Chaos in the workplace leads to stress, sleep disorders and high psychological stress. There are countless methods to avoid this – here we present the Ivy Lee method, which has been tried and tested for 100 years.
The Eisenhower principle, the ABC strategy, the Alpine method and many other strategies help against stress in the workplace. This also applies to the so-called “Ivy Lee Method”, which the famous management consultant Ivy Ledbetter Lee developed 100 years ago for one of the richest people in the world at the time – Charles M. Schwab, President of Bethlehem Steel. Bethlehem Steel was the second largest steel producer in the United States and was experiencing an economic boom when Schwab is said to have asked Lee to increase the productivity of his employees.
And this is how the method developed by Lee works
1. In the evening, write down 6 important tasks for the next day.
2. Sort them: The highest priority task comes first.
3. The next day, do the task number 1 on the list first – without being distracted by phone calls or the like.
4. Only then do you find out whether new tasks have been added and re-sort the list.
5. Now work on the second task without distraction and then check again whether new important tasks should be added to the daily list.
6. In the evening make a new list for the next day. It is important to limit yourself to around six tasks – the decision factor of the method is essential for increasing efficiency, as you are only minimally distracted by thinking about other tasks.
The basic principle: single-tasking instead of multi-tasking
The method has many advantages: The sorted list allows you to keep track and work in a focused manner, which automatically leads to more efficiency. Because you don’t have a big new mountain of unknown tasks coming at you first thing in the morning, but rather you start straight away with a task you’re already familiar with, it’s easier to start the day – you already know what’s most important. You will then be motivated by the to-do list and checking off individual items. By the way, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have time for an item on the list: you can simply write it down again for the next day. If an item remains at the bottom of the list for several days in a row, it is worth putting it at number 1 to guarantee that it will be processed.
Lee’s strategy is particularly efficient for one simple reason: While the trend in working life is towards multitasking, the method forces you to complete one task at a time – which has been proven to lead to faster work. If something important happens to cross your Ivy Lee list, you shouldn’t be afraid to delegate a task to colleagues in a leadership position.
When is time for the small stuff?
One can rightly ask oneself where in Lee’s concept there is room for small things or phone calls, emails and filing – after all, in many professions it is hardly possible and desirable to avoid calls and colleagues all day long.
The “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” (HAZ) quotes personal trainer for time management Ivan Blatter as saying: “The fine art of good time management is to focus on the important things as often and as long as possible.” But if your job is focused on teamwork and communication, it may be enough for you to reserve just one afternoon a week for the Ivy Lee method. Anja Bischof, trainer for self-management, mentioned the famous time buffer to “HAZ” in a conversation about time management. This gives you the opportunity to take care of tasks or small things that suddenly arise. This should definitely find its place in your everyday work – even if you work with the Ivy Lee method.
Editorial team finanzen.net