Tactical Execution Best Practice 2 – Illustrated Priority Systems
“If everything is important, then nothing is.”
Original Author Unknown
Leaders struggle with the prioritization decision of how to most optimally deploy their limited resources so to return the most organizational value. Professionals also face this choice with respect to allotting their own time and attention to the myriad of assignments before them. Often, a philosophically or monetarily based Priority 1, 2, 3 or A,B,C system is adopted to differentiate between important activities. Because all individuals perceive circumstances differently, this system frequently results in a task receiving different priority assignments by various contributors; potentially disrupting the flow of work or delaying performance of organizationally critical tasks. To better align their workforce’s efforts, executives and managers should create an illustrated priority system.
An illustrated priority system is one containing situational examples that are easily related to and broadly understood; they help individuals ’see’ how organizational priorities apply to their work. Such a priority system may be foundationally based on philosophical goals or monetary cost/benefit thresholds and is then illustrated with situational examples that are recognizable by organization members in the performance of their daily activities. If organizationally applicable examples are difficult to identify, division/department managers should further illustrate the priority system with examples based on their business unit’s unique activities.
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