Printable Weighted Pros and Cons List Template
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When to Use This Template: Anyone can use this template for both business and personal decision-making, such as deciding whether to accept a job offer, make a lifestyle change, or invest in new technology.
Notable Template Features: Designed in a clear T-chart format, this template allows users to list the advantages and disadvantages of any situation, while also assigning values to each factor for quantifiable analysis.
Excel Weighted Pros and Cons List Template
Download the Weighted Pros and Cons List Template for Excel
Download the Sample Weighted Pros and Cons List Template for Excel
When to Use This Template: Use this pros and cons list template for a straightforward, structured approach to making complex decisions. The spreadsheet format works especially well for complex decisions with many pros and cons to compare, such as choosing a new healthcare policy, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, or choosing a career path.
Notable Template Features: After you assign each item a rating from 1 to 10 based on value and importance, the template calculates the totals for each column, showing whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa. This saves time and provides weighted data to compare. The sample version of this template provides an example list of pros and cons for analyzing a job opportunity.
Pros and Cons Tornado Chart Template
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When to Use This Template: Use this template in risk assessment, project management, and strategic planning to visualize and weigh various factors against each other. Download the example version to see how the template can also be used for personal decisions, such as a college pros and cons list.
Notable Template Features: A tornado chart features a central axis with bars that extend to the left and right, representing different variables. Each bar's length shows the variable's impact. The left side lists the pros, or positive impacts, while the right side details the cons, or negative impacts. This layout allows for a quick, clear comparison of each side.
PowerPoint Pros and Cons Whiteboard Template
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When to Use This Template: This pros and cons whiteboard template provides an organized visual aid for brainstorming sessions, allowing teams to collaboratively explore the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Notable Template Features: Use color-coded sticky notes to prioritize pros and cons based on importance. By visually mapping out the positives and negatives, teams can clearly identify potential risks and opportunities.
Simple Pros and Cons List Slide Template
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When to Use This Template: Use this pros and cons slide template as part of a presentation to effectively communicate the reasoning behind your choices to colleagues or stakeholders. The simple layout works for discussions, meetings, or any scenario requiring a clear visual representation of competing considerations.
Notable Template Features: The template is designed for clarity, listing positive and negative aspects of a decision or situation in a slide format. The example version of this template shows the slide filled in with the pros and cons of bootstrapping a startup.
Pros and Cons Seesaw Slide Template
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When to Use This Template: Use this template to facilitate decision-making discussions or enhance a presentation slide deck.
Notable Template Features: Using a visual tool to illustrate the pros and cons of a strategy, decision, or product gives viewers an immediate understanding of positive and negative points. This slide template uses color to highlight pros and cons, and the seesaw in the center suggests a weighing of both sides.
Pros and Cons Comparison Table Template
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When to Use This Template: This comparison table template is designed for evaluating multiple options. Use the template for team meetings or individual analysis of complex decisions.
Notable Template Features: The template presents a side-by-side comparison of various choices, highlighting their pros and cons. You can view the strengths and weaknesses of each option to make more informed and strategic choices.
Printable Pros and Cons Worksheet Template
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Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs
Download a Sample Pros and Cons Worksheet Template for
Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs
When to Use This Template: Use the insights from this worksheet template to make informed decisions, provide solid rationale for a course of action, or support recommendations in a report or proposal.
Notable Template Features: This template allows you to evaluate one or more options with a more thorough analysis than just pros and cons. The worksheet includes sections for pros and cons, potential risks, unpredictable elements, and the best and worst possible outcomes for each choice. Download the sample template version to view a comparison of the pros and cons of job changes.
Pros and Cons Venn Diagram Template
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Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs
Download a Sample Pros and Cons Venn Diagram Template for
Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs
When to Use This Template: This Venn diagram template visually contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of a single option or two different choices.
Notable Template Features: By placing the pros in one circle, the cons in another, and shared attributes in the overlapping area, this template provides a simple and balanced method for assessing a decision. This is particularly effective for highlighting the unique and common factors between two different choices. View the sample pros and cons template for a product comparison of two smartphones.
Types of Pros and Cons Templates
Here is a quick overview of the template formats and why you might choose one over another:
- List Template: The classic list format is perfect for less complicated decisions or when you want to compile data in a simple T-chart format.
- Table Template: Tables offer more structure, allowing for detailed comparison of various factors and multiple options side by side.
- Slide Template: Slide presentations are ideal for communicating pros and cons to a team or stakeholders, as they facilitate clear and engaging discussions.
- Weighted Template: Since each pro and con is assigned a score based on its value and importance, weighted templates are useful for more complex decisions involving many variables.
- Tornado Chart Template: Tornado charts visually demonstrate the potential impact of each factor on the final decision, making them an excellent choice for scenarios where visual presentation and impact analysis are key.
- Whiteboard Templates: With their dynamic and interactive nature, whiteboards are excellent for collaborative decision-making, encouraging real-time input from all participants.
All of the pros and cons templates above can be used when considering strategic business choices or personal life decisions. Choosing the right tool depends on the complexity of the decision, the audience, and the need for visual representation.
Related Decision-Making Templates
Templates — such as a SWOT analysis or risk-benefit assessment — allow for a deeper dive into factors, including potential risks, long-term impacts, and various alternatives, which might not be fully captured in a simple pros and cons format. If you are facing a scenario that requires more nuanced analysis, consider one of the decision-making templates listed below.
Decision Matrix Templates
Download free decision-making templates, including a Pugh Matrix for scoring multiple options against a baseline measure, and get step-by-step instructions for using a decision matrix, in this collection of decision matrix templates.
SWOT Analysis Templates
Choose from these 14 different SWOT analysis templates for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Plus, get a breakdown of how the internal and external factors used in SWOT analysis can help guide decisions.
Cost-Benefit Analysis Templates
Our collection of cost-benefit analysis templates includes spreadsheet templates, a cost-benefit dashboard, a comprehensive report template, and other tools. Choose the template that best suits the project or issue you are analyzing.
Priority Matrix Templates
See our guides to priority matrices and Eisenhower Matrix templates to help make decisions about prioritizing projects and delegating tasks to improve efficiency and productivity.
Risk-Benefit Analysis Templates
Use a risk and opportunity template to assess risks, identify opportunities, and guide important decisions. This type of risk matrix allows you to proactively identify potential challenges and capitalize on emerging possibilities.
Whether you choose a pros and cons template or another decision-making tool, effective templates can help individuals and organizations navigate the complexities of various situations to make more informed, strategic decisions.