It's Not Luck - Eliyahu M. Goldratt [92]
When I nod in approval, she continues. “So far so good. Now let’s address the biggies. ‘Recommendations from powerful people are essential.’ I understand that Trumann and Doughty are your best shot?”
“Yes. And also Granby. A good recommendation from your ex-boss maybe doesn’t carry a lot of weight. But a cold recommendation is devastating.”
“I’m writing, ‘Trumann, Doughty and Granby are willing to give high recommendations.’ I think that if you achieve the previous intermediate objectives, this will come as a result.”
“Probably.”
“The next one is, ‘There are not many open positions at the required level.’ Alex, the obvious intermediate objective is ‘The right open positions are identified.’ What are you planning to do about it?”
“According to Jonah’s guideline you are supposed to ask questions like that only after we sequence all the intermediate objectives,” I tease her. “But darling, as long as I don’t take care of the other obstacles there is no point applying for any position. After I take care of them, I’ll have more than ample time to look for a job. You see, accomplishing all the other intermediate objectives will guarantee that I’ll get a lucrative golden parachute from UniCo. I’ll have enough time to look around.”
She is not too happy with my answer, but after a slight hesitation she continues. “The next obstacle is . . .”
It’s no hassle coming up with the other intermediate objectives. Then we start turning the resulting list into a plan.
We have to figure out which intermediate objectives we can achieve in parallel, which only sequentially.
Here the fact that for each intermediate objective we already have verbalized its corresponding obstacle helps a lot. Actually it makes sequencing the intermediate objectives into a relatively easy task.
How? Well, ask yourself what can possibly be the reason that we must achieve intermediate objective X first, and only then can we achieve intermediate objective Y? It must be that there is an obstacle that prevents the achievement of Y, and this obstacle is overcome by achieving X. That’s why X has to be accomplished before Y. Make sense?
To sequence we just have to find which obstacle blocks which intermediate objective. It’s that easy. When we’ve finished, we examine the resulting Prerequisite Tree. It looks good. It’s solid.
Julie remarks, “According to the tree, ‘Identifying the right open position,’ is not conditioned on any other intermediate objective. You can start now.”
“But . . .”
“But you are right. There is no point in addressing it now. It is only one of the three necessary conditions that are essential for the final objective. And relative to the other two, having an impressive track record and the high recommendations, it is relatively trivial. Yes, there is no need to address it yet.”
After a while she adds, “I like your plan, my smart hero. Now I see that every action that you took, right from the start, was on the right issues. Thank you, dear.” She puts the pad aside and comes to cuddle in my arms.
She’s relaxed. I wish I felt the same. Stacey is not moving at all. The news about what is planned for Pressure-Steam has paralyzed them. I have to go there. But can I move them? I doubt it. And if the situation there is not resolved, nothing else counts.
Besides, there is a lot of work on all the other fronts, and frankly, I spend too much time on worthless corporate issues. The paperwork takes more than half of my time. Am I spreading my efforts too thin?
According to this Prerequisite Tree, I am. What it tells me is that: I must make sure that Stacey develops a solid marketing approach that will guarantee her division a decisive competitive edge; I must work with Brandon and Jim to make them embrace the concept of selling Pete’s company (and later Bob’s) as a “model for excellence”; I must ensure that Bob’s solution is implemented