Answer the Age-Old Question: What Should I Work on First?
Three simple steps to help leaders identify which projects are on mission, add value, and have the highest priority.
Understand what matters
What should you work on first? Well, what matters of course. Deciding on what really matters is the next big question.
There is no panacea for the ailment of aimlessness or vague direction, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a cure. And you won’t even need a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.
At Slalom we find that leaders of all types overcomplicate the question of what matters. We’re here to help you simplify:
- Does it fit within your mission and vision?
- Does it add value?
- Is it a priority?
Utilize your vision and mission
The first step is to look to your mission and vision statements. If you don’t have them then you need to create them. Now! These two items should be the foundation by which you take decisions. Once you’ve created them, they become a guiding light.
Let’s take Netflix as an example. Its mission was to deliver content quickly and cheaply right to your mailbox (and eventually direct to your television). Looking at that mission, it should be no surprise that Netflix now produces its own shows. That move easily fits within their reason for existing.
Does it add value?
This is a bit of an unfair question because there are a lot of ways to determine if something will add value … but that doesn’t mean we can’t figure it out! And still no spoonful of sugar needed.
Data is a great, straightforward way to decide which projects add value. Start there.
Prioritization, aka triage
Familiarize yourself with triage. This is the concept of prioritizing projects on the basis of need, resources, and other factors.
Have you heard someone say, “Everything is a priority”? Well, here’s a hard truth: it’s not. Organizations are not special entities that get to exist in some unique universe where energy is boundless and zombie cats quantum leap onto keyboards. There’s only so much time in the day. Once we leaders accept that, we’ll be able to get some work done.
Summary
Knowing what to work on first isn’t just about making a numbered list and checking off items. It’s about knowing what matters and that you are human.
We can only do so much.
Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology and business transformation. Learn more and reach out today.
