The year-long to-do lists and gettin'm done...
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 05:48AM This seems to be "accountability" week for me in the district. Bright and early Monday morning I met with my boss, the superintendent, to review my professional growth plan. Yesterday the District Media and Technology Advisory Committee met and by custom reviewed the department's annual objectives. (I link to the documents here not as models, but just to let readers know that I actually do practice what I preach on my day job.
Both of these annual "to-do" lists are replete with tasks that fall smack in Quadrant II of Stephen Covey's "Time Management Matrix" (p. 151 of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People). Jobs that are important but not Urgent.
Being the natural procrastinator that I am, I am always looking for ways to move a task from Quadrant II to Quadrant I - Important and Urgent. Making your Quadrant II tasks a part of your employee evaluation and a part of my advisory committee review does exactly that.
Nobody wants to say "I just didn't get around to it."
Your strategies for accomplishing Important but Not Urgent tasks???
Reader Comments (2)
I read Steven Covey and his matrix inspired me to set up three "to do" folders marked as follows:
1. Urgent (essential stuff with a due date. Budget, class planning etc.)
2. Important (collection development, goal setting, web site updates etc.)
3. When Hell Freezes Over (self-explanatory)
When I got tired of dealing with the urgent, I would dip into the important folder and find a job that would cheer me up.
I also posted a sign on my rarely used office. It said, "Do not disturb, unless you are on fire". When I needed to work on something that demanded concentration - I would disappear into the office. Probably only a few hours a year.
I have to say that I tossed my 'When hell freezes over" file with great gusto on my last day before I retired. It was always a source of guilt .... because it was full of good ideas that I never found time to do. I should have made time for some of it......
HI Jacquie,
I love the sign. I'm getting one made for my door. (It's rarely shut now so when it is, most of my staff already get the message!)
Doug