The 80% Rule (2024)

FAQs

What is the 80 solution in decision making? ›

The essence of the rule is that 80% solutions are usually good enough – especially in business, since we typically make dozens of material decisions every week as we deal with the myriad of issues afflicting every company.

The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect. This concept is important to understand because it can help you identify which initiatives to prioritize so you can make the most impact.

The 80% rule was created to help companies determine if they have been unwittingly discriminatory in their hiring process. The rule states that companies should be hiring protected groups at a rate that is at least 80% of that of white men.

The basic idea is 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. So in theory if you focus 20% of resources correctly, you can get 80% of the results you need. You reach 'good enough' and can be much more cost-effective, instead of using 80% more resources stretching to a 'perfect' 100%.

The 80-20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a familiar saying that asserts that 80% of outcomes (or outputs) result from 20% of all causes (or inputs) for any given event. In business, a goal of the 80-20 rule is to identify inputs that are potentially the most productive and make them the priority.

By focusing on the 20% of activities that generate 80% of the results, you can make significant progress on your projects while spending less time on less important tasks. This rule can be particularly helpful when setting priorities and allocating resources.

Mathematical explanation

This is a special case of the wider phenomenon of Pareto distributions. If the Pareto index α, which is one of the parameters characterizing a Pareto distribution, is chosen as α = log₄5 ≈ 1.16, then one has 80% of effects coming from 20% of causes.

The 80-20 rule is the principle that 20% of what you do results in 80% of your outcomes. Put another way, 80% of your outcomes result from just 20% of your inputs. Also known as the Pareto principle, the 80-20 rule is a timeless maxim that's all about focus.

The 80% rule dictates that homeowners must have replacement cost coverage worth at least 80% of their home's total replacement cost to receive full coverage from their insurance company.

What is an example of the 80 rule? ›

To set goals with the 80-20 rule, you primarily establish that 20% of your efforts/tasks will result in 80% of your results. For example, at work, 20% of the effort you put into your job will result in 80% of your tasks being completed/successful.

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle , is a marketing strategy that says 80% of your results are a product of 20% of your actions. Economist Vilfredo Pareto thought of the idea when he realized approximately 80% of his nation's land belonged to 20% of its population.

This rule suggests that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. For example, 80% of a company's revenue may come from 20% of its customers, or 80% of a person's productivity may come from 20% of their work. This principle can be applied to many areas, including productivity for small business owners.

But can the law of attraction be boiled down to a formula? The 80/20 relationship theory states that you can only get about 80% of your wants and needs from a healthy relationship, while the remaining 20% you need to provide for yourself.

80% of your needs are being met by your partner, and you're figuring out the other 20% on your own. When the 80/20 rule is applied to infidelity, the theory is that when someone cheats, they're attracted to the 20% in someone else that they were missing from their partner.

The Pareto Principle illustrates the lack of symmetry that often occurs between the work you put in and the results you achieve. For example, you might find that 13 percent of work could generate 87 percent of returns. Or that 70 percent of problems could be resolved by dealing with 30 percent of underlying causes.

The Pareto Principle is a concept that suggests that 80% of the end results of an action are due to 20% of causes. That's why this principle is also called the 80/20 rule. Keep in mind that the Pareto Principle is an observation—not a law.

The Pareto Chart is a very powerful tool for showing the relative importance of problems.

Analysis paralysis often arises when faced with an excessive number of alternatives. To tackle this challenge, consider applying the 80-20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. This principle suggests that roughly 80% of the results stem from 20% of the causes.