Set a High BAR for Your Priorities
Time is the most finite resource we all have. Everyone has the same 168 hours in each week. How we choose to use those hours will define us and our success. The ability to prioritize, regardless of level, is a skill every leader needs to have. In retail, and really in any business, there will always be too much to do or more to complete. Defining what you want to accomplish and the priorities to get you there will ensure you move yourself and your business forward.How then should priorities be set? That answer starts with your vision or mission. Knowing where you want to end up is very important as you are establishing your priorities. Keep your priority list narrow and focused. You cannot have a list of 50 priorities, that becomes too big to manage and impossible to know what is important. I would recommend having no more than 3 or 4 priorities at any given time. The BAR method will help narrow your list of options.
Big Impact
Ask yourself if doing this particular task, action, or project will make a big impact on your business and move you forward towards your ultimate outcome? If not, it’s probably not urgent that you accomplish it right now. Or it may be something that can be delegated to someone else, especially if it is a task that needs to absolutely be completed. Ensure you review the item from every perspective, including compliance regulations, and not just from a desire standpoint. Big impact means that if you do not do it, either your profit and loss statement will suffer, your customers will be disappointed, or it will create a poor experience for your associates. Review each thing on your list and understand the impact it will have on your business today.
Action
What actions are necessary to complete this priority? Priorities need to have actions that can be taken to influence the outcome. Those actions should be things that can be specifically communicated, measured independently, and have an owner for the outcome. They can be single step actions or they may have multiple items to complete. Ensure you have the resources you need right now to complete the action you want to take. You want to know that you can make specific progress on the big impact priority you are setting.
Results
Finally, will the actions lead to results that will move your business forward? Constantly review for results. What are you measuring, is proper progress being made, and are you getting the expected and needed results you set out to achieve? If yes, keep moving forward. If no, review your action items and course correct as needed. Ensure this is still going to deliver the big impact you believed it would. If it isn't, then it may be time to re-prioritize.Setting priorities is not a one and done action. You should be constantly measuring your priorities against current needs and resources. As new information or tasks occur, does your current set of priorities still make sense? Are they the biggest impact items you can be working on now? It’s OK to stop a specific priority and shift gears. Just ensure you communicate with your team so they know why there is a change in plans. They have to know that this not just a 'knee-jerk' reaction to something else. Explain how the new priority is going to have a bigger impact on the business and what the plan will be to come back to the previous work that was being completed. Be selective in these changes. If you are constantly changing your priorities your team will always hesitate in completing something for fear of it changing in a short period of time.Your priorities cannot be of the 'flavor of the day' variety. Coming back to your purpose is a great way to test each priority and lead your communication cadence. Review progress and needs frequently and keep everyone up to date. Continue to ask yourself, do your priorities pass the BAR test?How are you setting priorities for yourself and your team? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.