The Ivy Lee Method: The Simplest Productivity Technique?

Rating

The Ivy Lee Method: The Simplest Productivity Technique?

Recently I wrote an article summarizing David Allen's popular productivity framework Getting Things Done (GTD). The post has received a lot of reactions, thanks to this large management audience. But learning and getting habituated with a framework like GTD takes time and effort and there are many who want something simple and ready-to-use. In today's post I will cover the simplest form of productivity technique that anyone can start using right away. The technique is named after its inventor, productivity consultant Ivy Ledbetter Lee. In 1918, Charles M. Schwab, the then president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation consulted Mr. Lee to improve his company's efficiency. In that meeting with Lee,
Mr. Schwab asked: "Show me a way to get more things done."
In response, Mr. Lee replied: "Give me 15 minutes with each of your executives."

Mr. Schwab asked: "How much will it cost me?"
Lee replied: "Nothing, unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it's worth to you."

It turned out that the 15-minutes with al executives were so valuable that Mr. Schwab sent Lee a check for $25,000 - the equivalent of more than $400,000 today!
Wondering what Lee did in those 15-minute? Then keep reading...

The Ivy Lee Method

Lee told each executive to do the following:

1. At the end of each work day, write down the 5 or 6 most important things (not more than 6 though) that you have to accomplish tomorrow.
2. Prioritize each of them in terms of their true importance.
3. When you are at the office tomorrow, just concentrate on the first task. Work until the first task is done before moving on to the second task.
4. Do the same for other items on the list. At the end of the day, if you still have any unfinished item, move them to a new list (again a list of not more than 6 tasks) for the following day.
5. Repeat this process everyday.

No doubt his is the simplest productivity method that anyone can start using from day one. Just list these 5-6 to-do items and prioritize them to work on the next day. Start from the top of the list. Do one task at a time (don't multi-task) and you are on your way.

⇨ What do you think of the Ivy Lee method? Feel free to react.

Source:
James Clear, "The Ivy Lee Method: The Daily Routine Experts Recommend for Peak Productivity", Medium
Mark Abadi, "A CEO and Dad uses a 100-year-old Strategy to Get Control of his Schedule in just 15 Minutes Each Night", Business Insider

		Comments by date▼ Comments by rating Rating
		2 Jose Luis Roces Professor, Argentina
	Ivy Lee Method is Simple and Effective Focus and prioritization. 100-year-old and always effective. In complex environment it is also possible.

		2 Melchiorre Calabrese Business Consultant, Italy
	Ivy Lee Method Helps you Concentrate This method works and will always work because it requires you to focus on a single task. Modern society loves multi-tasking. But focusing, having a few important priorities leads to better work. A characteristic that unites all those who are successful and productive is the ability to concentrate. And concentration is possible by dedicating yourself to one thing at a time. The conclusion? Do one thing at a time, no matter if five, six, or ten in the day. But give each of them an order of importance and perform the most important one first. It is the only principle you need to make the most of your abilities.

		1 Breban Director
	We May not be Exclusively in Charge of our Agenda Thinks for being so clear about this Ivy Lee approach and explaining it so easy! I will test it! Only one big issue: we are not the only one in charge of our agenda. During the day many people will have good ideas of what they think should be our priorities. So is Ivy Lee a method for directors? Only two are allowed to change their priorities: the Boss and the Customer! 😃.

		3 Jose Luis Roces Professor, Argentina
	Time Management as a Key Competence @Breban: We are not the only one in charge of our agenda, but we are accountable of our time management. When you believe that there is a priority conflict, then you could ask your boss to provide the answer. Push management is the devil of the Ivy Lee method or the Japanese lessons.

		1 Flanagan Business Consultant, Australia
	Commit to Managing your Time @Jose Luis Roces: A while back we visited Vietnam. To get across the road to the other side through the hectic traffic we were told: commit and walk with a steady pace across the road (so the motor bikers can read your pace) and do not stop... To this day I still use this "commit" command when needing to deliver... Yes we are responsible for our time and getting things done without procrastinating... Otherwise like in Vietnam... You'd get run over 🙂.

		1 Udayan Gor India
	Ivy Lee Method Perhaps Ivy Lee is the simplest yet effective "TO DO LIST". It may sometimes have more items than 6, delegated items and their follow-up need to be added.

		2 Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
	Manage the Work in Time Setting six prioritized tasks/activities as described is good PROVIDED they relate to the OBJECTIVES that you have to achieve. Activities are meaningless, unless they move you towards the achievement of what you have, or have been, committed to. So the priority is to be precise and measurable in terms of what has to be achieved with what resources by when, ensuring that all involved understand and accept this. Then all involved can set the 6 or 7 activities that have to be achieved each day in order to complete the tasks that have to be completed to carry out the plan that will achieve the objectives. Remember that people seldom work in isolation; your To-Do list will have an impact on others, as theirs has on you. Co-ordinating for team-working is a key aspect of managing to achieve what has to be achieved in the time available. These To-Do activities should not fill the time available, time needs to be kept free to respond, as appropriate, to those things that crop up. Setting out a to-do list each day, as described, gives an implication that the tasks needed to achieve planned objectives have not been thought through, identified and diarised in some form, thereby giving an impression of managing by the seat of your pants i.e. winging it. Remember a "Diary", otherwise known as an "Agenda" (i.e. things to be done) is for planning your workload in relation to your activities and tasks; it is not merely for noting meetings to be attended. My best message in terms of managing the work to be done is to answer the question: "In relation to my objectives, what is the best use of my time right now?"

		2 Alejandro Centeno Jeronimo Project Manager, Mexico
	Ivy Lee Method for Managers and Executives? I wonder, are management and executives priorities the same? If not, this valuable routine will not be worth much....

		1 Anonymous
	Why Listing of Things to do Works The listing of daily things/tasks to do makes one effective, because the list acts as your "supervisor". Each time you look at the list you are reminded of undone tasks and completing them is a good m...

		2 Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
	The Hierarchy of to do Lists Like Ivy Lee @Alejandro Centeno Jeronimo: I will refer to your 'executives' as Directors, to whom Managers report within an organisational structure. The Director has targets, typically expressed as objectives. A...

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	The Golden Thread Here is a little more information about this interesting "Golden Thread". It is a somewhat pretentious designation for "organizational alignment". It is a high level performance management model that ...

		1 Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
	The Thread in the Tapestry @Jaap de Jonge: Thank you. Yes the Ivy Lee approach is essentially related to the activities of the individual within this framework. The individuals in an organisation are not, however, islands unto...

		1 David Rutchik Project Manager, United States
	Be in Line with Expectations of the Position @Jose Luis Roces: The position you have no matter where you are in the hierarchy exists only because your boss, supervisor or leader could not get it done along with everything else they needed to do....

		1 DITSAPELO MAKATI Manager, Botswana
	Ivy Lee Method and Others Running your Day Regarding the point on others running your day - and that that is not right... In my view, the challenge here is lack of assertiveness on your part or the part of those at leadership level. A director...

		2 aloke mookherjea Director, India
	The Need to Make Frequent Changes The Ivy Lee equation (!) is good but nothing new. If you prioritize your work items and do it methodically, you should always get some good results. Unfortunately, particularly in the 21st century, li...

		3 Brillo L. Reynes Consultant, Philippines
	The Position of the Ivy Lee Method in the Perspective of the Entire Organization The Ivy Lee Method is indeed a simple but very effective tool for individual work performance. There is however the need for the organization as an entirety to ensure that its individual personnel's p...