PICK chart poster

A PICK chart sorts a pile of improvement ideas by two questions: how big is the payoff, and how hard is it to do? High payoff and easy ideas are implemented now; high payoff and hard ones become planned challenges; low payoff and easy ones are possible when there is time; low payoff and hard ones are killed, with a reason given to the person who raised them. This poster draws the four boxes and what each means.

Download the poster

The PNG is free to download now. The print-ready vector PDFs open after a short form, once.

Download PNG (300 dpi)2550 x 3300 px, prints at 8.5 x 11 in · 371 KB · no form

Free to print and share with your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

PICK chart poster — 24 x 36 in18 x 24 inA2A3LetterA4PNG 300 dpi

The words on the poster

PICK chart: which idea first?

Sort every idea by payoff and effort. Do the easy, high payoff ones now.

Payoff: what it gains in safety, quality, delivery or cost. Effort: the money, hours, skills and sign-offs it needs.

Implement High payoff, low effort. Do it this week.
Challenge High payoff, high effort. Plan it as a project.
Possible Low payoff, low effort. Do it when there is time.
Kill Low payoff, high effort. Drop it and say why.

Top row: high payoff. Left column: low effort. Place ideas as a team, and tell each person where theirs landed.

On the floor

How to use it

Putting the PICK chart poster to work

1
Draw the grid on the idea board and place each new idea as a team, in a few minutes.
2
Use it after a brainstorm or a waste walk, when there are more ideas than hands.
3
Tell each person where their idea landed and why, especially in the kill box.
4
Pair it with the free prioritization matrix and idea suggestion form.

Where the poster goes and how to teach with it, in the order to try them.

Which size to print

24 x 36 in or A2: a main wall or team board, read from a few metres away.
18 x 24 in or A3: a station or notice board. The A3 file also fits 11 x 17 in paper.
Letter or A4: a clipboard, binder or handout, on any office printer.

Every PDF is vector, so it stays sharp at full size. Nothing runs to the edge of the page, so no bleed is needed.