From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership

SETTING PRIORITIES

One of the biggest benefits of self-reflection is in identifying what comes first and what comes last. Too often when people or teams engage in setting priorities, they identify multiple things—maybe even ten or twenty—that are “the” top priority. Sorry, but it really doesn't work that way. If you prioritize one hundred things, then there is only one first priority, one second-place priority, and so forth. Moreover, if something is number one on the list, then that means other items must be relegated to places from number two to one hundred. This isn't easy, but unless you prioritize in this fashion, you're only fooling yourself. You will be rushing around trying to accomplish fifty-first-, second-, and third-place “priorities,” ...