How to Become an 80/20 Manager and Achieve Exceptional Results at Work

Achieve extraordinary results with ordinary effort.

Credit: Author

The Pareto principle states, “80% of outcomes come from 20% of the effort.” In other words, a significant portion of the work you put in goes to waste, while a small part of it brings results.

Sociologist Vilfredo Pareto first discovered this principle by observing that 80% of the wealth in the UK came from 20% of the people. Since then, the Pareto principle is applicable in almost every aspect of our lives:

80% of sales value is generated by 20% of products.

80% of the problems arise from 20% of the customers.

80% of the results are generated by 20% of the employees.

80% of all problems at work are caused by 20% of the coworkers.

Identifying that 20% is a big deal. Most managers get sucked into the daily chaos that comes with management responsibilities — back-to-back meetings, stakeholder responsibilities, putting out fires, and rushing to meet deadlines. Without being intentional about where and how they spend their time, less time is spent doing impactful work, and more is wasted on keeping busy.