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Showing posts from September, 2011

Know the delay at the next step

We rush around and try to get our part of the project completed. We bust our guts to get the job done, and then we find out that our work sits idly at the next stage waiting for.... something! Many times during a project information isn't communicated accurately and this means that delays can build up between activities through different 'suppliers' having an unclear view of what the overall plan is. By ensuring that you understand what the delay actually is, or working to avoid the delay, you can use your time and efforts more wisely to work on the right task at the right time. Working with the other partners on a project to keep all of the elements moving along is a logical progression, minimising the overall delays on the project. If we are unclear about the delays facing us in a project we risk running ahead of the real schedule whilst other parts of the business are lagging behind. Find out the real picture and re-allocate your resources accordingly!

It’s simple when you look from the right end!

Often the day to day running of a business can appear complex and confusing. This chaotic mess can make the act of improving the business seem more difficult that it really is. If you take the perspective of cause and effect then the act of deciding on what changes need to take place should come from the causal point of view. When we look at the chaos we are looking at the effect of the current system and, whilst it can be used for reference, decisions should be made at cause (or how it should work). When you go back to the design of the business then simplicity can also return. It can be difficult to try and force processes and people to change their behaviours when things aren’t going to plan, but when you alter the design of the system so that the work flows differently through the business then the results can change quickly. In this case you can start at the beginning and define how the business needs to work correctly step by step. When you get a couple of the initial s

Preparation is a catalyst for getting stalled projects moving

If you look at projects that are taking place you can often find that stages within the project stall, causing delay for the remainder of the project. In many cases this is not because the work is too hard or requires more time, it is because it is perceived to be too hard or too long. This perception leads to stalling and then a self fulfilling prophecy about the particular task(s) being too hard or too long. Preparation can often be the catalyst as it can help to change people’s perspective. At a basic level it can be used to help people understand exactly how they are going to do the task and get clear on exactly how difficult or time consuming it really is. Clearly identifying the tasks and getting a proper grasp of what needs to happen usually helps things to get started. By doing the preparatory work the task itself will have begun. The realisation that the work is not as difficult as originally thought coupled with the fact that the task has already begun creates a mom