Prioritisation
A request is not an order
1 October 2026 · 4 min read
Why the first reply to any request should be a receipt, not a promise — and how that one habit removes most of the friction.
Most small organisations treat every incoming request as an implicit commitment. Someone asks, someone says “sure”, and three weeks later nobody remembers whether it was approved, estimated or simply forgotten.
Separate receiving from deciding
Confirm that you received the request, tell the requester what happens next, and make clear that it is not yet approved. That single sentence protects the team from silent commitments and gives the requester honest feedback.
Triage with a reason
Every request deserves an outcome: needs clarification, ready for estimate, or not going ahead — with a short rationale. A written reason turns a “no” into something people can accept.
Keep the requester informed
The requester does not need your internal notes. They need status: received, waiting for them, planned, delivered. Show them exactly that, and nothing more.