Mastering the 80/20 Rule: How to Achieve More with Less Effort as a Project Manager
You may think planning, the delegation of tasks, and ensuring that your team sticks to the plan is all there is to execute a project but - hey deadline is almost upon you and you can’t really say the project is ready for closing.
With the efforts and back-to-back meetings you’ve been having with your team; the project should be ready by now, but you have nothing to show for the busyness and endless stream of task updates.
What do you think is missing? I mean it’s not like you’re not working but you have nothing to show for it. Allow me to introduce to you the 80/20 principle.
The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. As a project manager, understanding and mastering this principle can help you achieve more with less effort.
The following are ways you can implement this rule;
Start by identifying inputs that are potentially the most productive and make them the priority then focus your team's efforts on these tasks first, and prioritize them above all else.
Delegate tasks that fall outside of this 20% to team members or external resources. This will free up your time to focus on the most critical tasks.
Use data and analytics to constantly evaluate your team's progress and identify areas where you can improve efficiency. Eliminate any unnecessary steps or processes that aren't delivering results.
Ensure your team understands the project goals, priorities, and expectations. Encourage them to focus on the tasks that will yield the desired output and empower them to make decisions that align with the project's goals.
Use project management tools like Sync! With Sync!, you can easily manage all of your projects in one place. View timelines, set deadlines, and assign tasks to team members with just a few clicks. Don’t let project management stress you out. Visit Sync! to learn how to organize and get projects done seamlessly.
References
Aston, B. (n.d.). How To Be More Productive at Work With Less Effort. Retrieved December 23, 2019, from https//thedigitalprojectmanager.com/personal/hacks-productivity/how-to-be-more-productive-at-work/
Sync! www.teamsync.tools
TechTarget Contributor. (2013). Pareto Principle. Retrieved from https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/pareto-principle
