Tier list template

Organize and prioritize tasks to simplify decision-making and improve team alignment.

Making smart choices can be tricky when you have many options. Whether prioritizing features for your product roadmap or ranking tasks for the quarter, a tier list helps you cut through the noise. You can focus on what matters most by grouping items into clear, visual categories without getting bogged down in comparisons.

This approach simplifies complex decisions and fosters better alignment across teams. Let's explore tier lists and how to build one effectively with Confluence whiteboards to make your decision-making process more transparent and collaborative.

Create a tier list with Confluence whiteboards for free

What is a tier list?

If you've ever needed to sort items from "essential "to "nice to have," you already understand the basic idea of a tier list. It's a visual way to rank items by grouping them into different levels or tiers. It allows you to sort your tasks into different buckets, with the top bucket holding your highest priorities and the bottom containing items that can wait.

Teams use tier lists to break down complex decisions into manageable chunks. Instead of getting stuck comparing every single item against each other, you group similar items together. This makes it much easier to see the big picture and decide where to focus your time and resources.

What is a tier list template?

A tier list template gives you a ready-made structure for creating your rankings. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you have a framework that helps guide your thinking and keeps your team consistent in evaluating options. Using a tier list maker saves time and helps everyone understand each tier's meaning.

A tier list template is helpful when working with a team. It ensures everyone uses the same ranking criteria, making the process more objective and straightforward to explain to stakeholders. Plus, a standard tier list template allows you to compare rankings over time or across projects.

How to rank a tier list

Ready to start ranking? Here's what successful teams do to create effective tier lists:

Start with the basics: Determine what "great" means for your situation. It could be about customer impact, urgency, or both. Write it down so your team is on the same page.
Break down each option: Take a page from strategic planning and use tools like the SWOT analysis template to understand your ranking. Getting the complete picture of each item helps you place it in the correct tier.
Stick to your rules: Instead of comparing individual items, check each one against your original criteria. If you're not careful, you can quickly end up with everything marked as "crucial."
Get your team involved: Use project collaboration tools to learn what others think. Sometimes, the person working closest to a project sees things differently than everyone else, and that insight is essential for accurate rankings.

Types of tier list templates

Different situations call for different ranking approaches. The classic tier list uses letters, with S-tier at the top (originally from Japanese ranking systems where 'S' stands for 'superior'), followed by A, B, C, etc. This works well for competitive rankings or when you want to emphasize the exceptional nature of top-tier items.

For business contexts, you might prefer more descriptive labels, such as:

"Critical / High / Medium / Low" for priority-based project planning
"Now / Next / Later / Never" for roadmap planning
"Exceed / Meet / Below" for performance evaluations
"Keep / Improve / Remove" for feature analysis

Benefits of using a stakeholder register template

Streamlines organization

A tier list turns a messy collection of items into a clear, visual hierarchy. Grouping similar items or tasks allows you to see patterns and make better decisions about resource allocation. This organizational clarity is especially valuable when used alongside a project plan template to keep everything on track.

Improves decision-making

When faced with tough choices, a tier list helps break down the decision-making process into manageable steps. Instead of getting overwhelmed by comparing everything at once, you can focus on placing each item in its appropriate tier based on your criteria. You can also use the DACI template to help monitor the path you took that led you to a particular decision.

Enhances collaboration

Creating a tier list builds a collaborative culture within your team. It gives everyone a voice in the ranking process and makes it easier to reach a consensus. When team members understand why items are ranked in specific ways, they're more likely to support the resulting priorities. With Confluence whiteboards, you can bring the entire team together to rank relevant items. It’s as simple as sharing the link to the board.

Provides flexibility

While templates provide structure, they're not rigid. You can adjust the number of tiers, rename them, or modify criteria to match your specific needs. This flexibility means you can use the same basic approach for various ranking tasks while tailoring the details to each situation.

Ensures clarity

Visual organization helps everyone understand priorities at a glance. This clarity is particularly valuable when communicating with stakeholders who might not be involved in day-to-day work. A well-organized tier list makes it easy to explain your reasoning and get buy-in for important decisions.

How to create a tier list

Step 1. Choose a theme

Decide what you're ranking. Are you prioritizing features for development? Evaluating market opportunities? Ranking potential solutions to a problem? Clear focus helps keep your tier list relevant and valuable—set goals for what you want to achieve with your ranking.

Step 2. Define tiers

Establish what each tier means in your context. Write clear descriptions so everyone understands the difference between tiers. For example, if you prioritize tasks, your tiers might range from "Critical for launch" to "Nice to have if time permits."

Step 3. Gather items to rank

Collect everything you need to evaluate. This might involve brainstorming with your team or pulling data from existing projects. Make sure you have enough information about each item to rank it accurately.

Step 4. Set ranking criteria

Develop specific criteria for each tier. What makes something top-tier versus middle-tier? Document these criteria so rankings stay consistent, especially if multiple people are involved.

Step 5. Organize items into tiers

Start separating items into tiers based on your criteria. Don't worry about perfecting it—you can adjust as you go. Focus on making clear, justifiable decisions about where each item belongs.

Step 6. Review and refine

Step back and examine the big picture. Do the rankings make sense overall? Get feedback from stakeholders and adjust as needed. This is also a good time to determine if any items should be split or combined.

Tips for creating a tier list

Do you want your tier list to actually work? These tips will help you build something your team can put into action right away:

Keep it simple and focused: Don't create more tiers than you need. Too many options slow down decisions and blur the lines between what's truly important and what's not.
Document your thinking: Jot down notes about key ranking decisions. Explaining why something landed in the top tier can save hours of back-and-forth later.
Use visual cues smartly: Color-code your tiers to make the list scannable at a glance. Red could indicate urgency, and green could mean an item or task is good to go—whatever makes sense for your team.
Schedule regular updates: Priorities shift, so set aside time each quarter to review and adjust your rankings so they stay relevant.
Get the right perspectives: Check in with teammates who handle these items daily. Their hands-on experience often reveals priorities you might have missed.

Create a tier list with Confluence whiteboards

Project collaboration with Confluence makes building and sharing tier lists with your team easy. You can create dynamic, visual rankings using Confluence whiteboards that everyone can access and update in real-time. The drag-and-drop interface lets you quickly organize items into tiers, and you can add notes, comments, and color coding to make your rankings even more straightforward.

Confluence integrates project management tools to help teams make better decisions. Whether you're planning projects, setting priorities, or evaluating options, having a central place to create and share tier lists keeps everyone aligned. Plus, you can easily link your tier lists to related documentation, making tracking the context and reasoning behind your rankings easy.

Create a tier list in Confluence for free

Related templates and resources

DACI

Breadcrumbs other teams can follow to know how you got there

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Retrospective

Sort out how your project went by using the retrospective template.