such decisions in terms of categories, or buckets of initiatives. There are four of them:

 Making choices and setting priorities is the pinnacle of strategy. It’s probably also the hardest part. Because, how to decide what to do, what not to do, and what to do first?

There are many approaches to decision-making and priority setting. There’s the Eisenhower Matrix (Urgency vs. Importance), the Effort-Ease Matrix (Effort vs. Ease…) and a whole set of complex analytical techniques. 

My approach is slightly different. Instead of using a set of criteria to evaluate possible initiatives, I’d rather think about such decisions in terms of categories, or buckets of initiatives. There are four of them: 

1. Quick Wins. Initiatives that require low effort and that create goodwill and immediate change and results. 

2. Major Leaps. Initiatives that make a high impact and address fundamental changes that need to be made. 

3. Critical Steps. Initiatives that are necessary to enable or start other, often more important initiatives. 

4. Energy Boosters. Initiatives that cause excitement and motivate people, preferably for a longer time. 

All four are important: 

• Miss Quick Wins, and it takes too long before anything happens.

• Miss Major Leaps, and the real issues are never addressed.

• Miss Critical Steps, and you run into problems later on.

• Miss Energy Boosters, and the change process stagnates.

  

The trick is to see them as categories and not as criteria. So, instead of evaluating every option or initiative against all four, you select one or more initiatives in every category. 

At any point in time, I try to make sure that there is at least one thing going on in each of them. In this way, you are focusing both on the decisions and changes that make a difference for the organization (through Major Leaps and Critical Steps) and at the same time keep your people engaged (through Quick Wins and Energy Boosters).

Now, look at your organization and how it is making progress with its strategy implementation, change efforts, or projects. Are all four buckets filled? And if not, which one(s) are missing? 

#changemanagement 

#strategyexecution 

#decisionmaking