Product & Engineering's Ability: Prioritization

pri·or·i·ti·za·tion (noun)
the action or process of deciding the relative importance or urgency of a thing or things.

This is a vital skill within the world of building software. We are constantly prioritizing at different levels.

• Prioritizing when is it time to build an abstraction
• Prioritizing when it is time to make a UX change
• Prioritizing what bugs we should tackle first
• Prioritizing what epics we should do that will lead to the greatest outcomes
• Prioritizing what themes we should focus on this year

I have observed this person showing a consistent, comfortable, continuous, and clear positive impact to a squad when wielding this ability, and therefore I would put them in situations where they can employ this ability with only a small amount of guidance

• You manage and maintain an accurate list of what you should focus on now and next
• You can explain and defend your prioritization of what you are taking on and considering taking on next
• You seek input from stakeholders on what the next highest priority item is to own

I have observed this person showing a consistent, comfortable, continuous, and clear positive impact to a squad when wielding this ability, and therefore I would put them in situations where they can employ this ability, with no assistance as well as being a trusted active or passive mentor to others

• You can explain and defend your prioritization of what you are taking on and considering taking on next by referencing squad objectives and/or customer impact
• You seek input from stakeholders on what the next highest priority item is to own by providing a proposed list of priorities

I have observed this person showing a consistent, comfortable, continuous, and clear positive impact to multiple squads when wielding this ability, and therefore I would put them in situations where they can employ this ability as well as being considered an expert within this discipline

• You lead a squad in identifying, managing, and maintaining an accurate list of what they should focus on now and next
• You lead a squad in explaining and defend their prioritization of what they are taking on and considering taking on next
• Within your squad, you are proactive about identifying red or yellow objectives throughout the quarter and lead the charge to create plans to get those objectives into green

I have observed this person showing a consistent, comfortable, continuous, and clear positive impact to a squad when wielding this ability, and therefore I would put them in situations where they can not only employ this ability but where they set the tone for this at the company level

• You ensure all squads have identified and are managing, maintaining an accurate list of what they should focus on now and next
• Across all squads, you are proactive about identifying red or yellow objectives throughout the quarter and lead the charge to create plans to get those objectives into green

I have observed this person showing a consistent, comfortable, continuous, and clear positive impact to not just internal teams but the community/industry in general when wielding this ability, and they are recognized by the community/industry as an expert

• You influence the company’s list of priorities by proposing objectives the department should take on next and get feedback to help inform next priority
• Across the company, you are proactive about identifying red or yellow objectives throughout the quarter and lead the charge to create plans to get those objectives into green