I have just completed a workshop with a client who wanted to work through a long list of actions in a very short time.  They wanted to focus on the priorities without losing the value of less urgent work.  

During the briefing session, before the workshop, I suggested we use the matrix Steven Covey presents in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Succesful People”.   I can’t remember exactly how Steven Covey presents the matrix but at the start of the workshop, I offered this view on a flip chart:

slide1

The team agreed the approach and we began.  The team agreed a short list of “priority 1” actions.  They also listed issues that were important, but not urgent.  Steven Covey suggests that when our planning is working we will spend most of our time in this quadrant.  After going through the list we just had time to list other impacts on the programme as well as Final Decisions and Actions before we closed the sesson.  

The sponsor sent me the following note this morning:

“The matrix you used, was simple yet very-very effective and

[the key players] and I’m sure the entire audience found it to be a very quick and effective way to open discussions of this nature.  Thank you for your input and for always being open to suggestions during your facilitation with us.”

Here are some pointers coming out of my reflection on the session:

  1. Let them make it all their own.  One of the participants suggested we turn the numbering around to align with the priorities.   I really like it when this happens early in a workshop because it shows the participants are involved.  But more importantly, it is an opportunity for me hand ownership over to the group.   So we changed the matrix to:slide21
  2. Allow some early exploration.  The first iteration is always more difficult.  So I allowed a little more time.  The team got into a little more detail than we could afford for each of the items.  However, as each person speaks they invest a little more emotional energy in the outcome.  And early in a workshop the team sometimes needs to wander far beyond the agreed boundaries just to understand the type of information or conversation we are trying to avoid.  
  3. Set the timer.  We had very little time for discussion.  We agreed to spend 2 minutes per item.  Just enough to agree the priority, the deadline, the responsibility and any other interesting facts.
  4. Put on a “blue hat”.  After the fourth item I stopped and asked how the process was working for the team.  This is Eduard de Bono’s “blue hat” to review the process.  This is essential in any workshop, especially if you are doing something new with the team.
  5. Work with extraordinary clients.  The session went well.  The matrix clearly was a good idea.  I find I have the best ideas when I work with clients who I trust and who trust me to come up with tools and solutions.  
  6. The team knows.  The team finished with a manageable list of Urgent and Important issues.  If the list of “Priority 1” issues had been longer, it would have been necessary to consider other criteria for prioritisation.  I would have suggested a short brainstorm activity to list the criteria and agree the most important. 
  7. Sweat the tool.  The same 2×2 matrix can be used with any different criteria for prioritising projects.  At a strategic level it may be important to look at “cost” versus “impact” or “difficulty to deliver” versus “strategic alignment”.

By the way – Albert has a posting describing the Covey Model with his own commentary on his blog Growing Clients.