Impact/Effort Matrix Template
Help your team prioritize their work by defining the impact and effort of your activities.
About the Impact Effort Matrix Template
Are you struggling to prioritize tasks? Or do you want to identify activities that’ll give your customers the best experience? An impact effort matrix could be exactly what you need.
Use the Impact Effort Matrix Template to prioritize your work based on the effort it takes and the impact it’ll have on your customers. Align your priorities and get projects on track while reducing wasted time and energy.
What is an impact effort matrix template?
An impact effort matrix (also known as an action priority matrix) is a decision-making tool. Filling out this Impact Effort Matrix Template helps team leaders prioritize the following:
Tasks and projects that yield the best results in the least amount of time
Projects that’ll take longer but are still worth doing
Tasks and projects that’ll have little impact on your customers
The matrix is split into four quadrants:
Minimal-effort and low-impact: Also known as fill-ins, these activities require little work and have little impact on your customers.
Maximum-effort and low-impact: Tasks that require a lot of time and effort on your part but have little impact on your customers. They’re also known as time-wasters or thankless tasks.
High-impact and minimum-effort: These tasks are your quick wins. They’re actions that impact your customers significantly and don’t require a lot of work from you.
High-impact and maximum-effort: Major projects that need a lot of attention but have a large impact on your customers.
Using these quadrants, you can easily visualize which tasks will reap the greatest benefits for your customers.
How do you create an effort impact matrix?
Creating an impact effort matrix is simple and straightforward with Miro’s template:
Step 1: Get the whole team together. It’s vital that the matrix is filled out by actual stakeholders with skin in the game. Why? Because they have a firsthand perspective on how tasks are completed and how much effort is required.
Step 2: Identify objectives and team goals. Have a brainstorming session to identify the main objectives and team goals. This aligns the team on the overall mission.
Step 3: Create a four-quadrant chart. The impact effort matrix is plotted on two axes: the level of effort involved in a task and the level of potential impact completion of the task can have. The quadrants are already mapped out in our template, so you don’t have to worry about creating it from scratch.
Step 4: Add individual tasks into one of the four quadrants.Plot your tasks onto the matrix depending on how much effort and impact each action can have. Closely review each placement with the whole team to make sure everyone agrees.
Step 5: Create an action plan based on your results. With an understanding of the impact and effort of all tasks, you can determine which tasks deserve the most time and resources in the future.
When to use an impact effort matrix
There are a few situations where using an impact effort matrix is helpful:
Resource allocation: If your time and resources are limited, the matrix is incredibly helpful. For example, if you have multiple courses of action to consider, you can use the matrix to find the best option and allocate your resources accordingly.
To prioritize tasks: An impact effort matrix helps you prioritize tasks and find the most efficient path towards reaching your goals. You can focus on quick wins and see results as quickly as possible.
To understand customer needs: Using the matrix gives you a better understanding of what your customers are looking for. You put yourself in their shoes to see what they value and incorporate this into your action plan.
Benefits of creating an impact effort matrix
The impact effort matrix is a valuable decision-making tool. It helps teams optimize limited time and resources while providing a visual guide to everything from daily to-do lists to more complex strategic plans. Let’s look at some of these benefits in more detail.
Prioritize tasks
An impact effort matrix forces you to prioritize tasks based on what’s best for the customer and what’ll help them achieve their goals. As a result, you identify the most fruitful ways to spend your time.
Maximize efficiency and impact
A successful impact effort matrix analyzes how you’re spending your time. With this information, you can find ways to reduce waste. For example, you’ll categorize tasks based on their level of impact, which helps you cut activities that aren’t worthwhile.
Align goals
An impact effort matrix gets everyone on the same page. It aligns various stakeholders on goals and priorities by measuring exactly how much impact each effort will have. Everyone knows what the priorities are, the impact they’ll have on customers, and how they align with your company and project goals.
What are the 4 quadrants of an impact effort matrix?
The 4 quadrants are: low-effort and low-impact, high-effort and low-impact, low-impact and high-effort, and high-impact and high-effort.
How does an impact effort matrix work?
An impact effort matrix works by plotting all the various tasks related for a project on a matrix with two axes: level of effort and level of impact. Sorting tasks in this way helps teams with prioritization and reducing waste.
Get started with this template right now.
Swimlane Diagram Template
Works best for:
Flowcharts, Diagrams, Workflows
A swimlane diagram shows you which stakeholders are responsible for each area of your critical processes. You can use it to understand current processes or plan new ones.
Project Status Report Template
Works best for:
Project Management, Documentation, Project Planning
When a project is in motion, the project manager must keep clients and shareholders updated on the project’s progress. Rather than waste time with constant meetings, leaders can send out weekly or daily project status reports to keep everyone informed. You can use the Project Status Report Template to streamline the report creation and distribution process.
Community Building: A 5 Step Roadmap
Works best for:
Roadmap, Planning, Mapping
Use this five step process for building a community development roadmap.
Remote Design Sprint Template
Works best for:
Design, Desk Research, Sprint Planning
A design sprint is an intensive process of designing, iterating, and testing a prototype over a 4 or 5 day period. Design sprints are conducted to break out of stal, work processes, find a fresh perspective, identify problems in a unique way, and rapidly develop solutions. Developed by Google, design sprints were created to enable teams to align on a specific problem, generate multiple solutions, create and test prototypes, and get feedback from users in a short period of time. This template was originally created by JustMad, a business-driven design consultancy, and has been leveraged by distributed teams worldwide.
Timeline Template
Works best for:
Project Management, Flowcharts, Project Planning
A timeline displays a chronological order of important dates, and scheduled events. Timelines help product managers, project managers, and team members tell visual stories about progress and obstacles. Timelines enable teams to see at a glance what happened before, what progress is happening now, and what needs tackling in the future. Projects or products with specific purpose or deliverables should be based on a timeline to be successful. Use the timeline as a shared reference for start dates, end dates, and milestones.
Product Vision & Differentiation Strategy Template
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Product Vision & Differentiation Strategy Template assists product managers in crafting compelling product visions and differentiation strategies. By articulating product goals, unique value propositions, and competitive advantages, this template guides strategic planning and execution. With sections for defining target markets and assessing market dynamics, it enables product managers to create differentiated products that resonate with customers. This template serves as a roadmap for achieving market leadership and sustainable growth through product innovation.