Discover How to Get More Work Done in Less Time
There can be no doubt that a big aspect of time management is to prioritize workloads to meet deadlines. This is often easier said than done as our linear to do list templates seems to fill pages and pages of our note books, and even using a priority excel template has limitations and involves time consuming administration. What is needed is to prioritize our workloads using the Eisenhower method.
Eisenhower Priority Management System
Before Eisenhower became US President he was Supreme Commander of Allied forces during the Second World War. Together with Allied commanders, he masterminded the defeat of Germany and Japan to win the war.
During this time he formulated a system of organization we now call the Eisenhower Matrix. This is the basis of a priority management matrix system. The aim is to optimise productivity to maximum levels.
Unlike a standard to do list template, the priority management matrix splits tasks into four categories which are posted on a 2×2 grid. This helps you visualise what you need to do over the coming days and weeks, and most importantly it answers the question, ‘What do I do now?’
The grid categories are;
- Important and Urgent – Needs to be done now/yesterday
- Not Important but Urgent – These are tasks that have to be done today but do not necessarily contribute to the big project picture.
- Important but not Urgent – These tasks have to be done to deadline to allow a project to complete, a contract to be fulfilled, etc.
- Uncategorized – We still haven’t figured where to classify these tasks or even if we will need to complete them. (Originally this was called Not Urgent and Not Important by Eisenhower.)
The Priority Management Matrix System in Practice
To start using this kind of to do list template, you just need to list your tasks under the four categories. You can use a priority excel template, pen and paper, whatever works for you.
Once this is done you should be able to see what needs to be done and when. Depending on your position and circumstances, you might be delegating tasks to your team, or prioritising task for you to do if you fly solo.
Nonetheless, the order of tasks you need to complete first will be evident. So:
- First day of the week, list all the tasks you need to complete in Uncategorised (Using a priority excel template is good for this as you can move the tasks to other categories easier)
- Place each task in the appropriate category in your priority management template.
- Assign team members to relevant tasks to ensure the workload is completed in order of priority. If you work alone complete urgent and important tasks first. Then complete important tasks. Non urgent tasks come next.
- Add tasks as they arise to appropriate category. Cross of completed tasks.
- Carry over tasks which are outstanding to the next week’s template. Again a priority excel spreadsheet configured in the 2×2 grid will be a time saver. You can also list who is completing what task if you manage a team.
Measuring your Success on your Priority Management to do List
- All tasks complete – Fantastic you are super productive
- If you find your tasks are falling on the Important but not Urgent quadrant then you are chopping through the work and working well.
- If you find your tasks are falling on Important and Urgent tasks then you need to rethink your strategy or you are overworked.
- If you find your tasks are mostly in the Not important but Urgent category there is probably something wrong. This needs to be worked out or you will fail to hit deadlines and derail your project.
Priority Matrix – Superior to a Priority Excel Template or a to do List Template
To make your priority management more effective download Priority Matrix today. You can add and reprioritize tasks and delegate to teams, sync with both Google and Outlook calendars, add multiple projects and break them down by task, and best of all you can prioritize and visualize what needs to be done.
It is considerably superior to either an Excel template for prioritization or a linear to do list app.
The priority matrix management matrix enabled Eisenhower to defeat Nazi Germany and run the free world. Imagine what it can do for you. Download it today for free.