The Eisenhower Principle: a description, features and application

In the cycle of life events it is very easy to get confused. Children are taught to distribute properly their time to adults, who often and themselves postpone everything for later. As a rule, this "after" never comes. All the planned cases are smoothly moved by others and at the end turn into one solid coma of unsolved problems.

The problem most often is not in the number of cases, but in an irrationally compiled schedule. People do not pay enough attention to planning their activities. And after all, having spent very little time to teach the basics of time management, you can save a lot of time in the future. Then in life there will be a place not only for eternal problems, but for yourself and your family. One of the most simple and effective planning techniques is the Eisenhower principle.

What is the essence of the technique?

The principle of the Eisenhower matrix is the competent distribution of tasks, depending on the degree of their significance. It helps to break the entire list of cases into important and not important, urgent and not very. With the help of the matrix, you can determine the time interval that will be needed to solve the problem, because something needs more attention, and some things and five minutes spent on them are not worth it.

To achieve success, you need to follow a certain algorithm. The order of the necessary actions depends on the priority of the tasks. As a rule, to concentrate on one goal, various factors interfere: personal problems, surrounding people, habits and so on. To get rid of weaknesses and concentrate only on useful actions, the Eisenhower method can help.

How did this principle originate, who formed it?

The thirty-fourth president of the United States of America, Dwight D. Eisenhower, justified the described principle of time management. The politician could not leave any problem unresolved, so he tried to make his schedule as rational and optimized as possible. As a result, Eisenhower transformed all tasks into a matrix.

Today, the method of the president is used by office workers, managers and large managers. This suggests that this way of prioritization is indeed effective and relevant.

What is the matrix of Dwight Eisenhower?

The Eisenhower square (or principles of time planning) is based on the construction of a matrix. The basis of the matrix is the axis of importance (abscissa) and the axis of urgency (ordinate). Their mutual intersection gives four squares, each of which is filled with tasks, according to their distribution.

So, for a start, it is worth determining what is important and what is urgent. Important cases have the greatest impact on the achievement of the result, and urgent tasks require immediate implementation. In general, a picture is formed that gives a complete picture of the state of affairs.

The matrix will allow you to set the right priorities - what can wait and what will not wait for urgent.

What is in box A?

The first square, located in the upper left corner, is called the square A. This cell lists the most important and urgent tasks. Ideally, this square should be empty, since rationally distributed time allows to avoid the presence of cases of this kind in principle.

To matters of heightened importance, you can include:

• Problems with health, which usually arise at the most inappropriate time;
• That can negatively affect the results of activities;
• Cases, the failure of which can lead to the emergence of new problems.

For the fullness of this square is responsible for self-control rights. After all, if new cases appear in cell A every day, the Eisenhower principle will not help. Here you should refer to time management in principle, but first you need to deal with all matters that in the short term will fill the square A.

Despite the highest priority of this square, you can transfer the solution of the problems filling the cell to someone else. But this is only if this is possible, and the cases do not necessarily require personal participation.

What tasks does the Quadrate B require?

This part of the matrix is filled with daily affairs. As a rule, this includes everything that deserves the most attention. These are important, but not urgent, cases, most of which are related to the basic human activity. The low urgency of tasks will make it impossible to take quick decisions, and a constructive and reasonable approach will make it possible to carry out all the tasks in a more qualitative way.

The activities of people who basically solve problems from square B are more productive. With good results of work such people have enough time for personal life, they do not experience constant stresses. This square consists of tasks that are of little importance and, perhaps, to some extent daily, but it is from these that, in essence, human activity consists.

Problems from sector B strongly affect both the moral and material state. This is sport, diet, sleep, educational and work activities - those things that are indispensable, but they are usually paid the least attention, letting much on their own.

Which cases are included in the square of C?

Square C includes those cases that do not draw near to the coveted goal, but, on the contrary, hinder events, postpone the implementation of really important tasks. Most often they require urgent time, but are distracted and confused. It is always important to remember the results of your activities and goals and not to switch to the secondary.

In this sector, you can safely include domestic chores and giving promises to someone. In general, this business is not so much important as urgent.

What is included in the square D?

People who do not know how to plan time correctly, things from this square take the most time. These tasks can rather be called not problems, but pleasant cares, which, moreover, do not bring absolutely no rational benefit. The effect of the square D is necessary if not to exclude, then try at least to reduce.

Do not replace the rest with aimless monitoring of social networks, watching TV shows or serials, idle chatter on the phone. Free time can also be spent with benefit for themselves and others: families, loved ones and friends.

Where is Dwight Eisenhower's principle used?

The method for distributing tasks described above is used not only to rationalize time. Accelerated analysis by the principle of Eisenhower is used, for example, to determine the necessary functions of retail facilities. Improvement of the goods at all stages of the life cycle has been called the functional-value analysis (FSA). This principle combines economic and technical methods to determine the relationship between the properties of goods and the costs of it. The latter must necessarily be logical and payable.

What is the Eisenhower principle in the FSA, has been researched by many specialists from countries with market economies: France, Germany, Great Britain, the United States. As a result, it was revealed that in order to determine the range of the relevant functions of the object, it is important to observe the proportions between their need and cost. The principle of Eisenhower in FSA is to analyze the product and distribute its properties in three categories:

1. Category A. Main or fundamental functions: the direct purpose of the goods, the provision of which requires spending more funds.
2. Category B. Secondary product functions that are concomitant basic. The presence of such additions is welcome, but the absence does not affect sales too much.
3. Category C. Excessive functions, the absence of which in no way will affect the quality of the goods. Avoid spending on add-ons that are completely unnecessary, you can save a lot.

The practice of applying the Eisenhower principle

It is not at all necessary to distribute the tasks exactly in the form of a matrix - in a square, but at first you can do just this to provide clarity. Conveniently convert the standard form of the matrix into several lists or a common plan, where cases from different squares are highlighted in color. For example, simultaneously urgent and important tasks (square A) can be recorded in red ink, important but not urgent in green (sector B), unimportant but urgent tasks (square C) - blue, and black - unimportant and non-urgent. At the same time, the degree of importance of a particular case should not be assessed in the mind, but on paper. So the tasks take shape, and their implementation becomes more real.

Why should this method be used?

The principle of Dwight Eisenhower can help change his life in terms of rationalizing personal time. Using this method allows you to spend less time performing unnecessary tasks and dealing with the most promising cases, as well as sufficient time to give proper rest, avoiding the so-called "time eaters": television, aimless wandering around the Web and the like.

The person who uses the principles of time management in his daily activities is not only more successful than others, according to statistics, but also healthier, as he does not experience constant stresses associated with congestion and constant deadlines. Prioritization (the Eisenhower principle or any other) will help to optimize your life activity in all spheres.