Unlock Exceptional Productivity At Work

Understanding the Priority Matrix

Quadrant 1: Do First

Urgent and Important: These are the things you’ve got to jump on right away because they’re a big deal. If you slack off, there could be some serious fallout. The example in the image talks about getting in touch with important people right when things start to get shaky, to make sure everyone’s okay.

Example

Imagine there’s a big issue with the computer system that everyone uses, and it’s part of your job to help fix it. This is a crisis that could stop everyone from getting their work done, so it’s your top priority. You’ll need to alert the IT department immediately and perhaps assist in communicating the issue to your team so everyone knows what’s going on.

Quadrant 2: Schedule

Not Urgent and Important: These are the behind-the-scenes activities that set you up for the win down the road. You don’t need to drop everything and do them now, but you’ve got to make sure they’re on your calendar. Think long-term strategy, like planning out how to stay ahead in the game.

Example

Even though you’re not in charge, you’re responsible for a report that tracks monthly sales data. It’s not due right away, but it’s important for the company’s long-term planning. You’ll want to set aside time each week to update this report so that when the deadline comes, you’re ready and not scrambling at the last minute.

Quadrant 3: Delegate

Not Important and Urgent: Stuff here needs to happen soon, but maybe it’s not super important that you do it yourself. Like if you’re in a meeting but not really playing a big part, maybe someone else can take that on. It’s about giving others the chance to step up, which also lets you focus on the big-picture items.

Example

Say there’s a rush request for photocopies to be made for a meeting that you’re not involved in. It’s urgent because the meeting is soon, but it doesn’t have to be you who does it. You could ask a fellow colleague or an intern to handle the task, especially if you’re working on something more critical.

Quadrant 4: Don’t Do

Not Important and Not Urgent: This is basically the junk drawer of tasks. They’re not getting you anywhere fast, so why bother? The image says to cut out the busy work, like sending emails that don’t really need to be sent. It’s about trimming the fat to make sure you’re only working on stuff that actually matters.

Example

This could be something like organizing the supply closet when there’s no immediate need. It’s a task that might seem useful but doesn’t directly contribute to your or your team’s immediate goals or productivity. It’s better to focus on tasks that have clearer benefits to your work or professional development.

How to Use It

Now I know you’ve got a ton of stuff to do. The priority matrix is a game plan that helps you figure out what to tackle first. It’s a chart that splits your tasks into four different zones based on two things: whether they’re super important and whether they’re like, “I need this done yesterday” urgent. This model consists of three components.

Take each task from your list and decide if it’s something that’s got to happen right now (urgent) and if it really matters (important). Drop each task into one of the four boxes you’ve made.

• If it’s both urgent and important, like if your boss needs something stat, it goes in the top-left box.
• If it’s important, but not something you’ve got to do right away, like a project that’s due in a few weeks, it goes in the top-right box.
• If it’s urgent but kind of just busywork, like restocking the printer paper because someone’s about to print a novel, that goes in the bottom-left.
• And if it’s neither urgent nor important, like alphabetizing files that no one’s going to look at, toss it into the bottom-right box.