1. Why Prioritization Gets Tricky
According to Harry, everyone is naturally good at prioritizing in simple, static environments—like choosing which errand to run first on a slow Saturday morning. Real trouble appears when complexity spikes (e.g., big organizations, multiple stakeholders, shifting goals), and we still rely on overly simplistic mental shortcuts.
“We confuse prioritization with ‘getting things done fast.’ But complexity demands a methodical approach.”
—Harry
Key Insight: We have too many moving parts to wing it. A formal prioritization process uncovers less-obvious trade-offs, boosts alignment, and helps teams move together.
2. The DEGAP Framework
The heart of Harry’s new book is a method called DEGAP, an acronym describing the five essential steps that move you from a “current state” to a “desired future state”:
- Decide
Assess if it’s worth slowing down to do formal prioritization or if you must act immediately (e.g., an urgent P0 incident).
- Engage
Identify stakeholders, align on definitions of success, and gather buy-in.
- Gather
Collect the items you need to prioritize—risks, tasks, investments, potential features—and the necessary data (metadata, cost of delay, etc.).
- Arrange
Sort and deduplicate, picking the right method or framework to handle your specific context. (Visual frameworks? Sorting techniques? Marketplace simulations?)
- Prioritize
Finally, choose a path and commit. Because you took the earlier steps, you’re more likely to have consensus and clarity on trade-offs.
“Animation at DreamWorks has many phases, only one of which is animating. The same is true for prioritization—there’s more to it than picking what’s ‘important’ from a list.”
—Harry
3. Fear & “False Urgency” Get in the Way
One of the biggest barriers to deliberate prioritization is a culture dominated by fear of missing out or losing status. When everything seems “urgent,” leaders pile on more “top priorities,” creating confusion and burnout.
How to Tackle It:
- Check the Real Cost of Delay: Rather than defaulting to “ASAP,” ask what it actually costs if you wait.
- Limit the “Big 3”: Inspired by Jim Collins’ claim that if you have more than three priorities, you have none.
- Own Your Decision Process: Emulate “extreme ownership” principles—good or bad outcome, make sure people know the process was fair and inclusive.
“Often, organizations conflate prioritization with strategic planning. But having a ‘plan’ isn’t the same as aligning on real trade-offs.”
—Harry
4. Prioritization at Every Scale
Individual Level
- Fight Avoidance: Address that tough conversation or high-cost-of-delay task first. Freed energy keeps you proactive.
- Simplify: Don’t try to do it all. Accept trade-offs.
Team Level
- Speedboat Method: Adapt Luke Hohmann’s Innovation Games to identify anchors (what’s slowing the team down) and rocks (what risks lie ahead).
- Safe Conversations: Teams must feel comfortable sharing conflicting views and seeking compromise.
Organizational Level
- Participatory Frameworks: Tools like participatory budgeting or the analytical hierarchy process (AHP)can balance competing imperatives across business units.
- Involve Stakeholders: Let them meaningfully shape the process. Otherwise, sabotage or “shadow prioritization” can occur behind the scenes.
5. Productivity & “Deep Work”
Harry’s philosophy of “prioritize prioritization” resonates with other thought leaders like Oliver Burkeman (4,000 Weeks) and Cal Newport (Deep Work). The essence is:
- Identify the Few Things That Truly Matter: Mechanically or culturally, your systems should support focusing on these.
- Create Space for Deep Work: Instead of scattering energy, carve out time and mental clarity to solve the right problems.
“We overestimate what we can do in the short term—and underestimate what we can achieve over the long haul with consistent, intentional effort.”
—Harry
6. Building a Culture of Trust & Transparency
To truly benefit from frameworks like DEGAP, organizations must encourage honest input from teams and reward collaborative trade-offs. Harry emphasizes:
- Psychological Safety: People should feel comfortable surfacing conflicts, challenges, or uneasy truths.
- Process Fairness: When everyone knows why certain features or initiatives get priority, they’re more likely to commit—even if the choice isn’t ideal for their department.
Key Takeaways
- Learn a Simple, Repeatable Process: Prioritizing effectively goes beyond intuition—it involves a structured approach, such as DEGAP.
- Acknowledge Complexity: Speed alone is not agility; slowing down to untangle complexities often saves more time and resources overall.
- Handle Fear & Urgency: Recognize cultural drivers behind “everything’s urgent.” Use cost-of-delay to ground decisions in measurable impact.
- Scale It Up (or Down): From personal to team to enterprise, the principles are consistent—even if the scope changes.
- Focus on the Few Things That Matter: Discerning real priorities fosters genuine productivity and strategic depth.
Next Steps
- Grab Harry’s Book: Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions is designed for leaders and teams navigating high-stakes choices.
- Try DEGAP: Walk your team through the five steps—decide, engage, gather, arrange, prioritize—on an upcoming project or strategic initiative.
- Explore More: Connect with Harry on LinkedIn (search “Harry Max”) or check out peakpriorities.com for coaching, workshops, and executive guidance.
- Contact Peak Priorities: Ready to build a “culture of clarity” around your next transformation? Reach out to learn more about our approach to prioritization for leaders and teams.
Because once people truly commit to which priorities matter most, the future can start taking shape much faster—and with far less friction.