Using the 80/20 Rule to Improve Quality

Trying to solve quality problems can sometimes seem like you are trying to move a mountain with a spoon.  It can seem impossible and even too daunting to begin.  But what if you could make a big impact on your quality without doing much at all?

There is a principle called the 80/20 rule or Pareto rule.  In the early 1900s, an Economist found that 80% of the wealth in the world is controlled by 20% of the population.  Since then, Economists and professionals in almost every other field have applied this theory over and over again to find versions of it to be true.  It is not always 80/20, but it is some unbalanced proportion.  In come cases it could be 70/30 while in other cases it could be 98/2. 

Take a salad for instance.  80% of your calories usually come from the dressing as does 80% of the flavor. 

So, how can we apply this to solving quality issues.  First, you have to know what is causing the quality issue.  You can do this by breaking down processes.  Start by detailing out your process in a numbered list.  List the number of quality issues you have experienced that were caused by each step in the process.  Take the part of the process that has the most quality issues and focus only on that part of the process.  You will soon find that you can tackle half of your quality issues by focusing on just one or two steps in the process. 

My 3 Favorite Time Management Tips

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Over the last 10 years, I have read many books looking for Time Management Tips. By far, my favorite is Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy.  This one book has done the most to improve my time management skills and is packed with Time Management Tips.  The book is titled after a Mark Twain saying that if the first thing you did in the morning was to eat a big frog, that would probably be the worst thing that happened to you that day.

Here is a list of some of my favorite Time Management Tips.

1. Use a Timer - When you set a timer for a specific amount of time, this will stimulate your brain to get busy and knock out the task at hand. It may not happen that easily in the beginning, but once you start using this method, it becomes a challenge to the brain. The brain loves a challenge, believe it or not, and will start going to work when you give it a task.  I actually use this technique with my daughter to help her do her homework as well.
2. Plan Ahead  - The best time to plan now is not now. You should have planned it earlier. On my most productive days at work, I start each day with writing down exactly what I will accomplish that day.  
3. Eat that Frog - When you look at your task list each morning, pick out your least favorite task and do it first, just get it out of the way. This frees up the rest of your day to focus on the things you actually enjoy doing.

When it comes to time management, there is no one size fits all.  So I recommend reading quite a few different books on the subject and pick the Time Management Tips that work for you.

Some of my other favorite Time Management Tips come from the following books:

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

I'm curious to hear from you.  What is your favorite time management tip?