What do Keanu Reeves and President Eisenhower have in common?

Welcome back! This month, we're talking time management techniques and finding out how salespeople can maximize productivity and minimize burnout. This is the second in a three part series, and we're covering the Eisenhower Matrix.

When Dwight David "Ike"?Eisenhower said, "I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”, little did he know it would inspire one of the most popular time management techniques.

"What do we say to the God of Procrastination? Maybe later."

- Unknown Source

The Four Quadrants of Productivity

Stephen Covey is credited as the inventor/formulator of the Eisenhower Principle. If the name sounds familiar, you probably know him from one of his most famous books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. According to the Eisenhower Method, every job or task can be categorised under 4 types.

Important and Urgent (Do Now)

This quadrant hosts activities that can convert leads and book meetings. These tasks rank high on importance, urgency, and priority. Procrastinating will result in a domino effect, derailing other scheduled tasks in your day. It's important to strike the iron when it's hot. Some of the tasks in this quadrant might give you an endorphin rush once completed.

Important and Not Urgent (Do Later)

?The tasks in this quadrant cannot be rushed. “Well begun is half done” doesn’t apply here. “I’ll do it later” might sound like procrastination, yet it’s not always the case. These activities help you build your sales pipeline, while also honing your skills for the long term.

Not Important and Urgent (Delegate or Automate)

This quadrant serves as the glitch in the matrix. It’s often difficult to separate the urgent from the important, especially for salespeople. In such cases, the question to ask is “Can this be done by someone or something else?” If the answer is yes, these tasks can be delegated or automated. This way, you can stay focused on the first and second quadrant activities as much as possible.

Not important and Not Urgent (Delete)

It’s completely valid to wonder why this quadrant even exists. Maybe it’s aesthetics, maybe it’s Maybelline. Breaks, breathers, rest, and relaxation fit into this square. A video you paused, the texts piling up on your phone, that celebrity you stalk—you get the drift.

Chronology by Priority

The Eisenhower Matrix works by identifying different types of tasks, and putting them into those specific boxes to enable a linear workflow. If the tasks aren’t executed according to the quadrant, they will all eventually land in the Urgent and Important square. So, follow the Eisenhower way, and keep chaos at bay!

Looking to come up with your own time management techniques? Here's one of Stephen Covey's best selling books to get you started on your productivity journey!

Automate your schedule with Todoist. With this app, you can move your tasks around, plan for more, and clear your mind. Click below for more info.

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And…?Huddle Break!

Join us next week, where we'll do a deep dive into the?GTD Methodology. Thank you for subscribing and including us in your timeout between sales. We can't wait to huddle up with you again.