The document introduces Stephen Covey's time management grid, which organizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. Quadrant I contains urgent and important tasks, while quadrant II contains important but not urgent tasks for long-term planning. Quadrant III holds urgent but unimportant distractors, and quadrant IV is for unimportant tasks used to take breaks. The document recommends sorting one's to-do list using the grid and tracking time spent on tasks in each quadrant over a week to evaluate time management.
The document introduces Stephen Covey's time management grid, which organizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. Quadrant I contains urgent and important tasks, while quadrant II contains important but not urgent tasks for long-term planning. Quadrant III holds urgent but unimportant distractors, and quadrant IV is for unimportant tasks used to take breaks. The document recommends sorting one's to-do list using the grid and tracking time spent on tasks in each quadrant over a week to evaluate time management.
The document introduces Stephen Covey's time management grid, which organizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. Quadrant I contains urgent and important tasks, while quadrant II contains important but not urgent tasks for long-term planning. Quadrant III holds urgent but unimportant distractors, and quadrant IV is for unimportant tasks used to take breaks. The document recommends sorting one's to-do list using the grid and tracking time spent on tasks in each quadrant over a week to evaluate time management.
The document introduces Stephen Covey's time management grid, which organizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. Quadrant I contains urgent and important tasks, while quadrant II contains important but not urgent tasks for long-term planning. Quadrant III holds urgent but unimportant distractors, and quadrant IV is for unimportant tasks used to take breaks. The document recommends sorting one's to-do list using the grid and tracking time spent on tasks in each quadrant over a week to evaluate time management.
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U S G E O L O G I C A L S U R V E Y
D e p a r t m e n t o f E mployee and Organizational Development
TIME MANAGEMENT GRID
Covey’s Time Management Grid
We live in a time pressured world where it is common to have multiple
overlapping commitments that all require immediate attention now. Ur- gency is no long reserved for special occasions, they are an everyday occur- rences. Missing deadlines is not the path to advancement or even good job reviews. So how can one manage the flood of responsibilities, do excellent work and maintain a positive frame of mind? The Covey time management grid is an effective method of organizing your priorities. As you can see from the grid below, there are four quadrants organized by urgency and importance.
URGENT NOT URGENT
Quadrant I: Quadrant II: I M P O RTA N T Urgent & Important Not Urgent & Important
NOT Quadrant III: Quadrant IV:
Urgent & Not Urgent & I M P O RTA N T Not Important Not Important
source: Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Quadrant I is for the immediate and important deadlines.
Quadrant II is for long-term strategizing and development.
Quadrant III is for time pressured distractions. They are not really impor- tant, but someone wants it now.
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2 Covey’s Time Management Grid
Quadrant IV is for those activities that yield little is any value. These are activities that are often used for taking a break from time pressured and important activities.
Many people find that most of their activities fall into quadrant I and III. Quadrant II is often under used. Yet, Quadrant II is exceptionally important because one must work both tactically and strategically at the same time. Finding ways to expand Quadrant II activities is a common outcome from using this grid.
Using The Grid
The grid has many applications, two will be suggested here. The first and most obvious use of the grid is take your current ‘to-do’ list and sort all the activities into the appropriate grid. Then, assess the amount of time you have to accomplish the lists and, if necessary, reallocate activities.
The second approach is a one week assessment strategy. Make six copies of the grid (you will find a working copy on the next page) and use one grid for each day of the week, listing all activities and time spent. At the end of the week, Combine the five individual day data onto one summary grid (number 6) and calculate the percent of time in each grid. Then evaluate how well your time is spent and whether you work load needs to be reor- ganized.
The Bottom Line: Do Important things First!
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3 Covey’s Time Management Grid
Quadrant I: Urgent & Important Quadrant II: Not Urgent & Important
Quadrant III: Urgent & Not Important Quadrant IV: Not Urgent & Not Important
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