Effort vs. Outcome Matrix

The name promises a two-by-two grid. What you get is a tracker, which I think is more useful. Before you start a task, you note the effort you expect it to take: low, medium or high. Afterwards you record what it actually took, where it got to, and a line on the difference.

The sheet shows two worked examples. A team meeting agenda, expected low, came in low. A product prototype, expected high, came in very high, because the research took longer than planned. Keep it going for a fortnight and you'll start to see which kinds of task you misjudge.

The columns

• Task
• Estimated effort
• Actual effort
• Outcome: completed, in progress or pending
• Notes on the gap, and the lesson in it

It records effort and progress, so it can't tell you whether a finished task was worth finishing.

Also in: The Clarity and Direction System, 13 tools, £17, with the Energy Solar System, which tracks time estimates the same way.

PDF, instant download, and yours to use as often as you like. If it doesn't help, email me within seven days and I'll refund you.