Another Way to Prioritize Data Projects

Turning a Virtual Whiteboard into a Crystal Ball: A New Way to Prioritize Data Projects

Let’s be honest: prioritizing data projects often feels like an endless negotiation. Every department has a “must-have,” every stakeholder has a “critical” request, and your to-do list keeps growing like a never-ending scroll. What do you do then?

Instead of diving into the chaos, I decided to try something different. I called for a virtual meeting and set up a board in Miro, our digital whiteboard tool, armed with sticky note templates and a lot of curiosity. “Today,” I announced, “we’re turning this whiteboard into our crystal ball!” My team laughed, but I could see their interest was piqued.?

Step 1: The Miro Sticky Note Strategy

We started by creating a digital sticky note for every project request and placing them randomly on our Miro board. No categories, no filters—just pure, unfiltered chaos. Within minutes, the board was filled, looking more like a digital art project than a prioritization plan.

I asked everyone to use three specific colors on the Miro board to evaluate each project: Red for urgency, Blue for impact, and Green for effort. We went through each project one by one during our video call:

Red marked projects with tight deadlines or high urgency.

Blue marked projects that offered significant value or high potential impact.

Green marked projects that required considerable effort or resources to complete.

This color-coding helped us visually distinguish which projects were most critical, valuable, and resource-intensive, making it easier to prioritize.

Step 2: Creating the Impact-Effort Quadrants in Miro

Next, we grouped the sticky notes into four quadrants on the Miro board: High Impact/Low Effort, High Impact/High Effort, Low Impact/Low Effort, and Low Impact/High Effort. As patterns started to emerge, we saw that some projects, despite their urgency, offered minimal impact or required heavy resources, while others were high-impact, low-effort gems waiting to be discovered.

One project—a segmentation analysis requested by marketing—stood out in the High Impact/Low Effort quadrant. We decided to tackle it first. Within days, we uncovered critical insights that refined our customer messaging and even sparked a new product feature. This quick win boosted our team’s credibility across the board.?

Step 3: Playing “Data Poker” with Mentimeter

For projects still vying for the top spot, we introduced a game called “Data Poker.” Using Mentimeter, a free and easy-to-use online polling tool, each team member received digital cards numbered 1 to 5. For every project, we discussed its potential value, and then, in a moment of suspense, everyone revealed their cards simultaneously—the higher the number, the higher the priority.

This approach brought unexpected insights. For instance, a project we had thought was high-impact received a low score from our customer success lead, who explained it wouldn’t significantly affect retention. That honest, transparent conversation saved us weeks of work on a low-priority task.

The Outcome? A Clear Roadmap and Aligned Team

Within a few hours, we transformed a scattered list into a clear, actionable roadmap. We kicked off the High Impact/Low Effort projects first, then moved to the more resource-intensive ones, ensuring early wins and maximizing impact. Stakeholders were thrilled with our progress, and our team—spread across time zones—felt more focused and energized.

Looking Ahead: Adapting for Remote Work

The best part? This approach is fully adaptable to a remote environment. We can easily expand it with more digital parameters, like Customer Satisfaction, Revenue Potential, or Risk Levels. As new projects come in, we can adjust our criteria to reflect evolving business needs and priorities.

The Takeaway?

Prioritizing isn’t about saying ‘no’ to projects; it’s about finding the best ‘yes.’ Even in a remote setting, a little creativity can turn a digital whiteboard into a crystal ball that guides our team to impactful decisions.

Have you ever found new ways to prioritize remotely? Share your ideas—I’m always on the lookout for fresh strategies!