Page 339 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Time-management Skills | 327

Table 16.1 The Time Management Matrix

Urgent Not Urgent
Important QUADRANT I QUADRANT II
Crises, Prevention, Production capability
Pressing problems, activities, Relationship building,
Deadline-driven projects Recognizing new Opportunities,
Planning, Recreation.
Not important QUADRANT III QUADRANT IV
Interruptions, Trivia, Busy work, Some mail,
Some calls, Some mail, Some phone calls time wasters,
Some reports, Some meetings, Pleasant activities
Popular activities
Every activity we perform during the day can be put in one of four quad-
rants:
i. Quadrant I: Urgent and important
This quadrant includes those items that represent true crises (for
example, your mother has a stroke and you need to take her to the
hospital), deadline driven projects (for example, a paper that has a
deadline that cannot be moved and represents a substantial part of
your grade), and other such truly important and pressing items.
ii. Quadrant II: Not urgent but important
This quadrant includes items that are truly important in our lives
( preparation, relationships, relaxation, self-renewal, etc.) that we truly
need to do to maintain our production capability abilities. Unfortunately,
since they are not urgent (‘Oh, I can put that off!’) we tend not to do
them. We procrastinate because they are not urgent. Unfortunately, if
we do this long enough, this tends to create highly urgent crises which
then force us back into Quadrant I and gives us less time doing qual-
ity activities. Upon reflection, most of us would conclude that our first
things fall in Quadrant II. Hence although we ignore things, we are
set up conditions so that we will have even less time to devote to these
vitally important activities. If you don’t take the time to plan for your
paper and manage your time on that project you will find yourself
having to stay up all night to get it done.
• Urgent matters are usually visible; they insist on action, and they
are easy and fun to do.
• Important matters contribute to our mission.
• Effective people stay out of Quadrants III and IV.
• Quadrant II is the heart of effective personal management.

Bhatnagar_Chapter 16.indd 327 2011-06-23 8:00:41 PM
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