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.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
A List o' Lists -- Coming back from the Labor Day holiday, it seems some recent project and process management lists have settled into my collection of blogfodder. Stephen Seay at ProjectSteps is the source of two of them, from his archives and wanderings.
1. Everything takes longer than you think (sometimes a lot longer)
2. Thinking about everything takes longer than you think
...
17. Be wary of anyone who wants 100% confidence in an estimate. 90% confidence is an exceptional human achievement for any complex task, even with extremely good data
18. Look up the word “estimate” in the dictionary. You may find it useful in a meeting
Rule #5: Know how to navigate - You need a plan and need time to plan. You must be able to envision the final result of the successful project, break that result down into manageable milestones or phases of work and define the critical path to each milestone. This means breaking down the vision of the project into understandable pieces for everyone on the team.
Principle 1: Focus on the Right Value Levers - The first step of any business process improvement is to know where in teh organization value could be captured and where levers need to be pulled. Essentially, every organization has three value-creation levers at its disposal: process, technology, and organizational changes. Companies are often tempted to take small steps toward change, focusing on technology solutions OR organizational reshuffling, rather than considering a more holistic view of their options.
hmmm...
8 principles, 10 rules, and 18 laws. 8+10=18. hmmm...Coincidence?
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