Gravity, Urgency, Tendency
Updated 2026-08-22
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
The GUT model ranks problems on three dimensions: gravity, the severity of the problem's impact on the organization; urgency, how quickly it needs resolution; and tendency, how the problem will develop if nothing is done. Each dimension is scored, typically from one to five, and the three scores are multiplied to produce a priority index. Multiplication rather than addition is the defining feature, since a very low score on any dimension pulls the total down sharply. The tendency dimension distinguishes the model from importance-and-urgency grids, because it captures whether a problem is stable or deteriorating rather than only how bad it currently is.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use three-way scoring: rate impact, time pressure, and deterioration trend separately for each problem. - Use product ranking: multiply rather than add the scores so a weak dimension properly suppresses priority. - Use trend review: re-score tendency at intervals, since a stable problem can start accelerating.
Anchor fast decisions
Priority lists usually collapse into urgency, because deadlines are visible and slow deterioration is not. Multiplying the three dimensions makes a high urgency score insufficient on its own, since a problem that is urgent but trivial or stable scores low. Adding tendency as a factor changes the ranking of problems that look minor today, which is where the model earns its keep. Because the scores are estimates, the output is a defensible ordering for discussion rather than a precise measurement.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priority_matrixverified
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