Feeling overwhelmed by endless to-do lists? You’re not alone! Prioritizing tasks can be a real headache, especially with a team. Those fancy prioritization frameworks can get confusing fast, leaving you stuck in endless discussions.
There’s a simpler solution: The Impact Effort Matrix. This straightforward approach of prioritization helps you see exactly what to focus on, without the hassle.
Get ready to work smarter, not harder! In this post, we’ll break down the Impact Effort Matrix, show you what it is, when to use it (and when not to!), and guide you on how to implement it with your team.
I. Overview
1. What is the Impact Effort Matrix?
The Impact Effort Matrix, also known as the Action Priority Matrix, is a simple yet effective prioritization tool that rank-orders projects, tasks, or ideas based on two key components:
- Impact — i.e., the potential significance or benefit of completing the task.
- Effort — i.e., the amount of time, resources, and energy required to complete the task.
By using this matrix, you can easily make informed decisions on what to tackle first to get the best results with the least amount of work. In other words, it helps you work smarter, not just harder.
2. How does the Impact Effort Matrix work?
Think of a chart divided into four quadrants by a horizontal and vertical line crossing each other.
The horizontal axis represents effort – low on the left, high on the right. The vertical axis represents impact – low on the bottom, high on the top.
You put each task into one of these boxes based on how much impact it has and how much effort it takes.
This is what an impact effort matrix template looks like:
3. Understanding four quadrants of the Impact Effort Matrix
- Quick Wins (High impact, Low effort)
These are the “low-hanging fruit” – the projects, tasks, or ideas that deliver significant benefits with little effort involved.
Example: Fixing a small bug that annoys many users.
Action to take: Do these first as they can provide immediate positive results.
- Major Projects (High impact, High effort)
These projects/tasks/ideas are important and will be very beneficial, but they also take a lot of work.
Example: Developing a new feature for your product.
Action to take: These projects require strategic planning, and maybe you should break them down into smaller phases.
- Fill-ins (Low impact, Low effort)
Projects, tasks, or ideas that provide minimal benefits with minimal effort required.
Example: Routine maintenance tasks or minor administrative work.
Action to take: Do this if you have a spare minute or delegate to maintain steady progress.
- Thankless Tasks (Low impact, High effort)
These items take a lot of work but yield minimal impact.
Example: Making an extensive reporting process that provides little actionable insight.
Action to take: Avoid them if possible, or see if they can be streamlined.
II. How to create and use the Impact Effort Matrix
Creating an impact effort matrix template is a breeze and can be broken down into five steps as below:
Step 1 — Identifying task/project goals
The impact effort matrix can’t work without a specific task/project goal. Therefore, the very first thing to do is determine what your strategic goals are.
Look beyond the output you’re expected to produce and into the outcome it’s supposed to have.
Step 2 — Making a list
Write down all the tasks or projects you need to tackle to achieve these goals.
Keeping them visually instead of in your head not only frees up your mind and reduces stress but also ensures you won’t forget any important tasks.
An incomplete list can result in skewed prioritization efforts, which means you may spend too much time on less impactful tasks.
Step 3 — Impact and effort assessments
Access the relative impact and effort required for each item by asking yourself:
- How much good will this task/project do?
- How much time, energy, and resources are required to complete it?
Step 4 — Plotting each task/project in the impact effort matrix
Based on your answers, prioritize tasks/projects by placing them each in the according quadrant of the matrix.
Step 5 — Decision-making
Now all that’s left is to decide what to do first:
- Do Quick Wins first.
- Plan for Major Projects to do them when you have more time.
- Do Fill-ins when you have some spare time.
- Avoid or minimize Thankless Tasks.
III. Example of using the Impact Effort Matrix
Suppose you’re a marketing team for a local bakery brand known for delicious cakes. The business is launching a new line of cupcakes, and they want to promote it.
Your team brainstorms lots of ideas as listed below:
- Developing a cupcake decorating game app
- Partnering with local food bloggers to review your new cupcakes
- Offering free samples of your new cupcakes at the bakery
- Offering bonus loyalty points for purchases of new cupcake flavors
You might feel stuck choosing among these ideas. The impact effort matrix can help you make those decisions with confidence.
This visual tool lets your team see how worthwhile each activity is (impact), how much work something takes (effort), and whether it should be included in your action plan.
Now, let’s plot these ideas on the matrix!
High Effort, High Impact: Idea 2 can generate significant buzz and reach a wider audience if the food bloggers have a loyal following. However, securing the right influencer, negotiating terms, and coordinating the collaboration can be time-consuming.
Low Effort, High Impact: Idea 4 requires some initial setup, but minimal ongoing effort. Existing customers with loyalty points already have an incentive to try your new cupcakes.
High Effort, Low Impact: Idea 1 is impressive and potentially engaging but could require significant resources (coding, design, maintenance) and might not directly translate to increased sales.
Low Impact, Low Effort: Idea 3 is a classic way to generate excitement, but the impact might be limited to those who visit the bakery. The effort is also relatively low, requiring minimal setup and promotion.
Time to make decisions
Based on the impact effort matrix, your team can clearly see the trade-offs between impact and effort, and then make informed decisions based on your current situation.
Both Idea 4 and Idea 2 are high-impact initiatives, but 4 is the most effective choice if resources are limited, while 2 is worth the extra effort, especially if you target new customers.
IV. Why use the Impact Effort Matrix?
Prioritization with a team can feel like a fight! People want to do different things, and arguments slow everything down. The impact effort matrix is your secret weapon to end the struggle. Here’s why:
No more bias: It uses facts, not opinions, to decide what matters most. This cuts through personal preferences and gets everyone on the same page, fostering an objective decision-making process.
Reality check: We all underestimate how long things take. The matrix forces you to be honest about the effort needed, so you don’t waste time on surprises.
Works for Anything: Although a simple tool, the impact effort matrix is quite versatile. You can use it to prioritize projects, tasks, or ideas. The process remains the same – simply swap “task” for “project,” and you’re ready to go!
Bonus Benefits:
- Faster decision-making: No more endless meetings! The matrix helps you see what’s important quickly.
- Smarter resource allocation: By understanding effort, you can assign the right people to the right projects.
- Foster a collaborative decision-making process: The Impact Effort Matrix provides a visual tool to represent the impact and effort of tasks or projects, facilitating discussions and helping your team get on the same page about priorities. This fosters collaboration and keeps everyone moving in the same direction.
V. Tips for maximizing the impact effort matrix
1. Consider the context
The impact and effort of an activity can vary depending on your brand, target audience, and current marketing strategy.
For example, influencer collaboration might be high impact for a new brand but less impactful for an established one with a strong social media presence.
2. Use technology
The impact effort matrix is an effective tool for prioritizing tasks and projects, but the way you use it can significantly impact your efficiency.
While physical matrices are great, digital ones like Upbase make things easier.
Edits take seconds, with no messy erasing and rewriting of a paper matrix required. Categorizing tasks by quadrants is also a breeze.
For example, Upbase allows you to create multiple tags (“low effort”, “high effort”, “low impact”, and “high impact”), then assign them to each task in just a few simple clicks.
Just hover over a task, press “T”, and select the desired tags.
Another notable advantage of using technology for the impact effort matrix is sorting and prioritizing tasks.
Most digital tools offer sorting and filtering functions, allowing you to quickly and easily prioritize tasks based on impact or effort criteria.
While you can do this manually on a physical matrix, it’s time-consuming. Additionally, visually comparing effort and impact across multiple tasks can be challenging.
Sharing is also easy!
Digital tools, like project management software, allow real-time, collaborative editing.
Everyone can access and update the matrix simultaneously, even on the go, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
3. Combine the impact effort matrix with other techniques
Combining the impact matrix with other techniques can improve the overall prioritization process and your efficiency. Here’s how:
Time blocking with high-impact activities
Once you’ve identified high-impact activities on the impact effort analysis, use the time blocking technique to allocate dedicated time slots for them in your schedule.
This helps you focus on the most important tasks and ensures they don’t get squeezed out by time wasters.
Upbase lets you create your daily task lists, use tags to assign impact and effort levels to tasks, and drag and drop them onto the calendar to add time blocks.
The Pomodoro Technique
This time management technique involves working in focused sessions of 25 minutes each, with short breaks of 5 or 15 minutes in between.
This helps maintain focus and avoid burnout, especially when tackling high-effort tasks.
Prioritize tasks with Upbase
Upbase is a versatile project management platform that offers all the features you might need to implement the impact effort matrix with teams.
It has the most robust tag filtering system on the market. You can filter tasks within a project or across all projects, by one tag or multiple tags at a time.
Furthermore, you can create custom filters by multiple attributes (tags, due dates, priorities, and assignees).
This allows you to keep track of task effort, impact, and other criteria more effectively, in addition to all the regular perks that Upbase provides, including:
- Schedule tool (with color coding, time blocking, and Google Calendar two-way sync)
- Project planning tools like daily and weekly planners
- Task priorities, deadlines, attachments, notes, assignees, watchers, and activity logs.
- In-task communication with commenting and @mentioning.
- Other communication tools like message boards and global chat
- List and Board views
To maximize your focus and efficiency, you can combine these tools with Upbase’s productivity features like Pomodoro timers, ambient sounds, time blocking, Notepad, etc.
The cherry on top is you can get started with Upbase for free. Upbase offers one of the most generous free plans out there, featuring unlimited tasks, users, and storage.
FAQs
1. What is the impact effort matrix?
The impact effort matrix is a decision-making tool to categorize tasks based on impact and effort.
Impact is the potential benefits of completing a task, while effort is the time, energy, and resources required to complete it.
2. How do you calculate impact vs. effort?
You don’t actually do complex calculations with the impact effort matrix. It’s more about thinking critically.
- Impact: Ask yourself, “How much will this task move the needle towards our goals?” High impact tasks have a big positive effect.
- Effort: Think about how much time and resources this task will take. Low effort tasks are quick and easy.
3. What are the benefits of the impact effort matrix?
Benefits of using the Impact Effort Matrix:
- Simplicity: Easy to understand and use, making it accessible for teams and individuals.
- Clarity: Provides a clear visual representation of priorities.
- Focus: Helps focus on high-value activities that provide the best returns.
- Efficiency: Aids in effective allocation of resources and effort.
