Priority Map
What is the Priority Map workshop tactic?
Also known as a Prioritisation Matrix, this tactic allows you to pinpoint the criteria that matter the most to your group.
Find the magic combination between seemingly competing demands. This tactic encourages a debate about what is more important in any given context. Ruthless prioritisation is the secret super-power behind effective teams.
Prior to this tactic, have a list of items such as ideas from Idea Eight or problems from Sailboat or SWOT Analysis.
Priority Map Miro Template
How to use the Priority Map tactic in your workshop
1. Draw two axes on a large surface.
2. Pick two criteria your participants find important. Here are some commonly used examples:
- Impact vs. Effort
- Risk vs. Knowledge
- Urgency vs. Importance
- Business Needs vs. User Needs
- Feasibility vs. User Value
- Cost vs. Problem
3. Plot your items (usually sticky notes) on the map by ranking them against the criteria. It can help to ask “is this more or less than this one?” to get a sense of relativity between items.
Tip: the value of this exercise is not in the absolute rankings you obtain, but in the discussion your participants will have around it. Make sure you not only capture the ranking, but also the arguments used in the discussion as well.
Origin: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954
Not sure if this is the right approach for your team at the moment? Try a different decision-making tactic. Once you know which direction your team should take, use a discussion tactic to help facilitate your team’s progress together.
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Priority Map is one of 54 workshop recipe cards inside the Workshop Tactics card deck.
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