Creating Focus: The importance of setting 2-3 clear and simple priorities

Focus is incredibly important. Knowing what you’re trying to achieve and understanding your priorities is essential for how you direct your work.

The problem:
With any project, you have restricted resources to achieve your goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.

All good businesses and the very best creators define a limited set of strategic priorities

Creating a strategic focus defines how you will allocate your time and investment. It defines the actions you take and what you will achieve as a creator.

In order to determine your focus you can only ever have two to three priorities as a single individual or a single project - anymore than this and your focus will be diluted so that you are no longer able to achieve your priorities effectively.

Tied to each of your strategic priorities will be a value proposition that is directly related to your aim. This is the rationale for strategic priority.

Here are some examples of strategic priorities and their linked value proposition:

Business Example: Disney

1. Investment in creativity: particularly Branded content - recognisable high quality content that drives sales (e.g. acquisition of Marvel and Pixar)

2. Use of Technology to enable improved content and improved audience reach - you can see this in Disney plus - increased customers

3. Grow Globally - this has manifested in opening Theme Parks such as China and Hong Kong - broader brand recognition

Consulting Project Example: Finance System Implementation

1. Design a new finance system to increase automation & efficiency - decreasing FTE to carry out processing

2. Deploy the system to all operating companies within the organisation - standardise data for management decisions

3. Train end users - ensure system is used effectively

Creator Example 1: Jack Butcher - Visualise Value:

1. Invest time in simple visualisation to share on social media. Value: Proof of the capabilities to simply and visually communicate an idea - increased follows on social media

2. Development of of community platform sustained by exclusive content: Value proposition: Engaged customers, contributing to the ideas of the business

3. Development of paid for content such as training courses: leveraging engaged audience to increase revenue

Creator Example 2: Harry Dry - Marketing Examples

1. Development of marketing case studies, circulated as a Newsletter. Value: Core product offering value in return for engagement

2. Short form content based off of long form case studies: Circulate to other forms of social media to increase newsletter followers.

3. Find relevant affiliates to market through Newsletter and Site. Value: Revenue creation

Summary
Multinational businesses, large projects and creators, are successful when they have a small set of strategic priorities. It’s worth taking the time to clarify what yours are.

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