Eighty Percent Preparation, Twenty Percent Execution (Work Philosophy #QuoteNote59)

The quote I would like to introduce this time is here!

It is more of an old proverb than a quote, but it is such a great saying that I would like to introduce it!

What does it mean?

"Eighty percent preparation, twenty percent execution" is a proverb or saying that means the success or failure of a job is determined mostly by prior preparation and planning rather than the actual work itself.

Specifically,

• Eighty percent preparation: This indicates the importance of spending sufficient time and effort on preparation and planning. It is said that 80% of the whole is determined by this preparation.

• Twenty percent execution: This means that if you have proper preparation, the actual work will proceed smoothly with only about 20% of the total time and effort.

In other words, no matter how great your skills or abilities are, if your prior preparation is insufficient, the work will not proceed smoothly and it will be difficult to achieve results. Conversely, it is a teaching that if you do not neglect steady preparation, the actual work will proceed surprisingly efficiently and successfully.

This proverb is a way of thinking that can be applied not only to business but also to various situations in daily life.

The 80/20 Rule

Are you familiar with the 80/20 rule?

What is the 80/20 rule (Pareto principle)?

First, the 80/20 rule (or Pareto principle) is an empirical rule that states, "In many things, 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes." For example,

• 80% of a company's sales are generated by the top 20% of customers.

• 80% of software bugs are concentrated in 20% of the code.

• 80% of an individual's productivity is achieved in 20% of the time.

This is a phenomenon observed in various fields.

"Eighty percent preparation, twenty percent execution" and the 80/20 rule

Let's try applying this 80/20 rule to "Eighty percent preparation, twenty percent execution".

"80% preparation, 20% execution" means that in the success of a task, preliminary preparation (setup) accounts for 80%, while the actual work (execution) is only 20%. This is exactly the Pareto Principle, which states that "80% of results (work success) come from 20% of causes (preparation)."

In other words, if the entire task is 100,

• "80% preparation": The time and effort spent on the actual work might be 20% of the total. However, this 20% of preparation becomes the critical factor that determines 80% of the final work results and efficiency.

• "20% execution": On the other hand, with proper preparation, even if the actual work itself appears to account for 80% of the total, the effort or time required to achieve it can be limited to 20%, or the remaining 80% of the work can be interpreted as proceeding smoothly due to the 20% foundation of preparation.

Thus, the 80/20 rule shows that "80% preparation, 20% execution" is not just a rule of thumb, but is based on the general principle that a small number of elements (preparation) have a major impact on the majority (work results). It carries a strong message that to proceed with work efficiently and effectively, you should invest your maximum focus and resources into preparation.

Long-term optimism, short-term pessimism

Also, regarding these two approaches of "preparation and work," it becomes important to adopt an attitude of "being optimistic in the long term and pessimistic in the short term." While "optimistic" and "pessimistic" might sound a bit abstract, the point is that

• boldness is important in the conceptualization and execution phases

• caution is important at the planning and practical levels

Furthermore, it can also be interpreted as follows.

• Pessimism and optimism coexist in work. In fact, they must.

• Be pessimistic in the short term, and optimistic in the long term.

I thought this was a wonderful indicator that can be applied regardless of whether you are naturally an optimistic or pessimistic type of person. It is a mindset I want to keep in mind in my future work as well.

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