Assumptions Grid Template

What is the template?

Most business models and decisions are based on assumptions. This Assumptions Grid template can be used to identify the riskiest assumptions for a project to help focus the team on finding a resolution.

Visualizing your team’s assumptions can empower the group to make judgment calls, prioritize, mitigate risk, and overcome uncertainties.

How do you use it?

The following steps will help you get started using the Assumption Grid template.

Step 1: List out all the assumptions

As a team, spend time silently or collaboratively documenting all the potential assumptions you are making within the project.

Step 2: Plot assumptions on the grid

Go through each listed assumption and place it on the grid based on how risky the assumption is to your final solution and how uncertain or certain the concept may be.

Step 3: Get discovering

After all the ideas have been plotted, take the time to assign the assumptions to members of the group. Plan time for the team to come back together and share findings and begin to resolve the assumptions.

This template can be re-visited throughout the duration of the project, to add new assumptions, or move them around on the chart, based on new findings.