Purpose
With new ideas or requests, the conversation often turns to solutions too early and to effect too little. An Impact Filter forces the initiative into an effect perspective and checks whether it creates a relevant difference.
Decision Making Decision method
Impact Filter
Clarifies which impact justifies an initiative and what must be true for it to succeed.
Dan Sullivan’s Impact Filter from Strategic Coach clarifies an initiative’s intended impact before starting. Purpose, Importance and Ideal Outcome connect to Best Result, Worst Result and verifiable Success Criteria.
Which impact justifies this initiative and what must be true for it to succeed?
- Participants
- 1-6 participants
- Time
- About 30 minutes for an individual draft; then alignment
Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome
Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome
For one focus, separately describe purpose, meaningful difference and the completed initiative.
Best Result and Worst Result
Best Result and Worst Result
Contrast the possible best result from acting with what is at risk if no action is taken.
Define Success Criteria
Define Success Criteria
Record which concrete results must be true at completion; use numbers, dates or observable states.
Decide and hand over
Decide and hand over
Decide whether the initiative earns your own commitment; if proceeding, align the outcome brief with implementers.
Align expectations before handover; later compare results with success criteria and explicitly agree changes.
A good fit when
For an upcoming initiative, meeting or delegation whose intended result is still unclear.
Ideal for
- Initiative framing
- Leadership alignment
- Opportunity triage
Not good for
- Deep research
- Complex portfolio optimization
Outputs
Impact Filter with success picture
A reasoned outcome brief with six content fields, verifiable success criteria and an explicit proceed-or-decline decision.
Aligned outcome brief or reasoned decline
The outcome brief identifies owners and a review date while leaving room to choose a solution within the agreed boundaries.
Impact Filter· worksheet
Fictional example
Dan Sullivan’s Impact Filter from Strategic Coach clarifies an initiative’s intended impact before starting. Purpose, Importance and Ideal Outcome connect to Best Result, Worst Result and verifiable Success Criteria.
Project/Focus
Which single initiative is being evaluated? Add name, date and ownership.
Fictional: welcome pack for new instructors by 15 October; initiator Lea.
Purpose
What should this initiative accomplish and what motivates it?
New instructors should be able to prepare their first session independently.
Importance
What meaningful difference will this make, and for whom?
Fewer last-minute questions reduce coordination effort and give instructors confidence.
Ideal Outcome
What does the completed initiative look like?
An accessible pack explains registration, materials and support; two new instructors have successfully used it.
Best Result
What becomes possible if action is taken?
New courses can start without extra individual briefings; coordination gains time for exceptions.
Worst Result
What is at risk if no action is taken?
Inconsistent onboarding persists; missing materials may continue to emerge shortly before sessions.
Success Criteria
Which results must demonstrably exist by when?
By 15 October: pack approved; two pilot users find registration and materials unaided; support contact named; all critical test issues resolved.
All example details are fictional and illustrate the application.
First step
Name one initiative; the person holding the outcome intention first creates their own version.
Deep dive
How it works
The desired effect is weighed against effort, risk, and strategic value. This reveals whether an initiative merely creates busywork or actually moves a goal. The method holds effect as the first test against the eagerness to solve.
In detail
An Impact Filter sharpens initiatives by clarifying desired effect, success signals, and side effects before implementation. Attractive ideas may end up smaller, more precise, or even discarded in the process. The exercise delivers value when it makes decision courage, focus, and the smallest sensible move visible.
Facilitation
Describe the idea, expected effect, and the most important side effects concretely enough that wishful thinking gets little room. The interesting moment is where an attractive idea shrinks under its consequences or unexpectedly gets sharper. Close with a clear decision to discard, pursue further, or restart the idea.
The method guide walks execution through 4 phases, timing, 4 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open method guideYour perspective
Does this method help with your work?
Your feedback helps shape the next improvements to methodatlas.
Sources and topics
Artifact templates
Impact Filter: WorksheetName one initiative; the person holding the outcome intention first creates their own version.markdown
Impact Filter: WorksheetName one initiative; the person holding the outcome intention first creates their own version.
markdownimpact-filter-working-template.md
Name one initiative; the person holding the outcome intention first creates their own version.
Impact Filter: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Complete cycle Time: About 30 minutes for an individual draft; then alignment
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: Worksheet with Project/Focus, Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome, Best Result, Worst Result and Success Criteria.
- Roles: Initiator; then delivery owners to align expectations.
- Advance information: Name one initiative; the person holding the outcome intention first creates their own version.
- Overall time needed: About 30 minutes for an individual draft; then alignment
- Setup: Complete the filter individually in writing first; then prepare a shared view for outcome alignment.
Prepare for the work steps
Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome: Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome
- Initiative
- Reason and affected people
Best Result and Worst Result: Best Result and Worst Result
- Outcome intention
- Trajectory without initiative
Define Success Criteria: Define Success Criteria
- Ideal Outcome
- Constraints
Decide and hand over: Decide and hand over
- Filter draft
- Delivery owners
Impact Filter· worksheet
Project/Focus
Which single initiative is being evaluated? Add name, date and ownership.
...
Purpose
What should this initiative accomplish and what motivates it?
...
Importance
What meaningful difference will this make, and for whom?
...
Ideal Outcome
What does the completed initiative look like?
...
Best Result
What becomes possible if action is taken?
...
Worst Result
What is at risk if no action is taken?
...
Success Criteria
Which results must demonstrably exist by when?
...
Answer the prompts with your own information. Explicitly mark unknowns and assumptions.
Strategic Coach: The Impact Filter Tool and Guide
Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome: Purpose, Importance, Ideal Outcome
Expected artifact: Described outcome intention
Are purpose, importance and end state distinguishable?
Entry:
...
- Are purpose, importance and end state distinguishable?
Best Result and Worst Result: Best Result and Worst Result
Expected artifact: Explicit stakes of acting
Does the Worst Result address not taking action?
Entry:
...
- Does the Worst Result address not taking action?
Define Success Criteria: Define Success Criteria
Expected artifact: Verifiable success criteria
Can another person verify each criterion clearly?
Entry:
...
- Can another person verify each criterion clearly?
Decide and hand over: Decide and hand over
Expected artifact: Aligned outcome brief or reasoned decline
Do initiator and implementers share the same success picture?
Entry:
...
- Do initiator and implementers share the same success picture?
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/impact-filter/run-sheet
Alternatives and neighbors
Fitting alternatives with decision guidance, followed by other related methods.
Product Strategy
Impact Mapping
Instead of Impact Filter, when several actors, behavior changes, and delivery options need to be mapped together.
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Clarifies options, criteria, and risks by framing the initiative or decision, collecting implicit assumptions, and planning tests or research.
Decision Making
Risk Matrix
Moves options, criteria, and risks toward a concrete result through "set the scales for likelihood and impact", "collect risks or carry them over from earlier identification", and "define actions for each high-risk item".
Decision Making
Decision Tree
Draws decisions as branching paths so options, conditions, and consequences become clearer in comparison.
Decision Making
OODA Loop
Connects observation, orientation, action, and feedback into a fast decision cycle.
Decision Making
Red Teaming
Examines an initiative from an opposing perspective, collects weaknesses, and derives prioritized mitigations.
Constraints and origin
LowWorkshop + async20-45 min
Profile
- Method form
- Decision method
- Participants
- 1-6
- Time
- 20-45 min
- Maturity
- Established
- Origin
- Praxisgemeinschaft
Next up: Pre-Mortem