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:
- 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?
- Does the priority have tremendous value? In other words, if we make this a priority, will it return higher value than that other priority?
- 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
First ask: “How will I use this data?”
First ask: “How will I use this data?” Whether it’s during data conversion, adding a […]
“We run the report three times and get three different results.”
“We run the report three times and get three different results.” “We run the same […]
How do you know if you’re making progress?
How do you know if you’re making progress? We all want to improve our data management, […]
Don’t move too quickly OR too slowly
Don’t move too quickly OR too slowly This may sound like a big “duh!” but I’ll […]
“Your current habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results.”
“Your current habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results.” “Your current habits are […]
There is value in just going through the exercise
There is value in just going through the exercise I was working with a client […]
Daylight savings and business rules
Daylight savings and business rules This past Sunday, most of the US observed Daylight Savings […]
Only one can be best
Only one can be best One of my (many) pet peeves with software vendor marketing […]
Seek to simplify
Seek to simplify When I work with my clients on system selection or implementation, one […]
Some problems are not problems
Some problems are not problems “A problem with no solution is not a problem, it’s […]
