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About the 80/20 principle and how to apply it at home

Relatively long ago I started my career as a CX Researcher in an e-com company. Then a new department was being formed and I was recommended there. I immediately came across the fact that there was a lot of information around and I wanted to do everything to prove myself and show what I can. Therefore, I was faced with the fact that if I did not know something, I went into myself to look for answers, if I did not know how to do something, on intusiasm, I tried to close the gaps instantly. Which was good, but it wore me out very much and delayed the task longer than usual.

My supervisor gave me a book and recommended me to read it - it was Richard Koch's book "The 80 by 20 Principle". This book turned my world upside down and gave a lot of answers, allowed me to look at my actions from a different angle and treats the tasks in a different way. After reading it, I was struck by the depth and simplicity of the idea presented in the book.

At first glance, this may seem obvious: 80% of the results often come from 20% of the effort. But when I started to apply this principle in my work, I realized that many of the processes I do could really be optimized and this would reduce my future time. This book has helped me to see that some of my efforts bring only minimal results, and I could better concentrate on those tasks that are really important for achieving key indicators.

So the magic is simple, to upload a report you really need 20% effort:- you find a person (we have a data analyst) - you write him the criteria that you need for the report- explain why you need a report 

For example, if you need to generate a report, it does not mean that you have to: - get into the database- download the report- sort the data according to the necessary criteria- and finally unload it Each item will be accompanied by difficulties due to lack of experience and knowledge, and this is really 80% of the effort and time, and you can get only 20% of the result (report only) from which you still need to make some dashboards and presentations, which will require 80% of your efforts again. 

So, the magic is simple. To upload a report, you really need 20% effort:- you find a person (we have a data analyst)- you write him the criteria that you need for the report- explain why you need a report   and voila, the data is in your hands, and you spent 20% of your efforts, everything is simple!

  1. Task management: Instead of trying to complete all the tasks, focus on 20% of the tasks that will give 80% of the desired result. For example, if you have a list of 10 tasks for the day, two of them will probably bring most of the value. Start with them.
  2. Customer analysis: In business, it often happens that 80% of the profit brings 20% of customers. Find out who these customers are and focus on meeting their needs, as well as attracting similar customers.
  3. Email Management: Perhaps only 20% of the emails you receive require an immediate response or attention. Focus on them first, and the rest of the emails can be sorted or processed later.
  4. Meetings: If you spend a lot of time in meetings, maybe only 20% of them are really valuable and productive. Try to revise the agenda and reduce the number or duration of less important meetings.
  5. Product line: If your company offers a variety of products or services, perhaps only 20% of them bring 80% profit. The main attention should be paid to these products, possibly optimizing or eliminating less profitable ones.
  6. Learning materials and training: When learning a new material or skill, probably mastering 20% of the basic material will give you 80% of the necessary knowledge or skills. Focus on key concepts or skills.
  7. Optimizing the workspace: Perhaps you use only 20% of the tools or resources in your workplace 80% of the time. Make sure these key tools are at hand and easily accessible.

With these examples, I would like to emphasize the universality of the 80/20 principle and how it can help in optimizing various aspects of your work and daily life.

Thanks to the "80 by 20 Principle", I realized that it is not necessary to know and do everything on my own. Sometimes it is better and more efficient to delegate tasks or skip them altogether in order to focus on key areas.

The book also reminded me that at the initial stage of my career there are many things that I don't know yet and that I have to learn and it's normal in my position not to know something and ask questions. After all, by asking questions, we show our interest and get answers that turn into knowledge and then we use them.

In conclusion, I want to recommend this book for reading, especially if you feel that 80% of your time is spent at your work, study, and daily life on don't understand what. For me, the book was a real discovery, it became an instruction on how important it is to choose the right priorities and effectively distribute your efforts in any activity. She gave me a new perspective on managing my time and resources in my professional activities.

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Kirill Grebennikov

Oct. 17, 2023 11:51

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