According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, priority is defined as:
Definition of priority.
(1) : the quality or state of being prior.
(2) : precedence in date or position of publication —used of taxa.
(3) : superiority in rank, position, or privilege.
(4) : legal precedence in exercise of rights over the same subject matter.
By definition, a priority is “one”. One task is a priority over another. One project is a priority over another.
How many “priorities” do you have each day and how many tasks or projects have you asked your team make a “priority”? (Be honest…..)
A role of a leader is to prioritize the multiple activities a team is to focus on each day, week, month and year. (Yes, there are multiple important activities which need to be worked on simultaneously, however, not all of them should be labeled a “priority”.) Prioritize means to “list or rate in order of priority”.
While every project isn’t a priority, each project can and should be prioritized. Prioritizing the work gives your team the direction and focus it craves.
“By making everything a priority, you make nothing a priority.”
(quoting me)