We all know that when everything is important nothing is important.
But why are so many of us still operating as if we'd never before heard that delightfully simple bit of wisdom?While prioritization may be one of those buzzwords that causes more eye-rolls than behavior changes... it's still seeming painfully absent in so many of the teams and organizations we work with.And it's absence isn't inconsequential. Leaders, employees, results, clients - they're all suffering the consequences while too many of us still roll our eyes at the idea of
building a real discipline around prioritizing.The thing about prioritization - or more specifically the experience of its absence - is that while it can be painful to manage, it can also be diagnostically valuable. If we take the time to really look under the hood of the things that continuously catch us off guard, go from invisible to urgent in zero to 60, there may be a juicy insight or two for us to find.
Are there certain partners or stakeholders we should be meeting and planning with more regularly in order to get ahead of these emergencies? Are there realities of our business cycle we're missing because we're too in the weeds of delivering on urgent things? Are there untapped opportunities to simplify some of our business-as-usual activities?While it may not be a sexy topic, it's one that's been hitting the radar for us on repeat lately. So we've developed a power session (delivered in 90 - 120 minutes) on the topic, and wanted to share a few highlights should you or your team be able to find utility within.
Our session is designed around a simple three-part framework which looks an awful lot like this:
The argument we make in this session is simple: In a perfect world, prioritization would mean 100% alignment of senior leadership and a flawless cascade downward within an organization.Related:
Why Your Resilience Is Worth PursuingBut that ain't gonna happen.So while we hold our breath, how can we (individuals and teams) leverage simple strategies within our locus of control to enhance our experience of feeling prioritized? (Notice I said "enhance" and not "perfect").
The framework above enables dialog and problem solving around...
1. What's on our plate (i.e., what are we saying yes to?)2. Managing our efficiency and energy (i.e., how effectively are we getting those things done?)3. Maximizing relationships (i.e., how are we managing our stakeholders, our collaborators, etc.?)The session is interactive, grounded in making small changes, and frankly just a little bit of fun.If your team could use a tune-up,
please let us know. We're happy to deliver! If you'd like a refresher on the full spectrum of the work we do, find our
newly updated brochure right here! And if you'd like to facilitate a prioritization discussion of your own, then we invite you to pick up our happy little framework and have at it!And if you're a leader... before you roll your eyes... just
check in with your team. Make sure everyone is doing OK.
