TIME MANAGEMENT FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE SEMINAR- 16 April, 2016

matrix, also known as Eisenhower’s Urgent-Important Principle, distinguishes between importance and urgency:

• Important responsibilities contribute to the achievement of your goals.
• Urgent responsibilities require immediate attention. These activities are often tightly linked to the accomplishment of someone else’s goal. Not dealing with these issues will cause immediate consequences.

Here’s a summary of the meaning of each quadrant:

• Quadrant I – important deadlines with high urgency
  The first quadrant contains tasks and responsibilities that need immediate attention.
• Quadrant II – long-term development and strategizing
  The second quadrant is for items that are important without requiring immediate action. Covey points out that this quadrant should be used for long-term strategizing.
• Quadrant III – distractions with high urgency
  The third quadrant is reserved for tasks that are urgent, without being important. Covey recommends minimizing or even eliminating these tasks as they do not contribute to your output. Delegation is also an option here.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Quadrant IV – activities with little to no value
  The fourth and last quadrant focuses on tasks and responsibilities that do not yield any value—items that are unimportant and not urgent. These time wasters should be eliminated at any costs.

If you apply the Covey time management matrix to your own professional and private life, you will notice that the majority of your activities can be found within quadrant I and III. Experience shows that quadrant II is neglected by most people, especially in the area of their own personal development.

However, the importance of the second quadrant must not be underestimated. If you notice a big gap in this quadrant it means that your focus lies too much on the operative aspect, while the strategic perspective is left behind. For this reason, Covey addresses quadrant II as an exceptionally important part of the matrix. Without this quadrant efficient time management would not be possible, as it requires strategic elements as well.

Culled from the Internet. Copied from www.planetofsuccess.com