What is the Eisenhower Matrix?
The Eisenhower Matrix, also commonly known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a time management tool used to distinguish between urgent priorities and less important tasks. It is designed to help individuals to create the mental space required in achieving goals.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States and a five-star general during WWII, is behind the original idea of the Eisenhower Matrix. He is widely regarded for being highly productive during his time in office, and famously quoted Northwestern University president Dr J. Roscoe Miller, saying:
“I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important and the important are never urgent.”
This core idea formed the foundation for the Eisenhower Matrix. It evolved into the productivity tool we know and recognize today thanks to Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He took the concept, turning it into a tangible framework that is used by individuals and organizations around the world as part of internal task management processes.
The framework supports individuals in overcoming the mere-urgency effect, which is where we assign more priority to tasks that we feel are time-sensitive, as opposed to those that aren’t. It comprises four key categories, within which tasks should be arranged:
- Urgent and important
- Not urgent but important
- Urgent but not important
- Neither urgent nor important
By taking time to understand both the nuance between urgent and important tasks, and where you invest most of your time, this can help to ensure that workloads are manageable while still contributing to strategic goals.
The difference between urgent and important
As humans, we have a natural inclination to do the tasks that give us near-instant or quick gratification; we prefer short-term problems and solutions. To be effective in achieving goals, whether tactical or strategic, it’s essential to understand the difference between both urgent and important tasks.
Urgent tasks are those that are time sensitive and demand near, or immediate, attention; you feel obliged to complete them. Usually, they’re smaller, daily tasks that put you in a reactive mindset where you can feel defensive or narrowly focused. Important tasks, on the other hand, don’t always bring instant results, hence why they often get ignored. They create a responsive mindset meaning you’re more likely to be calm, and open to new ideas. Occasionally, important tasks can also be categorized as urgent.
Completing important tasks contributes towards our long-term goals, which is also where we find personal fulfillment. By taking time to understand how your tasks fit into urgent and important categories (and therefore the Eisenhower Matrix), you will be more effective at implementing strategic initiatives.
How does the Eisenhower Matrix work?
The Eisenhower Matrix helps you to decide which tasks should either: be a priority, be delegated, be done later, or be ignored or postponed. To do this successfully, you must first understand which tasks consume most of your time on a weekly basis. Once you have a clear picture of where you’re applying most of your efforts, it will be easier to categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance — and where you should be applying your focus.
Each quadrant, or category, of the matrix has its own ‘rules’ on how the task should be managed.
Quadrant 1: Urgent, important
These tasks should be completed immediately, as they are usually time-bound and are critical to success, such as meeting preparation. Ideally, the amount of tasks within this quadrant should be low. If you constantly have a high amount of both urgent and important tasks, this suggests you have issues elsewhere within your organization. Remember, if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.
Invest time in forward planning so that you are prepared for problems and can mitigate them before they turn into something bigger. This could be considering long-term solutions like increased collaboration with colleagues or clients, or even restructuringWha internal workflows.
Quadrant 2: Not urgent, important
Tasks in this category need to be scheduled for completion. They contribute to long-term goals but don’t require immediate attention. When looking at your completed Eisenhower Matrix, this is where most tasks should belong or eventually be moved to.
Quadrant 3: Urgent, not important
Any tasks that can wait, or require immediate attention but not your expertise, are usually urgent but not important. Time spent on these tasks should be limited and can be either delegated or assigned to someone else to complete, with delegation helping you to prioritize your own workload. If this isn’t possible, you will need to communicate how long these will take you.
Quadrant 4: Neither urgent, nor important
A high amount of tasks in this category can cause you to feel either stressed, or unfulfilled, so try to remove these tasks from your workload entirely. Devise a plan that will help you either delete the task or delegate it to someone more appropriate.
Prioritization: the key to success
While the Eisenhower Matrix is generally used for personal productivity, using it as part of strategic planning workshops can help you to understand the various activities taking place across departments within your organization — especially if progress towards achieving strategic goals has slowed down.
Prioritization techniques can assist in ensuring that focus is given to the right areas and initiatives. Tracking priorities, factoring in contingency, escalating critical issues, and aligning work to initiatives all contribute to the success of a strategic plan. By investing time into getting the full picture of current priorities and performance, you will be better positioned to successfully execute strategic activities that contribute to your end goal. This can take some time to get right, but worth it when striving towards operational excellence.
