Leaders of growing organizations know that increasing complexity can lead to massive confusion among team members.  To simplify complexity and minimize confusion, Scaling Up details three key Execution Disciplines – Priorities, Data, and Meeting Rhythms. 

Priorities, also referred to as “Rocks”, are how firms “keep the main thing, the main thing”.

Every quarter we identify just a handful of corporate-level priorities that will help the organization make substantive progress towards its long-term strategic vision.  The corporate-level priorities are then cascaded down to teams, departments, and even individual team members.  This is how we align efforts and energy up, down, and across the firm to ensure all are working together in the same direction. 

An effective cascading process begins with well-written corporate-level priorities. 

Here are 5 tips for better-crafting priorities, all of which can be applied at each downstream level of priority setting. 

Tip #1 Understand the Difference:

It’s essential to understand that priorities are not the same as strategic objectives, which represent the direction leaders are steering the organization over a multi-year time horizon.  Priorities typically have short timelines, e.g., quarterly, and often represent milestones along the way toward achieving the firm’s strategic objectives.  Priorities may also be crafted to drive near-term progress to specific goals. 

Also, priorities are not simply doing more of business as usual.  Priorities represent new and/or different, hence they are above and beyond BAU.  Similarly, keep in mind that priorities are not simply tasks or day-to-day activities. 

Tip #2 Prioritize Priorities: 

When it comes to priorities, less is more.  Effective teams focus on the most important work and bring it to completion.  To prioritize effectively, limit your quarterly priorities to a critical few (typically 3-5) that move the progress needle on your goals and objectives.

Tip #3 Push for Clarity:

Ambiguity tends to hurt the team’s commitment to accomplishing priorities.  If we don’t know what we’re committing to, it’s hard to feel accountable for a result.  Therefore, it’s incumbent on teams to push for clarity when it comes to writing priorities. 

Ideally, a priority is written such that teams conducting end-of-a-quarter reviews can objectively and dispassionately answer “yes or no” to the question, “Did we accomplish the priority?” 

Watch for weasel words like “try to,” “attempt,” or “possibly” which can make your priorities less clear and actionable.  Words like “efficient” and “effective” also sound good but leave room for interpretation.  Instead, use concrete language that leaves no doubt about what success looks like. 

A formula can provide structure and clarity to the priority crafting process.

Verb + What you’re going to do + in order to/so that (expected business value)

Ex.: Implement SEO Strategy in order to drive 50 qualified leads into our website. 

Tip #4 Set Clear Deadlines:

A quarterly priority need not take a full quarter to accomplish.  Therefore, when possible, push for achievable deadlines that are before the quarter’s end to keep up the team’s focus and sense of urgency.

Tip #5 Assign Accountability:

Each priority should have a single person accountable for its achievement. The accountable person does not have to do all the work, but that person coordinates the various contributors and ensures the priority stays on track.  Remember, if more than one person is accountable, then no one is.

Bonus Tip – Plan It Out 

Crafting clearly defined priorities is an important step.  To increase the odds of achieving a priority, be sure to plan it out before the quarter starts.  The 13-Week Race Tool provides a simplified approach to priority planning on a week-by-week basis. 

Use interim milestones to gauge the progress of each priority during the quarter.  Often there is a crucial milestone that cannot slip for the priority to be completed on time.  Ensure that each step receives heightened focus. 

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are also useful for measuring progress.  Set interim weekly or monthly KPI targets and make the progress status very visible to the team. 

Having these tangible checkpoints helps the team see when things are off track so they can make the necessary adjustments. 

In conclusion, writing effective quarterly priorities is all about clarity, focus, and accountability. Be sure your priorities are more than business as usual and written with concrete language.  Ensure each priority has a deadline, an accountable owner, and measurable milestones. By following these tips, you’ll set your team up for success in achieving your quarterly priorities and, ultimately, your long-term strategic objectives.