitigation, and stakeholder satisfaction. These metrics will help you to demonstrate the impact of your prioritization decisions.

How often should I review my priorities?

Review your priorities weekly, or more frequently if needed. This will help you to stay on track and adjust to changing circumstances.

What tools can I use to help me prioritize?

Use project management tools like Asana or Trello to track tasks, deadlines, and resources. Use communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to communicate with your team and stakeholders.

How do I prioritize communications tasks in a crisis?

Focus on tasks that protect the company’s reputation and mitigate risks. Communicate clearly and frequently with stakeholders. Be prepared to adjust your priorities as the situation evolves.

What if I’m not sure how to prioritize a task?

Ask for help from your boss or a trusted colleague. They may be able to offer insights or perspectives that you haven’t considered.

What’s the difference between urgent and important?

Urgent tasks require immediate attention, while important tasks contribute to long-term goals. Prioritize important tasks over urgent tasks, unless the urgent tasks also have a high business impact.

How do I deal with conflicting priorities?

Use the Stakeholder Impact Scorecard to rank the tasks based on their influence on key stakeholders and business goals. Communicate the conflicting priorities to the relevant stakeholders and work together to find a solution.

Should I always prioritize tasks from my boss?

Not necessarily. Use the Prioritization Checklist to assess the business impact and urgency of each task. If a task from your boss is low-value or not urgent, explain why you’re focusing on other priorities.

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