Human Nature

“Really I don't like human nature unless all candied over with art.”- Virginia Woolf

As we make resolutions to be a better person in 2010, keep in mind these Five Laws of Human Nature from NewScientist.com.

1. The Peter Principle
   In any organization "people reach the level of their own incompetence". In other words people are promoted until they reach a level over their head and there they stay (unless fired.)
2. Parkinson's Law
   Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Recent mathematical analyses have lent support to the idea. I once had a boss get upset that I finished a project ahead of schedule.
3. The Student Syndrome
   Work gets delayed until the last possible minute. Are you the type who waits until April to begin your taxes? Project Managers recognize this law and combat it by setting many small deadlines to motivate progress on a continual basis.
4. The Pareto Principle
   This is better known as the 80/20 rule. For example 20% of the staff do 80% percent of the work. 20% percent of the families own 80% of the wealth. And so on…
5. The Maes-Garreau law
   Predictions about a life-altering future technology will fall just within the expected lifespan of the person making it. In other words many future predicting experts place the date of earth shaking changes on or about their 70th birthday. If they’re wrong, at least they had a long career.

Bottom Line

Read the full article for more depth and additional laws like Parkinson’s "law of triviality" that states that the amount of time an organization spends discussing an issue is inversely proportional to its importance. Parkison also discovered that commitees of 20 or more persons become utterly hapless and useless.