What Is an Action Priority Matrix?
What Is an Action Priority Matrix?
An Action Priority Matrix helps you decide what tasks to focus on by comparing their impact and effort, so you can spot quick wins and avoid time-wasters.
How to Create an Action Priority Matrix
List Your Tasks: Write down all the activities or tasks you want to prioritize.
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Evaluate Impact: Rate how much each task contributes to your goals (high or low impact).
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Evaluate Effort: Assess how much time or resources each task requires (high or low effort).
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Plot on the Matrix: Place each task in one of the four quadrants:
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Quick Wins (High Impact, Low Effort)
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Major Projects (High Impact, High Effort)
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Fill-ins (Low Impact, Low Effort)
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Time Wasters (Low Impact, High Effort)
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Prioritize Actions: Focus on Quick Wins and plan Major Projects accordingly.
Action Priority Matrix vs. Other Frameworks
| Framework | Purpose | Criteria Used | Best For | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Priority Matrix | Prioritize tasks based on impact and effort | Impact vs. Effort | Time management, quick decision-making | Simple 2x2 matrix for fast prioritization |
| MoSCoW Method | Classify features by importance | Must, Should, Could, Won’t | Product feature prioritization | Uses category labels instead of numerical or visual scoring |
| Eisenhower Matrix | Manage tasks by urgency and importance | Urgent vs. Important | Personal productivity and time management | Focuses on urgency rather than effort |
| RICE Scoring | Score features or tasks quantitatively | Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort | Product development and roadmap planning | Uses numeric scoring for deeper, data-driven prioritization |
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Airbnb
Quick Win
Airbnb added a simple "Instant Book" filter with low effort, but high impact on user satisfaction and bookings.
Major Project
Developing the Airbnb Experiences platform. It took time and resources but opened a new revenue stream.
Fill-in
Updating host FAQs with minor policy tweaks low effort and low impact.
Time Waster
Spending weeks redesigning a feature that hosts rarely used, which didn’t improve usage.
Example 2: Google Docs
Quick Win
Introducing dark mode was easy to implement and users loved it.
Major Project
Real-time collaboration and comment threads required heavy backend changes but was a game-changer.
Fill-in
Changing the icon alignment in toolbar minor UX improvement with little noticeable benefit.
Time Waster
Running internal tests on niche features that users didn’t request and didn’t adopt.
Free Templates & Tools
Miro:
A collaborative online whiteboard with ready-made priority matrix templates.
Canva:
Design-friendly templates to create visually appealing priority matrices.
Google Sheets/Excel:
Simple editable grids to map out tasks by effort vs. impact.
ClickUp:
A free project management tool with built-in priority sorting views.
Notion:
A customizable workspace to build your own priority matrix using tables or boards.
Common Mistakes
No clear criteria:
Vague impact or effort definitions lead to inconsistent task placement.
Overloading the matrix:
Adding too many tasks makes prioritization overwhelming.
Ignoring team input:
Lack of collaboration can result in biased or unrealistic priorities.
Not updating regularly:
Sticking to outdated priorities can stall progress.
FAQs
Ideally weekly or whenever new tasks or goals arise.
Related Glossary Terms
MoSCoW Prioritization
MoSCoW Prioritization is a technique that categorizes features into Must, Should, Could, and Won’t to help teams focus on what truly matters in a project.
Minimum Viable Product
A Minimum Viable Product is the simplest version of a product with just enough features to test key assumptions and gather user feedback quickly.
Product Backlog
A Product Backlog is a dynamic list of all desired work on a product, ordered by priority and maintained by the product owner in Agile development.
