I think it has a lot to do with delegation. People work better if they think they are the only person that will do the job, and others are expecting them to do it, rather than giving a general suggestion to a group that something needs to be done. In the late 1800s, economist and avid gardener Vilfredo Pareto established that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. While gardening he later observed that 20% of the peapods in his garden yielded 80% of the peas that were harvested. And thus was born a theory that has stood the test of time and scrutiny. The Pareto Principle or the 80:20 Rule has proven its validity in a number of other areas.
In the business work, it has been found that the principle could be applied to many areas, such as:
Applied to Meetings: 80% of decisions come from 20% of meeting time.
Applied to Managerial Headaches: Roughly 80% of your managerial problems and headaches are caused by just 20% of your problems.
Applied to time management and your daily To-Do List: 80% of your measurable results and progress will come from just 20% of the items on your daily To-Do list. The major problem is that most people are so busy fighting fires that they never get around to the most vital few activities that will lead to the greatest results.
Applied to Interruptions: 80% of a Manager's interruptions come from the same 20% of people.
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