“If an audience just listens, they take away 12% of your content. By making it more visual, you can increase audience comprehension and recall to 26%. But when you really engage them and they respond, their comprehension and ‘take away’ goes up. to 51%”. Mark Lavergne
The Urgent Important Matrix is an incredibly simple and powerful tool to help your clients manage their time more effectively. It is also a compelling and useful tool to use in a workshop or seminar to engage and respond.
Using a simple grid, define tasks by importance and urgency:
- Quadrant 1 – Crisis – URGENT and IMPORTANT
- Quadrant 2 – Goals and Planning – NOT URGENT and IMPORTANT
- Quadrant 3 – Interruptions – URGENT and NOT IMPORTANT
- Quadrant 4 – Distractions – NOT URGENT and NOT IMPORTANT
10 easy steps to use the urgent important matrix in a workshop or seminar
1. INTRODUCTION: First, share the general matrix with your workshop attendees and make sure they understand the concept. Ideally, this is done by drawing it on a whiteboard or flipchart.
2) TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Then go through each quadrant and ask your workshop attendees to share examples of activities they think fit into each quadrant, not just their own, but also things they see other people doing. If necessary, start with a couple of suggestions of your own (see the list below). And as people chant them, write them on the white board or flip chart.
Quadrant 1 — Important AND urgent tasks we call “Crisis”. Examples include; An important customer calling and complaining that they STILL haven’t received their order, a firm deadline for a project that’s coming up and you’re nowhere near complete, your power has been cut off because you forgot to pay your bill, an urgent trip to to the dentist for something that has been bothering you for a while.
Quadrant 2: important and non-urgent tasks that we call goals and planning. These include things like reviewing priorities and tasks, working on major projects, home maintenance and renovations, scheduling health appointments early enough, budgeting (at work and at home), paying bills, building relationships at work work/networking, maintaining close relationships at home, exercising and eating right.
Quadrant 3 — Non-important and urgent tasks we call interruptions. Examples of interruptions from others include family interruptions, unimportant phone calls, some emails (especially the email ‘pinger’), and unimportant/other people meetings.
Quadrant 4: non-important and non-urgent tasks that we call distractions. These include constant checking of email, excessive television, Internet or computer game use, excessive relaxation and sleep, self-deprecating thoughts, gossip/idle talk, and unique ‘escape’ activities from people.
3) MAKE IT PERSONAL: So now have your attendees draw the quadrants (or give them a printed version) and ask them to complete specific examples that are unique to them in each quadrant. Make sure everyone has at least one personal example in EVERY quadrant.
4) EVALUATION: Then have them calculate the percentage of time they spend in each quadrant and write that number in each quadrant. N.B. Make sure this is intuitive: ask them for their first, instant response so they don’t have time to tweak the numbers and make them sound better! If necessary, remind them that honesty and conscientiousness are keys to making improvements.
5) REVIEW TIME: So which quadrant do you spend the MOST of your time in? How does it feel? Why do you think that is? The percentage and personal activities you have assigned to each quadrant now gives you a chance to review how a) your time management (or lack thereof) affects how you feel and b) how you could spend your time more effectively.
Quadrant 1 — Crisis — Are they stressed? For people who spend most of their time in crisis, highlight the negative impacts of stress. Maybe dealing with crises is part of your job? Or maybe they just like drama? How could they spend more time in Quadrant 2?
Quadrant 2 — Goals and Planning — For people who spend most of their time on goals and planning, excellent, congratulate them! They probably feel in control, are clear about where they are going, and may even be relaxed in their jobs. Help them by asking how they could be EVEN more effective. Are they building relationships for when potential crises hit? Are they having enough fun? Do they need some interruptions and distractions?
Quadrant 3 — Interruptions — People who spend a lot of time here are probably frustrated, stressed and feel like they never get anything done. The solutions often consist of finding ways to say “No” to others so that they spend some time working on their important projects.
Quadrant 4 — Distractions — People who spend a lot of time here are probably unmotivated, unclear on their priorities, and likely stressed or frustrated with themselves. The solutions often revolve around finding meaning and purpose, gaining clarity, and saying “No” to ourselves.
Advice: People who spend most of their time in Quadrants 3 and 4 often lack inspiration and motivation. They may be in the wrong job, tired and/or stressed and could be using these activities to ‘escape’. They may need help clarifying and identifying important tasks and priorities, or they may need help seeing how what they are doing adds value. They may also need some constructive ‘fun’ or free time set aside in their journals to make it easier to work hard when they need to.
All of these areas are great for follow-up training. You may also find that a client can really benefit from identifying what is truly important to him and aligning her career and/or life with her values. And while you might not want to cover values in this workshop, it could make for a great follow-up workshop or something you could offer interested people in for a bit of personal coaching afterwards.
What we are looking for: The goal of The Urgent Important Matrix is to get people to prioritize both work and planning for their important projects, and this means spending time in Quadrant 2. This also means addressing their problems BEFORE they become urgent. We also want people to be aware of where they get distracted and interrupted so they can minimize ‘wasted’ time in these areas. They can then use the saved time and spend it in Quadrant 2.
6) LEARNING: So what is stopping you from managing your time better, specifically? Give them some examples and let them reflect for a moment. Then, break them into smaller groups of 3-5 to discuss the underlying reasons why they each spend the time they do in each of the quadrants. The purpose is not to have a ‘grievance session’ but to try to identify the exact causes. This part can also be done as an individual or whole group exercise depending on the size of the group and the dynamics of the attendees. Finally, have each group report back to the main group on their findings.
Examples to start with include having a boss who is unclear on priorities and keeps assigning new tasks. Perhaps the systems and processes they use create unnecessary extra work. Maybe the work is routine and boring. Maybe people aren’t clear on what they’re doing and keep pestering you for clarification. Or maybe your desk is next to the water cooler so people can keep chatting with them. Make sure they are specific and can pinpoint the problem before identifying solutions.
7) SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: Where do they sabotage themselves? It’s time for your attendees to do some personal introspection. Where are THEY the cause of their problems? Help them take some property. Examples of self-sabotage include: do they hold effective meetings? Do they have trouble saying No? Do they enjoy drama or a ‘hero’ role? Maybe they find it difficult to prioritize or maybe they lack discipline and focus? Are you bored and uninspired in your life? Do they see relationship building as a waste of time?
N.B. It is best to do this as a one-on-one exercise unless there is already a high level of trust between the attendees.
8) MOTIVATION: So how would you like to spend your time differently? What’s in it for them? People may like or think of improving their time management, but until they are really motivated, they won’t make the necessary changes. So help them figure out what’s in it for them: a promotion, a raise, some training, more time with the kids, a new job or career, or maybe just doing less of what they hate and more of what they love. So ask the group, “How would your lives be different if you managed your time more effectively?” And let them share their ideas so everyone can hear and be inspired.
9) TAKE ACTION: So what could you do? It’s time to brainstorm. Get people together individually or, if possible, in groups of 3-5, and ask them to work together so that EACH ONE proposes 3-5 possible actions to improve their time management. You don’t have to put them all into action; this is just a brainstorming exercise. Perhaps they could request some training or find a book on the subject, set aside time each morning or afternoon to plan their day, or perhaps they could schedule a regular meeting with their team or boss to clarify priorities. Maybe they could start work earlier when it’s calm and focus on getting the most important tasks done. Or maybe they need to feel like they’re adding value or having fun, even if it’s in their personal life and not their work life.
10) COMMITMENT: Finally, ask them for 1-3 specific actions that they will commit to. They must choose at least one action to remove and work on. Make sure this action is something they can implement right away, or the next day or so. What is the KEY action that will make the difference in your effectiveness? Ask them to only choose actions that they are 100% sure they feel inspired by. If there is a need to do the smallest action, until they can commit 100 percent. Have them WRITE the action and, if desired, have them sign and date it for additional commitment.
Once everyone has at least one action, ask them to share their actions, either with the group or with the person next to them. This will depend on the time you have left and the size of the group.
wrap
As a summary, it’s always useful and interesting (for you and the other attendees) to ask people what their biggest gains from the session are. What has helped you the most?
And remember, if applicable, mention that you’d love to work with people more if they want help managing their time better, committing to their actions, creating a healthy lifestyle, or perhaps working on their values. Finally, make sure you have some business cards and promotional materials to hand out and give away (and if they have a time management approach, all the better). Now you are ready to go – enjoy your workshop!
Click here to view the Urgent Important Matrix as an image.
