The impact/effort grid helps you prioritize potential improvements, tasks, or projects based on their potential impact and the effort required to implement them. By categorizing activities into four quadrants, it guides teams toward high-impact activities.

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Visual example: 
Click to expand – will open in a new window
(This example uses an impact/effort grid to sort through potential improvements, but it can also be used to look at tasks, projects, and other activities where impact and effort are key considerations.)

 

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Step by step:

1. List the potential improvements: Write down all the improvements that need to be evaluated. (If the group is meeting in person for this, sticky notes work great – one improvement per note, written in brief.)

2. Assess the likely impact: Evaluate each potential improvement based on its potential impact or benefit. Will it significantly advance your goals, or is the effect minor? Rate them on a scale of low to high impact. (If you're using sticky notes, you can tack them on a flip chart in order to likely impact.)

3. Assess effort: Similarly, evaluate the effort required for each potential improvement. Consider the time, resources, and complexity involved. Rate them on a scale of low to high effort.

4. Plot on a grid: Using  two axes (Impact on the vertical and Effort on the horizontal), place each potential improvement into one of four quadrants:

High Impact, Low Effort: Improvements that offer the most value for the least effort. These should be prioritized.
High Impact, High Effort: These improvements have great potential but require significant effort. Plan and allocate resources carefully.
Low Impact, Low Effort: Improvements that are easy to implement with minimal effort. They may not bring major results but can still be worth considering.
Low Impact, High Effort: Improvements that should be avoided or eliminated as they drain resources without much benefit.

5. Prioritize actions: Focus on "High Impact, Low Effort" first, followed by "High Impact, High Effort." Further discussion might move an item from one quadrant to the other. Then review the items in the bottom two quadrants. Some "Low+Low" items might be worthwhile, but "Low Impact, High Effort" activities should be set aside.

6. Draw conclusions: Use the grid findings to determine next steps.

Here are tips for using this tool in an online meeting: • Use a virtual whiteboard tool or a shared document • For difficult-to-slot actions, poll participants on impact and effort.