Many individuals struggle through life. From parents and teachers to managers we are told long hours, hard graft and maximum effort constitute the road to success.
Living the 80/20 Way
by R Koch
Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2004
$29.95
Many individuals struggle through life. From parents and teachers to managers we are told long hours, hard graft and maximum effort constitute the road to success.
But it need not be so, argues Richard Koch in Living the 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More. Based on the ‘Pareto principle’, which theorises that 20 per cent of individual’s efforts lead to 80 per cent of their results, Koch believes people can do much less work but still succeed personally and professionally.
One of the 10 chapters delves into the links between work and success. It raises a number of common sense points about what successful people do differently, examines a considerable number of points around job fit and individual personality and encourages individuals to draft their own 80/20 plan to work less and achieve more.
While Koch’s theories may or may not be true, most of it is fairly motherhood stuff and does not have to be drilled in at every conceivable point in the book in the form of some 80/20 rule. Koch is to be commended for making an effort to share his own experiences around success, but there are more practical books available for those looking to improve personal efficiency.
