Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [81]
About the Author
Realization Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of Project Execution Management solutions based on Critical Chain. It serves clients in a wide range of industries around the world, including organizations like ABB, Alcatel-Lucent, Amdocs, Boeing, CNAT (Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo), Delta Air Lines, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hamilton Beach Brands, Iberdola, Larsen & Toubro, Medtronic, Procter & Gamble, TATA Steel, Vale, Votorantim, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy.
CHAPTER 5
Making Change Stick1
Rob Newbold
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One day, the Master caught his favorite apprentice stealing. He said angrily, “I will not train a thief. Go, and return when you have changed.”
The apprentice, feeling very ashamed, spent the day walking around the village, thinking about his life and his behavior. He returned that evening, saying, “Master, I have spent the day reflecting on who I am and what I would like to be. I believe I will act differently in the future. With all my heart I wish to return and continue to be your apprentice.”
The Master replied, “Realizing that you need to change is not change. Go, and return when you have changed.”
The apprentice, much dismayed, set out again. This time he traveled to a nearby city, working from time to time to support himself. After two weeks he returned, saying, “Master, I have spent two weeks working and learning and have never once been tempted to steal. I know I will act differently in the future. With all my heart I wish to return and continue to be your apprentice.”
The Master replied, “Trying new things is not change. Go, and return when you have changed.”
So the apprentice set out for a third time, traveling the country far and wide, learning skills and seeing wonders of which he had never dreamed. After a year he found himself near his original village and stopped in to visit his old Master. He said, “Master, I have traveled the world and seen many wonderful things. I am happy to see you, but being your apprentice is no longer my heart’s desire.”
The Master smiled and said, “You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.”
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Introduction
Real change, the kind required to significantly improve organizational performance, is not about realizing we need to change. It is not about trying a few things. It is about changing our habits, the habits we use without thinking as we respond to daily situations. When we implement Critical Chain scheduling, we want people to do certain things without having to think about them. For example:
Copyright © 2010 by Rob Newbold.
Perform work as a relay race2 (“get it, work it, move it”), not a train schedule.
Assess actions through their impact on the global project or portfolio picture, not through their impact on task due dates or individual productivity.
Treat commitments as ranges of time, not points in time.
Use of these concepts represents a real shift of paradigms for most organizations. Until new habits are part of the organization’s DNA and the old habits are gone, people have to weigh alternatives and consider multiple approaches. They have to think. Meanwhile, the old approach continues to be an easy option, so backsliding is common. Until the DNA has changed and new habits formed, the change process is not complete.
In this chapter, I explain the approach to organizational change developed and refined at ProChain Solutions over the last 12 years as we helped organizations of all sizes implement Critical Chain Project Management. First, I will analyze the nature of the problem and the root causes behind change not sticking. Then I will discuss a solution, the Cycle of Results (CORE), and how this solution can be used to address the root causes. Finally, I will describe how CORE can be applied to the implementation of Critical Chain scheduling.
The Uptake Problem
A major reason that organizations are unwilling to take on major change initiatives is what I call the “Uptake Problem.