Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [87]
Many other cross-connections that are not represented here can occur during the CORE cycle. For example, expectations may need periodic adjustments based on the results of planning and implementation.
TABLE 5-3 Mapping between Root Causes and CORE
As the cycle continues, expectations continue to be set and reset and commitment, value, and validation are built. All the elements may occur in parallel. Implementing and measuring, for example, do not normally stop as we communicate and replan. Some steps, such as replanning, will be skipped if they are not needed.
Table 5-3 shows the direct relationship between the root causes from Figs. 5-1 to 5-3 and the CORE achievements in Fig. 5-4. If CORE is implemented correctly and used as an ongoing process, it helps significantly in reducing or removing these root causes.
Simple Example: Cleaning the Room
CORE establishes trust that a set of changes will address an urgent need. It contains an implicit assumption: we wish the changes to continue into the future. We therefore put in place feedback loops to validate that continued trust is warranted. Let us consider a simple example.
Suppose you have a son, Billy, whom you want to clean his room. You want it done well, regularly, and without complaint. Some parents whine at their children until, perhaps, the child complies. Some threaten their children but when challenged fail to follow through on their threats. These approaches require little investment and may work a few times. However, they will ultimately fail because the child will realize that they have no reason to change. Consider instead the following approach, based on CORE.
1. Urgency, vision, expectations: Create a sense of urgency by explaining to Billy that he is not allowed to play after school until he has cleaned his room. Describe your vision of a “clean room.”
2. Planning, commitment, implementation: Work with Billy to plan how the “clean room” rule will affect his daily routine. You might make allowances for certain kinds of after-school events.
3. Measure, validate: Conduct inspections, explaining what he has done well and what he has not done well.
4. Continue the cycle: Allow Billy to play or require him to stay at home, depending on the results. Adjust the rules as necessary based on changing circumstances.
This approach is much more likely to cause Billy to gain trust that you mean what you say than threatening and complaining. Of course, it may also cause you, the parent, to reconsider your level of urgency. Consider that, if you leave out any of these steps, your chances of achieving the “clean room” vision will go down. Is that vision important enough to you that you will follow all the steps?
Simple Example: TOC Practitioners Group
Suppose you are interested in starting a TOC practitioners group to share best practices. You may have several reasons for this; for example, improving the level of implementation quality and thus the credibility of TOC in your area. How should you begin?
You will definitely need a target list of people who might take part. You will want to find out their level of urgency. What do they really care about? Where is their pain? If your group includes consultants, you may decide to increase their urgency by pointing out the advantages that will be gained by those consultants who attend.
From there, you will need a vision that ties the future to that urgency. Assuming the vision and expectations you set are sufficiently compelling, people will participate in the planning, further cementing their level of commitment. From there, you would need to continue to implement, measure, and communicate. If the practitioners group does not continue to provide value, participation will wane.
Other Processes
The feedback provided by CORE is essential to building trust in the urgency and consequences of change. In this section, I draw some comparisons between CORE and a few other well-known