The Ivy Lee Method
A Timeless 4-Step Productivity Hack for Busy Entrepreneurs
While tidying up some notes I had I came across an article from 2018 about a productivity tip that Charles M. Schwab, an early 20th century business tycoon, got from Ivy Lee, a business man and consultant. The story goes (and finding the source is difficult) that Lee told him he had a simple 4 step process that could help his team get more done each day. The story continues that he told Charles to try it for a couple of months and then he could pay him what it was worth. Three months later he wrote a cheque for $25,000 that is worth many hundreds of thousands of $ in today’s currency. (Note this is a great example of having a good origin story.)
The process was 4 simple steps that I’ve summarised here:
1. At the end of each day plan the next day and list 6 of the most important tasks you need to get done tomorrow, and prioritise them.
2. Next day take the top most task and focus 100% on getting that done, only when you’ve done that do you move to the next task … and so on.
3. If you don’t get a task done by the end of the day, move it to tomorrows list for the next 6 tasks for tomorrow.
4. Rinse and repeat every day.
So why does it work?
Clarity and Focus: The method forces you to identify and focus on the most important tasks, reducing distractions.
Prioritisation: By ordering your tasks by importance, you ensure that you're always working on what truly matters.
Simplicity: The Ivy Lee Method is straightforward and easy to implement, making it ideal for busy entrepreneurs who need an effective system without complexity.
This simple method can be implemented today, start this evening by listing no more than 6 important tasks for you, or your business and see how it goes.
For another simple focus for daily tasks checkout the MAGIC framework, and merge the two process.
