Complete firstBounded task list
Tasks belong to one person, role, or shared backlog within the same period.
A mixed list of strategy, routine, and project dependencies cannot be sorted consistently.
Method guideDecision Making
Eisenhower Matrix
A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.
ComplexityLow
Time15-30 min
Participants1-6
FormatWorkshop + async
MaturityCanonical
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstShared meaning of important and urgent
Importance relates to goals, impact, and responsibility. Urgency relates to a specific deadline or near-term consequence.
Current stress can distort either axis.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Tasks from one or a few clearly named sources, a 2×2 surface, and access to calendars, ownership, and relevant deadlines.
People / roles
One person or a small group rates the tasks. Owners clarify deadlines and delegation options. Facilitation can help separate stress from importance.
Pre-read
Gather open commitments, goals, real deadlines, and existing ownership.
Time needed
15–30 minutes for a manageable list. Dependent project plans need separate planning.
Setup
Define importance through agreed goals, consequences, and responsibility. Define urgency through a deadline, expected delay consequence, or short response time. Sort tasks as important and urgent, important and not urgent, less important and urgent, or neither. Translate quadrants into do now, schedule, delegate when authorized, or deliberately remove. Check obligations, dependencies, and capacity before assigning an action.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
What needs immediate action, scheduled attention, delegation, or removal from the active list?
04
Flow
Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall
The Eisenhower Matrix classifies a bounded task list by consequences for agreed goals or responsibilities and by concrete deadlines. The quadrants serve as a planning heuristic rather than an objective measure of value or time.
Importance and urgency grid
Fictional teaching example
Fictional weekly tasks with derived next actions.
| Impact on goals and responsibilities | Urgent | Not urgent |
|---|---|---|
| ImportantWhat are the consequences for agreed goals or responsibilities? | Resolve a double-booked Saturday slot today. Contact affected households. | Test the reservation confirmation with two people. Block Tuesday. |
| Less importantWhat are the consequences for agreed goals or responsibilities? | Forward the supplier invoice before its deadline. Delegate only with confirmed cover. | Reformat old internal slides. Remove from the active list until needed. |
1. Urgent
- Important
- Resolve a double-booked Saturday slot today. Contact affected households.
- Less important
- Forward the supplier invoice before its deadline. Delegate only with confirmed cover.
2. Not urgent
- Important
- Test the reservation confirmation with two people. Block Tuesday.
- Less important
- Reformat old internal slides. Remove from the active list until needed.
Importance relates to agreed goals and consequences; urgency to concrete deadlines and near-term effects. Placement depends on context. Delegation and removal must account for obligations, authority, and capacity.
- 1
Scope
Bound the list and period
Goal
Tasks can be considered against a shared goal and time frame.
Inputs for this step
- Task sources, goals, and commitments
Actions
- Name people, period, and purpose
- keep obligations and existing commitments visible.
Output
Bounded set of tasks
The matrix is a snapshot, not a permanent ranking.
Quality check
Tasks jump between personal, team, and portfolio goals.
Pitfall
The task list mixes goals or periods. Separate lists and work on one level at a time.
Timing: 2–3 minutes
- 2
Capture
Make open work visible
Goal
The view is complete enough for a short prioritization.
Inputs for this step
- Calendar, backlog, notes, and open commitments
Actions
- Merge duplicates
- phrase entries as actions
- add deadlines and owners.
Output
Clean task list
Hidden or duplicate work distorts the picture.
Quality check
Entries remain broad topics or wishes.
Pitfall
Important open tasks are missing or duplicated. Add the next action and a responsible person.
Timing: 3–5 minutes
- 3
Axes
Define importance and urgency
Goal
The axes answer different questions.
Inputs for this step
- Goals, consequences, dates, and dependencies
Actions
- State shared criteria
- do not equate stress with urgency
- do not undervalue important work without a deadline.
Output
Two defined rating dimensions
Importance and urgency are not synonyms.
Quality check
Both axes are treated as the same thing.
Pitfall
Importance and urgency are conflated. Ask separately about goal impact and deadline for each task.
Timing: 3–5 minutes
- 4
Place
Sort tasks into quadrants
Goal
Every placement follows the agreed axes.
Inputs for this step
- Clean list and axis definitions
Actions
- Place tasks
- discuss boundary cases
- show legal, safety, and team obligations.
Output
Readable 2×2 grid
Quadrants reduce multidimensional project decisions to two questions.
Quality check
A task is called unimportant because it is quiet now.
Pitfall
Tasks are placed by stress rather than consequences. Recheck consequences, date, and ownership.
Timing: 4–7 minutes
- 5
Act
Own the next actions
Goal
Prioritization becomes a calendar entry, handoff, or reasoned removal.
Inputs for this step
- Placed tasks and available capacity
Actions
- Set owner and date
- confirm delegation authority
- record why a task is removed
- agree on review.
Output
Action list and review date
Sorting alone does not change the work.
Quality check
The grid has no owner or capacity check.
Pitfall
Sorted tasks receive no owned action. Choose a few next steps and schedule a later reassessment.
Timing: 3–5 minutes
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Sketch: what the artifact looks like
What deserves attention gets a place
The matrix separates real priority from time pressure and clarifies what gets done now, scheduled, handed off, or deliberately left.
not urgenturgentimportantnot important
Schedule
Important, not urgent · set a date.
Do
Important and urgent · focus now.
Delete
Neither important nor urgent · consciously leave it.
Delegate
Urgent, not important · hand it off.
Y-Achse · ImportanceX-Achse · Urgency
Form
Dated priority view with axis definitions, task, quadrant, concrete action, owner, date, and later review.
Versioning / ownership
Save the period, source, axis definitions, and ownership. Reassess open tasks during recurring use rather than treating old placements as fixed.
Tool alternatives
- Paper or whiteboard 2×2 grid
- Task list with deadline and goal relationship
- Calendar or team backlog for scheduled and handed-off work
eisenhower-matrix-working-template.md
Plan a bounded task list, shared axis definitions, and a concrete follow-up action for each quadrant.
Eisenhower Matrix: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Reprioritize tasks Time: 15–30 minutes for a manageable list
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: Tasks from one or a few clearly named sources, a 2×2 surface, and access to calendars, ownership, and relevant deadlines.
- Roles: One person or a small group rates the tasks. Owners clarify deadlines and delegation options. Facilitation can help separate stress from importance.
- Advance information: Gather open commitments, goals, real deadlines, and existing ownership.
- Overall time needed: 15–30 minutes for a manageable list. Dependent project plans need separate planning.
- Setup: Define importance through agreed goals, consequences, and responsibility. Define urgency through a deadline, expected delay consequence, or short response time. Sort tasks as important and urgent, important and not urgent, less important and urgent, or neither. Translate quadrants into do now, schedule, delegate when authorized, or deliberately remove. Check obligations, dependencies, and capacity before assigning an action.
Prepare for the work steps
Scope: Bound the list and period
- Task sources, goals, and commitments
Capture: Make open work visible
- Calendar, backlog, notes, and open commitments
Axes: Define importance and urgency
- Goals, consequences, dates, and dependencies
Place: Sort tasks into quadrants
- Clean list and axis definitions
Act: Own the next actions
- Placed tasks and available capacity
Importance and urgency grid
| Impact on goals and responsibilities | Urgent: concrete deadline or near-term consequence | Not urgent: no immediate deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Important | ||
| Less important |
- Important: What are the consequences for agreed goals or responsibilities?
- Less important: What are the consequences for agreed goals or responsibilities?
Blank worksheet: add tasks and a next action in each cell. Check goal relationship, deadlines, and ownership before moving work.
Eisenhower Matrix quadrants, based on ProductPlan
Scope: Bound the list and period
Expected artifact: Bounded set of tasks
The matrix is a snapshot, not a permanent ranking.
Entry:
...
- Tasks jump between personal, team, and portfolio goals.
Capture: Make open work visible
Expected artifact: Clean task list
Hidden or duplicate work distorts the picture.
Entry:
...
- Entries remain broad topics or wishes.
Axes: Define importance and urgency
Expected artifact: Two defined rating dimensions
Importance and urgency are not synonyms.
Entry:
...
- Both axes are treated as the same thing.
Place: Sort tasks into quadrants
Expected artifact: Readable 2×2 grid
Quadrants reduce multidimensional project decisions to two questions.
Entry:
...
- A task is called unimportant because it is quiet now.
Act: Own the next actions
Expected artifact: Action list and review date
Sorting alone does not change the work.
Entry:
...
- The grid has no owner or capacity check.
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/eisenhower-matrix/run-sheet
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.
eisenhower-matrix-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional teaching example: a small tool-lending team's weekly plan
All tasks and consequences are invented. The team reviews a shared list for the coming week. Importance is tied to the pilot goal and responsibility for reservations. Urgency depends on a specific deadline or near-term consequence.
| Urgent | Not urgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Important | Resolve a double-booked Saturday slot today. Action: contact affected households. | Test the reservation confirmation with two people. Action: block time on Tuesday. |
| Less important | Send a supplier invoice to accounting before its deadline. Action: delegate only if a capable backup is confirmed. | Reformat old internal slides. Action: remove from the active list until there is a clear use. |
The matrix shows work priority, not the general value of the tasks. Before delegating, the team checks authority and capacity. Legal duties, safety rules, and dependencies keep their own requirements.
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow
- Bound the list and periodThe task list mixes goals or periods.View in phase
- Make open work visibleImportant open tasks are missing or duplicated.View in phase
- Define importance and urgencyImportance and urgency are conflated.View in phase
- Sort tasks into quadrantsTasks are placed by stress rather than consequences.View in phase
- Own the next actionsSorted tasks receive no owned action.View in phase
Trap
Bound the list and period
Symptom
The task list mixes goals or periods.
What to do
Separate lists and work on one level at a time.
Trap
Make open work visible
Symptom
Important open tasks are missing or duplicated.
What to do
Add the next action and a responsible person.
Trap
Define importance and urgency
Symptom
Importance and urgency are conflated.
What to do
Ask separately about goal impact and deadline for each task.
Trap
Sort tasks into quadrants
Symptom
Tasks are placed by stress rather than consequences.
What to do
Recheck consequences, date, and ownership.
Trap
Own the next actions
Symptom
Sorted tasks receive no owned action.
What to do
Choose a few next steps and schedule a later reassessment.
08
Stop criteria
When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach
The list mixes goals or periods: narrow the scope or create separate matrices.
Important is rated as loud, unpleasant, or prestigious: state the consequence and agreed goal.
Urgency has no concrete deadline or near-term consequence: check the date and dependency.
A task is delegated or deleted without checking authority or obligation: involve the owner.
A project has many dependencies: switch to sequencing or portfolio planning.
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