The Eisenhower Matrix

  Most people have an idea of who Dwight D. Eisenhower was. 
For many, he’s remembered as the the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II; the leader who oversaw the Allied invasion of Europe to free it from Nazi tyranny.  Others may know him as the affable President who ushered the US into the prosperous 1950s, set the tone for the Cold War, and led the creation of the interstate highway system.  Still others remember “Ike” as the person who warned us of the the dangers of the “Military-Industrial Complex.”  But did you know that he was widely regarded as an organizational mastermind, whose efficient method for handling his many duties, both as General and as President, is still widely used today, though few know it has his?  It was Ike who helped us to think about the distinction between the urgent and the important, who gave us “The Eisenhower Matrix.”

  He divided his tasks around two concepts:

Urgent: things requiring immediate action or attention; and

Important: things of great significance or value, that contribute to our long-term vision, mission, goals. Sometimes important things are also urgent, but typically they are not.

  In this blog series we’ll explore how we divide our work up into four quadrants, and how to work toward the kind of time management that won World War II and modernized post-war America.

  Have you ever felt as though life is constantly piling up at your door, and everyone you know wants your attention right now?  Have you ever looked at your work, and rather than tackling it in some productive way, clicked the Facebook icon, and checked to see what your friends did over the weekend?

  Have you ever felt that you put too much importance on a task that in hindsight was not very important?  Or think that something has to be done right away when it actually doesn’t?  If so, you are in good company.

  Finding the distinctions between what is urgent and what is not, or what is important and what is not, is a huge challenge for many people as they try to balance work, family, play, faith, fun, and the other time demands that strain their lives. 

  Next time: Quadrant 1: Urgent and Imporant: Do it now!