The Risk Matrix

A one-page risk matrix — the probability-versus-impact heatmap every project manager reaches for — that turns a list of worries into a picture you can act on. Name what you're assessing, then list what could go wrong and rate each risk twice: how likely it is and how bad it would be, both on a 1–5 scale. Each risk drops onto a five-by-five grid as a numbered dot, and every cell is shaded by its severity — likelihood times impact — from calm green in the safe corner to alarm red in the critical one. The colour does the triage for you: the risks that land top-right can sink the whole thing and earn your attention first, while the green-corner worries can wait. A flat list treats every risk as equal and buries the real threats among the trivial ones; laid out on the grid, the dangerous few are impossible to miss, and a legend down the side maps every number back to its name, its score, and its band (Low, Medium, High, Critical). Use it for a launch or project risk review, a trip or event plan, a decision you're pressure-testing, a security or safety assessment, or any premortem where you want to see the threats before they arrive. Rate each risk and it's plotted and colour-coded for you; leave the ratings off to print the blank heatmap and place the dots by hand with your team.

• Landscape
• 1 page
• Planning

Best for: Rating risks on likelihood and impact and seeing which few are severe enough to tackle first, colour-coded on a 5×5 heatmap.