Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [556]
Measurement. The existing measurement criterion—that is, job retention rate—is heavily influenced by many external factors that are outside the control of the study. Introducing the program at an earlier treatment phase of incarceration would allow measurement of behavior within the controlled prison environment that is more accurate.
Summary and Conclusion
The main purpose in writing this chapter is not only to share the wonderful achievements made by our “boys,” but also to encourage you, the reader, to explore the many opportunities waiting to be unlocked by TOC. Looking back, our first challenge was how to implement TOC within a society as efficient as Singapore. The answer is that TOC is so ubiquitous that it can be used to benefit all. We just need to open our minds and look for opportunities outside traditional industries. In this regard, instead of asking “why?”, perhaps we should be questioning our assumptions as to “why not?”
In many ways, designing this course has been a reawakening to the powerful yet elegant simplicity of the core concepts underpinning TOC. If the goal of TOC is to teach the world to think, then we need to dissect what is at the core of TOC and impart that to the masses. Compared to many corporate clients who can demonstrate technically perfect trees, many inmates walked away from the course with just a vague memory of the sequence or terminology of the actual TOC process steps. Having applied TOC to their personal conflicts and daring to honestly question and examine their underlying logical thinking processes, however, the core principles and essence of TOC will remain with them for a lifetime.
Currently we are working on a project with the Singapore Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sport to work with People with Disabilities (PWDs) to achieve their full potential and function independently by overcoming their personal constraints using TOC TP tools. On a completely different level, we recently delivered a professional development TOC TP seminar to CPA Australia accountants. Regardless of whether the audience is an inmate, disabled, or a white-collar professional, it is clear that these same TOC TP tools can equally impact lives at any level. By having the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants, it is indeed a privilege for us, as TOC practitioners, to be able to take others less fortunate along for the view.
About the Author
Christina Cheng is the Singapore Director for TOC for Education (TOCfE) and runs her own consultancy business. She has spearheaded several new TOCfE initiatives outside of the traditional school framework and has trained diverse adult and youth audiences within government organizations and the social services sector in Singapore using TOC in behavior applications.
Before her involvement with TOCfE, Christina was a financier and private equity manager with a major European bank covering the North and South East Asian markets. She is an Australian, married with two children, and resides in Singapore.
SECTION VII
TOC in Services
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CHAPTER 28
Services Management
CHAPTER 29
Theory of Constraints in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
CHAPTER 30
Customer Support Services According to TOC
CHAPTER 31
Viable Vision for Health Care Systems
CHAPTER 32
TOC for Large-Scale Healthcare Systems
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As a burgeoning segment of many economies, Services offer incredible opportunities for improvement using TOC concepts. How the tools of TOC work for these environments and how to implement them is discussed for technical, scientific and professional services, customer service support, medical practice, and hospitals. Recall in the last section on Thinking Processes we had a chapter on the use of TOC in education and a chapter on the use of TOC in prisons. The application