Your VA messages you at 10pm your time.
“Which task should I do first tomorrow?”
You’re already asleep. They’re starting their workday in Manila. Now they’re stuck waiting for you to wake up and answer.
There’s a simple fix. Called the ABC Method
What is the ABC Method
It’s a way to label tasks so anyone can see what matters most.
A tasks are urgent and important. If these don’t get done today, something breaks. A client deadline gets missed. A payment link stays broken. A campaign launch gets delayed.
B tasks are important but not urgent. They need to happen eventually. Just not right this second.
Preparing for next week’s campaign. Updating documentation. Planning future content.
C tasks are nice to complete but won’t move the needle much. Administrative housekeeping. Low-priority improvements. Stuff that can wait indefinitely without consequences.
Pretty straightforward.
Some People Take It Further with Numbers
The ABC123 system adds numbers within each category.
So instead of three A tasks sitting there with equal priority, you have A1, A2, and A3.
Shows exactly which urgent task needs to happen first.
Removes even more ambiguity.
Setting This Up with Your Team
Don’t overthink it.
Start with a Master Task List
Document every task your VA handles over a week or month.
Could live in a spreadsheet. Could be Trello or Asana. Could be a simple shared doc.
Doesn’t matter where. What matters is both of you can see the same list.
Daily recaps submissions work well for this.
Your VA shares what they accomplished, what they’re working on, and any blockers.
You both stay aligned on priorities without constant back-and-forth messages.
Assign ABC Categories Together
Don’t just label everything yourself and expect your VA to follow blindly.
Sit down together and categorize tasks. Explain why certain things are A tasks versus B or C.
“Responding to client emails is always an A task because it directly affects customer satisfaction and retention.”
Now your VA understands the reasoning. They can apply that same logic when new tasks pop up.
Add Numbers to Create Execution Order
You’ve got three A tasks today.
Publishing a blog post. Fixing a broken payment link. Updating social media graphics for tomorrow’s campaign.
Which one first?
A1: Fix broken payment link (immediate revenue impact)
A2: Publish blog post (scheduled for today)
A3: Update social media graphics (campaign launches tomorrow but can be done later today)
Your VA knows exactly where to start. No confusion.
Pick Tools That Support Priority Tagging
Most project management systems let you add custom labels or tags.
Trello uses color-coded labels. Red for A, yellow for B, green for C.
Asana has priority fields built in.
Even a simple spreadsheet works with a “Priority” column showing ABC123.
Pick one system. Stick with it.
Update Priorities When Things Change
A client pushes up a deadline. That B task just became an A task.
A project gets postponed. Those A tasks can drop to B.
Happens all the time.
Schedule regular priority reviews. Weekly works for most teams. Quick async updates where you adjust labels and leave a note explaining why.
Takes five minutes. Keeps work flowing smoothly.
You can review what your team accomplished and adjust priorities based on actual progress rather than guessing.
Teaching Your VA to Make Priority Decisions
This is where it gets powerful.
Your VA can make good decisions without you. They just need clear guidelines.
Set Up Escalation Rules
Tell them when to escalate versus when to proceed independently.
“Always start with A tasks in numerical order unless there’s an emergency.”
“If a new urgent request comes in from a client, pause current work and message me immediately.”
“B tasks can be reordered based on your judgment if it makes workflow sense.”
“C tasks should only be tackled when all A and B tasks are complete or blocked.”
Simple rules like these keep work moving forward even during your offline hours.
Trust Their Professional Judgment
Filipino VAs often have years of experience.
They know what they’re doing. They just need a framework to exercise that judgment.
Giving them clear priorities plus decision-making authority gets better results than micromanaging every choice.
Handling Multiple Projects with ABC
Many VAs work across several projects or clients simultaneously.
The ABC Method adapts easily.
Pick Your Multi-Project Approach
Three options:
Use project prefixes. “Client A: A1” and “Client B: A2” shows different projects have different top priorities.
Create separate ABC lists per project. Each client’s work gets prioritized independently.
Establish project-level priorities. Certain clients are always higher priority than others, then apply ABC within each.
Match the System to Your Workflow
If your VA works dedicated blocks for different clients, separate lists make sense.
If they’re constantly switching between projects throughout the day, a unified ABC list with project tags works better.
Keep it simple enough to actually use. If prioritization becomes too complicated, people stop following it.
How to Know If It’s Working
Track whether A tasks get done on time.
If high-priority tasks regularly spill over or get delayed, something’s off. Either your priorities are wrong or you’re assigning too many A tasks.
Watch How Often You Need to Intervene
Is your VA constantly asking which task to do next despite having the ABC system?
Something isn’t clear enough in your implementation.
Track how often priority questions come up in your daily standups. Patterns show you where guidelines need clarifying.
Check Output Quality
Are important tasks getting rushed because there are too many A priorities?
Or is work quality improving because your VA can focus properly on what matters most?
Ask Your VA Directly
Do they find the system helpful or burdensome?
The best prioritization system is one that actually gets used. If your team finds it confusing or annoying, simplify it.
Watch for Stress Levels
Good prioritization should reduce stress by eliminating uncertainty.
If your VA seems more stressed after implementing ABC than before, reassess how you’re assigning priorities.
Getting Started This Week
Pick one VA or one project. Implement it there first before rolling it out to your entire team.
Schedule a session to introduce the concept.
Could be a video call.
Could be a detailed message with examples.
Could be a screen recording explaining your thought process.
Give it two weeks before evaluating effectiveness. Any new system needs time to become a habit.
Create a simple reference document your team can access anytime.
Include examples of what qualifies as A versus B versus C. Your numbering system.
When to escalate priority questions.
All of these leads to better outcomes for everyone.