One of my favourite models for leaders – the Eisenhower Decision Matrix – and one I love and hate at the same time! Love – because it gets me focussed; particularly on going beyond the Urgent / Important rush of ‘do,do,do’ in the moment, and forces me to focus my attention on some longer term ‘Not Urgent / Important’ tasks that make the difference in 2024.
Hate – because I find it easy to tell myself that I am tired, that social media scrolling is a worthwhile use of my time and that constant distractions are useful. When what they REALLY are – ‘Not Urgent, Not Important’ tasks that should be removed, especially when time is tight to complete things for the end of the year.
Let’s break this down a little:
- Urgent and Important Tasks. Short notice tasks live here – and so do those that haven’t been planned well or have been ignored for so long that they have become urgent. It is important for leaders and managers to notice the difference. Was this genuinely urgent or did my procrastination let it become this way?
- Important and Not Urgent Tasks. This is the growth area for leaders and managers. The opportunity to ‘get ahead’ of a task / idea / project before it becomes urgent. Skilled leaders use this time efficiently – and create space and make time to think in this space.
- Urgent and Not Important. The reply to the email that just arrived in the Inbox – do you need to reply to it right now or is there something more important to be taken care of? Occasionally these types of tasks can get us moving, give us a momentum to get into other tasks. Use this time sparingly and in the aid of other tasks – if overused, the quality important work will never be achieved. Listen out for your excuses seeking to justify your time spent here.
- Not Urgent and Not Important. Wasted time is spent here – doom scrolling social media, absently completing some basic task that doesn’t need doing. This space is often used to avoid the other boxes. Sometimes our minds need a rest or a distraction – and this box is full of them. Procrastinators spend a lot of time here justifying what they are doing rather than getting the real work done. Eliminate as much as possible.
Where are you spending your time?
Where could you consciously be spending your time?
What must you do today and what can you delete to make your time more efficient?
As I said – love / hate – particularly when it challenges me. But that is the point, isn’t it?
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