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Don't you just love how group projects give you the opportunity to carry the entire team on your back while experiencing a mental breakdown at the same time?

Woman on fire screaming, 'Ahhhhhhhh, it's happening again!' while wearing an Elmo costume.

I feel you. But you can take a deep breath because the Eisenhower Matrix is here to save the day!

The Eisenhower Matrix is a popular tool that groups can use to work well together by prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency. Using this matrix, you can get organized in 4 easy steps and leave your group project nightmares behind forever!

Did you know?

Even though group work is tough, innovation is rarely the result of solo geniuses. It tends to be the product of teams!

1. Create a Grid

First, you'll need to schedule an hour or so to sit down and plan with your group.

Next, get a piece of paper or shared document and create this image:

4-square grid with labels from left to right 'Urgent' & 'Not Urgent' and from top to bottom, 'Important' & 'Not Important' Flaticon Icon

  • Important: an "important" task must be essential to the group's long-term goal and must be agreed upon or completed by all members as a group.

  • Urgent: an "urgent" task must be time-sensitive — it can't wait!

2. Label the Quadrants

The next step is to label the quadrants like the image below. The labels correspond to how urgent and/or important the tasks in each quadrant will be.

A picture of four quadrants that are labeled: Do, Decide, Delegate, and Delete Kos, B. (2021, August 9). The Eisenhower decision matrix [Table] courtesy of Spica. 

Tasks that are important and urgent will be labeled "Do" because they have to happen immediately. Tasks that are important but not urgent will be labeled "Decide" because you can schedule a time to complete them.

Person pointing at their schedule in a planning book.

Tasks that are not important but urgent will be labeled "Delegate" because these tasks can be given to each group member to take home and finish independently.

Woman shouting, 'I love being independent!'

Finally, tasks that are not important and not urgent can be labeled "Delete" and eliminated from the group's job list. (This is the not-so-secret best quadrant!)

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Did you know?

Delegating tasks enables your team members to make decisions quickly without having to involve you (and everybody else)!

3. Prioritize Tasks

Now it's time to fill in the matrix with all of the tasks you'll need to complete to reach your goal. You'll have to think of each task in terms of its importance and urgency.

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Your group has a week to research and create a presentation on cell organelles for your biology class. You sit down together and create an Eisenhower Matrix. Here are the tasks you list:

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Do (Important & Urgent):

  • Research and select the most crucial organelles to present

  • Create a timeline and schedule for the project

  • Divide roles and responsibilities among the group members

  • Start gathering information and resources for the presentation

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Decide (Important & Not Urgent):

  • Review and organize the gathered information

  • Create an outline for the presentation

  • Develop a rough draft of the presentation

  • Proofread and edit the presentation

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Delegate (Not Important & Urgent):

  • Gather and organize the materials needed for the presentation

  • Create handouts or other visual aids for the presentation

  • Confirm the presentation date and location

  • Practice the presentation and make sure all group members are comfortable with their roles

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Eliminate (Not Important and Not Urgent):

  • Waste time arguing over where to meet

  • Get sidetracked by irrelevant research or information

  • Create an elaborate, unnecessary animation for the presentation

  • Spend too much time on minor details instead of focusing on the bigger picture

Quiz

Brian is creating a matrix for a Shakespeare presentation. Which of these is "Urgent" and "Important"?

4. Assign Tasks

Person giving Bart Simpson an assignment.

Schedule your future group meetings and assign all tasks on the matrix:

  • Give each group member a task from "Do" to complete before the next meeting.

  • Schedule the "Decide" items for specific dates, i.e. your future meetings.

  • Divide up the tasks in "Delegate" evenly among group members.

  • Cross off any items in "Delete!"

Two women high-fiving in front of a background that says 'Teamwork.'

Review the tasks in each quadrant at each group meeting and adjust them as needed based on changing priorities or deadlines.

Take Action

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By using the Eisenhower Matrix, you and your group can prioritize tasks effectively, stay organized, and achieve your project goals efficiently.

License:

This Byte has been authored by

SO

Shannon O'Connor

Educator, Librarian & Researcher

English

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