When I began my job in the “real world”, I worked on a tech support helpdesk. My job was to keep our mobile employees working should they encounter any snags with their computers, phones, printers or cameras. Over time it became apparent that we usually heard from the same folks over and over again. Whether they called with something broken – “I accidentally ran over my laptop” – or true technology problems didn’t matter, we spoke with the same 20% of our employees 80% of the time.
Later on, I became Assistant General Manager and discovered that most of the company’s revenue came from about 20% of our employees. Not the SAME employees mind you, but roughly 80% of the income came from 20% of the work.
This is the Pareto Principle in action. Commonly called the 80/20 rule, the Pareto Principle states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. The percentages can vary slightly – 70/30? – but the concept is sound and can be seen in any number of situations.
I saw the principle in many areas of my music career too. 20% of the gigs I worked payed 80% of our bills. 20% of the the gigs I worked were responsible for 80% of the hassles (either difficult to work with, hard to get pay from, or just plain non-musical musicians). 80% of the problems with my drums came from about 20% of the gear. Etc., etc.
Aside from being an interesting thing to ponder, the 80/20 rule is a terrific analysis and planning tool. I recall a bass player talking about the exact same statistics I just stated. Based on those observations, she had made the decision to stop working the unproductive 80%. She determined that if she instead focused on getting more clients like the valuable 20%, she’d work less, make more money, and enjoy less hassles. By leveraging this information in her favor, she could lead a more productive and happy life.
And so can you. Take the time to think about this principle in your own life and career. Keep in mind that it works both ways: positive and negative. Look for ways to maximize the positive 20% and minimize the negative. Don’t forget to apply it personally too. Look at how you’re spending your personal time, money, efforts, etc.
Don’t strive to change the prinicple. The 80/20 percentages will always apply. But, by working WITH the principle, you can gain consitency and have a way to continually analyze and optimize how you spend your life.
