converge · Decision Making · 30–60 min · 3-12 people · medium energy

Prioritization Quadrant

The Prioritization Quadrant helps teams balance different types of work, such as new features, support tickets, and technical debt, ensuring a holistic approach to product development. It visually represents priorities based on impact and effort, guiding teams to make informed decisions about resource allocation.

When to use Prioritization Quadrant

Use this method when you need to ensure that your team is not solely focused on new features and is also addressing other important aspects of the product or service, such as maintenance and support.

What it solves

Imbalanced focus on new features at the expense of maintenance and support; neglecting technical debt.

How to run Prioritization Quadrant, step by step

  1. Draw a quadrant with axes representing 'Impact' (high/low) and 'Effort' (high/low). (5 min)
  2. Brainstorm all types of work items (new features, support tickets, technical debt) and write each on a separate sticky note. (10 min)
  3. As a team, discuss and place each sticky note in the appropriate quadrant based on its estimated impact and effort. (20 min)
  4. Prioritize work items based on their quadrant placement (e.g., high impact/low effort items are top priority). (15 min)
  5. Document the prioritized list and communicate it to the team.

Materials needed

  • Sticky notes
  • Markers
  • Large paper or whiteboard (or digital equivalent)
  • Timer

Facilitator tips

  • Encourage honest discussion about the impact and effort of each task.
  • Ensure all team members have a chance to contribute to the placement of sticky notes.

Common pitfalls

  • Underestimating the effort required for certain tasks; leads to unrealistic timelines. Address by involving experienced team members in the estimation process.
  • Overestimating the impact of new features; leads to neglecting important maintenance tasks. Address by grounding impact assessments in user research and data.

Variations

  • Use different criteria for the axes, such as 'Value' and 'Risk'.
  • Weight the quadrants based on strategic goals.

Running it online or hybrid

Use a shared digital whiteboard like Miro or Mural to create and populate the quadrant.

What it produces

A quadrant diagram with tasks categorized by priority (e.g., high impact/low effort, low impact/high effort).

Origin

Adapted from GOV.UK Service Manual — source

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