One of the most important business principles that I believe every single pastor and ministry leader should be aware of is called the Pareto Principle. It’s a key into helping you set priorities and being a more effective leader of people. It’s definitely a principle I used in many different situations. It may take a while for it to click, but when it does, it will help you make better decisions and be a better leader.
The principle was discovered by an Italian, Vilfredo Pareto, hence the name, when he realized in every nation 80% of the land is owned by 20% of the people, so you may know it by its other name: the 80/20 rule. It’s a very valuable concept, so pay attention!
80 percent of what you produce comes from 20 percent of what you put in
For example, if you run a shop, whether a tiny little shop or a giant shop, 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your customers. If you are a computer programmer, 20% of the errors will take 80% of the time to fix. If you are an employer 20% of your employers will achieve 80% of the growth and results.
What Does This Mean for Ministry Leaders and Pastors?
20% of the time gets 80% of the work done.
20% of the people in your church take up 80% of your time
20% of the book contains 80% of what you need to read
20% of the sermon will give 80% of the impact
20% of people in your church give 80% of the offerings
20% of people in your church do 80% of the serving
And when you have a bring and share, 20% of the people will eat 80% of the food!
Why this is so, I honestly don’t know, but the more this is studies, this proportion covers anything. As a leader you need to understand this so you can make better choices!
Let’s say today you have a to-do list with ten things on it. 2 of those things will produce 80% of the impact to your congregation. 8 of them will only produce 20% impact. So, work out what the two are and do them well. Maybe some of the 8 you can delegate, or even never do at all.
Focus on the 20% of people in your church who are progressing the church and getting work done and investing in the church. Take them out for lunch after church rather than the clowns that cause 80% of the problems!
Let’s say you have a church of fifty people. That means there are ten people in that church who carry it. They are making the difference! They are the superstars, they are the champions of your church. It also means that there ten people causing all the problems and need all the time and attention. The ten superstars won’t feel they need anything from you because they are superstars, but the truth is you need to invest in them.
Here’s the key – spend 80% of your time with people with the ten superstars – if you have money to spend, spend it on them! If they are working in a position in the church, let them know about the Pareto Principle and encourage them to spend 80% of their time in their 20% zone! However many people are in your church 20% of them are the top people and you need to invest in them. This will make or break your church!
Pray about this because it has huge implications for the way we do ministry and do church. It will determine whether your church culture is progressive or regressive.
The more time we spend in the 20% that produces 80% of the results, the easier our lives will be.
Inspiring and Challenging Dreamers 