It’s always about priorities

It's always about priorities

No matter the size or type of technology project, you will always be faced with choosing priorities. What gets done first, what gets done second, what will be saved for Phase 2 (or "phase later" as I like to call it). Every project requires you to determine your priorities.

So how do you choose? Here are some suggestions:

  1. Are there political priorities? That is, are there things that mustget done because your board or your members or your BOSS expect them to get done?
  2. Does the priority have tremendous value? In other words, if we make this a priority, will it return higher value than that other priority?
  3. Is it low-hanging fruit/will it demonstrate a quick win? This is similar to a political priority. Often with very large projects, in order to demonstrate real progress, it's helpful to prioritize small but significant "wins" in order to earn goodwill from important audiences (these could be your staff, your board, and/or your members/customers).

These are just a couple of suggestions. You may have other ways of identifying priorities (e.g., we have the money/budget for this priority but not that one). But regardless of how you get there, you're going to have to prioritize how things get done. If you don't prioritize, the loudest or most insistent voice will set the priority. And that's unlikely to give you the best results.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

For data governance, ask “Why?”

July 7, 2021

For data governance, ask “Why?” Recently I’ve had the opportunity to work on several data […]

More on Meetings

June 30, 2021

More on Meetings I’ve written before about the importance of making sure your meetings are […]

Action produces momentum

June 23, 2021

Action produces momentum Another great quote from James Clear: “Motivation often comes after starting, not […]

My #1 Best Practice…

June 16, 2021

My #1 Best Practice… A client recently asked me: “If you had to pick a single […]

Encourage engagement with prizes!

June 9, 2021

Encourage engagement with prizes! One of the biggest challenges any organization faces when implementing a new […]

Inertia

June 2, 2021

Inertia One definition of inertia is “to remain unchanged.” My sense is that many association processes, projects, or […]

When’s the “least bad” time?

May 26, 2021

When’s the “least bad” time? When working with clients on a new project, especially a […]

A poor launch can set the stage for YEARS

May 19, 2021

A poor launch can set the stage for YEARS It is not uncommon for me […]

Have the courage of your convictions

May 12, 2021

Have the courage of your convictions Having the courage of your convictions means you’re willing […]

Even your online directory is out of date!

May 5, 2021

Even your online directory is out of date! Back in the day of printed directories, […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top