PARETO'S PRINCIPLE IN ACTION

PARETO'S PRINCIPLE IN ACTION

If 20 percent of your staff account for 80 percent of the results, these are the ones you should support and encourage with additional training and rewards. Not that you should ignore the low producers, because you want them to improve. But realizing a one percent increase in production from the top producers will affect the bottom line more than a similar increase from the low producers.

TRAVEL TIPS

Most felt pens leak at high altitudes. Use a ballpoint pen or one that specifically states it is air travel friendly. Resist the urge to accept headsets unless you're on vacation. TV anywhere is a time robber. And take advantage of the relatively interruption-free flight time for priority work.

EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS WORK IN TANDEM

Without effectiveness, we lack direction drift away from the priorities, and become busy without accomplishing the 20% of the tasks that represent 80% of the value. On the other hand, without efficiency we experience the frustration of knowing exactly where we want to go, but see little progress in that direction.

 

INFRINGING ON SLEEP TIME CAN BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

According to an article in Bayprint Impressions, decreasing sleep time by as little as 1.3 to 1.5 hours for just one night reduces daytime alertness by 32 percent. People who get less than six hours of sleep per night have a 70 percent higher mortality rate than those who get seven or eight hours a night.

RECOGNIZE THAT YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING

Your in-basket, voice mailbox and e-mail in-box will all be full of unanswered items the day you die. So don't try to do more things, simply do more important things. Pursue the meaningful goals that you have identified, scheduled and acted upon and let those trivial things fall through the cracks. Strive for significance over speed and quality over quantity.