Reading Time: 4 minutes Nearly a hundred years ago, Ivy Lee, considered the father of modern public relations and time management, was doing some work for Charles Schwab, the head of Bethlehem Steel. Schwab wanted to make his managers more effective and help them better utilize their time.

Schwab agreed to try Ivy Lee’s ‘system’ for 90 days and then send Lee a check for what he thought the idea was worth.

Lee advised Schwab to have his managers list their top 6 priorities for the next day. Number them 1 to 6 according to how important the task was. On the next day, take the task in the priority order. Not proceeding until a task was completed. Any task not completed was put on the list for the following day. At the end of the 90 day period, Schwab sent Lee a check for $25,000.