Fostering Innovation

30One List to Rule Them All

It's quiz time again: what's the #1 IT project in your company? I'm sure you got that right. Now they get a bit harder: what's the #7 IT project in your company? #10, #15, #25? You're only able to answer these questions if you have a ranked priority list.

Having a written, ranked priority list for all IT projects creates both clarity and alignment. By aligning your efforts toward the #1 project, you significantly improve the chances of succeeding with the work the company has deemed most important. When a person frees up, instead of starting the next project, apply them to the highest-ranked project. This is known as swarming. When assigning staff to projects, put your best and brightest on the top projects. Doing so creates opportunities for your stars, and it further improves your chances of success. As a CIO, your time to attend meetings is limited. Use the ranked list to decide where to spend your time. If a project isn't on the list, don't unintentionally sanction it by attending a discussion or vendor demo on the topic.

A lot of organizations rank priorities. A great example is college football. There are 130 teams in the Division I college Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Only four of these teams make it to the playoffs each year. College football uses a ranking system to determine the best teams. This is not unlike your project list. It's easy to get a list of 130 or more items, even in a medium-sized IT Department. An enlightening and fun ...