I think we can all agree that the two topics above aren’t always intertwined. Prioritization can (and often should) be ruthless. The goal is to take the most impactful items and get the accomplished as efficiently as possible often at the expense of much more interesting or appealing items. That doesn’t scream “optimistic”; instead it sounds painfully pragmatic! Being a priority often brings resources, energy, and focus on accomplishing the item at hand with clear requirements, expectations, and outcomes. For the items that “win”, being optimistic is easy….but for everything else, it’s not so fun.
Sometimes we are the facilitators of prioritization, trying to a help an organization focus on what’s critical. Sometimes we are the decision makers on what items get prioritized and what don’t. Sometimes we are informed on what did and did not get prioritized. In all cases, we see the impact for both causes that make and don’t make the prioritization list.
Regardless of you role in the process, there are some very simple things you can do that will make the prioritization process much more optimistic for the folks who don’t make the initial list. I’ve listed a couple ideas below but they are both predicated on the ability to actually follow through and not just offer words of encouragement, so do keep that in mind – if you just say the words but don’t follow through then it can be even worse than just putting an item below the proverbial prioritization line.
Tool #1: It’s not “no”, it’s “when”
When a project doesn’t make it onto an organizational priority list, the project owner/generator can feel really deflated and dejected. Someone just called their baby ugly and/or unimportant in their eyes! Depending on the level of attachment to the project, this can not only impact the owner but potentially the whole project team. Nothing is worse as a contributor than having the main project you really are passionate about be devalued.
The best thing we can do regardless of our role in the process is to reframe the prioritization of the day from a Yes/No to a Now/Later exercise, for all the items that seems worthwhile and necessary. If there are ideas on the list that you truly will never pursue, declare that, but for all else start trying to sequence when you expect the project to make it to a priority. That removes the sting of “no” and gives the project team clarity on the relevance of their project and when they may be able to pick it up with the resources they need.
Tool #2: And instead of Or
This tool is the simplest tool in the prioritization handbook…and also the one that causes the most trouble. As the prioritization team works through the process, the one lever they should thoughtfully employ is the ability to take related projects and roll them in into a larger project that would garner even more priority (and impact). In it’s purest form, this tool takes related projects across an organization and brings them together to solve a common problem benefitting from some harmony of effort. At worst, it creates a bloated, overly ambitious project that has far too many parts (that are likely unrelated) to ever be completed effectively.
Regardless of your role in the priorization process, it is time well spent to understand all the items on the list at some depth so you can find where “and” could benefit a few smaller projects to make a larger one with greater impact. Conversely, you’ll be able to align on where projects cannot be reasonably joined and need to remain an “or” for their (and your) benefit.
If you use the impact of the projects (solo and combined) as a north star, this concept can be incredibly valuable. When things like personality, politics, or proclivity to look good become part of the conversation, you know that you aren’t ruthlessly prioritizing using and or or anymore.
Overall, the ideas of focusing on when and bringing together symbiotic projects can create a very optimistic prioritization process for all involved – “winners” and “losers” – because they see the value in the process and see that their projects will come to fruition when it best fits the organization.
Im sure there are other great tips and tricks out there to improve the process. Feel free to debate or add your ideas in the comments.
View from the Middle 