No, no, it’s not just a “new” way of explaining the 80/20 rule.
I was listening to a podcast the other day (this one) and at the end of the episode the host explained his 10/80/10 framework for outsourcing.
How it Works
You’re in charge of the first 10% of the task or project, to lay the foundation and explain the requirements.
Then your virtual assistant or team takes over for the middle 80% and does the actual execution work necessary.
Finally, you’re back in the picture for the last 10%, to put any finishing touches on the project, do a quality check, and give it your stamp of approval.
I thought that was an elegant way to look at outsourcing relationships, and it’s a “system” you may already be using without even realizing it.
10/80/10 Outsourcing in Practice
For example, with research tasks, I’m outlining the objective and the structure (10%), handing it off (80%), and then reviewing the results (10%).
For design projects, I’m sharing my vision and the goals, handing it off to the creative designer, and then requesting any revisions necessary.
For my podcast, I’m recording the raw audio and making editing notes in a Word doc. Then I share the raw audio file with the podcast editor who cleans it all up. Next, I add in the intro and outro and take my final pass through the file.
If something is missing or there’s not enough detail, I’ll use my review stage for quality control and ask the assistant to dig a little deeper.
Your Turn
I think this framework is useful for a variety of tasks and projects, and I’ve already started thinking about how I apply it to graphic design, data entry, and content writing applications.
In a way, it makes delegation a little less scary, because you’re not putting 100% of the project in someone else’s hands — you’re still setting the course and you’re still responsible for takeoff and landing.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.