I explained the ABCDE method in the last chapter. It is
one of the most powerful priority-setting methods ever dis-
covered. There are a series of additional techniques that you
can also use to set priorities.
The Pareto Principle
In 1895, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto concluded that
the 80/20 rule seemed to apply to money, property, and the
accumulation of fortunes in every society. After years of
research, he discovered that 20 percent of individuals and
families—those he called the “vital few”—controlled 80 per-
cent of the wealth and property throughout Europe.
The 80/20 rule seems to apply to almost all areas of
human endeavor, especially tasks and responsibilities. That
is, 20 percent of the work that you do will account for 80 per-
cent of the value of all the work that you do. Peter Drucker
says that often it is the “90/10 rule.” Sometimes 10 percent of
the work that you do will account for 90 percent of the value.
When you start off each day with a list of your tasks and
responsibilities, before beginning work, quickly review your
list and select the top 20 percent of tasks that can make the
greatest contribution to achieving your most important
goals and objectives. If you have a list of ten items to accom-
plish on a particular day, two of those items will be worth
more than all the others put together.
Your ability to clearly identify those two items and act on
them first will largely determine your success in your career.
SET CLEAR PRIORITIES 41American Management Association / http://www.amanet.orgAmerican Management Association / http://www.amanet.org