The 80/20 Rule: Education and Industry

Education and industry tend to value and reward very different things which can leave students misled and ill prepared to enter the work force.

I lived this difference when I was going to college. I managed small offices while I was going to school and getting my BS in Applied Math. All my instructors had a PhD in math. With one possible exception, they all had spent their entire adult lives working in an academic environment.

The contrast between that environment and the business environment in which I was working could not have been greater. The people I was working with often had little to no college. They generally had a skill that they were leveraging to make their way through the world.

And going back and forth between these two environments proved to be tricky.

One instructor told the class that “you could not possibly work and hope to pass this class”. As someone who had to work to even be able to sit in her class, this proved to be a challenge. (The solution? Never let her know I was working so that she could not make her statement a reality.)

Another instructor, perhaps sensing that some students were hoping for more “applied” in “applied math”, wrote a problem on the board that, to him, seemed much more grounded in reality. For those of us living in a different reality, the problem was still hopelessly esoteric with no practical application. He then asked the class “what would you say if your boss came to you and asked you this question?”. There was silence. I was hoping that he did not call on me because my answer would have been short and honest. I would tell my boss that “I quit. I made a big mistake and I am sorry but this is not even close to what I want to do.” Finally a classmate stepped forward with some attempted at a solution and I was able to breath a sigh of relief.

As time progressed, I realized that the business environment and academic environment valued and rewarded very different behaviors.

It can be best explained by the 80/20 rule.

In the academic environment, the students who spend 80% of the time to get the last 20% of result are rewarded for their tenacity. Their real value, the point of differentiation, is to what extent students are able to and do commit the time and resources needed to get that last 20% done. The ones who do this most frequently are the super star students. They are the stand outs.

In the business environment, it is completely different. The pace is different and resource allocation is different. People need to relearn the 80/20 rule and be able to move forward with the 80%. The other 20% is captured when and if needed.

And this is why it is often difficult for people just graduating from college. Particularly those who did not work in a business environment while they were studying.

New graduates often have the attitude that excellence is that sense of perfection — getting that 100% by spending 80% of time and effort to get to that critical last 20%.

In business, that last 20% may not be so critical. In fact, it can be quite frustrating to have someone who is unable or unwilling to move on when the situation demands that they do.

This disconnect can be a source of conflict and frustration. The student, now employee, feels pushed, unappreciated and set up to fail or not show their true value. The employer just needs to get stuff done as fast as possible. If a person follows the 80/20 rule, they can put a significant dent in 5 things and go back later to hit the things that require a bit of additional attention while letting the rest go because those things were not that important.

It is unfortunate that the needs and attitudes are so very different. It is also why excellence in education does not always translate well into the non academic environment.

By pointing this out, perhaps, educators can work to create environments in which students are pushed to make more real world decisions when it comes to time and priorities. Perhaps educators can help students get comfortable with the 80/20 rule as it is used in businesses. And, knowing this, business managers could perhaps work with those entering the work place for the first time and help them through this transition.