This is a great way to prioritise a backlog or ToDo list by identifying the value, urgency, and effort associated with each item, and spark meaningful team conversations.

Developed by John Cutler as an extension of Joshua Arnold's workshop about Cost of Delay, this practice allows teams to tap into different perspectives, and make them explicit and intentional in order to drive prioritisation.

Step 0 - Make a list

Step 1 - Sort the list by Urgency - Does this need to be done ASAP? Soon? Whenever?

Step 2 - Next sort by Value - Will this be a game changer? a bonus? or meh?

Step 3 - Consider the rate of value lost over time (Cost of Delay)

Step 4 - Now filter by effort required as duration - a few days? a few weeks? a few months?

Step 5 - Reveal the weighted cost of delay (CD3), discuss, and adjust.