If you've gotten up today ready to be offended, perhaps I can put off the suspense: 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. That means you're probably not part of the 20 percent. You, slacker, are riding on the success of those faithful few.
Interestingly, when things fail, it's usually not the 20 percenters that point the finger. They've been too busy doing 80 percent of the work to notice who wasn't pitching in. And 20 percenters, when they take a break, don't look at the 80 percenters with envy or contempt. They look at them with wonderment and pity... because they can't imagine not wanting to work with all their might.
You will perhaps share my wonderment at how some "80 percenters" come by their jobs, and be even more amazed at the fact they are keeping them, even after never producing anything of value. The fact is, some leaders don't want to face the fact that the wonder worker they picked out for greatness was a dud, and admitting that and dealing with that would mean they were wrong. The 20 percent are very often asked to "support" the dud for the good of the team. To add insult to injury, the dud doesn't recognize the help is a merciful act; the dud thinks he is entitled to the help. He is, after all, overworked and misunderstood.
The worst possible scenario (in my opinion) is when the dud is a believer. The greatest power of the universe to support and encourage him, and he forgot he can bring Jesus to work. He's like a light bulb that never got screwed into the socket, believing that he is giving light just be being a bulb.
Hey 20 percenter, how should you deal with these apparent slackers? With much, much prayer and all the mercy you can muster. And never with the misguided idea that you can fix an 80 percenter or even turn them into a 20 percenter. The chasm may be too wide. At the heart of every slacker I've ever met is a little person who did not believe they were worth very much. It would go against their beliefs to perform differently from this belief. They can use encouragement, and a chance (or two or three) to prove they can change.
You know, 20 percenter, most of the work you're doing won't endure very long; some of it not beyond the month. And that work is not what you will be remembered for. The most important (and eternal) work you do this year may be holding up your 80 percenter...with mercy and honor and without judgement. Some of us will get out of these trials alive and thriving. Some of the 80 percenters may not. If you act with compassion and inclusiveness, you'll have no regrets if they don't make it...and you'll have something to really feel good about if they do.
Interestingly, when things fail, it's usually not the 20 percenters that point the finger. They've been too busy doing 80 percent of the work to notice who wasn't pitching in. And 20 percenters, when they take a break, don't look at the 80 percenters with envy or contempt. They look at them with wonderment and pity... because they can't imagine not wanting to work with all their might.
You will perhaps share my wonderment at how some "80 percenters" come by their jobs, and be even more amazed at the fact they are keeping them, even after never producing anything of value. The fact is, some leaders don't want to face the fact that the wonder worker they picked out for greatness was a dud, and admitting that and dealing with that would mean they were wrong. The 20 percent are very often asked to "support" the dud for the good of the team. To add insult to injury, the dud doesn't recognize the help is a merciful act; the dud thinks he is entitled to the help. He is, after all, overworked and misunderstood.
The worst possible scenario (in my opinion) is when the dud is a believer. The greatest power of the universe to support and encourage him, and he forgot he can bring Jesus to work. He's like a light bulb that never got screwed into the socket, believing that he is giving light just be being a bulb.
Hey 20 percenter, how should you deal with these apparent slackers? With much, much prayer and all the mercy you can muster. And never with the misguided idea that you can fix an 80 percenter or even turn them into a 20 percenter. The chasm may be too wide. At the heart of every slacker I've ever met is a little person who did not believe they were worth very much. It would go against their beliefs to perform differently from this belief. They can use encouragement, and a chance (or two or three) to prove they can change.
You know, 20 percenter, most of the work you're doing won't endure very long; some of it not beyond the month. And that work is not what you will be remembered for. The most important (and eternal) work you do this year may be holding up your 80 percenter...with mercy and honor and without judgement. Some of us will get out of these trials alive and thriving. Some of the 80 percenters may not. If you act with compassion and inclusiveness, you'll have no regrets if they don't make it...and you'll have something to really feel good about if they do.
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