Cost Benefit

Generation of ideas

If the list of work items is non-existent you can start this exercise by a silent post-up.

All individuals in the group start scribbling down about the work to be done. (one thing/sticky)

After 10 min or so ask the group to hang them on the wall.

Clustering

Ask the team to group items together by subject in silence. Items causing discussion you ask to park aside.

Explain that the only purpose is having a priority. So under what cluster it’s been put isn’t that important. What is important, however, is all know where it’s under.

So on the exact scope (what-fits-best-where), there is no explicit consensus needed. A majority is fine.

In short:

• does everybody know the scope of the clusters?
• can the team proportionally estimate the size of the scope? (what is bigger/smaller then what)

Priories on cost

Sorting

Next, ask the team to sort them top to bottom on cost. (5 minutes of work)

Park the items under discussion aside after all the others are done.

Discussion can only happen when the clustering did not clear things up or caused friction. This could indicate the team isn’t aware of the goal: putting priority.

Scaling

Next hang the lowest sticky way lower and the highest way higher then the rest of the sorted list.

Like that you’ll have room to position the stickies on a scale.

Write down on the board some marks of the scale. E.g. (see image): 1, 5, 10, 15, 20.

Ask the team to position the other items on the correct place on the scale.

The sorted order must will stay of course, a relative cost will emerge from the scale as they are positioned.

This all takes about 10 min: Sorting 5, scaling 5.

Depending on the position on the scale, write the relative number bottom left on the stickies.

E.g. stickies in the middle: 50%, top 0%, bottom 100%.

This will be your Y-axis coordinate to put your sticky on a 2D cost -benefit graph.

Priories on benefit

Do the same for the benefits with a product owner, customer if preferred.

Sort, relatively scale them, and write the number bottom right.

Putting it all together

Draw the X and Y axis with the top and bottom values from the exercise above: the costs & benefits.

Hang the stickies according to the cost/benefit coordinates noted on them.

The low hanging-fruit and infeasible-expensive items are clearly found now.

Conclusion

Note that the same approach can be done with a Kano diagram or any other kind of 2D graph.

It’s a fun way of clearing things out and prioritizing is done through collaborative support.

Special attention on discussion starters is recommended. They are the time consumers, and can be stopped by guarding and communicating your goal: prioritizing.