Priorities vs. Checklists
Controversial opinion: The most effective priorities don’t have a checkbox next to them.
This week I had a conversation with a colleague and dear friend who has been using my Pulse Check worksheet (linked below) to achieve stronger outcomes for life and work that feel aligned with how she wants to operate in the world. When talking through her priorities, it became clear that she was listing actions rather than foci. By doing so, we lose our power of adaptability.
Let me be clear: this individual is an inspiring, high-functioning, badass female business owner. She is doing amazing things- she’s also doing so many things, making getting clear on what matters most even more important.
We all know how good it can feel to check things off our list, particularly during times of churn. There is a time and a place for this within the scope of a project plan, a week, and a day, but it holds us to the wrong expectation at the priority level. Priorities are best when they are not set up as binaries- when they operate, instead, as a spectrum. The Pulse Check guides you towards this by asking you to tap into your inner knowing to establish a priority’s current state on a spectrum of its health. This could change from day to day, and it is through that assessment that we refine our actions that we can, in fact, check off.
Let’s talk about an example, moving from an action you could check off on the left to a priority that can move on a spectrum on the right:
Hold 1:1 conversations with all team leaders → Synthesize the felt experience of our staff
Set up summer camp for the kids → Establish a summer cadence with a balance of work and play
Create a check in structure for my team that is scalable → Have deep and consistent clarity on my team’s priorities and needs
If the wording on the right side feels too broad to you, that may be a calling in to try this on! Let’s be real: establishing clarity on your priorities does not mean we let go of strategy and tools to get to that point- it’s essential to establish what success will look and feel like, and to monitor progress along the way. Two things can be true at the very same time.
Whether you’re using The Pulse Check or another version of “seasonal planning”, as you’re setting priorities I encourage you to consider the altitude and how it lends to encouraging adaptability rather than encouraging task isolation. If it would be helpful to have a partner in doing this, with you or your team, let’s chat.
Onward,
Rebecca
