Coaching Tools 101 – Workshops – 10 Easy Steps to Running a Workshop Using the Urgent Importance Matrix

“If an audience just listens, they take away 12% of your content. By making it more visual, you can increase the audience’s understanding and recall by up to 26%. But when you actually engage and respond to them, their understanding and ‘take away’ goes up to 51% “. Mark lavergne

The Urgent Importance Matrix is ​​an incredibly simple and powerful tool to help your clients manage their time more effectively. It is also a compelling and useful tool to use in a workshop or seminar, engaging and responding.

Using a simple grid, define the tasks according to their importance and urgency:

• Quadrant 1 – Crisis – URGENT and IMPORTANT
• Quadrant 2 – Goals and planning – NOT URGENT and IMPORTANT
• Quadrant 3 – Interruptions – URGENT and NOT IMPORTANT
• Quadrant 4 – Distractions – NOT URGENT AND NOT IMPORTANT

10 easy steps to use the Urgent Importance Matrix in a workshop or seminar

1. INTRODUCTION: First, share the general matrix with your workshop attendees and make sure they understand the concept. Ideally, this is done by drawing it on a blackboard or flip chart.

2) A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Next, review each quadrant and ask your workshop attendees to share examples of activities they think fit into each quadrant, not just their own, but also the things they see other people doing. If necessary, start with a couple of suggestions of your own (see list below). And when people yell at them, write them on the board or flip chart.

Quadrant 1 – Important AND urgent tasks that we call “Crisis”. Examples include; a major customer calling and complaining that they have STILL not received their order, a fixed deadline for a project that is coming up and is nowhere near complete, their power was cut off because they forgot to pay their bill, an urgent trip to the dentist for something that has been bothering him for a while.

Quadrant 2: Important and non-urgent tasks that we call Goals and planning. These include things like a review of priorities and tasks, working on important projects, home maintenance and renovations, booking medical appointments early, budgeting (at work and at home) paying bills, building relationships at work / networking, maintaining close relationships at home, exercising and eating well.

Quadrant 3: unimportant and urgent tasks we call interruptions. Examples of interruptions from others include family interruptions, unimportant phone calls, some emails (especially the email ‘pinger’), and unimportant / other people’s meetings.

Quadrant 4 – Non-important and non-urgent tasks that we call distractions. These include constantly checking email, excessive use of television, the Internet, or computer games, excessive relaxation and sleep, self-critical thinking, idle gossip / talk, and unique “escape” activities from people.

3) MAKE IT PERSONAL: So now have your assistants draw the quadrants (or give them a printed version) and ask them to complete specific examples that are unique to them in each quadrant. Make sure everyone has at least one personal example in EACH quadrant.

4) EVALUATION: Next, ask them to calculate the percentage of time they spend in each quadrant and write that number in each quadrant. NB. Make sure this is a hunch – ask them for their first, instant answer so they don’t have time to adjust the numbers and make them sound better! If necessary, remind them that honesty and conscientiousness are key to making improvements.

5) REVIEW TIME: So in which quadrant do you spend the most time? How does it feel? Why do you think this is so? The percentage and personal activities they have assigned to each quadrant now gives them the opportunity to review how a) their time management (or lack thereof) affects how they feel and b) how they could use their time more effectively.

Quadrant 1 – Crisis – Are they stressed? For people who spend most of their time in crisis, highlight the negative impacts of stress. Perhaps coping with crises is part of your job? Or maybe they just like drama? How could they spend more time in Quadrant 2?

Quadrant 2 – Goals and planning – For the people who spend most of their time on goals and planning, great, congratulate them! They probably feel in control, are clear about where they are going, and may even be relaxed in their jobs. Help them here by asking how they could be EVEN more effective. Are you building relationships for when potential crises hit? Are they having enough fun? Do they need some interruptions and distractions?

Quadrant 3 – Interruptions – People who spend a lot of time here are likely to feel frustrated, stressed and feel like they can never get anything done. The solutions often consist of finding ways to say “No” to others so that they can spend time working on their important projects.

Quadrant 4 – Distractions – People who spend a lot of time here are likely unmotivated, may be unclear about their priorities, and are likely to feel stressed or frustrated with themselves. Solutions often revolve around finding meaning and purpose, gaining clarity, and saying “No” to ourselves.

Tip: People who spend most of their time in Quadrants 3 and 4 often lack inspiration and motivation. They may be at the wrong job, tired and / or stressed, and may be using these activities to ‘get away’. They may need help clarifying and identifying important tasks and priorities, or they may need help seeing how what they are doing adds value. They may also need some constructive “fun” or time off in their journals to make it easier to work hard when they need it.

All of these areas are excellent for follow-up training. You may also discover that a client can really benefit from identifying what is truly important to them and aligning their careers and / or lives with their values. And while you may not want to cover the values ​​in this workshop, it could be a great follow-up workshop or something you could offer to people interested in personal training afterward.

What we aim for: The goal of the Urgent Importance Matrix is ​​for people to prioritize both work and planning for their important projects, and this means spending time in Quadrant 2. This also means addressing your issues BEFORE they become urgent. We also want people to realize where they are distracted and interrupted so that they can minimize “wasted” time in these areas. Then they can use the time saved and spend it in Quadrant 2.

6) LEARNING: So what gets in the way of them managing their time better, specifically? Give them some examples and let them reflect for a moment. Then put them into smaller groups of 3-5 to discuss the underlying reasons why each of them spends the time they do in each of the quadrants. The purpose is not to have a “grievance session” but to try to identify the exact causes. This part can also be performed as a solo or full group exercise depending on the size of the group and the dynamics of the attendees. Finally, have each group report back to the main group on their findings.

Examples to start with include having a boss who is unclear on priorities and keeps assigning new tasks to them. Perhaps the systems and processes they use lead to unnecessary additional work. Perhaps the work is routine and boring. Perhaps people are not clear about what they are doing and continue to bother you for clarification. Or maybe their desk is next to the water cooler so people keep chatting with them. Make sure they are specific and can pinpoint the problem before identifying solutions.

7) SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: Where do they sabotage themselves? It’s time for your assistants to do some personal introspection. Where are THEY the cause of your problems? Help them take possession. Examples of self-sabotage include: Do you organize effective meetings? Do you have trouble saying no? Do they enjoy drama or a ‘hero’ role? Perhaps you find it difficult to set priorities or perhaps you lack discipline and focus? Are you bored and uninspired in your life? Do they see relationship building as a waste of time?

NB. It is best done as a solo exercise, unless there is already a high level of trust among the attendees.

8) MOTIVATION: So how would you like to spend your time differently? What’s in it for them? People may like or think of improving time management, but until they are really motivated they won’t make the necessary changes. So help them figure out what’s in store for them: a promotion, a raise, some training, more time with the kids, a new job or career, or maybe just doing less of what they loathe and more of what they love. So ask the group, “How will your lives be different if you managed your time more effectively?” And let them share their ideas so everyone can listen and be inspired.

9) ACT: So what could they do? Time to brainstorm. Have people stand alone or, if you can, in groups of 3-5 and ask them to work together to EVERYONE come up with 3-5 possible actions to improve time management. Not everyone has to act, this is just a brainstorming exercise. Perhaps they could request training or find a book on the subject, set aside time each morning or evening to plan their day, or perhaps they could schedule a regular meeting with their team or boss to clarify priorities. Maybe you could start work earlier when you are calm and focus on doing the big tasks. Or maybe they need to feel like they are adding value or having fun, even if this is in their personal lives rather than their work lives.

10) COMMITMENT: Finally, ask them for 1 to 3 specific actions that they will commit to. They must choose at least one action to remove and work. Make sure this action is something they can implement right away, or in the next day or so. What is the KEY action that will make the difference in your effectiveness? Ask them to only choose actions that they are 100% sure they feel inspired to complete. If necessary, scale back the action, until they can commit to one hundred percent. Ask them to WRITE the action and, if they wish, have them sign and date it for an additional commitment!

Once everyone has at least one action, ask them to share their actions, either with the group or with the person next to them. This will depend on the time you have left and the size of the group.

Ending

As a summary, it is always useful and interesting (for you and the other attendees) to ask people what their biggest gains from the session are. What has helped you the most?

And remember, if applicable, mention that you would love to work more with people if they would like help to better manage your time, commit to your actions, create a healthy lifestyle, or perhaps work on your values. Finally, make sure you have some business cards and promotional materials to distribute and give away (and if they have a focus on time management, all the better). You are ready to go, enjoy your workshop!

Click here to view the Urgent Importance Matrix as an image.