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Get Your Priorities Straight and Focus on a Few Key Levers for the Business

You cannot imagine how often I've seen the same syndrome of companies getting spread too thin.

Since I wrote my MBA Master Thesis about getting priorities straight, I’ve been fascinated by this challenge. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest diseases affecting companies as they grow and evolve.

I still don't have a final answer as to why organizations and people tend to take on too many things in parallel. However, one thing is certain: switching costs are extremely high. This is something I learned in my first Core Computer Science class, and it applies just as much to people’s work as it does to computing.

The Importance of a Single Prioritization Framework​

A common mistake in organizations is maintaining multiple, disjointed priority lists across different teams and departments. This lack of alignment leads to inefficiencies, duplication of efforts, and a lack of focus on what truly moves the needle. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to consolidate priorities into a single, company-wide list that aligns with strategic goals.

Build One Unified List of Priorities​

Having multiple lists creates confusion and makes it impossible to compare trade-offs across different initiatives. Instead, consolidate everything into a single prioritized backlog. This allows leadership and teams to see the big picture and make informed decisions on where to allocate resources.

Rank Priorities by Value Creation and Strategy​

Not all tasks are created equal. Prioritization should be driven by a structured approach that quantifies impact and effort. A simple scoring model can help bring objectivity to the decision-making process. Consider criteria such as:

  • Revenue impact – How much direct or indirect revenue does this initiative generate?
  • Profitability – Does it improve margins, reduce costs, or increase efficiency?
  • Cost savings and efficiency gains – Will it streamline operations, reduce waste, or enhance productivity?
  • Strategic value – How well does it align with long-term goals and competitive differentiation?
  • Effort required – What level of resources, time, and technical complexity is involved?

A weighted scoring model can help teams rank projects based on their overall contribution to business success. This method provides a structured approach to ensuring that effort is concentrated on high-value initiatives.

Clear Product Vision and Strategy as a Foundation for Prioritization​

A well-defined product vision and strategy serve as the guiding compass for all prioritization efforts. If these are unclear, teams will struggle to make decisions and end up working on too many things that do not truly matter.

A strong vision helps to:

  • Align teams around a common goal
  • Provide a framework for decision-making
  • Avoid distractions and unnecessary pivots
  • Communicate priorities clearly across the organization

Without a clear strategic direction, even the best prioritization frameworks will struggle to bring focus.

The Red Line: Deciding What Not to Do​

One of the hardest but most important steps in prioritization is deciding what not to do. The tendency to keep adding initiatives without cutting others leads to dilution of focus and suboptimal execution.

To combat this, establish a red line – a threshold that determines the maximum number of initiatives a team or company can handle effectively. Anything that does not make the cut should be deliberately put aside.

Strategies to enforce this include:

  • Setting a strict project limit – No more than X strategic projects per quarter/year
  • Regular prioritization reviews – Continuously refine and update the backlog
  • Brutal trade-offs – If a new initiative is added, an existing one must be removed

By enforcing a clear limit, organizations can channel their energy into fewer, high-impact efforts rather than spreading themselves too thin.

Conclusion​

Focus is one of the most underrated competitive advantages in business. Companies that master prioritization and resist the temptation to do too many things at once have a far greater chance of delivering meaningful impact. A structured approach to prioritization, backed by a strong vision and disciplined execution, ensures that energy is spent on what truly moves the business forward.

Ultimately, the organizations that succeed are not the ones that try to do everything but those that pick the right few things—and execute them exceptionally well.