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.
Givens or Assumptions? -- Jeffrey Phillips suggests that when you hear "That's a given", you translate it to "That's an assumption."
What givens do we hold as sacred? If they were repealed or overturned, what would happen to our business? Someone, somewhere is working to overcome your givens. Some competitor somewhere sees your givens as assumptions that can be violated or changed. Will your firm be ready when the change comes?
What's a "given" in your world?
Your "beliefs" need to be given the same skepticism and held up to the same scrutiny that you would give any other information that comes your way. Probably more so, with more conscious effort, since entrenched givens or beliefs are too easy to ignore. In this case, ignorance might be bliss for the short term, but not necessarily for around the corner.
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