The Pareto principle or the 80/20 adage is like an old friend who keeps giving.
I love the innocence of Pareto because you can flip any negative or positive reading of this straightforward logic to anything.
People unfamiliar with Pareto might be surprised to hear that 80% of the value created by your business comes from only 20% of the hard work.
Or, as I prefer, spending 20% of your effort to plan and prepare properly will create 80% of your future value.
This week, someone told me, ‘It’s the law of averages; we will win one in three, four, five, or six. I need to focus on cranking the handle. Call me back in six months when I am not so busy.’
I recognised this old friend at once.
If they had time to listen, they might have heard me explain what that sounds like.
80% of your focus is on losing money, weakening your name, and spoiling your connections.