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How to set a quarterly priority

Create a quarterly priority, assign an owner, and link it to an execution project so your team always knows what matters most this quarter.

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Quarterly priorities are your team's public commitments for the next 13 weeks — the 3–5 initiatives that move the whole organization forward rather than just keeping the lights on. Northwoods Outfitters used quarterly priorities to align Diego (operations) and Priya (sales) on a guide certification push that had been stalling for two quarters. Linking the priority directly to a project in Execution meant everyone could see real progress without a separate status meeting.

Before you start

  • The Strategy module is required, so it is on in every workspace.
  • You need the strategy.quarterly-priorities.manage permission to create, edit, or delete priorities — owner, admin, and advisor by default. Contributors and viewers can read all priorities.
  • Optional: have at least one annual goal defined (Annual Plan page). Once goals exist, the priority dialog offers a Parent goal field so a priority can roll up to the annual goal it serves.

Step 1: Navigate to the correct quarter

Click Strategy → Quarterly Priorities in the sidebar. The page defaults to the current year and quarter.

Use the left/right arrows at the top of the page to navigate to a different quarter if you're planning ahead. The quarter label (e.g. "Q3 2026") and the period date range are shown beside the arrows.

A priority belongs to the quarter it was created in and cannot be moved; to carry one forward, use Copy to another period on its card, which creates it in the quarter you choose.

Step 2: Add a priority

Click Add Priority at the top right. The New Priority dialog opens with the following fields:

Field Required Notes
Title Yes Use a verb phrase: "Launch guide certification program" not "Certification."
Description No Supporting context — what success looks like, key constraints.
Owner No Person picker; selects from workspace members.
Due date No Intended completion date within the quarter.
Status Yes Defaults to "On track."
Parent goal No Appears once annual goals exist; links the priority to an annual goal.
Linked metric No Appears once scorecard metrics exist; ties progress to a metric.

Click Create when done. The priority card appears on the board.

Step 3: Update the status as the quarter progresses

The five status values, and when to use each:

Display label DB value When to use
On track on-track Progress is at or ahead of plan.
At risk at-risk Achievable but needs attention now.
Off track off-track Behind plan; intervention is needed.
Done done The initiative is complete.
Missed missed Quarter ended without completing the initiative.

Click the pencil icon on any priority card to open the Edit Priority dialog and change the status, then click Save. To change several at once, tick the priorities' checkboxes and use the bulk status control that appears.

Step 4: Promote a priority to a project (optional)

When a priority requires tracked execution work, link it to an Execution project. Click Promote on the priority card and choose Project. A dialog asks for the project title and description. Confirm to:

  1. Create a new project in the Execution module.
  2. Navigate directly to the new project page.
  3. Show a project chip on the priority card with a link back.

Deleting the priority later does not delete the project. Deleting the project does not delete the priority.

The link is set up at promotion time, so create the priority first and promote it when you are ready to start the work. (The Promote menu also offers other targets, such as an idea, task, problem, or milestone.)

Step 5: Reorder priorities

Drag priority cards using the grip handle on the left edge to reflect relative importance. Drag-to-reorder only works when no group filter is active.

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