Tim Ferriss is the acclaimed author of the "Four Hour Work Week" and a lifestyle revolutionary. He has questioned the blind cultural consensus that every human being should spend from 9am to 5pm in the office. "Presenteeism"is not only unrelated to genuine results - it is a tremendous human waste. Who of us wants to go to the grave not having learned what we could really accomplish?
Yamazumi Your Life (YYL) is a huge fan of the Pareto Principle - the concept that only a vital few inputs drive the vast majority of realised results. Ferriss runs with old Vilfredo's insights and argues that a simple focus on the truly essential can leverage output dramatically. The first part of the Triple Power Law is therefore:
Rule 1: Focus on the vital few - the key actions that deliver maximum results
The risk of course is that work can still sprawl and expand, as Parkinson's law famously dictates that work ALWAYS expands to fill the time available. Hence Ferriss comes up with a second maxim:
Rule 2: Set clear deadlines and limit work time on any item
Yes I agree. Work can be a voracious monster which devours all available time before it. We do not have to perform every task to an equally high standard. When starting any task, it is worth assigning a rating of "1 to 5" in terms of the quality - from passable to perfect - that it deserves. Don't let perfectionism be your own pet monster. So far so good. But I would add a third rule to the Triple Power Law - one that is essential to manage, maximise and maintain success.
Rule 3: Think Total Process, Think Yamazumi
Only by disciplined process thinking will maximum efficiency be realised. It is a misconception that all time can be cutting-edge, coal-face time. Every job requires set-up time and maintenance time. These must be factored in to every process and not skimped because of any arbitrary self-imposed deadline. Someone can cut costs by not insuring their house then live to regret it when it burns down.
Equally, action without measurement is blind. The beauty of Yamazumi Charting is that it focuses on total process and its components in a bold, visually dramatic way. See a powerful graphical example of a Yamazumi Chart that shows its utility. Meditate and reflect on every aspect of the project or process and in a spirit of continuous improvement aim for and expect the best. You can spend a lifetime climbing a ladder,only to find it is against the wrong wall. Take time out to detach yourself from the heat of battle and think about the oak and the acorn, the journey and the destination.
Then apply the Triple Power Law and enjoy the results.
(c) WestOcean 2010
