The Power of the Critical Few

 

By Barbara Semeniuk

 

This simple concept took me years to grasp but once you grasp it you have achieved an enormous leap in your ability to execute projects, and multiply the effect of your efforts.  Quite simply I am talking about Pareto’s rule: 80% of your achievements come from 20% of your efforts.  Pareto’s  rule was developed by an Italian mathematician in the 1800’s and was discovered by Juran, the quality expert, at General Motors in the 1930’s.  He took it to Japan with huge results…..

 What do I mean?  Let me give you an example:  if you examine a list you have created of what you need to do to improve your Health and Safety program…the biggest bang for your buck comes from 20% of  your efforts.  This 20% is known as the critical few.

The most important thing you must do is think logically about the elements that will improve your  Health and Safety program.  Is it going to be from enhancing your training of your workers, improving communication between all levels of employees or better execution of these action items ?

I’d like to suggest that it comes from better execution of your action items.  When I teach auditing training I always state that your action plan needs to have a quick win, short term and long term recommendations.   You achieve these action items by making a list of all the items that you believe will improve your Health and Safety program and think of the simplest and most effective items on the list first.  These are your critical few: about 20% of your action items, if executed, will improve your Health and Safety program by about 80%.

 However, I have a warning: if you come up with abstract items like more training…break this down into components.  What type of training?   Applied to what level of employee…management, supervision, worker?  What occupation?  Office, Maintenance, Truck driver, Forklift operator?   Which person?   Is the person one that is an influencer?  Will they spread the word readily?   The individual can also represent the critical few too, for example, ask who has the greatest effect on your program if convinced?  This can be the CEO, the union president or someone who is popular and is looked up to by other workers.  The hardest part of this concept is always to think of the most efficient and effective application  of this concept. 

Apply this concept to the physical, the environment, the materials,  the people, the equipment, the task being done and you have an enormously powerful tool.   What changes to the physical environment will affect your program the most?  Will improved ventilation, reducing noise, modifying temperature extremes  like installing in floor heating positively impact the working environment and hence safety the most?  What changes to the environment will affect your program  to the greatest degree?  For example, if working in a congested area: will reducing storage positively impact the working environment and hence safety?  Think about creative ways of achieving these action items?  What about just in time storage? 

 What materials used or not used would affect safety the most?  For example, most parts washers  in the past used varsol: a harsh solvent that required Personal Protective equipment  as  it was absorbed through the skin and could affect the central nervous system.  Safety Kleen came out with a product that was safer than varsol and water soluble so a great deal of the Personal Protective Equipment and hazards were eliminated….can you apply this to other materials?

 For people think of how they fit into the overall picture…the CEO and union president should be onside for a Health and Safety program….but who else has the greatest effect on the Health and Safety program?  Or who, if  their  influence could be neutralized, would  result in  the greatest improvements to the Health and Safety program?  Who would be the best champions?  Who would be the biggest detractors and would have to be removed?   What character traits do you, based on your experience, look for when hiring employees…..can you systemize this?  Can you create a process that selects these people?  (Hopefully, you understand that people and their talent are one of the greatest attributes to a Health and Safety program.)

To continue with looking at all aspects of a Health and Safety program think about which equipment if purchased would result in the greatest efficiencies, the most safest operation, the least effect on the environment?  What part of a task could be automated?  Streamlined?  Improved?  Removed?  Or a step added?   Always think in terms of efficiencies and synergy.

One warning: synergy can work to improve the Health and Safety program or it can work in reverse and destroy what you have achieved in a multiplier affect as  well.  Try to think of the system….and the affects of your efforts on the system.  Sometimes fine tuning may be order as a result of your efforts: much like turning a tap controlling hot water too far…you have to balance off your efforts in the context of the whole.

You can apply this concept to all areas of your life.  When you decide what you wish to implement during your day…create a list…think of the simplest and most effective items on the list and do them.  You will improve your productivity by 80%!

If you run a consulting business as I do…look at your customers…..80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers.  You can think about the customers that make you happy…they pay on time, are a pleasure to deal with and eliminate your other customers.    You may end up with 10% left on the list…these are your critical few.  Ask these clients for referrals as, like attracts like.  Usually, you end up with a critical mass of customers who make you happy, are a pleasure to deal with, and provide the bulk of your income.  Work smart.  Work happy.  Use the 20% rule.