Welcome
 

A friend of mine and I have invented a new word - "Productful" to which we have assigned the definition "full of production". This word is an action, a description and an emotion. This concept is very important to us as we talk about what we are doing to be productful, we enjoy the feeling of being productful, we often wish each other a productful day, and seek new ways to be even more productful (probably because of the good feelings it produces).
The difference between being productive and being productful is the difference between quantity and quality. Being productive means completing as much of a project as possible not necessarily producing the best value possible. Just being productive is enough when you just want to get the job done. However, when you are productful it is necessary to figure out what will generate the best value for your time leaving you satisfied and motivated. The article this month looks at the 80/20 rule and how to use the principle to be more productful at work, with your team or in your everyday life.

If you have a question or a story that you'd like to share with us, please drop us a line at newsletter@kscopic.ca.

 

 Article: The 80/20 Rule
 

The 80/20 rule says that approximately 80% of the results come from 20% of the input. This fraction is applied in many situations. It has been said that 80% of fat comes from 20% of your food, 80% of profit comes from 20% of a company's clients and 80% of your quality output comes from 20% of your activities.
The point of focusing on the 80/20 rule is to call attention to the things that produce the best results. In theory by concentrating on shifting the fraction to 70/30 you will feel as though you are making more of a difference. This will help you enjoy more of your time, be more successful and feel more motivated. The 80/20 rule is not about doing more things; it is about doing more of the right things.

Step 1: Determine where your daily activities fall
The first step to applying the 80/20 rule in your life is determining what activities fall within the 80% category and which fall in the 20%. The things that fall in the 80% category are the tasks you do that take a lot of time and effort but produce moderate results. In comparison the 20% category is filled with responsibilities that take less effort and turn out great results.
Start by making a list of the all of the things you do that produce moderate results. These tasks are often items that:
A definite sign of something that is on your 80% list is when a task always manages to fall to the bottom of your list until there is a firm consequence for not getting it done. Now, compile the list of items that produce better results. These are things you enjoy doing and that energize you. These tasks are the ones that produce 80% of your success.

• someone else wants you to do
• someone else wants you to do
• seem to take a lot of time and are draining

Step 2: Focus on your strengths
Examine your 20% list; you should find that the activities in this list revolve around or are closely tied to your strengths. According to Marcus Buckingham, author of several books including Now, Discover Your Strengths, to be the most efficient you need to focus more time and energy on improving your strengths than you spend on addressing your weaknesses.

You need to invest exponentially more time in getting moderately better at something you are bad at than the time you need to improve your strengths. Another way to say it is that spending time on the 80% list only nets 20% improvement. For example, if one of your strengths is connecting with clients one-on-one and one of your weaknesses is giving group presentations, you could spend hours upon hours practicing for a presentation. This practice will yield some improvement. However, if you have an associate who is great at giving presentations and you concentrate on improving your already strong networking skills (both which are essential to your relationship with a client) you will be more successful in the end.

Step 3: Find someone better than you to do the 80% To spend more time focusing on the tasks that produce the best value, chances are you will need to find someone to take on the responsibilities that are on your 80% list. There is someone who is better for this job or more motivated to do it than you are. Find that person and those tasks and give them up. If you are having trouble letting go and delegating ask yourself:

• Is there someone better at this task than I am?
• What could go wrong if someone else does this job?
• If something does go wrong will the mistake be caught?
• If a mistake isn't caught what will the consequences be?

If you can live with the answers to the above questions, delegate the task or it will continue to be the part of your 80% that drags you down, taking away from your resources to work on your strengths.

Step 4: Make the most of the time you have
Finally, you may not be able to get rid of all of the things that take up your time and effort. Spend the time you need to on these tasks. Do not spend the time you have for them. If it takes you an hour to pay your bills each month but you have two hours chances are you will use the time that you have allotted. Be realistic and determine how much time your 80% tasks should take you, set a timer and get it done in that time. It will leave more time for your 20% tasks, becoming stronger in the areas that produce valuable results.

 

 Team Tip: An Email Diet?
 

Do 20% of your e-mails already produce 80% of your results? If so put your team on an E-mail diet. Ask them to reduce the amount of time they spend on E- mail. E-mail is a primary form of communication however it often takes longer than speaking to someone in person. One way to reduce time spent on E-mail is to stop "E-mail conversations". Anytime an "E-mail conversation" goes on longer than two replies around one topic, stop typing and pick up the phone. Most people are more effective at communicating their point verbally, there is less chance of misinterpretation and a decision can be made more quickly than the endless structure of "write, edit, send, wait for reply, read, decide what to say, write, edit."