Think being busy means being productive?

Last year, I was privileged to be invited by the principal of St. Francis School, Secunderabad. My colleagues Ankit Sharma , Shagun Thota and I delivered a session to the teachers of the prestigious school on how to increase productivity as the teachers constantly were busy.

But here’s the thing: Being busy doesn’t always mean being productive. We shared a simple yet powerful tool to master prioritization and productivity with the “Eisenhower Matrix”.

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix helps you decide what to focus on by categorising tasks based on?urgency?and?importance.?Named after former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who famously said, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”

The matrix divides tasks into four quadrants:

1. Important and Urgent (Do First)

These are tasks you must tackle immediately because they directly impact your goals and have time sensitivity.

Examples: Crisis management, meeting deadlines, handling urgent client issues.

2. Important but Not Urgent (Plan)

These tasks contribute to your long-term goals and personal growth. Schedule time for these to avoid them becoming urgent later.

Examples: Strategic planning, skill development, relationship-building, health improvement.

3. Urgent but Not Important (Delegate)

These are distractions that require immediate attention but don’t directly contribute to your goals. Delegate or automate them when possible.

Examples: Responding to non-critical emails, interruptions, minor approvals.

4. Not Urgent and Not Important (Eliminate)

These are time-wasters that don’t add value. Avoid them altogether.

Examples: Excessive social media scrolling, trivial tasks, binge-watching irrelevant content.

Good Luck getting off Instagram reels LOL. With the risk of bragging, I got back so much time getting off Social Media (that’s extreme, you do not have to do it or may be you can do it as an experiment, you will be surprised how much time you get to pursue your hobby)

Why Does It Work?

It forces you to pause and assess the true value of tasks rather than getting caught up in busyness. By focusing on Quadrants 1 and 2, you work smarter, not harder.

How to Use It:

1. List all your tasks.

2. Assign each task to a quadrant.

3. Act: Do, Plan, Delegate, Eliminate.

4. Review daily or weekly to stay aligned with priorities.

Example in Action:

You’re leading a sales team and overwhelmed with tasks. Using the matrix:

Quadrant 1: Close a major client deal before the deadline.

Quadrant 2: Develop a coaching plan for underperforming reps.

Quadrant 3: Forward routine update emails to your senior team members/delegate.

Quadrant 4: Skip attending a low-value webinar that doesn’t add to your goals.

Ready to prioritise your tasks with Eisenhower matrix?

On a lighter note…. all of this goes for a toss when your Boss hands you an urgent task at the last minute. ??

#ProductivityTips #LeadershipLessons #TimeManagement #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkSmarter #SalesLeader #OperationsLeader