Time Management & Prioritization Flashcards

A project manager notices that 20% of the team's tasks are consuming 80% of the project's time. This observation best illustrates which principle?

Answer: The Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) states that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of inputs.

Parkinson's Law states that:

Answer: Work expands to fill the time available for its completion

Parkinson's Law explains why artificially tight deadlines can actually improve focus and efficiency.

Your manager assigns you an urgent task midday that conflicts with your pre-planned schedule. The BEST response is to:

Answer: Assess the true urgency and importance, then adjust your plan accordingly

Effective time managers reassess priorities dynamically, evaluating new tasks against existing commitments before adjusting.

Which tool is MOST effective for visualizing workflow stages and identifying bottlenecks in task progress?

Answer: Kanban board

Kanban boards visually display tasks across stages (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done), making bottlenecks immediately apparent.

Which behavior is MOST associated with poor time management?

Answer: Frequently missing deadlines due to underestimating task duration

Chronic underestimation of task duration (planning fallacy) is a hallmark of poor time management.

You have a complex project due in three weeks. The BEST way to manage your time is to:

Answer: Break it into smaller milestones and schedule work across all three weeks

Breaking projects into milestones distributed over available time prevents last-minute rushes and enables steady progress tracking.

In the context of task prioritization, 'scope creep' refers to:

Answer: Gradual expansion of a task or project beyond its original objectives

Scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion of project or task boundaries, which can derail timelines and priorities.