Never expect a manager or a worker to be able to choose the right priority. It is not their skill. They are not looking at the big picture. They do not see all the pieces. They simply see the task before them.

In his book, Seven Habits, Stephen Covey uses the example of a manager leading a team through the forest, cutting down trees to build a highway. At the end of the day, he is excited about how many miles they cut through the woods but the leader is upset because they went in the wrong direction. It is the manager’s job to keep the work moving forward, but it’s the leader’s job to establish the course. Sequencing the task to maintain priority keeps the job on course!

Leaders often become critical of those who make decisions that are out of priority. They talk as if it is an issue of intelligence. It’s easy to forget that a person’s strengths in one area determines their weaknesses in another. Do not criticize those who have different skills than yours. The Book of Proverbs says, A man’s gift makes room for him (Proverbs 18:16). If everyone had the skills of prioritizing, there would be no need for you. Never allow your gifting to take you to the point of criticism. Let it be a help to those who rely on you. Set them free to work unrestrained as you manage the priorities of the task. Read Entire Article