This week One Week One Book (OWOB) series is on “The 80/20 Manager” by Richard Koch. He is the bestselling author of The 80/20 Principle, which has sold over a million copies and been published in thirty-one languages.
I categorize this book Productivity and it intends to help us especially those in the managerial position in simplify our life by using the 80/20 principle. As the book’s title, the focus will be for the managers. He offers 10 brilliant ideas that managers can use to achieve great results in work and personal life. These 10 ideas among others include how to network, becoming more strategic, finding meaning in work and finding mentors.
The praises for this book;
“The 80/20 Principle is the cornerstone of results-based living. Read this new book and use it” Tim Ferris, author of the bestselling The 4-Hour Work Week.
“Simple ideas that can turn your business and your life around. I highly recommend it” Al Ries, author of War in the Boardroom
One my key take away from this book is this; The Time-Rich Manager. This is explained under the chapter under Way Seven of becoming an 80/20 manager.
The Time-Rich Manager
The key point is this ; to operate on 80/20 time, the first priority is to identify the most valuable aspects of your work. Then you need the freedom and self-confidence to focus on those areas and ignore everything else. Most of all, though, you need the temperament and the discipline to think before you act, to resist distractions and to work only on those vital matters that are truly worthwhile.
Where or how do you begin to apply this principle? First, you really need to find time to list out your key functions. Why are you on the payroll? What are expected from you? What are the tasks that only you can do it? What are the tasks that will bring the result. Normally, each one of us have not have too many key tasks that required from us… perhaps half of a dozen key tasks. The rest of the tasks actually can be done by someone else and just that are too afraid to let it go. The next step is to make sure we spend majority of our time focusing on this tasks. Make sure early morning we invested our time on this matter. Perhaps we should focus on the tasks that high impact and also can be done quickly. The challenge is some of these tasks we know that we have to do; those definitely can give great impact but we simply postpone it because normally it is difficult task to do.
To be 80/20 manager, sometimes we have to go against the flow; got to be very conscious on how we invested our time. Perhaps we have to say “NO” more often. The other few ideas that I like under this chapter are that;
- Set only one priority in a day and tackle it first. Sounds easy but tough to too do. What is the one thing if can complete today, the rest of the day of even the week will be easier? Focus completing this task first and repeat the process for one week. Can give it a try and do it daily for a week. See how it goes!
- Think before you act. Sometimes, we just do thing without thinking. For the sake of moving on in life. Next time, before doing anything, think whether the task really the things that will move the needle or just things easy to do?
Call For Action
Invested 30 minutes to identify the vital factors your career success. What are the few things that if done well will speed up your success? These will be your 20% things and find ways to do more of it in your daily routine.
Visit the author here; http://www.richardkoch.net