This Focused Performance Weblog is a "business management blog" containing links and commentary related primarily to organizational effectiveness with a "Theory of Constraints" perspective. TOC is noted for its applications in Project Management and Multi-Project Management (Critical Chain) and Operations Management (Drum-Buffer-Rope), as well as in Marketing, Strategic Planning and Change Management (TOC Thinking Processes). If you are on an archive page, current postings are found here.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Do the Right/Important Thing -- I've started setting aside a bit of time for cellulose-based reading, starting with some of the books that have looked interesting enough to acquire and suggest. Starting with Bill Jensen's Simplicity, I've come across a great quote from Lynn Mercer of Lucent...
We make sure everyone is relentless in asking "Am I figuring out what's important and doing what's right?" And for managers the question is "Am I letting others do what's right and important?" True success comes when you hit a crisis or rough spot, and people don't revert to old behaviors. That's the real hard part for all of us.
Too often, managers expect their charges to be responsible for the first question -- Have you ever come across "Ability to handle multiple priorities" as a category in an annual performance review? -- without addressing the second one themselves.
On the closing point of the quote, it's a matter of habit to assure that crises don't trigger inappropriate behaviors. And consistent, institutionalized, easy to use processes -- the theme of Simplicity -- can help not only to get things done, but also to develop and support desired habits. It's the responsibility of management to build and maintain those processes so that everyone can focus on what's important and do what's right.
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