49 / Urgent, Important, Both? Synthesizers. First Principles. Menus.
Let's look again at the Eisenhower matrix and the transitions within.
Welcome back to Circle Three!
Spooky szn is over and we have a two-month march into 2022. Time to seize the day!
"We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely." — E.O. Wilson
Tempted to put 'Googling' as one of your resume skills? It might not be a bad idea, because with all the information we're bombarded with, it takes wisdom to sift through it for the gems. Just like blocking phone notifications will produce the future winners, synthesis will produce future leaders.
"'More' is not better. More is, in fact, unsustainable and destructive, because there isn’t enough 'more' for everyone." What is the goal of your current professional work? Read an entrepreneur's reflection on being satisfied with enough.
First-principles thinking helps us with innovative thought and building business. To create something that hasn't been created, thoughts have to be broken down to basic truths. Read how to adapt first-principles thinking.
Here are 8 insights into how you're getting played by your restaurant menu. The marketing strategies and psychological tricks won't get you next time you're out.
7 billion people on what is likely the largest webpage in existence. "The exact size depends on the screen resolution on your PC, but the page is almost 1 mile (1.6 Km) high and 800 feet (250 m) wide."
Important, Urgent, or Both?
Let's look again at the Eisenhower matrix and the transitions within.
(Read this online here.)
All the way back in January, when Circle Three was published at 7:30am and the word delta still meant ‘change,’ I was exploring the Eisenhower Matrix. After recent internal struggles with prioritization, efficiency, and how to create products and cultures that last, I revisited and revamped the original post. It’s a valuable tool for any area of life.
The Eisenhower Matrix, or the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a well-known prioritization tool. People use the matrix, like the grid below, to bring structure to both work and life; what I’m interested in is how people shift between the areas of the 2x2 grid.
The matrix helps overwhelmed individuals sort and prioritize tasks. The formal name, The Eisenhower Matrix, comes from a Dwight D. Eisenhower quote:
“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”
This matrix from Instagantt is crucial when projects become bigger and longer than initially forecast (which seems to happen all-too-often). To-do lists pile up. Deadlines get pushed, and every day is a scramble to put out new fires. The matrix brings a sense of organization and an attempt at calm.
In life, we wake up knowing our priorities. “Drink coffee” falls into the urgent and important category for most people. It needs to be done — for ourselves and for others who might interact with us. Then the workday starts, and we begin sifting through emails and meetings that fall into the “Urgent, Important” categories. It's possible to sit in this quadrant all day thinking "I'm saving the company by doing this. Without me things would fall apart."
Maybe a slight exaggeration there, but around mid-morning we lose some steam and shift to those “Urgent, Not Important” tasks. On a good day, there is time in the morning or afternoon for deep, uninterrupted work that categorizes as "Urgent, Important." This time spent in the top-left portion is what many would consider the productive time of day.
Each day brings new challenges, in work and in life. As the obstacles come into focus and we begin to see new tasks or challenges, we must choose: how important and urgent are these?
This choice can have an effect, and the reaction is vitally important. Do we calmly assign these new challenges a bucket? Can we continue the work in front of us or has this new task sent us into a frenzied state?
I offer two examples.
Leaving for work, you walk outside to the car thinking about what you’ll have to do today. There are “Important, Urgent” tasks are on your mind until you get to your car and see a flat tire. &%*$! You are drawn from your current state of mind to deal with a brand new “Important, Urgent” task at hand! It requires a quick reprioritization to reshuffle before you can move on with your day.
Similarly, an afternoon at work has you making design changes after a formal review. These are “Important, Not Urgent” changes. Suddenly there are parts from another project that have come back with issues. It needs immediate attention. Shifting to this new “Important, Urgent” task, you need to remember what the project and part details were, communicate with the fabricator, and understand the changes that need to be made. It presents a chance to calmly understand the new problem, or becoming overwhelmed, lashing out, and changing the trajectory of the rest of the day for yourself and others.
Often the most exhausting parts of the day are the transitions between states.
Some companies have built-in slow periods when there is designated time to work on “Important, Not Urgent” tasks. These benefit the culture and longevity of the company, but can easily fall through the cracks. Good leaders will create a balance to focus on both the immediate needs and long-term goals of a department or company.
As individuals, we have a responsibility to work on the Important categories and not delay until everything is Urgent. It requires patience, organization, and big-picture thinking that will help any team accomplish goals.
🔊 Listening:
📖 Reading: Collapse: How Societies Choose to fail or Succeed
➕ Win: Maintained balance during an extraordinarily busy week.
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