Advice and truly useful help

[Zak33]

By the time you're flying througfh your forties (like moi) ... some of the stuff your seniors told you twenty years ago begins to make sense.

Moving through this thread, I'd like everyone, young or old, to share something truly useful that someone has told you please.

Classics such as "never wash your car in the dark" are true.. they're great.. but they're not deep enough to be really useful in your entire life, unless you're a valeter or a chaffeur


So... are you ready?

I will begin and I ask that you enter ONE maximum each until at least 3 others have been entered.

And please use the THANKS button for the ones you find most useful

[Zak33]

FAST
GOOD
CHEAP


At best you can have two of these per product/process/project

[Galant]

Two eyes, two ears, one mouth. Observe four times before speaking once.

(And now I feel like a hypocrite.)

[kalniel]

The 80-20 rule.

Applies in many many circumstances and in different ways. But in essence it's saying the first 80% of a task's progression takes 20% of the effort, while the last 20% takes 80% of the effort. Or 80% of the outcomes are caused by 20% of the effectors etc.

It's useful when looking at all sorts of things, from forum responses (think 'vocal minority') to getting the most effective benefit when fixing bugs/addressing user requested features. I even apply it (slightly incorrectly) as a rule for mechanical sympathy - 80% of my driving/equipment use/whatever can be done at 20% effort (not quite the right word), and by saving the remaining 80% of effort for those times when the circumstances require it then the equipment will last longer and I'm more likely to have the energy/concentration to make most use of it.

[Galant]

The 80-20 rule.

Applies in many many circumstances and in different ways. But in essence it's saying the first 80% of a task's progression takes 20% of the effort, while the last 20% takes 80% of the effort. Or 80% of the outcomes are caused by 20% of the effectors etc.

It's useful when looking at all sorts of things, from forum responses (think 'vocal minority') to getting the most effective benefit when fixing bugs/addressing user requested features. I even apply it (slightly incorrectly) as a rule for mechanical sympathy - 80% of my driving/equipment use/whatever can be done at 20% effort (not quite the right word), and by saving the remaining 80% of effort for those times when the circumstances require it then the equipment will last longer and I'm more likely to have the energy/concentration to make most use of it.

Not sure I quite follow this...can you simplify/summarise it?

[peterb]

Better to get told off for something you did than for something you didn't do. (Basically action is better than inaction, or make decisions conscious ones, not the default)

[Zak33]

Not sure I quite follow this...can you simplify/summarise it?

80% of the money is earned by the top 20% of sales people (which implies the other 80% of sales people are rubbish and share 20% of all the money.. this is very true in many cases)
Many many things split into 80/20. They truly do.

[Galant]

80% of the money is earned by the top 20% of sales people (which implies the other 80% of sales people are rubbish and share 20% of all the money.. this is very true in many cases)
Many many things split into 80/20. They truly do.

And 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people etc. Understood. I've come across that one before. Not sure, Kal, that I understand how you've applied it in those instances, but that's alright. Thanks for the input.

[Zak33]

Kal's one is project based and I have found it many times.

Launching a new website for example.. the first bit flies by.... overall shape, potential functionaility... schemes and filters, future glories... it looks like 80% of the work has been done....

then you have to make it work, get your teams to deliver, test it and break it...... and that's where 80% of your time drags by until you get it working.. and meantime, your bosses and clients don't see any improvement on what was displayed months ago.. but it's taking an eternity just to make a single button work!

[kalniel]

And 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people etc. Understood. I've come across that one before. Not sure, Kal, that I understand how you've applied it in those instances, but that's alright. Thanks for the input.

It applies to lots of things - take forum feedback about a new game - roughly 80% of the posts will be made by 20% of the forum users playing the game, ie feedback isn't made proportionally, but rather you will have a vocal minority making the majority of posts. It's just something to be aware of in that instance.

In others it's a way of maximising your effectiveness at a given task - you get the most benefit per effort for the first 80%, after that the returns diminish.

Or you could apply it to computing - to get performance equal to 80% of the most powerful home computer probably costs about 20% of the total cost, while to get that last 20% costs another 80%.

To using cars/equipment - 80% performance might use 20% of the wear rate, to use that last 20% of the performance costs 80% of the wear rate.

It's not completely accurate - only a rule of thumb, but it's surprising close for many many things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

[Zak33]

Follow your moral compass and do what you believe to be right. But remember, when following a compass north, if a mammoth lake/mountain blocks your route, and you cant cross it, you HAVE to go round it. That means going east or west....not following your moral compass for a while.... until you can get back on track.

What I mean is, to get to to a place/objective/target in your life, sometimes you have to change route. It's ok to change route.

[Domestic_Ginger]

Don't **** on your own doorstep.

[excalibur2]

"Measure twice cut once".... I always use it.

[BobF64]

Better to get told off for something you did than for something you didn't do. (Basically action is better than inaction, or make decisions conscious ones, not the default)

Except when you get in trouble for both.

"Why did you do this?"
"Because it seemed correct"
"Don't do things again without being told to"

"Why didn't you do this?"
"Because you didn't tell me to"
"That's no excuse, you should have known to do it"

Which naturally leads to the maxim "You're damned if you do and damned if you don't".

[Saracen]

It's better to ask forgiveness than permission.


EXCEPT ON HEXUS, of course.

[jim]

This is one from my dad that has stuck with me.

When it comes to jobs, there are three things that most people look for:

1) Responsibilities: i.e. your day-to-day work is rewarding, sufficiently challenging and enjoyable
2) People: working with people that you like being around and who can both amuse and develop you
3) Reward: good holidays, pay, bonuses etc

Whilst everyone would like to have all three, in the vast majority of cases you have to compromise. Think about which two are most important to you, aim for those, and once you've find the right position you should revel in them - don't spend all your energy bemoaning the lack of the third.