I’ve thrown a lot of numbers at you guys – the 80-20 Pareto Principle, the Rule of One, the two statistics posts, not to mention all the lists, guides and other non-wordy stuff. Well, here’s one more.
I was sitting with a friend of mine, noodling around with his fancy metal clipboard-binder thingy (looks sorta like this), and was having a hard time closing it. He motioned that I move back, and with a flick of his thumb, accomplished something that had been boggling my mind for several minutes. I looked at him, slightly astonished, and before I could say anything, he smiled and declared, “It’s something I learned in the military – the 10% Rule.”
The 10% Rule, he explained, states that you need to be at least 10% smarter than the piece of machinery you’re operating in order to use it. Or, to put it another way, you should have at least a basic understanding of what you’re doing and how to do it before you even start. But the thing about the 10% rule is that it isn’t just about operating computer systems or closing binders. It’s about succeeding at business.
At the macro level, you only need to really have 10% more business than your next leading competitor to assert market dominance. But on a smaller scale, you really only need to be 10% more proficient than your competition to get the job, get the promotion, get the raise, or get the recognition. Sometimes, that 10% is set as a quantifiable thing, like productivity, sales, client retention or completed projects. Sometimes, it’s less tangible, like having a better rapport with people, being more likable, being able to hold your alcohol better or holding more interesting conversations. It doesn’t take much to get that 10% and all the acclaim that comes with it.
But wait, you say, didn’t you just blog about how comparing yourself with other people is a surefire recipe for disaster, failure, loneliness and extra root canals? And why I may not have said exactly that, you’ve got a point. When it comes to motivation, goals and planning, it IS a bad idea to compare yourself to anyone (BIEBERRRRRR!) – but when it comes to a competition, where your success is determined by how well you do compared to others, it’s fine.
In fact, the 10% Rule applies to a few other things, too.
When we refer to experts, the criteria really comes down to them having that vital 10% more knowledge that you might lack. They exhibit a higher proficiency at something and can demonstrate it. That 10% rule is the difference between Dr. Demento and Dr. Phil (and before you say anything, I know that Dr. Demento is a national treasure, I’m just saying that he’s not a medical doctor, though you could argue that about Mr. McGraw too). The 10% gap is the base for creating a knowledge base upon which a personal brand an an expert’s reputation are built.
So when you get right down to it, you can get a lot accomplished with only 10%. And I don’t mean closing fancy metal clipboard-binder thingies.
