202.244.3738

Dear friends and clients,

My biggest challenge as a coach isn’t inspiring my clients to do more. Instead, it’s helping these high achievers to see that sometimes success may come from doing less. Because the holidays can place extra demands on people with already hefty TODO lists, this issue of Bev’s Tips will focus on one approach for getting more done in less time.

I hope that I can inspire you to free up a little more time for simply enjoying the season. In that spirit, because I won’t be sending out another issue this month, I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a joyous holiday season and a New Year that brings love and peace.

Warm wishes,

Get more done in less time
By using the 80/20 Rule

December 07 , 2004 * Number 5

The 80/20 Rule appeared more than 100 years ago as “Pareto’s Law,” which described the tendency for wealth to be distributed in a predictably unbalanced manner, no matter what governments might do.

Economist Vilfredo Pareto recognized that a small portion of the resources applied in any situation tends to yield most of the outputs. In other words, it is likely that some small percentage of your effort leads to most of your results. It is predictable that similar inputs will yield significantly unbalanced outputs.

In business, a common statement of the Rule is that 20% of products, customers or employees are responsible for about 80% of profits. While the figures 80 and 20 are just rough approximations, a basic idea is that most of your productivity comes from a small percentage of the time or energy you spend at work.

The Rule becomes more compelling when examined in the context of chaos theory, which relies on computer modeling to demonstrate that the Universe isn’t just hopeless disorder. Instead, everything operates according to some self-organizing logic, and patterns play out with a predictable nonlinearity. The theory suggests that life does indeed evolve as a dance that is ever-changing, but with themes, patterns and productivity curves that recur again and again.

I still struggle to achieve a grasp of chaos theory and those predictably unpredictable curves. But after 30 years of observation I can say with assurance that the 80/20 Rule does work. For example, when I’m feeling overwhelmed by too much to do, I may get past the crisis by taking a complete break, collecting myself, and asking: what is the 20% that I should focus on, and what is the 80% that I can almost ignore?

There is value in the slogan, “don’t sweat the small stuff.” But the challenge may be in deciding what is “small.” Here are a few suggestions for applying the 80/20 Rule:

If you are working constantly, frantically trying to do everything, you’re probably wasting a lot of time. To apply the Rule, schedule regular time out, in order to allow reflection and foster a new perspective.

Don’t try to be great at everything. Work hardest on what you do best, and find ways to delegate, outsource, simplify or short cut the tasks that will never be your strong suit.

The 80/20 approach is a process of simplification. Get rid of unnecessary complexities and you’ll be honing in on that critical 20%.

The Rule applies to people. At work, don’t obsess about annoying colleagues. Detach yourself from the time-wasters, and focus more attention on those few who may become productive allies.

Sometimes it is worth examining the actual numbers, and determining precisely how much of your time results in most of your achievement. You may be surprised, for example, by how few clients yield most of your fees.

Borrow from the “Quality Revolution,” the business trend that turned around Japanese industry, and then swept through American business in the 80’s. It was rooted in the concept that huge improvements can be achieved by addressing the few defects and process flaws that lead to most quality problems.

Keep your focus on a few important goals, and don’t try to pursue every single opportunity.

Know which 20% of your life yields the greatest satisfaction and enjoyment, and reflect that awareness in the way you schedule your time.

Find time for holiday activities that have the most meaning for you, and give some thought to New Year’s resolutions that encompass 80/20 thinking.

Reading suggestions
The book described below will give you more background on the 80/20 Rule. To buy the book online, click on the title, below. For reviews of other books that may help you to focus on the things that are most important, go to
ClearWays Books and Services.

The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less, by Richard Koch, Currency Doubleday: 1998.

Discussions of the 80/20 Rule pop up under varied labels and in numerous contexts, from business texts to explorations of the Universe. Management consultant Richard Koch wrote the best overview I have found. The book briefly describes the evolution of the Rule, from Pareto’s early attempts to explain why the rich get richer. It also suggests ways that 80/20 thinking can help you to change and enrich your life.

The book’s strength, however, is a broad overview of how to apply the Rule in business, from decision-making and analysis to project management and negotiation.

Koch writes that a “few things are always much more important than most things.” The problem is that “most things always appear more important than the few things that are actually more important.” He advises you to “keep the ‘vital few’ in the forefront of your brain. And keep reviewing whether you are spending more time and effort on the vital few rather than the trivial many.”

Are you looking for a speaker
for 2005?
Bev is available for speeches and workshops.

Want a topic for that office retreat? Borrow ideas from archived issues of Bev’s Tips. Go to Bev's Ezine

Have an issue to address? Bev welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions for future issues.

Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly E. Jones of ClearWays Consulting, LLC. Bev is a lawyer and former executive who now coaches accomplished attorneys and other professionals to bring new direction, energy and enjoyment to their work lives.

All rights in all media reserved. However, the content of Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life may be forwarded in full without special permission on the condition that (1) it is for non-profit use and (2) full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other uses please contact Bev Jones.

Our address is: 2925 43rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016.