DeesKo
12-16-2003, 07:31 PM
Play to win
By James M. Citrin and Richard A. Smith
Special to MSN
In 2002, after winning his fourth straight Tour de France victory, Lance Armstrong decided to stop racing in the United States-except for one or two special events. Why? In bike racing, the big events — the worthwhile events — occur in Europe, not in the States.
Sorry, Uncle Sam.
Armstrong's decision is not unusual for high-performance athletes who succeed at the world-class level. They channel their energies into the competitions that matter most. Insatiable golf fans would love to see Tiger Woods play every PGA tournament, and television producers would like that even more. But Tiger plays fewer tournaments over the course of the year than his PGA brethren and champions of yore, such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. His focus is on the four majors — the Masters, British Open, U.S. Open, and PGA Championship. And while he does not apologize for passing up tournaments of lesser prestige, Woods' practice regimen and discipline around preparing for the majors are legendary.
Could these athletes tally up additional wins and earn even more prize money if they played more? Yes. But that's not the point. Not only are the other tournaments less important for their definition of success, but they can be a distraction in the pursuit of the ultimate goal: winning as many majors as possible.
Most people know of the 80/20 principle, the observation of Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) that in many situations it's the first 20 percent of the effort that contributes 80 percent of the benefit. Focusing first on the 20 percent of your customers that are most desirable often yields 80 percent of the profit. In effect, Woods and Armstrong have determined that focusing on the events that are the most important-the majors-will allow them to reap the most benefit. The lesson is simple but powerful: The quality of your impact often matters much more than the quantity of your activities. The same principle applies to your career.
But unlike professional athletics, the tasks and objectives that are required as a part of business careers are not all glory. In fact, the 80 percent of our jobs that offer little chance for differentiation are usually narrowly defined and on the surface quite inflexible. But as with Woods and Armstrong, success ultimately requires winning the majors in our careers. It is the ability to get beyond merely achieving what others want you to do and break through to deliver unanticipated impact that will give you — and your company — the most return, creating results that can truly distinguish you. Unlike the 80/20 principle, in business it is usually the last 20 percent of what you accomplish (beyond your predefined objectives) that allows you to truly differentiate yourself.
The fourth pattern of extraordinary careers is the 20/80 principle of performance — keeping the 20 percent that is under your control foremost in your and your boss's mind, and it is the successful application of this principle that allows you to play and win the majors in your career.
By James M. Citrin and Richard A. Smith
Special to MSN
In 2002, after winning his fourth straight Tour de France victory, Lance Armstrong decided to stop racing in the United States-except for one or two special events. Why? In bike racing, the big events — the worthwhile events — occur in Europe, not in the States.
Sorry, Uncle Sam.
Armstrong's decision is not unusual for high-performance athletes who succeed at the world-class level. They channel their energies into the competitions that matter most. Insatiable golf fans would love to see Tiger Woods play every PGA tournament, and television producers would like that even more. But Tiger plays fewer tournaments over the course of the year than his PGA brethren and champions of yore, such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. His focus is on the four majors — the Masters, British Open, U.S. Open, and PGA Championship. And while he does not apologize for passing up tournaments of lesser prestige, Woods' practice regimen and discipline around preparing for the majors are legendary.
Could these athletes tally up additional wins and earn even more prize money if they played more? Yes. But that's not the point. Not only are the other tournaments less important for their definition of success, but they can be a distraction in the pursuit of the ultimate goal: winning as many majors as possible.
Most people know of the 80/20 principle, the observation of Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) that in many situations it's the first 20 percent of the effort that contributes 80 percent of the benefit. Focusing first on the 20 percent of your customers that are most desirable often yields 80 percent of the profit. In effect, Woods and Armstrong have determined that focusing on the events that are the most important-the majors-will allow them to reap the most benefit. The lesson is simple but powerful: The quality of your impact often matters much more than the quantity of your activities. The same principle applies to your career.
But unlike professional athletics, the tasks and objectives that are required as a part of business careers are not all glory. In fact, the 80 percent of our jobs that offer little chance for differentiation are usually narrowly defined and on the surface quite inflexible. But as with Woods and Armstrong, success ultimately requires winning the majors in our careers. It is the ability to get beyond merely achieving what others want you to do and break through to deliver unanticipated impact that will give you — and your company — the most return, creating results that can truly distinguish you. Unlike the 80/20 principle, in business it is usually the last 20 percent of what you accomplish (beyond your predefined objectives) that allows you to truly differentiate yourself.
The fourth pattern of extraordinary careers is the 20/80 principle of performance — keeping the 20 percent that is under your control foremost in your and your boss's mind, and it is the successful application of this principle that allows you to play and win the majors in your career.