Productivity, Time & Energy Management – Part II: The Covey 4 Box Time Management Matrix

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

Productivity, Time & Energy Management- Part II The Covey 4 Box Time Management Matrix

Hello there dear friends!

frameworks of all time.

Even for those of us who are familiar

I want to introduce the Covey 4 Box

with this matrix, and may even use it

Time Management Matrix to those of

every day, I still find it invaluable to

you not already familiar with it to this

consciously remind ourselves of how

very simple and effective tool.

prioritize our time and energy.

So, what is it?

There are two axes – Urgent & Not Urgent (horizonal) and Important &

Stephen R Covey, the author of The 7

Not Important (vertical).

Habits of Highly Effective People, and one of the most revered modern

Box I – Urgent and Important

leadership experts, created the 4 Box

Known as the “putting out fires” box

Matrix that has become one of the

where physicians and leaders often

most widely used time management

find ourselves, we are fully in reactive

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

mode. We can’t focus on anything else

Box III – Urgent and Not Important

as we are up against a tight deadline,

Doesn’t it seem like this is where a lot

dealing with a crisis, or literally

of our time gets sucked away?

putting out a fire. COVID, has felt like

Interruptions, email, phone calls,

One Big Red Box I.

unplanned meetings. A University of California Irvine study found that it

Box II – Not Urgent and Important

takes over 23 minutes to refocus after

This is where the gold is. This is where

each interruption. And, if the

we want to be spending as much of

interruption takes your attention

our time and energy where we can.

elsewhere to another task, this

Important work includes building

multitasking has been found to

relationships, strategy, vision,

decrease your IQ by 10 points. 10

creativity, and being open to new

points! https://hbr.org/2010/05/how-

opportunities. When we are in crisis

and-why-to-stop-multitaski.html

mode, with our cortisol and

This is why I’m such a huge proponent

adrenaline up, we don’t have the

of putting away distractions while we

mental or emotional resources to be

are completing necessary tasks, like

creative

completing patient notes and completing electronic medical record

But Box II is where the most

tasks.

important work lies, that moves us ahead in our work as leaders,

Box IV – Not Urgent and Not Important

creators and visionaries. Create a

This one is self-explanatory. This is the

strong boundary around your time.

brainless, not important stuff that you

Carve out time each week, each day if

should not be doing at work! Not only

possible, for this most important work

does it take your attention away from

in Box II.

the task at hand, but it’s also a waste of your time.

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

Now, if you are on your own down

Now think back to our Energy

time, relaxing, at home, and not at

Awareness and 80/20 rule article we

work – have at it. You get to choose

discussed a couple of weeks ago. What

what you do during this time. But if

stands out to you when you put these

your goal is to be focused, productive

tools together with the Covey 4 Box

and not drain your energy while you

Time Management Matrix?

are work, stay away from this box.

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series Here are some ideas to help you focus

a. For me, I take 30 minutes at

your attention away from Boxes I and

the start of the day, 30

III, and maximize your time and energy

minutes mid-day, and 30

in Box II.

minutes at end of the day to respond to email. I keep my

1.Prioritize. Start each day knowing

email closed on my desktop

the Top 3 Tasks/Projects you want to

except during these specified

accomplish for the day. Then plan

times, and all notifications are

your approach for the rest of the day

turned OFF.

around these Top 3 Tasks/Projects.

4. Delegate. If you are in the position 2. Plan. Specifically block out time in

to delegate tasks, delegate Box III

your calendar – long in advance – for

tasks as much as possible.

important Box II work. For me, this means I block out time when I also

5.Set boundaries and say no. You all

know I will be most fresh and

know I’m all about this one! Say “no”

productive – which for me is the first

to tasks or meetings that fall into Box

thing in the morning. Specifically

III – Not important and Urgent.

avoid planning Box II work when you know your energy and attention is

6.Done is good enough. For items that

naturally the lowest. For me, this is

fall into Box III – Not Important and

between 1 to 3pm each day.

Urgent, done is good enough. Don’t allow perfectionism to become your

3. Time box. Consciously remember

biggest enemy.

that Box III tasks (email, calls, reports, unplanned meetings) are not

You got this ladies. Stay tuned for

important, but can completely fill your

Part III of Productivity, Time & Energy

time if you allow them to. Specifically

Management!

block out limited amounts of time for these activities each day.

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC