| Several decades ago, a passenger jet approached a | | | | other venues, I often gave inordinate amount of |
| Florida airport with the pilot and co-pilot struggling to | | | | attention to people at the intractable end. That |
| fix what they thought was a malfunctioning landing | | | | people were upset with me and my leadership and |
| gear. The landing-gear light was on, signaling that the | | | | the direction I wanted to take organizations upset |
| gear was deployed; but both men did not hear it | | | | me - more than it should have. |
| actually deploy. | | | | I did not know that if you are not getting a portion |
| As the men sought to understand whether they had | | | | of the people upset with you, you are not challenging |
| a defective landing-gear light or a defective landing | | | | them enough as a leader. I did not know that the |
| gear -- the co-pilot actually taking up a hatch and | | | | anger of the people you lead is the door prize of |
| getting down into the wheel well -- the aircraft kept | | | | leadership. |
| losing altitude. Too late, a warning alarm sounded and | | | | Apply the 20/60/20 rule to a project you undertook |
| the plane crash, killing all aboard. | | | | in the past. (Remember, those are not exact |
| Quite possibly that tragedy has subsequently saved | | | | percentages but approximations.) Which category did |
| many lives. For the pilot and co-pilot's actions have | | | | you focus your time, attention, and resources on? |
| been used in flight simulation training programs to | | | | Was it the right category to do so? What would you |
| demonstrate how NOT to troubleshoot problems in | | | | do differently? How might you have moved people |
| the cockpit. | | | | from the intractable end to the highly motivated end? |
| The incident has become known as the Landing-gear | | | | How did you deal with the people in the middle, the |
| Fix, a diligent attempt to solve the wrong problem. | | | | 60 percent? What category demanded your best |
| Of course, they had a landing-gear problem on their | | | | resources and efforts? What could you have done |
| hands. But unbeknownst to them, they faced a far | | | | differently to improve your results? |
| more serious problem, a pending crash. | | | | What are the lessons you learned in applying the rule |
| The Landing-gear Fix is a leadership lesson. In the | | | | to a past project? List at least three specific ones. |
| quest to get results, many leaders often focus on | | | | Now apply the 20/60/20 rule to a present leadership |
| Landing-gear Fixes -- putting their time, resources and | | | | effort. This rule is about saving you time, money, and |
| talents into solving wrong problems. In fact, it's been | | | | resources and getting you more results to boot. |
| my experience working with thousands of leaders | | | | There are several ways to use it. First, as a straight |
| during the past 20 years that most leaders are either | | | | up template. |
| working on the wrong problems or working on the | | | | How might the lessons you learned in applying the |
| right problems in the wrong ways. | | | | Rule to a past project now help you apply it to this |
| In this issue, I'll give you a tool to avoid getting | | | | present one? |
| involved in a leadership Landing-gear Fix. It's a tool | | | | Focus on one of the three categories. How will you |
| that will help you avoid wrong problems and focus on | | | | expend your time and resources? It does not matter |
| the right ones. It's called the 20/60/20 rule. And it will | | | | which category you focus on. The importance of the |
| save you aggravation and help you avoid wasting | | | | rule is that you have the option. Without this rule, |
| time. | | | | most leaders scatter their focus. |
| When you are leading a group of people of whatever | | | | Don't get caught applying diligent solutions to the |
| size to get results, understand that roughly about 20 | | | | wrong problems. Apply the 20/60/20 Rule, and you'll |
| percent of the people are intractable; they won't do | | | | focus on getting the right results in the right way at |
| -- or at least won't want to do -- what is required. | | | | the right time. |
| Another 20 percent will be your ardent cause leaders | | | | 2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All |
| in getting it done. And 40 percent will be on the | | | | rights reserved. |
| fence. | | | | PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be |
| How does this rule help you focus you on the right | | | | republished in newsletters and on web sites provided |
| problem? For one thing, it gives you a template of | | | | attribution is provided to the author, and it appears |
| where to put your time and resources. | | | | with the included copyright, resource box and live |
| I wish I had known about the 20/60/20 rule early in | | | | web site link. |
| my leadership endeavors. In the military and later in | | | | |