The 3-2-1 Rule for Project Prioritisation

A note to young leaders.

When mentoring, I’m often asked how best to prioritise various projects and objectives.

Here’s a rule of thumb that I’ve found helpful as a guide. I call it the 3-2-1 rule.

At any given time, you should aim to progress:
– Three “Horizon 1” projects (impact within 18 months)
– Two “Horizon 2” projects (impact within 3-years)
– One “Horizon 3” project (impact in 5-years+)

Short-term projects are essential to any business and help to fund Horizon 2 and Horizon 3 projects. Working on three short-term projects means you can afford one or two failures and still have a good year.

But if long-term out-performance is what you’re after, it’s Horizon 3 projects that will deliver the biggest returns.

Are you actively applying yourself on all three horizons?