Prioritization
Beyond the Quadrant Model
- Expanded Criteria

As we saw in the introduction , it's now more important than ever to prioritize. A thorough analysis of tasks and expectations is required to sort out our many conflicting priorities.

With these additional criteria we can expand our prioritization model beyond the simple quadrant model to reveal a robust prioritization framework.

Importance
does it affect the bottom line?
does it affect customer service?
is it mission critical or just nice to have?

Urgency
how quickly do we need it?
is it already too late?
if we delay will it fade away?
should this be an immediate or long-term goal?
is a proactive or procrastinatory algorithm suggested?

Feasibility
is it physically possible?
what are the dependencies? - are they in place?
see Cost

Sanity
is it a good idea?
can it be tweaked into a good idea?
note: in many situations Sanity must be IGNORED due to Politics

Politics
how do the bosses or other key players feel about it?
how will it affect my Perceived Performance?

Alignment
Does it fit with institutional Vision, Mission, Goals & Market?
Does it fit with customer demand and other stakeholder's needs?

Fun
is it just really cool?
will it provide additional value in terms of experience?
will it build employee or team morale?

Proximity
how close to me will it land?
does it affect me, my unit, my department, or outside my department?
which stakeholders will it affect? Do I have to work with them?

Effect
what difference will it make?
what's the worse that will happen if I fail to do it?
what's the best result I can reasonably expect?
what are likely side effects?
will anyone care? - Who? – Which Pareto Group? (top 20, bottom 20)
CAUTION: Logarithmic Growth vs. Bang-For-Buck, Scope Creep, Increased Maintenance Demand

Cost
how big is the investment? Time, money, energy, personnel, space, other resources
are the required resources available?
if not, are they attainable?
will there be ongoing operational or maintenance costs?
are the ongoing costs sustainable?
Return On Investment (ROI) – Quick Wins – Low Hanging Fruit

Scale
how many stakeholders will it affect?
which Pareto group do they fall in? (top 20, bottom 20, or midrange)

Deflectability
can somebody else do it better faster or cheaper?
does it fit better in someone else's portfolio?
if so, are they able to do it? Or can you enable them?
do you have power to delegate or influence it away?


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