Urgency vs. priority – an example and an assertion

QA Engineer:  So, manager, which is more important, A or B?
QA Manager:  Well, engineer, they’re both important…they both have to be done.
QA Engineer:  So how do I prioritize them?
QA Manager: (a little frustrated)…like I said, they both have to be done.

How many times has this scenario played out for you?  Many times for me.  So, let’s examine this problem with an example we all experience, our own need for oxygen, water and food. 

All three are essential to our survival…without any of them, we will die.  There is no way to prioritize them in order of importance.  However, they definitely can be prioritized in order of urgency. 

• Without oxygen, you would be brain-damaged within minutes (and dead soon thereafter).
• Without water, you would die within days (one website I read said the average person would be dead within 9 days of 80 degree days).
• Without food, you can go months, but eventually you would die.

So, although all are essential in the long run, oxygen is most urgent. 

Does this mean we should always focus on our most urgent needs?  No.  If you focused only on your most urgent need (oxygen), and never paid attention to less urgent but equally essential needs (food and water), you would still die, albeit more slowly. 

I think the lesson of this allegory is that we sometimes ask the wrong question.  A better question would be “which is more urgent to test, a or b?”  And if both are equally urgent, as well as equally important, then the laws of physics come into play, and you lay out how long each will take, and the amount of time you have available. 

One final note:  this principle will certainly not alleviate the “I need everything done, and I need it yesterday!” issue.  But I do think it sheds some additional light on the questions to ask when prioritizing.