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The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

bigthink.com

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Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#11

Post by blowski »

makeitdouble wrote: post #5

Everything that is needed to understand this concept: https://bigthink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/AdobeStock_4... If you look at it thinking it would never work in practice for your situation...you're probably right. There's a lot of underlying assumptions, and as any simple and catchy idea, it only helps as much as nudge for you to find your own system to deal with your issues.

I find the challenge is not putting things you want to do in “urgent and important” to justify the decision you’ve already made.

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#12

Post by eru »

Animats wrote: post #10

This isn't really an Eisenhower thing. Eisenhower's approach, as both a general and president, was to assemble a very good staff and delegate, while monitoring how things were going. Staff, not line. Line managers in the military are unit commanders at various levels. Staff officers, derided though they tend to be, are extensions of the commander for whom they work. They have to be very competent but less ambitious t…

> [...] not overworked, while accomplishing an incredible amount.

It was probably also easier to get legislation passed for anyone, back then?

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#14

Post by makeitdouble »

blowski wrote: post #11
makeitdouble wrote: post #5

Everything that is needed to understand this concept: https://bigthink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/AdobeStock_4... If you look at it thinking it would never work in practice for your situation...you're probably right. There's a lot of underlying assumptions, and as any simple and catchy idea, it only helps as much as nudge for you to find your own system to deal with your issues.

I find the challenge is not putting things you want to do in “urgent and important” to justify the decision you’ve already made.

Yes. Another one is deciding if something important with a far away deadline is urgent or not.

I'd need to first know how long it would take to deal with it, estimate how much of a margin of error I can allow myself, and then guess weither something will throw a wrench in my schedule making it impossible to deal with that task when it's due.

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#15

Post by georgeecollins »

eru wrote: post #12
Animats wrote: post #10

This isn't really an Eisenhower thing. Eisenhower's approach, as both a general and president, was to assemble a very good staff and delegate, while monitoring how things were going. Staff, not line. Line managers in the military are unit commanders at various levels. Staff officers, derided though they tend to be, are extensions of the commander for whom they work. They have to be very competent but less ambitious t…

> [...] not overworked, while accomplishing an incredible amount. It was probably also easier to get legislation passed for anyone, back then?

Actually no it was not. It's more that power was distributed differently. The speaker of the house, the master of the Senate had real power. Power that now rests with interest groups.

If you are interested read Robert Caro's Master of the Senate.

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#16

Post by mdekkers »

Animats wrote: post #10

This isn't really an Eisenhower thing. Eisenhower's approach, as both a general and president, was to assemble a very good staff and delegate, while monitoring how things were going. Staff, not line. Line managers in the military are unit commanders at various levels. Staff officers, derided though they tend to be, are extensions of the commander for whom they work. They have to be very competent but less ambitious t…

Is there more information about this?

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#17

Post by georgeecollins »

mdekkers wrote: post #16
Animats wrote: post #10

This isn't really an Eisenhower thing. Eisenhower's approach, as both a general and president, was to assemble a very good staff and delegate, while monitoring how things were going. Staff, not line. Line managers in the military are unit commanders at various levels. Staff officers, derided though they tend to be, are extensions of the commander for whom they work. They have to be very competent but less ambitious t…

Is there more information about this?

https://www.amazon.com/Eisenhower-in-War-and-Peace-audiobook...

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#18

Post by exe34 »

makeitdouble wrote: post #14
blowski wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find the challenge is not putting things you want to do in “urgent and important” to justify the decision you’ve already made.

Yes. Another one is deciding if something important with a far away deadline is urgent or not. I'd need to first know how long it would take to deal with it, estimate how much of a margin of error I can allow myself, and then guess weither something will throw a wrench in my schedule making it impossible to deal with that task when it's due.

I often break down tasks like that into "finding out/planning" and "the rest of it" - so the first task would be important and urgent. The other would not, until I've decided.

Re: The "Eisenhower matrix" productivity hack

#19

Post by exe34 »

andoando wrote: post #6
firecall wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted: Here’s a breakdown: Do (urgent and important). Ng says these tasks are at the core of your job. They are the things you were hired to do and have an upcoming deadline attached to them. Make these your most important tasks. Decide (not urgent but important). These tasks are core to your job and goals, too, but their deadline is much further out. Decide if you have the time to advance them, but only after you’v…

Seems like the obvious approach everyone would take...

A lot of people are overwhelmed with "urgent" tasks and in that state, they find it hard to even realise that some are more important than others. The discipline to say no, I'll do this one really important thing first and everything else can wait isn't something everybody is born with.
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