Mastering Your To-Do List with a Prioritisation Matrix

What Is a Prioritisation Matrix?

A prioritisation matrix, sometimes referred to as a task prioritisation matrix or project prioritisation matrix, is a helpful way of organising tasks and projects by urgency and importance. 

The matrix is normally split up into four segments. What you put into these segments/how they’re laid out will depend on the type of template you follow, but most contain tasks of varying priority, mapped out to help you decide what order to do them in.

Why and When to Use a Prioritisation Matrix at Work

You can use a prioritisation matrix for all different kinds of tasks; however, they’re particularly useful if you’re:

• Managing multiple projects at a time
• Struggling to keep on top of daily to-do lists
• Working on an important plan for your business
• Trying to manage resources or budgets

Creating a Task or Project Prioritisation Matrix: Step-by-Step

Keen to create your own prioritisation matrix? A helpful template to follow is the Eisenhower Matrix. For this, you have a total of four outer labels running along the sides. Along the top, you have urgency labels, and down the left-hand side, you have importance labels. 

The idea is that each task or project you’re considering gets placed into one of four quadrants based on how urgent and important it is. This helps you to quickly identify what needs your attention now, what can be scheduled for later, what can be delegated, and what might not be worth doing at all. Here’s what it looks like:

Make your own matrix using the following steps:

Step 1: Draw a large square and divide it into four smaller boxes. Label the top left square ‘Urgent’ and the top right square ‘Not Urgent’. Then, label the left-hand side boxes with ‘Important’ at the top and ‘Not Important’ at the bottom.

Step 2: Label each of the four inner boxes (leave space for writing underneath).

• Label the inner top left square ‘Do’ (Urgent and Important)
• Label the inner top right square ‘Schedule’ (Important but Not Urgent)
• Label the inner bottom left ‘Delegate’ (Urgent but Not Important)
• Label the inner bottom right ‘Eliminate’ (Not Urgent and Not Important)

Step 3: Next, write down all your tasks, making a list of everything you need to do. Don’t worry about order.

Step 4: Finally, sort each task into the right box using the labels to guide where each task belongs.

• Do = Handle these tasks immediately
• Schedule = Plan time to work on these
• Delegate = Pass these on to someone else
• Eliminate = Consider dropping these altogether

Step 5: Check your matrix weekly or whenever your priorities shift. If things have changed, simply create another matrix!

Digitising your matrix: If you prefer to work digitally and don’t have a suitable tool within your company’s CRM or task management software, why not create one in Google Sheets or Excel? Simply drag your quadrants to the appropriate size, add your labels, and input your tasks and projects. 

Prioritisation Matrix Templates You Can Download

Prefer a pre-made template? The following templates are available to print and download for free: 

• NHS Kent Community Health offer a simple matrix template based upon high-impact and low-impact tasks.
• Education for Scotland offer a similar style template arranged by impact. Theirs takes into account the amount of effort needed to complete tasks and projects.
• Smartsheet offer a range of Eisenhower-style matrix templates formatted for Google Docs and Microsoft Word. They also have some available as PDFs. 
• ProjectManager offer an easy-to-use Excel matrix template that’s free to use for email subscribers.

How a Prioritisation Matrix Benefits Busy Teams and Busy Minds

Keen to try using a prioritisation matrix? Whether you’re managing a team or are an employee struggling to stay on track, there are countless benefits to prioritising properly. 

Reduced stress: It’s suggested that prioritising tasks helps to reduce stress by up to 30%. By using a simple framework to guide group priorities, you can avoid the last-minute pressure that comes with wasted time/poorly directed focus and make it easier for everyone to stay calm and in control.

Better decision-making: The beauty of using a matrix to prioritise is that you ultimately make better decisions. In team environments, it can sometimes be difficult to come to joint decisions due to all the differing opinions. With a matrix, it’s easier to rationalise things and make more strategic choices.

Boosted productivity: It’s hard to stay productive and motivated when it’s unclear what your priorities are. By knowing exactly what to do, why you’re doing it, and when it needs to be done, it’s much easier to stay focused and get the work done.

Helpful for neurodivergent staff: Some neurodivergent staff members may find it difficult to know what to prioritise or struggle without enough structure. A prioritisation matrix makes sorting through tasks simple, effective, and less overwhelming. This makes it ideal for employees with ADHD or autism. 

Keen to find out more about creating a productive work environment? Along with the free resources above, we have lots of other workplace guides covering tried and tested tools and methods for maintaining happy, focused teams. From information on EAPs to tips for becoming better at delivering and receiving constructive criticism, there’s plenty to explore.