The Pareto Principle

Let me ask you something. Who are the producers in your office? Not only those who generate the most sales, but those who can be relied on to turn in reports in time or deliver a presentation best. What percentage of the total office do they make up?

A guy named Pareto who lived a couple of centuries ago said that in a group, only 20% are producers. The rest are regular guys who do only the minimum that they are expected to do. These are the people who do not excel, who do not reach beyond their self-expectations, who are easily dispensed with.

We see this at play in our office. There is so much work to be done, so much to be accomplished, yet we know there is only a handful of people we can tap and trust. Sad, but at least this helps us maximize those who are more than useful and to delegate less important roles to those who are less willing to put in their share.