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Prioritisation Task 7


​Your supervisor calls you into their office for a quick meeting to update them on the project that you have been working on. Out of the following 15 items on your desk, which 5 items would you choose to take with you to this meeting? 

  1. A notebook
  2. Pencil
  3. A book on project management
  4. Paper
  5. Bottle of water
  6. Project plan
  7. A stand fan
  8. Post-it notes
  9. A large file with documents
  10. A small empty file
  11. Colour pencils
  12. Your Curriculum Vitae
  13. Pen
  14. Checklist
  15. Clock
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​Excellent Candidate Response
‘BlackStone Tutors 5 Step Approach to Prioritisation Tasks’
  1. Review the options available
  2. Identify your 5 preferred items/the ideal order to complete the tasks
  3. Explain why you have chosen these options/this order (making your explanations as specific as possible to the task, eg. Why some tasks are ranked highly)
  4. Explain why you did not choose the other options/why they are ranked lower
  5. Possible further mentions:
                If additional item/options were permitted, I would also consider taking….
                Alternatively, if the task were based in ………….I would prioritise taking……….
 
I would choose to take a notebook, pen, project plan, checklist and post-it notes.
 
  • I would choose to take a notebook and pen because I would want to take down any comments and suggestions that my supervisor makes regarding the project. The small file with papers in it could have been used instead for writing down notes, but this wouldn’t be as neat as writing in a notebook.
  • I would take the project plan and checklist because I would need something to refer to regarding what tasks have been done and which remain outstanding. Additionally, the post-it notes would allow me to highlight key areas and allow quick reference following the meeting.​
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  • The pencil wouldn’t be suitable because the tip could break and I may not have access to a sharpener to sharpen it. Even if I do find a sharpener I would be wasting my supervisor’s time doing this.
  • My Curriculum Vitae would not be needed as my supervisor would already know much more about me than this document could tell, and this does not appear to be relevant to the meeting purpose.
  • The bottle of water would also not be essential given that it is only anticipated to be a brief meeting.
  • I wouldn’t take the stand fan or the clock because these are not items that one usually carries around for a meeting, and it is possible that these may indirectly cause offence to my project tutor.
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