Time Management matrix

i m p o r t a n t	1 - DO NOW real major emergencies and crisis issues significant demands for information from superiors or customers project work with imminent deadline meetings and appointments reports and other submissions staff issues or needs problem resolution, fire-fighting, fixes serious urgent complaints Subject to confirming the importance and the urgency of these tasks, these tasks need doing now. Prioritise tasks that fall into this category according to their relative urgency. If two or more tasks appear equally urgent, discuss and probe the actual requirements and deadlines with the task originators or with the people dependent on the task outcomes. Help the originators of these demands to re-assess the real urgency and priority of these tasks. These tasks should include activities that you'll previously have planned in box 2, which move into box 1 when the time-slot arrives. If helpful you should show your schedule to task originators in order to explain that you are prioritising in a logical way, and to be as productive and effective as possible. Look for ways to break a task into two stages if it's an unplanned demand - often a suitable initial 'holding' response or acknowledgment, with a commitment to resolve or complete at a later date, will enable you to resume other planned tasks.	2 - PLAN TO DO planning and preparation project planning and scheduling research and investigation networking relationship building thinking and creating modelling, designing, testing systems and process development anticipative, preventative activities or communication identifying need for change and new direction developing strategy These tasks are most critical to success, and yet commonly are the most neglected. These activities include planning, strategic thinking, deciding direction and aims, etc., all crucial for success and development. You must plan time-slots for doing these tasks, and if necessary plan where you will do them free from interruptions, or 'urgent' matters from quadrant 1 and 3 will take precedence. Work from home if your normal place of work cannot provide you with a quiet situation and protection from interruption. Break big tasks down into separate logical stages and plan time-slots for each stage. Use project management tools and methods. Inform other people of your planned time-slots and schedules. Having a visible schedule is the key to being able to protect these vital time-slots.
	urgent	not urgent
n o t i m p o r t a n t	3 - REJECT (DIPLOMATICALLY) trivial and 'off-loaded' requests from others apparent emergencies ad-hoc interruptions misunderstandings appearing as complaints irrelevant distractions pointless routines or activities dealing with accumulated unresolved trivia duplicated effort unnecessary double-checking boss's whims or tantrums Scrutinise these demands ruthlessly, and help originators - even your boss and your senior managers - to re-assess the real importance of these tasks. Practice and develop your ability to explain and justify to task originators why you cannot do these tasks. Where possible reject and avoid these tasks immediately, informing and managing people's expectations and sensitivities accordingly; explain why you cannot do these tasks and help the originator find another way of achieving what they need, which might involve delegation to another person, or re-shaping the demand to be more strategic, with a more sustainable solution. Look for causes of repeating demands in this area and seek to prevent re-occurrence. Educate and train others, including customers, suppliers, fellow staff and superiors, to identify long-term remedies, not just quick fixes. For significant repeating demands in this area, create a project to resolve cause, which will be a quadrant 2 task. Challenge habitual systems, processes, procedures and expectations, eg "we've always done it this way". Help others to manage their own time and priorities, so they don't bounce their pressures onto you. Question old policies and assumptions to see if they are still appropriate.	4 - RESIST AND CEASE unnecessary and unchallenged routines 'comfort' activities; computer games, net surfing, excessive cigarette breaks chat and gossip face-to-face and phone social and domestic communications silly emails and text messages daydreaming and doodling interrupting others reading nonsense or irrelevant material unnecessary adjusting, tidying, updating equipment, systems, screensavers, etc. over-long breaks, canteen, kitchen visits embellishment and over-production passive world-watching, TV, drink and drug abuse aimless travel and driving shopping or buying for no purpose These activities are not tasks, they are habitual comforters which provide a refuge from the effort of discipline and proactivity. These activities affirm the same 'comfort-seeking' tendencies in other people; a group or whole department all doing a lot of this quadrant 4 activity creates a non-productive and ineffective organizational culture. These activities have no positive outcomes, and are therefore demotivating. Often they may be stress related, so consider why you do these things and if there's a deeper root cause address it. The best method for ceasing these activities, and for removing temptation to gravitate back to them, is to have a clear structure or schedule of tasks for each day, which you should create in quadrant 2.