Have you ever been stuck in a loop where work tasks kept piling up with no end in sight? You’re not alone. Most employees take up overtime just to keep up. In this article, we discuss a productivity matrix that shows you how to prioritize work tasks better. Use this framework to save time and be highly effective at your job.
A Take on How to Prioritize Work Tasks
Stephen Covey’s book entitled, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” has taken the world by storm. Here, he discussed and popularized US President Dwight Eisenhower’s productivity matrix. He was known to leave this quote on managing tasks:
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
True enough, we often lose track of what is important in the face of insurmountable urgent tasks. This matrix will help manage that. Read further below to familiarize yourself with this framework and get on top of your to-dos.
The Urgent/Important Matrix
This framework is divided into four categories using two conditions on each axis: urgency and importance. For each category of work tasks is a recommended action: Do, Plan, Delegate, or Eliminate.
| Urgent | Not Urgent | |
| Important | Do | Plan |
| Unimportant | Delegate | Eliminate |
Although seemingly straightforward, it is easy to be confused about where to categorize each task. Which among your to-dos are urgent? How about those that are important? Let’s delve deeper.
List down all tasks that you need to accomplish. It is better to break them down into a short and simple list, just like in a bullet journal. Take note of the deadlines for each of these tasks to guide you in sorting.
Once you’ve listed all your tasks, it’s time to evaluate.
What Tasks Are Urgent?
The tasks that are overdue or are due soon are considered urgent. Depending on your list, this may range from one day to three.
Feel free to categorize the rest as “Not Urgent”.
What Tasks Are Important?
When sorting tasks based on importance, here are some guidelines you could use:
- Tasks only you can do
- Work that adds value to the company or your customers
- To-dos that contribute to your long-term goals
At the end of the day, use sound judgment to better classify work tasks. Remember that when everything is a priority, then none of it is.
It is also easy to spend so much time sorting that you skimp on doing actual work. Don’t take too much time—you can always apply changes to your matrix when needed.
Actions to Take: Do, Plan, Delegate, Eliminate
Once done categorizing, it is time to take action.
Do Urgent and Important Tasks
Finish your urgent and important tasks now. Considering that some of these are already overdue, devote your hours in making sure these tasks get done swiftly.
Write that report, submit that evaluation, meet with that client. Get these things done today.
Plan for Not Urgent but Important Tasks
Tasks that are not urgent but are still important should not be disregarded. Instead, plan on how you will be dealing with these tasks as they come.
Set a timeline, plot goals, and monitor milestones for these to-dos. This might be a product launch next month or an IPO next quarter. Important tasks take time and require plenty of planning.
Delegate Urgent but Unimportant Tasks
When managing urgent but unimportant tasks, get help from your team. This way, someone is accomplishing it, while you take care of work that only you can do. That’s how you prioritize work tasks.
Here’s an example: there’s a meeting today among all departments about an upcoming company event. At the same time, managers have their weekly meeting about business performance. You can assign a member from your team to join the meeting about the event, while you attend the one with fellow managers. Problem solved!
Eliminate Not Urgent and Unimportant Tasks
Finally, there are times where some to-dos are not urgent and also unimportant. Simply eliminate these tasks that do not bring value to you, your work, or your customers. This saves you time that can be spent on other pressing matters.
In instances where there are several tasks under this category, it might be good to revisit your business processes. Figure out where these tasks come from. More importantly, apply necessary changes to make sure these to-dos will not come out again.
What are your thoughts? Do you think Eisenhower’s Matrix can help you learn how to prioritize your to-dos at work? Let us know in the comment below.
Push that productivity bug even further! Here’s a 3-step tip to manage your emails better.
