critical top 3s v1.0 - 20170814

The Critical Top 3s tool summarizes key project considerations in an easy-to-reference format.

Identifying critical top 3s helps keep a team unified in their vision. To come up with your top 3 lists, you can use other Design Thinking tools like the Zone of Opportunity.

critical top 3s Develop this document in the Opportunity phase. Encourage the entire team to reference it throughout the lifecycle of the project.

use When kicking off a project. When to Identifying your Top 3s will help the entire team stay focused on the primary objectives, audiences, messages, and other key elements so that we can be sure to delivered a tailored solution This tool also helps add clarity around a project that may otherwise not have clear goals, and can bring to light unknown dependencies

use When onboarding new team members. When to This is a quick-reference cheat-sheet to get new team members up to speed quickly Helps to differentiate one client or project focus from another, especially if they are very similar

use When the client changes direction. When to The Top 3s are a fast way to communicate the new vision to the team This tool can also help the client better understand why they are making a change, and what they hope to accomplish from it

summarize! By summarizing key project considerations in an easy-to-reference format, this tool will provide guidance and direction. It helps facilitate planning, motivate employees, help organizations evaluate performance, and align various stakeholders and silos around common goals.

rules of thumb Saves time by putting most important information from the Opportunity Brief in a quick-reference format If you need to break the ice, ask everyone to sketch something simple.

real-world example Party Planning

A friend of mine recently threw a party at her house to celebrate her son’s first birthday and her 35th birthday, since their birthdays were less than one week apart. If she applied the Top 3s to the party planning, it might look something like this: Her top 3 objectives might be to celebrate her son’s first birthday, to celebrate her 35th birthday, and to gather old and new friends together. The advantages of having the celebration at her house might include lower party costs, creating memories in a space where her family spends much of its time, and being able to put the baby to sleep as soon as he’s tired.

Financial stats may include an upper-limit of $100 for decorations, $200 for food and beverages, and $150 for entertainment. Key performance indicators could be how many gifts are received, how many people left the party smiling, and how much mess was left at the end to clean up.

So, taking all of this into consideration, my friend might decide to hire a magician instead of a comedian, which would be fun for children and adults. She could decide to provide all beverages, but ask guests to each bring a dish to save on the food expenses and cleanup. She may turn to Pinterest to find unique and low-cost ways to capture first birthday memories. And she may decide that everyone will receive a parting gift, as a thank you for attending the celebration. In that way, she could really make sure that as many guests as possible left with a smile on their face!

to use this tool – in person with your team, or virtually what you’ll need to use this tool – in person with your team, or virtually

And during the Closing Ceremonies. tool alignment All information for the Critical Top 3s can be found in the Opportunity Brief. The Critical Top 3s should be considered when Sketching a budget, to best align resources with goals. During the Debrief phase, you can refer to them during the Around the Campfire session. And during the Closing Ceremonies.

work sessions In order to use the Critical Top 3s during a work session, it’s helpful to have the worksheets printed for participants to use. The Opportunity Brief, or the person who knows the most about the client, should also be accessible.

virtual forum To use this tool virtually, all you need is a way to talk to your team (via video conference or chat window, for example), and a collaborative digital text editor (like Google Docs).

step-by-step 1 2 3 4 5 Draw on your discussions with client to complete a first draft of the Top 3s worksheet Schedule time to discuss the Top 3s draft with entire internal team Revise the Top 3s as needed to arrive at consensus with the team Share the completed Top 3s with entire team and client Update the Top 3s as needed to reflect changes in strategy

Activity your top 3s!

your top 3s For this activity, we’re going to focus making improvements in our personal lives. Think about something you want to do or accomplish for this month. Could be related to work, family, spirituality, health, etc. Write it down. You have one minute. Go!

your top 3s Now, let’s look at that project and apply the Top 3s tool. Take 30 seconds per item, and use as many as time permits.

your top 3s List 3 things you most hope will result from this project. These are your objectives. List 3 reasons why you are the best person to do this work. This is your personal advantage.

your top 3s List 3 financial or otherwise measurable areas of focus. These are your metrics. List 3 ways you know your project was successful. These are your key performance indicators, and should tie to your objectives and/or your metrics.

your top 3s List 3 things that are very important to remember when working on this project. This is your critical information. Think about who might use this space, including yourself. These are your audiences.

Identifying critical top 3s helps keep a team unified in their vision. Remember Identifying critical top 3s helps keep a team unified in their vision.

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