Classic efficiency in modern project management: the Ivy Lee method

What is the Ivy Lee method?

The Ivy Lee Method, named after the renowned public relations consultant Ivy Lee, is a simple yet extremely effective time-management tool that was developed over a century ago. In 1918, Ivy Lee was hired by Charles M. Schwab, then president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, to increase the company’s productivity. Lee presented a method that was as simple as it was powerful—and one whose effectiveness remains unmatched to this day.
The method works as follows: At the end of each workday, write down the six most important tasks you need to complete the next day. These tasks are ranked by priority, with the most important task at the top of the list. The next day, start with the most important task and work on it until it’s completed before moving on to the next task. This continues until all tasks are completed or the day ends. Tasks that were not completed are carried over to the next day’s list.
This technique helps you stay focused and ensures that the most important tasks always take priority. By limiting yourself to six tasks, you avoid overloading your to-do list and stay realistic and focused. The Ivy Lee Method is a prime example of how simple changes in your work habits can have a significant impact on productivity and efficiency.

Implementation step by step

The Ivy-Lee Method is notable for its simplicity. However, it can be difficult to implement consistently—especially when colleagues or supervisors have other priorities in mind. With clear communication, though, the method can be successful.

Step 1: Collect tasks

The daily cycle of the Ivy Lee Method repeats every day and begins in the evening of the previous workday. At that time, take a few minutes to write down the six most important tasks you need to complete the next day. The number of tasks is limited to six to help you stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
You should note all other tasks in a separate list that serves as a task repository. For example, if you use an electronic Kanban board, you can assign due dates to the tasks. The six tasks to be completed the next day are assigned tomorrow’s date. All others are either given no due date or their actual due date. The only important thing is to ensure that no more than six tasks are due on any given workday.

Step 2: Prioritizing the tasks

Next, rank these six tasks by importance. The task with the highest priority comes first, followed by the second most important task, and so on. This order will help you get started the next morning without hesitation. It’s up to you to decide which criteria to use for prioritization. For example, you can prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency, as in the Eisenhower Matrix or ABC analysis. Or you can assign the highest priority to tasks that directly contribute to achieving your goals, whose failure to complete would have the most severe consequences, or that hold the greatest value for the company, and prioritize tasks according to the Pareto principle.
Our tip: In the evening, gather all the information you’ll need for the next day. That way, you can hit the ground running in the morning.

Step 3: Start work

The next day, start immediately with the first task on your list. This takes priority over everything else, such as your emails. Focus exclusively on this task and work on it until it is completely finished. Avoid distractions and multitasking to maximize your efficiency. This way, you’ll take advantage of the time of day when most people are at their most productive, and you’ll soon experience a sense of accomplishment.
Also, remember to take breaks so you can maintain optimal performance later in the day. Ideally, take your first break no later than 45 minutes into your work.

Step 4: Work through tasks according to priority

Once you’ve completed the first task, it will be checked off, and you’ll move on to the next one. However, it’s possible that priorities may have changed in the meantime, or that a task may have been dropped altogether. That’s why it’s important to briefly review the priorities of the remaining tasks. If this becomes necessary—for example, because something unexpected has come up in your project—you can now schedule new tasks or resolve short-term issues. If the priorities have remained the same, simply work through the tasks in order.

Step 5: Assign tasks

It’s rare for all six tasks to be completed exactly at the end of the workday. More often than not, either not all tasks are finished by the end of the day, or the to-do list has already been completed even though there’s still work time left. The latter scenario is straightforward, as it gives you time that can be used for other activities. However, if there are still tasks remaining on the list at the end of the workday, they should be carried over to the next day, provided they still have the necessary priority. They will then be reprioritized in the task list for the next day.

Step 6: Repetition

Repeat this process every day. By consistently applying the Ivy-Lee method, you’ll improve your ability to identify, prioritize, and efficiently complete important tasks. Over time, this method will help you sustainably increase your productivity and focus.

Best practice tips

• Finding the Right Balance: Ivy Lee set a limit of six tasks per workday. This number serves as a good guideline, since during a typical workday, you can allocate half an hour to three-quarters of an hour to each task. This is also the amount of time most people can effectively focus on a task before needing a break. However, it’s important to keep in mind that, in addition to these tasks, routine activities—such as reading and replying to emails—also take up your time. Routine tasks, however, do not belong on the to-do list in the Ivy Lee Method. So if you list too many tasks that cannot be completed within a workday due to routine work, this can quickly become demotivating. But having too few tasks can also have a negative impact on your performance if you get the feeling that your tasks are too easy to complete. Therefore, it’s important to adjust the number of tasks to fit your workday and your preferences.
• Plan for Buffers and Routine Tasks: Routine tasks should be firmly scheduled into your daily routine—for example, during a time slot when your concentration tends to wane a bit. In addition, you should, if possible, build in a buffer for unforeseen events. A good guideline here is the 60-40 rule, which recommends setting aside 40 percent of your work time for the unexpected.
• Focus and Concentration: While working on a task, minimize distractions as much as possible and focus exclusively on that task. You can find some tips on this in our article: Staying Focused Throughout the Workday
• Combining with Other Methods: The Ivy-Lee Method works best when combined with other methods. For example, use the Pomodoro Technique to work through the tasks on your Ivy-Lee list in 25-minute intervals. This helps you break your work down into manageable chunks and take regular breaks. Or use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your tasks initially. Once your tasks are sorted into the matrix’s quadrants, you can easily select the six most important tasks for your Ivy-Lee list. A Kanban board can also help you visually track the progress of your six tasks. Divide the board into columns such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done,” and move the tasks accordingly.
• Formulating tasks: On to-do lists, we often tend to jot down only keywords. However, this doesn’t make it clear exactly what a task entails or what you’ll need to complete it. That’s why it’s important to formulate each task as clearly and precisely as possible. A well-described task also makes it easier to prioritize and can help you tackle the task with motivation rather than procrastinating.

Conclusion

The Ivy-Lee Method is a proven technique for boosting your productivity and efficiency in your daily work. By focusing on the most important tasks and consistently working through them, you can not only achieve your goals more effectively but also reduce stress. With just six clearly prioritized tasks per day, your workload becomes manageable and your results improve noticeably.

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