DEGAP®: five phases, ranking last.
Many organizations begin prioritization by ranking a list. In our method, ranking is the fifth of five phases. The first four make sure the right people are deciding the right question, with agreed criteria.
01The phases
Decide, Engage, Gather, Arrange, Prioritize.
Each phase answers one question. Skipping a phase is what leaves a ranking that cannot be defended later.
- D
Decide
Are we committing to decide this, by when, and who decides?
- E
Engage
Who should shape this, and have we brought them in?
- G
Gather
What belongs in consideration, and what are we leaving out?
- A
Arrange
What criteria are we using, agreed before we rank?
- P
Prioritize
What is the order, and what is the reasoning behind it?
Source
From the book Managing Priorities.
Harry Max developed the method over decades of work with organizations including Apple, Adobe, Google, PayPal and Rackspace, and published it in Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions (Two Waves, 2024). The Managing Priorities Workbook, co-authored with Wes Bright, is in progress.
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