The Pareto Principle says that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activities. The principle, also known as 80/20 rule or "the law of the vital few" has proven remarkably accurate since economist Vilfredo Pareto first identified it in 1896.As a leader 80% of our impact comes from a "vital few" 20% of our interactions with our staff. The same goes for our interactions with campers. There are those few moments when what we do makes a big difference.
Stephen Covey in his book 7 Habits of Highly Successful People suggests we need to focus on "putting first things first." These are the 20% activities that have significant leverage in impacting those we lead and our organizations. They are the "Not Urgent But Important" tasks that Covey suggests are critical to being effective as a leader.
How do we identify these critical activities that lead to big results? Covey suggests the following types of activities are the "vital few" that offer a high payoff for the investment of our time.
- Planning
- Prevention
- Relationship building
- Recognizing new opportunities
- Planning
- Personal rest & recreation
