Prioritization frameworks protect your team and your strategy.
In an era of constant innovation and disruption, opportunities seem endless. New initiatives, product ideas, partnerships, and technologies flood our inboxes and boardroom conversations. It can feel like success means saying “yes” to everything. Here’s the hard truth: if everything is a priority, nothing is.
A recent study by McKinsey found that 70% of executives say their organizations have too many competing priorities, creating confusion, burnout, and stalled progress. At the same time, only 29% of organizations report that their strategies are clearly understood by employees, leaving teams spinning in the dark, unsure of what really matters.
So how do you protect your people and your strategy from decision overload?
The Hidden Cost of a “Yes” Culture
A client of ours came to us facing this exact challenge. We partnered with an executive team as they were evolving their business model so they could better define their 5-year strategy. At the same time, this executive team was facing significant leadership changes in the ELT.
The problem wasn’t lack of ambition. It was a lack of a clear filter and a way to say no to the right things so they could say yes to what mattered most. The team had to continue to execute their strategy while navigating disruptive change.
Strategy as a Filter: A New Way to Work
We introduced our client to a simple but powerful idea: strategy is a filter, not just a plan. When you know your core purpose and strategic priorities, you empower teams to make smarter decisions. It’s not about killing ideas. It’s about having a system that allows you to evaluate opportunities quickly and objectively.
We worked together to ask tough and essential questions to create a prioritization framework:
- Does this align with our mission?
- Will it move us closer to our long-term goals?
- Do we have the capacity to execute it well?
This framework became their go-to tool for decision-making. It empowered leaders at every level to say no with confidence and say yes with purpose.
The Power of Dropping Projects
The results were transformative. They identified several projects that, while interesting, didn’t serve their core mission.
- They maximized their resources and identified where more or less investment was required.
- Prioritizing key projects led to swifter decision making, creating clearer expectations and leadership alignment.
The time saved wasn’t just a number; it was the space they needed to focus, breathe, and re-energize their team. And that focus translated into real results: stronger programs, more engaged staff, and renewed clarity on how to serve their community.
Autonomy Through Alignment
One of the most powerful outcomes? Teams felt empowered.
When priorities are clear, people don’t have to second-guess every decision or wait for leadership approval. They know where the organization is headed, and they know how to contribute to the organization’s mission. That’s autonomy in action, not chaos, but freedom within a framework.
In practice, it looked like this. At each quarterly meeting, we asked the team:
- Are we doing too much?
- Are we working on the most right things to move the business forward?
The enterprise strategy remains the guide but the pace of execution and certain aspects of the strategy ebbs and flows based on the dynamic and capacity of the org. The strategy has also created momentum and excitement deeper in the org.
There has been a “ground swell” of support and eagerness to move forward faster by the next level leaders and others in the org. The ELT is striking a balance constantly on how far, how fast to move in a way that affords the team to run the business (meet targets for the year) while transitioning to a new business model.
Final Thoughts
Too many opportunities can feel like a good problem to have until they become too much. If your organization is overwhelmed, it’s time to ask: are you clear on what truly matters? And do your teams have the tools to make aligned decisions every day?
At Keystone, we help leaders build the clarity, frameworks, and culture needed to thrive. If you’re ready to move from overwhelmed to aligned, let’s talk: https://www.keystonegroupintl.com/contact-us/
Because the right strategy isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters together.
