how to prioritise

the priority two step

step one - clarify

In the middle of a forest lived a man who was reputed to be the finest archer in the world.

Why? Because every tree in that forest had a bullseye target painted on it and every target had one single arrow fired right in the centre of the bullseye. Not a bit to the left or a bit to the right, but right in the centre.

The man was hailed as the finest archer in the world. One day someone asked him to share his secret "It’s quite simple", the man replied. "First, I fire an arrow into the tree and then I paint the bullseye around it."

Sometimes we get fixated on the ever-growing list of things we need to do, rather than what we’re really trying to achieve. Yet once we clarify what our priorities are, we can direct our time, energy and expertise with much more chance of success.

step two - focus

It was a visit to my doctor that prompted initial curiosity around the topic of prioritisation.

As the consultation ended, my doctor revealed ‘’I’m going away for a few weeks. Everything here can be dealt with when I return."

In looking forward to the break, she was choosing not to worry about the various professional and personal tasks that would await her return. Not because she doesn’t care – she’s undeniably an excellent doctor – but because the family holiday was now her priority.

All her immediate decisions and choices would focus on getting this in place. As a result, it would now be both protected and delivered. Once we’re clear about what we need to focus on, we’re able to subtract or pause things that are currently less important and add or prioritise the things that are.

Balance is what’s left after you’ve made these additions and subtractions and have your priorities defined.

need help with prioritisation?

‘’The man who chases two rabbits catches none’’
(Confucius)

When we work with clients, often the most useful thing they say we do, is to help them clarify and focus on their priorities.

Working with the Senior Team, we develop a balance framework and use it as a simple tool to help people across the organisation identify what they want to achieve, be honest about the realities they face and therefore clarify what they need to prioritise.

With most clients, this is then developed into a strategy, with clear areas of focus, expressed in simple terms that everyone in the organisation can understand and translate into action. But it can also be used for quick and simple solutions, like the time we helped a COO communicate the three big things he wanted his leadership team to focus on, so they could prioritise activity vs. firefighting.

With the balance framework keeping discussions and decisions aligned to what matters most and the priorities clearly defined, organisations can focus their energy and expertise on what matters most and remove or repurpose things that might distract or derail them.

With life moving at a pace and things outside our control requiring us to continually adjust and adapt, clarifying and focusing on our priorities helps us to create the balance we need to survive, succeed and keep moving forward.

Why not give us a call?

If everything feels urgent or overwhelming, we can talk through what you’re trying to achieve and discuss some options about how we might help you prioritise, tailored to your needs, timelines and budgets, all with absolutely no obligation.