The 80/20 Manager: The Secret to Working Less and Achieving More

80/20 says some books are not even worth skimming, and others are worth reading and re-reading. It also suggests that if any author changes your life, you should devour everything he puts out. Not 80% of it, but 100%.If I'm not Richard Koch's #1 fan, I'm a contender for the spot. His book "The 80/20 Principle" set my mind on fire ten years ago. Most profound business book I've ever read. Today I know Richard because he graciously wrote the foreword for my own book "80/20 Sales & Marketing."Richard's books have on occasion been criticized for being repetitive. While there might be a grain of truth to that, if you thoroughly digest what he is saying, he is not repetitive at all. Such is the case with this book. Some books only merit speed reading; others demand serious thought. This is one of those books. 80/20 in and of itself is deep enough that any tool that forces you to think hard about it is good use of your time.Richard was kind enough to send me an advance manuscript. I printed out, marked, read and re-read Ways 7, 8, 9 and 10. Richard is my senior and certainly has a more impressive financial resume. A close reading shows why. Provocative, contrarian piece of advice: "Don't make to-do lists. Instead figure out the ONE thing you could do today that would earn you the rest of the day off."To the person immersed in the demanding minutia of NOW, that sounds like an absurd, even insulting suggestion. For the person who thinks BIG, who truly 'gets' 80/20, it forces you to ask yourself uncomfortable, make-you-squirm, quantum-leap questions. In this case you are likely to ask, "What breakthrough would render my entire existing business obsolete, because the new model is so unabashedly superior?"These are not easy questions. They demand thought. Thought requires space. Space requires sweeping activities off the table that are not in your top 5%. Space requires submitting the urgency of now to the wisdom of strategy and seasoned counsel from others.Engineering big breakthroughs is how you should spend your day. The urgency of "NOW" is the #1 enemy of all such breakthroughs.The title of this book is "The 80/20 Manager" but that's misleading. To me this is not about management per se, although it's a terrific book for managers to read. I would have called it "The 80/20 Career." This is really about orchestrating time, opportunities and projects so you become a Bill Bain or a Bruce Henderson (founders of Bain and Boston Consulting Group, respectively, kings of their own little empires) rather than merely being the very smart, overworked person who is employed by such people. It's about cultivating the thinking that makes you a legitimate superstar.

I've been a fan of his 80/20 Principal for a while. That book does a very good job of explaining the theory behind it. This one will show you how to take its lessons and apply it to your every day job. He has everything from networking to making sure you get off work on time. He even shows how a high trust environment saves you effort and time by making monitoring inputs less of an issue.The author breaks down what being an 80/20 manager is in 10 sections or "ways" of an 80/20 manager. You can use them individually or as part of a system. Some people will object to some of his methodology, such as only focusing on a select group of customers, but it is worth reading nonetheless. You may find that you have been focusing on the wrong things.

I'm an overtaxed e-neur/CEO and mom to two active young children; time always feel like my enemy. I purchased this book because:** 1. I would like to loosen the constraints on my life.** 2. I have personally experienced the benefits of the 80/20 Principle in growing my business, thanks to coaching from Perry Marshall (author of another great 80/20 book, 80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More).** 3. Effective leadership is a high priority for me; it is the only way in which I will be able to accomplish #1. And, of course, I want to do well by the people who work to support my efforts.Whether you are new to the concept of 80/20, or a seasoned "80/20 expert," this book is exceptional! It begins with a comprehensive explanation of this mathematical principle; it's a great introduction to the concept, yet interesting review for those of us who are familiar with it.It then goes on to spell out ten specific ways in which 80/20 can be applied to the most valuable and complex resource in our lives and businesses, human capital! The text is *very* accessible; you should have no trouble wrapping your brain around the information and concepts described in this book. Each of the Ten Ways is brought to life with stories and examples that truly made the book hard to put down.Best of all, I finished the book with an intense sense of motivation to be a strong leader for my employees and the clients we serve! There is a tone of ease, optimism, and joy throughout this book that is palpable! Half-way through the book, I paused to send a recommendation to my dear cousin who is a mid-level manager; I just know she'll be inspired by the information, perspectives, and "how-tos" brought to life in this book. So, I obviously recommend it here with full faith that you will find it valuable, too.