9 American Association of Dental Editors & Journalists yourself and delegate something else that is more within that person’s purview. The Eisenhower Matrix helps you to prioritize and strategize so the most urgent and important tasks get the time and effort that they deserve, and you can lead with maximum focus and minimal stress. It worked for Eisenhower, as he progressed from U.S. Army general, to Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces, and then President of the United States. I can’t even imagine how many crucial issues were in his Quadrant one, and when he would ever hope to assign something to Quadrant four. Because of the Eisenhower Matrix, I already met all of my goals for today. Now, I’m off to check my spam folder and find out more about my long-lost rich relative. References 1. The American Presidency Project. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Address at the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, Evanston, Illinois. https://www.presidency. ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-second-assembly- the-world-council-churches-evanston-illinois (accessed February 14, 2024). is to decide if the task will significantly impact your future progress. It is helpful if your staff is large enough for you to have access to associate or assistant editors, interns, part-timers, or even freelancers. Their tasks can involve completing certain types of administrative paperwork, appointment setting, fact, or citation/ reference checking, or maybe even attending that pop-up meeting or ZOOM webinar and providing a good summary. As a self- acknowledged micromanaging “control freak,” I find that delegating tasks can be stressful, but after the initial angst, learning how to get the job done without having to do it myself can be quite liberating. Quadrant four contains all those tasks that have little-to-no value. You can save these for those times when you absolutely have nothing to do and you have already visited the break room, had a donut and a cuppa, and called everyone back, including the PR person who left a voicemail asking if you would like to have an article on “why it is important to brush your teeth,” in your journal, which is targeted to dental specialists. If you have a bit of Quadrant four time, you can take a peek at Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter), repot your overgrown desk plant, or check your spam folder in case you missed an email from the lawyer of a long lost relative who would like to leave you his fortune. There are some times when the Eisenhower Matrix will not work. If you are going to spend more time thinking about what Quadrant to assign a task to than doing the actual task, this method is not for you. Likewise, if you don’t have an assistant, or anyone else to delegate to, three would be a moot Quadrant. If you delegate it to someone, and the job is not completed to your standards, you know for next time to do that task Continues Dwight D. Eisenhower (Source: The American Presidency Project). Source: Asana (https://asana.com/resources/eisenhower-matrix). FEATURED ARTICLE
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