There are lots of examples of roadmaps out there. Take any digital initiative and you can find the generic way to do it. They are helpful.

Do they reflect your intent, why your company wants and needs to do this? Discovering the why of what you are about to do is a huge thing. It is worth spending a little time to make sure it is clear to everyone before you start.

Generic roadmaps also don’t reflect any sense of your priorities.

• Is this a foundational initiative that other projects will build on?
• Is one of a series of initiatives that are more experimental in nature?
• After intent comes understanding priorities.

Priorities also means prioritization, often including looking at the low hanging fruit but always with the next steps and ultimate goals in mind, knowing these goals – and the context within which they were set – will evolve.

• Is this a project that is going to solve a real customer pain point?
• Is it going to make it easier for employees to be engaged and effective?
• Is it going to solve a problem?
• Important to know if that is reality or not.

All of this points to there is never a one size fits all approach when it comes to intent, priorities and pain points. Maybe the generic roadmap is a good starting point. Maybe it isn’t. Making sure it reflects these realities is crucial to success.