5 Quick Ideas - Setting Your Policy Priorities

Now that you know what you are working on, knowing how and when to work on them is even more important.  It is about setting priorities, and knowing how to do it is key.

A great place to start a quick and easy understanding of how to set priorities is the Center for Creative Leadership's guidebook on Setting Priorities.  From there you can look at the issues you have and start your process -

1. Start with what is most important to your members - What is the core issue that matters to them?  if you don't know, do some outreach - surveys, questionnaires, one on one interviews... get feedback.
2. Figure out if one issue depends on another - Finding out if one issue will have better success if something else is in place is an important piece in finding success.  Putting the pieces in order will help you accomplish this goal.
3. Determine if the issue needs to be broken down into pieces - Some issues are too big to be taken all at once.  And without a lot of clout behind your organization - or success in the past - you aren't going to be able to tackle the big initiative with ease.  That isn't to say you can't do it, but maybe its better to break it down into pieces and tackle them one at a time.
4. Is it "Core" to your mission? - Slightly different than what is most important to your members is the relationship your issues have with your mission.  In other words, how central is the issue to what your organization accomplishes?  Is it essential to move that to the front?
5. Flexibility will determine your success - In the next installment we cover some of the things that may change what is possible priority wise.  But for now, think about how flexible you can be on your issues.  Can you reorder them based on what is possible?  Being able to do so may help you find real success.

Move the Ball

Keep in mind, what is important to your organization is still important.  And the mission critical and member demanded items are your first priority publicly.  Remind people what your goal is constantly, even if its not what you are currently working on.

Success doesn't mean that your issue is passed in the manner you expect in a time frame you dictate.

Success is measured by your ability to move the ball.