We can: Align Projects with Strategic Goals Define Strategic Objectives: Ensure every potential innovation project aligns with your company’s overarching goals (e.g., revenue growth, efficiency, customer satisfaction). Create a Priority Matrix: Categorize projects based on their alignment with strategic objectives. Prioritize those that provide the most significant contribution. Example: “If our strategic goal is to improve customer experience, we’ll prioritize projects that streamline user interfaces or enhance customer support.”

To prioritize effectively when resources are limited, start by assessing all innovation projects against key criteria: strategic alignment, potential ROI, urgency, and feasibility. Rank projects based on their long-term value and alignment with business goals. Focus on initiatives with the highest impact-to-effort ratio. Communicate transparently with your team about prioritization decisions, setting clear expectations and timelines. Streamline resources by eliminating redundant efforts and reallocating talent to high-priority projects. Foster cross-functional collaboration to maximize resource use and encourage phased implementation to achieve incremental progress without overextending resources.

When resources are tight for innovation, here’s how I prioritize effectively with examples and tools: Impact First: I prioritize based on ROI. For example, I once focused on improving a best-selling product instead of launching a new line, driving 15% revenue growth. Tools like Trello or Airtable help map projects to strategic goals. Feasibility Check: Small, quick wins—like optimizing website UX—take priority when resources are limited. I use Asana to track timelines and allocate tasks efficiently. Stakeholder Input: I’ve run team workshops using Miro to brainstorm and rank initiatives collaboratively, ensuring alignment. This method balances impact with capacity. What’s worked for you?

You also need to make tough decisions, such as deferring non-essential projects or scaling them back to free up resources for high priority (more strategically aligned) initiatives.