Humanity Working
Humanity Working is a podcast focused on employee development for the future of work.
In each episode, we engage with authors, business leaders, and top-tier academics to understand how workplaces can adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving world. This podcast aims to provide employers with actionable strategies to build a resilient, adaptable, and future-proof workforce.
Join us as we navigate the changing landscape of work, exploring topics such as workforce transformation, leadership development, employee adaptability, and resilience. Discover the steps you can take to foster a humane, productive workplace that is prepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
Humanity Working
The Eisenhower Matrix
In this episode, Paul and Matt dig into the history—and the myths—around the Eisenhower Matrix. Was it really invented by Eisenhower? Did he even talk about this stuff? And how can a tool this simple be both game-changing and misleading at the same time? They explore how to apply it without over-engineering, how to spot when your team is maturing from reactive to proactive, and why “schedule” is the most powerful word in the framework.
Five Key Learnings:
- Eisenhower never drew the Matrix—Stephen Covey popularized it in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
- The four quadrants (Do, Schedule, Delegate, Delete) are helpful, but taken too literally, they can cause confusion.
- The most valuable shift is from treating tasks as a list to treating them as priorities.
- Teams mature when urgent/important work shrinks over time—fires are preventable.
- “Schedule” is the magic quadrant: if it’s truly important, it must be time-blocked to actually happen.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
- Paul’s article describing the Eisenhower Matrix - https://www.humanityworking.net/p/slow-down-to-speed-up?utm_source=publication-search
Humanity Working is brought to you by BillionMinds - the company that makes employees ready for the Future of Work.
BillionMinds helps companies be ready for the future of work by developing adaptable, resilient employees.
You can learn more about them on LinkedIn or by visiting billionminds.com.
