Free framework
The Task Triage Framework.
A one-page decision tree for sorting the work in front of you. Three questions, asked in order, so you stop spending an hour ranking a 10-minute task.
Want the thinking behind it? Read the article.
The three questions
- 1
Time
How long until it has to be done?
Sort by the real deadline, not the loudest request. Ask whether the due date is a true commitment or one someone assumed. Anything with a genuine, near deadline jumps the line. Do not rank it any further.
- 2
Effort
How hard will the actual doing be?
Estimate the hands-on work, not the dread. A task you have avoided for a week might take twenty minutes once you start. Clear the low-effort items to free the board and get your attention back.
- 3
Complexity
How many moving parts does it touch?
Count the people, systems, and decisions involved. More parts means more coordination, and the delay lives in the coordination, not the doing. Start the first step now, even when the task itself is small.
How to use it
- Start with Time. Anything with a real, near deadline goes first, and you stop there.
- Among what is left, use Effort. Knock out the quick wins to clear space and momentum.
- For the rest, use Complexity. High-complexity work needs its first step scheduled today, because the coordination is what runs long.
The point is that you triage in order and then stop. You do not score every task on every axis. Most work gets sorted by the first question it fails.
The Task Triage Framework, from The Agile Good Life. Share it with attribution.