Like any organization, whenever planning is carried out, after generating a brainstorming session of possible objectives, tasks, projects, among others, the question arises: Which ones are we going to prioritize? To answer this at Menta, we use a simple methodology that has worked quite well for us so far. It is a hybrid of two methodologies, and we will explain it step by step:

1. Brainstorming

We start with the well-known brainstorming session, in which we write down all the ideas we have for tasks, projects, objectives, or whatever we need to prioritize, without any specific order.

To begin with, no idea is criticized or objected to. We write down all the ideas from the team. If it seems appropriate, before moving on to the next step, we can start eliminating those ideas that we simply know we won't pursue. This is to optimize time and not end up with a huge list.

2. Benefit vs Complexity

For each of the previous points, we are going to rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the following:

Benefit or Impact

Basically, here we need to think about the benefit or impact that executing this point will have on our company. We will rate it based on the following:

1. Rating 1: Low benefit

• ‍Description: The task or objective has minimal or insignificant impact on the company. It has no direct impact on the company's results or strategic objectives.‍
• Example: Organizing a birthday party for a specific employee. Although it may create a positive atmosphere in the office, it does not have a significant impact on the company's business results or strategic objectives.

2. Rating 2: Marginal benefit

• ‍Description: An objective that contributes to the company's results or objectives to some extent but is not crucial for overall success.‍
• Example: Conducting a customer satisfaction survey to gather feedback on service quality. While the obtained information may be useful for making improvements, its direct impact on final results may be limited.

‍3. Rating 3: Moderate benefit

• ‍Description: It has a significant influence on the company's results or objectives but is not fundamental for long-term success.
• Example: Implementing a training program to improve the communication skills of the sales team. This could have a positive impact on the quality of interactions with customers and, therefore, on the sales performance of the company.

4. Rating 4: High-impact benefit

• Description: It has considerable influence on the company's results or strategic objectives and contributes significantly to overall success.
• Example: Developing and implementing a digital marketing strategy to increase the company's online visibility and attract a wider audience. This could generate a significant increase in website traffic, conversions, and revenue.

5. Rating 5: Maximum-impact benefit

• Description: It is fundamental for achieving the company's results or strategic objectives and has a significant impact on long-term success.
• Example: Launching a new innovative product in the market that solves a common customer problem and has no direct competitors. This could generate exponential revenue growth and position the company as a leader in its industry.

It is clear that the level of impact or benefit will depend on each organization and what is most beneficial or not for each team.

Complexity

Here we will also rate, on a scale of 1 to 5, how complex it is to carry out this activity, objective, or project. We will rate it based on the following parameters:

1. Rating 1: Low complexity

• Description: The task or objective is simple and easy to accomplish, with few obstacles or special requirements.‍
• Example: Updating the company's logo on the website. This task involves minimal changes and can be completed relatively easily.

2. Rating 2: Moderately simple

• Description: The task or objective presents some minor challenges or additional requirements but is still manageable without major complications.‍
• Example: Search for marketing suppliers, launch a call for proposals, conduct interviews, and choose the best supplier.‍

3. Rating 3: Moderately complex

• Description: The task or objective involves several interrelated elements or steps that may require some additional planning and coordination.‍
• Example: Implementing a new project management system for the team. Although it requires training and adaptation, it does not involve massive changes in the organizational structure or existing processes.‍

4. Rating 4: Highly complex

• Description: The task or objective presents significant challenges, such as complicated technical requirements, complex legal considerations, or the need for coordination among multiple teams or departments.‍
• Example: Launching a multi-channel marketing campaign that includes online advertising. Coordinating multiple channels and managing activities will require a strategic approach and careful execution.‍

5. Rating 5: Highly complex

• Description: The task or objective involves exceptional complexity, with numerous difficult factors and constraints to address.‍
• Example: Developing and launching a new service that requires research, prototyping, testing, and market analysis.

It is important to note that the rating of complexity may vary depending on the context and capabilities of the company.

Once we rate each of the points selected from the brainstorming session on this scale, what we need to do is give higher scores to those that bring us more benefit or generate greater impact and are also easier to accomplish (which are usually scarce). And obviously, the last ones we will choose are those that bring less benefit and are complex at the same time.

One simple way to do this is to divide the benefit by the complexity and then list them from highest to lowest. The template provided at the end of this article already does this for you.

Once we have classified them in this way, we can eliminate those with the lowest scores and keep the ones with the highest scores. This could be a good time to apply an 80/20 technique if desired or select those with scores higher than 2.5, or even consider the last one that seems important and include it in the next prioritization step.

After this, we move on to the final point, number 3 of our prioritization:

3. CHAD checklist

Once we have the more refined list, we should end up with a list of a maximum of 15-20 items.

Now, we are going to pass each of these points through the next filter, which we have called the CHAD checklist:

C

CAN my team or I do it?

We check it only if: we can perform the task internally, without depending on third parties, whether it's for approvals, materials, or knowledge (unless it is related to our field and worth learning).

H

Will it HELP to achieve a bigger objective or vision of the company?

We check it only if: by completing this task, it brings us closer to achieving an objective or the company's vision.

A

Is it AFFORDABLE?

We check it only if: we have the resources to execute it.

D

We will DEFINITELY do it.

We check it only if: it is something that our team wants to do, it aligns with our values, and it won't be a headache for us in the future.

Using this filter, you will see how some items are refined, and we only keep those that pass all the checks.

It is important to note that sometimes we should not be too rigid and numerical but also consider whether a task, even if it doesn't meet all these requirements, feels like something we or the team should include. Let's trust our intuition in such cases.

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