Priorities
Use priorities to explain what happens next and why one item deserves attention before another.
Where priority shows up
Priority can be expressed through status, stack rank, roadmap order, team ownership, blocker state, and the planning view a team uses. For issue trackers such as Jira and Linear, priority data can also come from the connected system.
Issue priorities
| Priority | Meaning |
|---|---|
Critical | Highest severity work that needs immediate attention. |
Urgent | Time-sensitive work that should interrupt normal ordering. |
High | Important work that should be handled before the default queue. |
Medium | Normal priority work. |
Low | Useful work that can wait behind higher-impact items. |
Lowest | Low-impact work to keep visible without crowding current planning. |
Decide priority with context
Use the work and taxonomy together:
- Goal: Which outcome does this support?
- Customer or company: Who is affected?
- Product: Which area changes?
- Owner: Who can move it forward?
- Blocker: Is another item waiting on it?
Keep priority reviewable
Stack ranking is the clearest priority view for planned initiatives. Backlog grouping and filters help before work is planned. Boards help during execution.
Use Stack Ranking when planned initiatives need a visible ordered priority.