Enshrine Core Priorities
When recurring decisions pit legitimate goals against each other, a clear priority can help a team resolve the trade-off. It must be specific enough to guide an actual choice; a broad value such as integrity may leave the conflict unresolved.
THE IDEA
The Core Idea
Leaders and teams often struggle with decisions that pit two legitimate values against each other. The classic example is deciding between two good options—such as whether to prioritize the welfare of patients or the convenience of volunteer surgeons. These dilemmas are agonizing because they reflect a conflict of core priorities.
A clear priority helps when it tells people which consideration should take precedence in a recurring conflict. Broad values such as integrity or trust may matter without settling the particular choice.
The Interplast Story (ReSurge International)
- Interplast provided free cleft‑lip surgeries in developing countries, but its leadership was divided about whether to prioritize the volunteer surgeons or the patients.
- After a six‑hour board debate, a newer member pointed out: 'You believe the customer is the volunteer surgeon and I believe the customer is the patient.'
- Once the board agreed that the patient is the customer, subsequent policy debates could be guided by asking, 'What’s best for the patient here?'
- This led Interplast to shift from surgeon‑focused trips to training local doctors, eventually conducting 80% of surgeries with local personnel.
Wayne's Rules (Dell)
- When Wayne Roberts led Dell’s consulting group, he needed a way for field consultants to make consistent decisions without calling headquarters.
- He created a short list of guardrails (e.g., 'Have a bias for action: Do first, apologize later' and 'Be easy to do business with').
- These rules enshrined the group’s priorities, allowing consultants to handle customer changes quickly and consistently.
Why Generic Values Fail
- Most organizations post values like 'diversity', 'trust', or 'integrity', but these are too broad to resolve a specific trade-off (e.g., allowing family members on trips).
- A useful priority must be operational—it must tell people which option to choose when two values clash.
How to Enshrine a Core Priority
- Identify the recurring conflict that causes agonizing decisions.
- Ask: What is the ultimate outcome we care about? (e.g., patient welfare, customer satisfaction, long‑term growth).
- State that priority clearly and make it the default tie‑breaker.
- Communicate it widely, so everyone from frontline workers to executives can apply it.
- Use it to evaluate policies, allocate resources, and resolve disputes.
When to use it
A startup deciding between a release deadline and code quality specifies which reliability requirements must be met before shipping, so that teams can judge proposed shortcuts consistently.
A non‑profit balancing staff satisfaction with mission impact—enshrine the end beneficiaries as the ultimate customer.
A project team facing scope creep—enshrine 'on‑time delivery' and use it to approve or reject changes.
A school deciding between teacher autonomy and standardized curriculum—enshrine 'student learning outcomes' and let that guide policy.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Interplast: Patients vs. Surgeons
Interplast’s leadership was divided about whether to prioritize volunteer surgeons’ convenience or patient outcomes. By enshrining the patient as the ultimate customer, they resolved disputes (e.g., family members on trips, medical residents) and shifted to training local doctors—increasing the number of surgeries performed long‑term.
Wayne’s Rules at Dell
Dell’s consulting group needed consistency while working remotely. Wayne Roberts created a short list of guardrails, including: 'Have a bias for action' (apologize later if needed) and 'Be easy to do business with'. These rules enshrined speed and customer focus, allowing consultants to approve changes without delays.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think about a recent decision that felt 'agonizing' because both options had merit. What core priority was actually in conflict?
How would you rewrite your organization’s mission statement so that it could tip a real trade‑off between two good choices?
What is one priority you could 'enshrine' in your personal life to make everyday decisions easier (e.g., health, family, learning)?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Decisive How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work (Chip Heath)