Parkinson’s Law, is the the infallible observation that “work expands to fill available time” and by extension, “expenses rise to meet income.” It is the idea that work creates work and thus leaders must be constantly diligent and alert—simplifying and eliminating. That is the ability that governments and bureaucracies seem unable to master, but effective business leaders must. Without leading the organization in a continuing effort to simplify itself and eliminate the unnecessary, negative forces will drive the business into unsustainable levels of inefficiency.
A potential organizational problem is the individual who majors in minors. Activity, hard work, and long hours are not synonymous with contribution. Contribution results from concentrating on the main things on which success depends and consuming the minimum resources required to achieve the objective.
People who major in minors misdirect efforts away from the majors and as predicted by Parkinson’s Law they create work for others—work that too often is on activities not essential for success. Excellence leaders understand the difference between contribution and activity and accept their obligation to purge those Majoring in Minors from the organization.
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Mysteries by Tom Collins include Mark Rollins’ New Career, Mark Rollins and the Rainmaker, Mark Rollins and the Puppeteer and
the newest, The Claret Murders.
For signed copies go to http://store.markrollinsadventures.com.
Print and ebook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and
other online bookstores. The ebook edition for the iPad is available through
Apple iTunes' iBookstore.