Effort Value Matrix

Watch out for high-effort, low-value work.

I recently reflected on tasks that were taking a lot of effort but not delivering value. Prioritizing tasks that fall into the "High Effort, High Impact" and "Low Effort, High Impact" categories ensures that your energy is spent where it can generate the most value. Reducing or eliminating "High Effort, Low Impact" activities can significantly boost your efficiency and effectiveness at work.

1. High Effort, High Impact: These tasks are significant and demand considerable time and resources, but they also contribute greatly to your goals. Examples include project management, strategic planning, and major client negotiations.

2. High Effort, Low Impact: These tasks require a lot of time and energy but yield little benefit in return. Common examples are excessive email management, detailed report formatting, and frequent, unproductive meetings. Avoiding or streamlining these tasks can free up resources for more valuable work.

3. Low Effort, High Impact: These tasks are relatively easy to accomplish but have a substantial positive effect on your productivity and visibility within an organization. Examples include recognizing team achievements, quick check-ins with key stakeholders, and sharing important updates efficiently.

4. Low Effort, Low Impact: These are minor tasks that are easy to do and don’t contribute significantly to your goals, like casual web browsing or organizing files that aren’t frequently used.

Effort Value Matrix