How are you prioritising your initiatives?
As a leader, ensuring that we support our team to prioritise the work and have a compelling reason for our decisions all starts with understanding the strategy and business objectives and balancing these with driving customer outcomes based on their needs and goals. In this blog I will share methods, how to apply them and some of my top tips.
Tip before we start: Do not start this without ensuring everyone is clear as to what your project or product goal is and what customer outcomes are going to drive the most business and customer value.
Effective leadership entails empowering teams to make informed prioritisation decisions, all rooted in a deep understanding of strategy and business objectives and our customer's needs and goals. This understanding is vital in striking the right balance between fulfilling customer needs and aligning with organisational goals. In this post, we will explore proven methods that I have used, application techniques to help you use them with your teams and invaluable tips to help you excel in the art of prioritisation that I have learned along the way.
There are a lot of well-established methods to support this my main advice is to be consistent in applying it, check out the end of this post for additional tips.
Prioritisation is crucial to effective project management, product management and task management in most disciplines my focus here will I will be focusing on applying these to UX design.
So why do we need to do it?
Here are some compelling reason reasons to apply prioritisation to your work, along with important considerations and wisdom to keep in mind.
Resource Allocation and Efficiency
Prioritisation ensures that limited resources (time, budget, team capacity) are allocated to high-impact tasks or features, maximising efficiency and productivity.
Focus on High-Impact Initiatives:
It helps identify and focus on initiatives that will deliver the most significant value or impact to users and the business.
Meet User Needs Effectively:
By prioritising based on user needs and preferences, you ensure that the most critical features or improvements are addressed first, leading to better user satisfaction.
Adaptability and Flexibility:
Prioritisation allows for agile and iterative development, enabling teams to respond quickly to changing requirements and emerging opportunities.
Risk Mitigation:
It helps address high-risk components early in the project, reducing the overall risk associated with the initiative.
Align with Business Goals:
Prioritising based on business objectives ensures that the efforts are aligned with the organisation's broader strategic goals, leading to business growth and success.
Time-to-Market and Competitive Edge:
Focusing on high-priority tasks can accelerate time-to-market, gaining a competitive advantage and capturing the market faster.
Here are some that I have used in the past to support prioritisation.
RICE Scoring Method
A framework that uses 4 outcomes Reach, Impact, Confidence and Effort. Based on the ratings for each element, you calculate a total score determining which project or features should go first.
How to Apply it: Define each element’s metrics based on its proposed outcome and path to its delivery. Then score this on a scale usually 1 - 10. Then you calculate the total score by (Reach x Impact x Confidence)/Effort.
Tip: Agree on the scoring and principles that will be applied in rating them against your chosen scale. If the definitions change, so should its rating for instance, if you find out that there is a technical constraint or a regulatory change, your Confidence and Effort are likely to change. I have found that this is a great tool for more technical initiatives. Also, ensure that you have representatives that can represent each of the RICE elements in the session.
Critical Path
A method that prioritises things based on whether it is within it’s core/primary flow making it “Critical” to the outcome. It identifies the most critical tasks that are essential to achieving the main outcome.
How to Apply it: Identify the primary flow within your product or service, define which of these tasks are critical for achieving the main objective, and then prioritise these. This should then highlight all the tasks within this flow. They become your priority.
Tip: If you have an Information Architecture, it should be mapped out clearly there. I have used this more in defining the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) or Minimal Viable Experience (MVE). This usually ends up being your first shippable product. Always go back to what is the problem that we are solving and what is the Customer Outcome(s) that we need to achieve.
Kano Analysis
This framework groups items into four categories based on Customer Satisfaction and Functionality and then plots them on a quadrant graph based on these scores. Which showcase what features:
Delight - will attract customers to the product and will create excitement.
Performance - are items that are core to the usability of the product or service.
Indifferent - customers either don’t see the value in it or are on the fence about whether they would use it or not.
Basic - are expected by users, based on their experience of similar or like products or services in the market.
It also serves as a great way to approach your product strategy, define your MVP and/or MVE or when you are grooming your Epics and User Stories.
How to Apply it: Categorise against each feature or Outcome, then collate the user feedback based on their responses to your questions. The goal here is to understand what your customers expect from your product features. These categories could be something like this with the following lead question and scale:
Functionality Expectation Ask: “How crucial do you find the <Feature - Customer Outcome> for this product or Service on a scale of 1, which is Not Crucial to 5, which is Extremely Crucial.
Not Crucial: I can use the product/service without it
Somewhat Important: I expect it, but it’s not a deal-breaker
Important: It significantly enhances my experience and is expected as standard.
Very Important: I heavily rely on it for using this product effectively
Extremely Crucial: the product is practically unusable without this feature.
Customer Satisfaction Ask: “How satisfied would you be in the <Feature>, if it provided this <Customer Outcome> if you can give it a score between Very Dissatisfied to Highly Satisfied.
Very Dissatisfied: The outcome would not meet my expectations at all
Dissatisfied: The outcome is somewhat relevant but not good enough.
Neutral: The outcome is OK, but not good.
Satisfied: The outcome is good, and quite relevant to my needs and meets my expectations.
Highly Satisfied: The outcome is great, and totally aligns with my needs and exceeds my expectations.
Tip: To get the most from this model, you need to survey your customers, I have seen teams do this in-house, which introduces too much bias. This model also needs you to be clear as to what the “features” are, the “Customer outcomes” that it will achieve and the “Definition of done”. Plenty of YouTube tutorials exist on building a spreadsheet to capture and automate the mapping.
DVF - Desirability, Viability and Feasibility
This framework is used to assess and prioritise features or ideas based on three critical aspects:
Desirability (what users want),
Viability (what the business needs), and
Feasibility (what is technically possible).
This model helps achieve a balanced approach when considering projects or initiatives, ensuring alignment with user needs, business goals, and technical capabilities.
How to apply it:
Use a scale between 1 - 5 and define the criterion for each rating. The do this for each aspect.
Desirability
Understand your customer needs, preferences, and pain points through research and user feedback.
Evaluate the potential desirability of a project by assessing how well it meets user expectations and enhances their experience.
Viability
Analyse the project's alignment with business goals, strategy, and financial viability.
Consider factors such as revenue potential, market demand, competitive advantage, and business sustainability.
Feasibility
Evaluate the technical and operational feasibility and constraints of implementing the project.
Assess the availability of resources, technology requirements, and potential challenges in development and implementation.
Once you have scored each feature, prioritise those features that rate higher on Desirability and Viability. I can hear architects cringing! See tips.
Tip: Ensure that you have representatives that can talk to each of these aspects, i.e. from Design, Engineering and Technical and Operational domains, that will ensure a well-rounded assessment. (I have been in many sessions where someone from an operational space in Risk or Compliance was needed in my time in banking.) Agree as a team on the weighting of each aspect which could be; Desirability at 40 -50%, Viabiltiy at 30 - 40%, and feasibility at 20 - 30. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to set up a spreadsheet to capture and factor in the weightings.
ROI Scorecard
The scorecard prioritises projects and features based on the ROI that they can bring. This is good if you are wanting to understand which initiatives will provide the most value in relation to your investment. Which can be a great lens when going for funding asks.
How to apply it:
Define the criteria for ROI calculation (e.g. potential revenue, cost savings).
Evaluate projects or features against the defined criteria.
Calculate the ROI for each project/feature.
Prioritise based on ROI.
Tip: Consider both short-term and long-term ROI when prioritising. Be consistent in how you get to your calculations, and ensure that if asked, you can validate the measures that have been applied, I have seen a number of funding asks fall at this hurdle. The ROI should align with the business goals and be clear on the Customer outcome that it will achieve.
MoSCoW method
Is a prioritisation method that categorises requirements into Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won't-Have categories. It helps define what needs to be prioritised first and what can be deferred.
How to apply this
Define your criterion for each of the four categories and what the action will be for each. List out your features, and again, it is best also to have the customer outcomes. Then as a group, map these to each of the categories Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won't-Have. Then for each of the categories vote on which features you would prioritise.
Impact and Effort Quadrant
A visual tool used to plot tasks or features based on their impact and effort required. It helps identify quick wins, low-hanging fruits, long-term strategic goals, and tasks that may not be worth pursuing. I tend to use this when facilitating in group settings that don’t require calculations or a lot to set up the context.
How to apply it:
Start by listing down all tasks or features. Then, use a quadrant map where the Y-axis is Impact (Low - High and the X-axis is Effort. Place Low in the corner and high at the top/left of the quadrant and the far right/bottom.
As a team, then plot each task on the quadrant based on its impact (y-axis) and effort required (x-axis).
Then, based on where they sit, define the approach you would take in their prioritisation, where:
High Impact, Low Effort (Quick Wins), Do first
High Impact, High Effort (Long-term Strategic), Create a project
Low Impact, Low Effort (Low Priority), Assess later Backlog
High Effort, Low Impact (Not Worth Pursuing). Discard unless there is a feasibility or viability consideration. (I have seen Regulatory changes in this category but can’t be avoided)
If you want similar to MoSCoW, you can prioritise the first two.
Tip: When I facilitate this, I pick up a feature, and the team collectively can say higher or lower, left or right only. Remember this is a very internal measure and should be balanced out with customers’ desirability.
ICE Scoring Model
This prioritisation method assessed the project or feature based on its: Impact, Confidence, and Effort. It helps prioritise based on the potential impact of a task, the confidence in that impact, and the effort required to complete it.
How to apply it
Agree the scale and criterion up front, usually between 1 - 10. Then score each feature across the 3 criteria and ). Then you calculate the ICE score (Impact × Confidence / Effort). You prioritise tasks or features based on ICE scores ranking as applied to your criterion.
Tip: Ensure that you have a good cross-representation of the skills required to assess each of the criteria.
Some guidance
Prioritisation is not about doing more things but the right things at the right time. The quality and timing will matter and need to align with your goals and have the potential to make a difference. The essence of building out your roadmap or strategy is to choose what not to do and know why! So your efforts can drive value for your business and customers.
Things to consider once you have landed on the one or more that would work best for you.
Stakeholder Involvement and Communication:
Involve all relevant stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives and ensure alignment. Effective communication of priorities is key to managing expectations.
Regular Reassessment:
Priorities may change based on new information, user feedback, or shifts in the market. Continuously reassess and update priorities to stay relevant and effective. This should be done at least at the beginning of the year and then quarterly post.
Balance Short-Term and Long-Term Goals:
Consider both immediate needs and long-term strategic goals when prioritising. Strive for a balance between quick wins and sustainable growth.
Avoid Overloading Teams:
Be mindful of the team's capacity and avoid overloading them with too many high-priority tasks. Unrealistic expectations can lead to burnout and decreased productivity.
Customer/User-Centric Approach:
Prioritise based on user value and impact to ensure that your efforts align with what will benefit users the most. User satisfaction should be a top priority.
Adaptability to Change:
Prioritisation should be flexible and adaptable. Embrace change and be ready to reprioritise based on changing circumstances and emerging opportunities.
Measure Impact and Learn:
After implementing the prioritised tasks or features, measure their impact. Learn from the results to refine your future prioritisation strategies and decision-making processes.
I hope this builds out a few options for you to prioritise your initiatives and guide your investment in delivery outcomes that will drive business and customer value. I am confident that there are others and would be happy to hear about any I have missed.
If I can be of further support to you or your teams get in contact with me here