"I'm sure you're familiar with the normal distribution." Dr. Doorne tapped a key and the familiar bell-shaped curve appeared on the projection screen. "We see this distribution in such things as heights and weights of a sample that is representative of a population. For instance, take measurements of persons selected at random in several cities dirtside, and you're likely to see this kind of distribution."
She tapped another key and a different graph appeared. It looked like someone had inverted the bracket that would hold up a shelf. "This represents the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your work uses twenty percent of your tools. Eighty percent of your success comes from twenty percent of your ideas. Eighty percent of bestsellers come from twenty percent of your acquisitions."
Rand was nodding along to that. He leaned over to whisper into Tara's ear, "And eighty percent of the work gets done by twenty percent of the organization, unless you have someone constantly riding herd on the slackers."
Dr. Doorne must've noticed that comment, because she tapped her keyboard again and another graph appeared. It resembled the Pareto graph, but turned the other way, with a long slow increase, then a bend in the curve before it shot almost straight up. "And what would this graph represent, Mr. Littleton?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2024-12-02 02:35 am (UTC)She tapped another key and a different graph appeared. It looked like someone had inverted the bracket that would hold up a shelf. "This represents the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your work uses twenty percent of your tools. Eighty percent of your success comes from twenty percent of your ideas. Eighty percent of bestsellers come from twenty percent of your acquisitions."
Rand was nodding along to that. He leaned over to whisper into Tara's ear, "And eighty percent of the work gets done by twenty percent of the organization, unless you have someone constantly riding herd on the slackers."
Dr. Doorne must've noticed that comment, because she tapped her keyboard again and another graph appeared. It resembled the Pareto graph, but turned the other way, with a long slow increase, then a bend in the curve before it shot almost straight up. "And what would this graph represent, Mr. Littleton?"