September 2006 Deep Insights

Business as usual is most often defined as success without knowing what, who, when and how it occurred or running at warp speed, meeting client’s expectations, without knowing if profit margins are cash flow positive.

Not knowing that you don’t know is the worst of “business as usual” only averted by planning. Planning should begin at the end, the delivery date. Working backwards in time intervals that define value added intersections. Value added intersections are defined as go no go quality, cost, resource sensitive dates that will keep all stakeholders in a positive, not negative, state of mind. Indicated intersections become stakeholder meetings to review current status before moving to next steps. They are information sharing, course correction or alternative methods, forestalling to avoid solving issues as the process unfolds. Planning must be part one to avoid crisis management with disciplined thought and action meeting at designated intervention points.

Knowing that you don’t know is the best of all worlds. Planning with intervention points sets the stage for part two of avoiding business as usual. Stakeholder meetings held at intervention points will generate data that is set aside to keep moving forward. Stakeholders know that they don’t know what must be done to avoid similar situations in the future. They must converse to address this data asking questions that will lead to forestalling, not resolving, during the next project. These questions will guide the process: 1. What happened? – facts 2. How did it happen? – facts 3. What did we learn and what do we need to learn? 4. Moving forward, what must we STOP, CONTINUE, BEGIN? 5. Who should we tell, when and how?

Business as usual will become a process, guided by participating personnel in disciplined thought, guiding disciplined action. Information digested, turned into knowledge, preparing for forestalling activities increasing efficiency, profit margins and cash flow.


September 2006
Deep Insights