Charles M. Schwab was one of the richest and most successful businessmen of the last century. He invited Ivy Lee to talk to his executives to make them more productive.
Charles Schwab asked, “How much time you need?”
“15 minutes!” Ivy Lee replied. He spent just 15 minutes with the executives of Bethlehem Steel Corporation & gave them his powerful mantra. Ivy Lee was so confident of the power of his training that he asked Charles Schwab to pay him only if he found the advice working.
Charles Schwab found that his executives had indeed undergone a transformation and were more productive and efficient than before. He was surprised at the results in 2-3 months after Ivy Lee had conducted the training. And this was in 1918.
Schwab, the steel baron, wrote a cheque of $25,000 to Ivy Lee. Today the value of this would be $400,000, not bad for a fifteen minute formula.
What is the Ivy Lee method? Well, here it is:
- Write down Six things at the end of each day. No more than six tasks.
- Write the tasks in order of the priority. The most important one takes the first slot.
- Do the first task first when you start your day. Move on to the second when you’re done with the first.
- If you cannot complete tasks, move then on to the next day.
- Make a list everyday and stick to it religiously.
It’s such a simple and effective strategy, but it works even today more than 100 years since Ivy Lee developed it. The Ivy Lee method helps people focus their attention and energies to the most important activities. It helps them track and complete the things that they need to get done. It helps them start their day with a goal. Here is why this strategy works so well for executives and busy professionals:
Momentum & Energy
The start of the day is very important. Many professionals are unable to start their day with focus, they are constantly looking for things. They could start with emails, messages and get distracted in the process. When you start your day with the most important task, you can put all your energy to work.
It helps you complete the task. Your mental energy is also focused as you have a well defined list. Remember creating a list of items which need to be done is also energy consuming. But that is already done for you & so you can attack the most important problem.
Priorities
The Ivy Lee method forces you to prioritise things. When you need to do only six things, you have to be careful and utilise time to prioritise things. Listing out the tasks in order of priority helps you zone into the right mindset. A list of tasks that doesn’t prioritise things can often derail your day.
The top executives like Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, & Tim Cook all use similar strategy. They limit their agenda to a few items in order of priority. By sticking to 5-6 tasks per day, you can give them the focused attention you need to do things well.
Action Mode
The Ivy Lee method gets you into action straight away. No more planning and prodding around. You remove the friction of thinking, deciding and start your day doing what is needed. It helps you achieve peak productivity.
When you work with productivity and focus, you can get more accomplished in a shorter duration than spending countless hours. When you plan your day the night before, you save mental energy, & use that energy for execution and action. It makes a visible difference to the outcomes.
Simple
Ivy Lee helps you keep things simple. In a world full of clutter, it is a very powerful tool to declutter and focus on things that truly matter. It’s a way to organise and simplify your work days. It keeps you away from distractions, unscheduled work and inefficiencies.
It helps you build a very effective system for maximising your days. Many entrepreneurs find Ivy Lee method extremely useful as it helps them narrow their distractions and take control of their days.
Just Do It
The Ivy Lee method is trivial & everyone knows it. But it doesn’t work for all, as it is easy to dismiss it. Only those who practice it find it useful. Practice is the key to the successful adoption of this method. As a first step, you can create a list for tomorrow and get started. Take microsteps and get into the action habit of utilising this tool.
This is a sample task list that uses the method:
i) Submit my account details to CPA.
ii) Product design document
iii) Send design document for client approval
iv) Review development work for the day
v) Order new office supplies.
vi) Email and send MOU to client for new project
The most successful athletes, professionals, scientists, artists & CEOs use strategies to maximise their strengths. They do simple things, they build routines and they do things which help them become more effective at what they do. You can succeed by sticking to fewer things, which help you make the best use of your time and energy. The Ivy Lee method works for those who practice it, not for those who know it.
