Bridges Edition of 7/6/2006

Welcome to Bridges, a monthly newsletter published by Robin Fogel, Executive and Career Coach & Consultant. My goal is that these newsletters include practical information that you can use in your work and in your life. If you enjoyed the newsletter please forward it to your colleagues, friends and family.

If you would like to take advantage of an executive coach, please
email me at robin@coachrobinfogel.com for a complimentary coaching session or visit my website - www.coachrobinfogel.com
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80/20 RULE AND BEING MORE EFFECTIVE
In the early 1900's the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula that later become known as the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule - in any situation 20 percent is important, 80 percent is unimportant. You can apply the 80/20 rule to almost anything, from your possessions - you wear 20% of the clothes in your closet 80% of the time, to your work - twenty percent of your effort produces eighty percent of your result.

Use the 80/20 rule as a reminder to focus your time and efforts on that twenty percent that gets results. When you set your daily priorities, ask yourself: that if 20 percent of your clients account for 80 percent of your income, where should you be putting your efforts. If 20 percent of your projects or tasks give you the greatest return, can you delegate or outsource those tasks outside the 20% to other people.

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RANDOM THOUGHTS
In this season of graduations I have been thinking a lot about the concept of late blooming. The topic probably intrigues me since I think of myself as an example of the late bloomer. I wonder about the patience that individuals and businesses have for allowing people to develop at a pace outside the normally accepted time frame - graduate from college in May, start the CAREER in June, VP/partner at 23 - just kidding, but the point's valid.

Tangentially, last December I had the pleasure of attending an APIW (Association of Professional Insurance Women) luncheon. The guest speaker, Edie Weiner, president of Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc., a leading futurist consulting group had many insightful observations. The one that has stayed with me was her response to a question about graduates taking a year or two to travel or try something they have always wanted before starting their careers. She responded that given current life expectancies, today's college graduates will probably be in the work force for 50 years. So what's a year or two or three out of 50?

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CONSULTING/COACHING NOT FOR PROFITS EXECUTIVES
Over the past few years an expanding part of my business has been to work with executive directors and staff of not for profits, supporting them on issues such as board relations, staffing, and leadership development. If I can be of assistance to any not for profit or association for which you volunteer or are associated with, I hope you'll consider recommending my services.
http://www.coachrobinfogel.com/business.html

I appreciate your comments and feedback on this newsletter, please keep them coming. If there is a topic you would like to hear more about send me an email at robin@coachrobinfogel.com.

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A FINAL THOUGHT
At the risk of being repetitive - a thought from an earlier newsletter, widely attributed to Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and appropriate for July, "If you think you are too small to be effective, you've never been in bed with a mosquito."

Enjoy the month of July.

COPYRIGHT: 2006, Robin Fogel & Assoc., LLC. All Rights Reserved. May be distributed and reprinted in its entirety with copyright, subscription instructions, and contact information intact. However, you may not copy it to a website.