5 Project Prioritization Tips for All Kinds of Projects
Too much to do? When opening your project management tool or planning your team’s to-dos feels overwhelming, it’s probably because everything seems equally important. That’s where project prioritization comes in.
In the same way that you’ll look through individual tasks to determine which ones you should tackle first, you can use project prioritization to that with your team’s projects.
Here are a few ways you can make that process a breeze.
What is project prioritization?
Put simply, project prioritization is the process of assigning a priority status to each project you’re responsible for — and deciding how you’re going to tackle them. Without it, it’s tough to determine who should spend their time on what, especially when you have a smaller team and fewer resources. Every project isn’t created equal, and as the end of the quarter looms, you need to know what you can descope, what absolutely needs to get done, and how you’re going to do it.
Here are just a few things you can put into practice to improve your project prioritization process.
Project prioritization tip #1: pick a system and stick with it
When you’re using a project management tool, it’s all too easy for each team to start using their own way of prioritizing their projects. But when one team’s using a High-Medium-Low system and another uses a time-based approach, trying to prioritize projects across teams can be a nightmare. So whatever system you want to use, make sure it’s the standard across the organization.
Tip #2: try building a master project
In most project management tools, it’s tough to get an overview of every project you’re involved in. Some tools, like Trello, need you to constantly switch between boards. To make prioritization smoother, you can use an integration solution like Unito to sync important tasks from each project to a single place and prioritize them from there. Here’s how you can do it for Trello and for Asana.
Project prioritization tip #3: determine dependencies
Dependencies are common in project management. Often, tasks depend on other tasks being completed before they can even begin. Sometimes, that applies to entire projects. So when prioritizing the projects you need to work on, make sure these dependencies are established and well-documented. That way, you can make sure a high-priority project doesn’t get stuck because a project it’s dependent on was considered low priority.
Tip #4: evaluate the ROI
ROI stands for “return on investment”, a term used to define the relationship between how much you put into a project and how much you get out of it. When determine which projects are high-priority, you should take this into account. Projects that give you a high return for a minimum investment are ideal projects to pursue, and should almost always be prioritized over projects that require a high investment for a minimal return.
Project prioritization tip #5: consider alignment
How aligned is this project with the overall organization’s goals? Not all projects have to be directly aligned to have value, but those that directly contribute to a company’s objectives for a specific quarter or year should usually be prioritized more highly. So when prioritizing projects, think about how they help move the company forward.
Get your priorities straight
Every project isn’t created equal. With these tips in hand, your process will reflect that. By remembering what you’re actually getting out of your project, whether they align with company goals, and streamlining the way you prioritize them, you can make sure your projects are as organized as your to-do list.