A priority asks for real capacity: someone’s time, attention, and responsibility. Before adding a new priority, make the tradeoff visible.
1. Name the change you want.
Describe what should be different at the end of the next 90 days. Avoid a label such as “improve communication.” Try a concrete condition: “Every program lead knows which decisions they can make and where to raise an exception.”
Ask why that change matters to your mission now. If you cannot connect it to a real need, pause before turning it into a project.
2. Look at the work already being carried.
List the commitments that keep the organization running. Include recurring work, preparation, follow-up, and the less visible coordination that falls on particular people.
Then ask what the new priority would require: who would own it, what skills it needs, and when people could actually work on it.
3. Make a choice about capacity.
For each possible priority, discuss three questions:
- What becomes possible if we do this?
- What happens if we wait?
- What will we stop, reduce, or postpone to make room?
Choose a short list your team can describe and act on. Keep deferred ideas in a separate place so they are recorded without becoming hidden commitments.
4. Give each priority an owner and a review point.
Write the next action, who is responsible for it, and when you will review what has changed. A review date is a chance to learn and adjust the plan as conditions become clearer.
Try this sentence: “Over the next 90 days, we will focus on ___, owned by ___, and make room by ___. We will review progress on ___.”
When everything still feels equally urgent, return to the shared decision. What must the organization protect, and which next step would make other work more possible?
An original practical guide from Nonprofit Place.