Critical Chain - Eliyahu M. Goldratt [27]
To my surprise, she starts by saying, "I don't think that it's just a financial consideration. It's much more a management issue."
"Explain." I try not to appear puzzled.
"In a project there are many more paths than in our simplified example; many more entry steps."
"Of course."
"If we start all the paths at their earliest start, don't you think that the project leader will have too much on her hands? From my experience," she adds, "if I start too many things, I'm bound to lose focus, and losing focus is one thing a project leader cannot afford."
I never thought about it this way. To gain time I ask the class, "What do you think?"
"Makes sense," is Charlie's response. "Makes perfect sense. In retrospect, I think Ruth put her finger on the biggest mistake I usually make."
The expressions on most faces indicate they agree with Charlie. Fred maintains his poker face.
"What do you think, Fred?"
"I think that, except for cases where the investment is relatively large, Ruth's argument is much more important than the consideration of postponing an investment."
It takes me some time to realize that he actually agrees with Ruth. Then he explains. "If the project leader loses focus, the project is bound to be very late. The financial penalty of delaying the income from the completed project almost always dwarfs everything else."
Nobody argues. Not even Ted.
"Very nice, Ruth," I congratulate her. "It looks like you hit the nail on the head."
"I haven't finished yet," she declines the compliment. I wait for her to continue.
"Can you repeat what you said about the need to focus on the critical path?" she asks.
I don't have a clue. What is she driving at? But I also don't have any problem repeating myself. "The critical path determines when the project will be finished. Any delay on the critical path will delay the project."
"If we start at the late start, isn't it true for all the other paths as well?" she slowly asks.
I have to think it over. "If we start a path on its late start," I wonder aloud, "then that path doesn't have any time slack. Which means that any delay on that path will also cause a delay in the project."
"Exactly," Ted bursts in. "So if we start everything on its late start, everything becomes important. And I'll have to concentrate on everything. Kiss focusing good-bye."
"Concentrating on everything is synonymous with not concentrating at all," I agree with him. "So where do we stand? If the project leaders use early starts, they will lose focus. If they use late starts, focusing is not possible at all. We have to find the mechanism, the rules, that will enable a project leader to focus."
"Focusing is important," says one of the students, "but there are many other things that are just as important."
"May I say something?" Fred is provoked. He stands up, "In financial auditing we know very well that in projects, once they are approved, there is only one important thing. Not many, just one. If the project manager stays focused, every problem will be solved. If he isn't, we stop expecting benefits, we pray that the losses will not be too big." He makes his point and sits down.
"Anybody else want to comment?"
"Yes," says Mark. I gesture for him to speak up. Two minutes ago I was afraid that this session would turn out to be a boring mathematical drag, now I have an animated discussion on my hands. It's good. That's the way education should be. Connected to real life. Passionate.
Mark clears his throat, and starts, "For those of you who don't intuitively realize how important focusing is, let me remind you that we know that during the project Murphy will strike, and strike more than once. From my experience, I can tell you, if the project leader is not focused or doesn't maintain focus, the emergencies will turn the project into a fiasco."
"Hear, hear."