--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never allow two people to do a job which…" description: "\"“Never allow two people to do a job which one could do. George Washington observed, ‘Whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/057/david-ogilvy-1326_duty_never-allow-two-people-to-do-a-job-which_3123669.png" --- # Never allow two people to do a job which one could do… ![“Never allow two people to do a job which one could do. George Washington observed, ‘Whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty by close application thereto, it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.” quote by David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/057/david-ogilvy-1326_duty_never-allow-two-people-to-do-a-job-which_3123669.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/057/david-ogilvy-1326_duty_never-allow-two-people-to-do-a-job-which_3123669.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/057/david-ogilvy-1326_duty_never-allow-two-people-to-do-a-job-which_3123669.png) > ““Never allow two people to do a job which one could do. George Washington observed, ‘Whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty by close application thereto, it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.”” [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Delegating tasks to too many people reduces efficiency; one capable person is often better. **In simple terms:** Too many hands make work slower. Key Takeaway Assign tasks to the most qualified individual. Themes efficiency management productivity Mood analytical practical Type advice business When to use this quote - project management - startup teams - office workflow Key Concepts task allocation organizational design Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide the right number of people for a task? - What criteria determine capability? A Different Perspective Over-reliance on single individuals can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ## Related quotes > [My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty... it is worse executed by two persons, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-observation-is-that-whenever-one-person-is-found-adequate-to-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The world is made by the people who show up for the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/the-world-is-made-by-the-people-who-show-up-for-the-job/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [People's - most people's job is talking about the future or like money not even in the present tense. It's not even paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/people-s-most-people-s-job-is-talking-about-the-future-or-like-money/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [There are leaders. And there are people who have the job of leading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-pino/there-are-leaders-and-there-are-people-who-have-the-job-of-leading/) Jim Pino > [“It's so much easier to tell other people how to do their job than fix one's own shortcoming, isn't it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-simonson/it-s-so-much-easier-to-tell-other-people-how-to-do-their-job-than-fix/) [Helen Simonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-simonson/) > [The total number of people that do a job that has the same description as mine in the entire world is fewer than 10.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-total-number-of-people-that-do-a-job-that-has-the-same/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [It doesn't matter how big of a company you have: I always tell people that you are one job away from being broke. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-meyer/it-doesn-t-matter-how-big-of-a-company-you-have-i-always-tell-people/) [Dakota Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-meyer/) > [You shouldn't send people out to do a job which you cannot afford to equip them to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/you-shouldn-t-send-people-out-to-do-a-job-which-you-cannot-afford-to/) [Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/) > [My philosophy is whatever you do, you've got to invest in yourself. If you don't, there are a lot of people out there who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-urban/my-philosophy-is-whatever-you-do-you-ve-got-to-invest-in-yourself-if/) [Karl Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-urban/) > [For people whose job it is to make sure we make money, there's a lot of pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kendrick/for-people-whose-job-it-is-to-make-sure-we-make-money-there-s-a-lot/) [Anna Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kendrick/) > [For many people a job is more than an income - it's an important part of who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-clitheroe/for-many-people-a-job-is-more-than-an-income-it-s-an-important-part/) [Paul Clitheroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-clitheroe/) > [Some people go to their job. That's the job they have; they have to do it. They hate their boss and their coworkers, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-affleck/some-people-go-to-their-job-that-s-the-job-they-have-they-have-to-do/) [Casey Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-affleck/) > [A million years ago, when doing research about the world of municipal government, one thing that struck me is how often people's job titles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/a-million-years-ago-when-doing-research-about-the-world-of-municipal/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [Leadership does not mean getting people to do their job. It means getting people to do their best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/leadership-does-not-mean-getting-people-to-do-their-job-it-means/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/my-job-is-to-not-be-easy-on-people-my-job-is-to-make-them-better/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by David Ogilvy > [I figure that my staff will be less reluctant to work overtime if I work longer hours than they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-figure-that-my-staff-will-be-less-reluctant-to-work-overtime-if-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-most-agencies-account-executives-outnumber-the-copywriters-two-to/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [“Your alcoholics may include some of your brightest stars. The problem is to identify them, protected as they always are by their secretaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/your-alcoholics-may-include-some-of-your-brightest-stars-the-problem/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/many-manufacturers-secretly-question-whether-advertising-really-sells/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Once upon a time I was riding on the top of a First Avenue bus, when I heard a mythical housewife say to another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/once-upon-a-time-i-was-riding-on-the-top-of-a-first-avenue-bus-when-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You can't save souls in an empty church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-can-t-save-souls-in-an-empty-church/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-the-modern-world-of-business-it-is-useless-to-be-a-creative/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Compete with the immortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/compete-with-the-immortals/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The worst fault a salesman can commit is to be a bore. Foster any attempt to talk about other things; the longer you stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-worst-fault-a-salesman-can-commit-is-to-be-a-bore-foster-any/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I don't believe in tricky advertising, I don't believe in cute advertising, I don't believe in comic advertising. The people who perpetrate that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-don-t-believe-in-tricky-advertising-i-don-t-believe-in-cute/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I never assign a product to a writer unless I know that he is personally interested in it. Every time I have written a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-never-assign-a-product-to-a-writer-unless-i-know-that-he-is/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Talent, I believe, is most likely to be found among nonconformists, dissenters, and rebels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/talent-i-believe-is-most-likely-to-be-found-among-nonconformists/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) [Explore all 255 David Ogilvy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More Duty quotes > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Is that what they teach you at the convent? That the gods demand the hearts from our bodies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/is-that-what-they-teach-you-at-the-convent-that-the-gods-demand-the/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You have a right to be sad, and a duty to move on. Only wins who wipes the tears, gather strength and move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-branco/you-have-a-right-to-be-sad-and-a-duty-to-move-on-only-wins-who-wipes/) [Augusto Branco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-branco/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Regardless of how you feel about war and peace those serving military are doing a duty for the rest of us and they're protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/regardless-of-how-you-feel-about-war-and-peace-those-serving-military/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Browse all 5,178 Duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Never allow two people to do a job which one could do. 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