Comments on: Multi-Tasking Leads to Project Delays http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/ The magazine for the project age Sat, 17 May 2008 07:24:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Claude Emond http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-336 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-336 This anti-multi-tasking, ability-permission to say 'NO' and maturity (for hierachy and customer) to listen and accept this 'NO' constitute the biggest 'paradigm constraint' (as Hal put it) to tackle if one wishes to better their project management process (or all organizational processs for that matter). We are not talking about simple adjustments here, but a major cultural change where assertiveness has to take over a lot of submission and dictatorship reflexes. When I talk about 'reducing multi-tasking' with fellow project specialists or my clients (employees and management alike), they usually answer back that multitasking is the way life is at work and cannot be changed, even by a few rules permitting a few 'substantiated NO' here and there. The aversion to say NO (which is translated into our mind as 'I cannot say I cannot do what is asked from me, or the boss-client will think I am an incompetent'(for the worker) or 'How dare you say NO to me...he! I'm paying you to do, not to not-to-do' (for the 'alpha-male/fe-male')) is the single most-inhibiting 'paradigm constraint' to good management and to the implementation of TOC in organizations. It is the one I have personnally to work against everyday of my consulting life and the 'Berlin Wall' keeping us from promises that are realistic and that we can meet.(thus it does not mean, however, that it is undestructible but it is sure a tough cookie). Implementing TOC is a major cultural change, one that is fiercely resisted by both workers and employers because it redefines traditional power-hierarchy relationships. This anti-multi-tasking, ability-permission to say ‘NO’ and maturity (for hierachy and customer) to listen and accept this ‘NO’ constitute the biggest ‘paradigm constraint’ (as Hal put it) to tackle if one wishes to better their project management process (or all organizational processs for that matter). We are not talking about simple adjustments here, but a major cultural change where assertiveness has to take over a lot of submission and dictatorship reflexes.

When I talk about ‘reducing multi-tasking’ with fellow project specialists or my clients (employees and management alike), they usually answer back that multitasking is the way life is at work and cannot be changed, even by a few rules permitting a few ’substantiated NO’ here and there.

The aversion to say NO (which is translated into our mind as ‘I cannot say I cannot do what is asked from me, or the boss-client will think I am an incompetent’(for the worker) or ‘How dare you say NO to me…he! I’m paying you to do, not to not-to-do’ (for the ‘alpha-male/fe-male’)) is the single most-inhibiting ‘paradigm constraint’ to good management and to the implementation of TOC in organizations. It is the one I have personnally to work against everyday of my consulting life and the ‘Berlin Wall’ keeping us from promises that are realistic and that we can meet.(thus it does not mean, however, that it is undestructible but it is sure a tough cookie).

Implementing TOC is a major cultural change, one that is fiercely resisted by both workers and employers because it redefines traditional power-hierarchy relationships.

]]> by: Claude Emond http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-337 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-337 I had to be interrupted (multitasking dilemna). I cannot say NO to my wife when she asks for her breakfast, her coffee and her newspaper --- all at the same time...power-hierarchy relationships, indeed !!! ;-) To finish on a positive note (i'll talk about YES :-) ). I found out lately that suggesting to my clients (and their employees) to say 'YES...But' instead of 'NO...Because' when asked to switch tasks was really better received as a strategy. Instead of you having to explain why you cannot switch task now (the because), you get the 'ASKER' to figure out a way to rearrange (or at least reconsider) the priorities he/s-he(the alpha types!!) had imposed beforehand on you (the ...'But'(in YES...But): such and such thing you asked me to do first thing first is now a close second or maybe a third and, Oh my God, it will sadly slip and be delayed by your own making !!!). Food for thought Claude I had to be interrupted (multitasking dilemna). I cannot say NO to my wife when she asks for her breakfast, her coffee and her newspaper — all at the same time…power-hierarchy relationships, indeed !!! ;-)

To finish on a positive note (i’ll talk about YES :-) ).

I found out lately that suggesting to my clients (and their employees) to say ‘YES…But’ instead of ‘NO…Because’ when asked to switch tasks was really better received as a strategy.

Instead of you having to explain why you cannot switch task now (the because), you get the ‘ASKER’ to figure out a way to rearrange (or at least reconsider) the priorities he/s-he(the alpha types!!) had imposed beforehand on you (the …’But’(in YES…But): such and such thing you asked me to do first thing first is now a close second or maybe a third and, Oh my God, it will sadly slip and be delayed by your own making !!!).

Food for thought

Claude

]]> by: Frank Patrick http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-338 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-338 Hal -- What happened to your Wednesday post? Hal —

What happened to your Wednesday post?

]]> by: Claude Emond http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-339 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/04/15/148/#comment-339 In answer to Frank. Unhappily, my experience is a bit different. Might be either a cultural thing (I am dealing mostly with French Canadian outfits). Might also be that what I am working on covers more ground than TOC only, my work consisting in moving whole organizations towards implementing project management as a core business process, which means breaking a lot of habits, including tackling multi-tasking, which is always a huge habit to break when upper management just do not want to get their priorities straight. I used to believe that rational approaches like TOC, balanced scorecards, etc. could easily be implemented, once explained, but it just does not happen that easily for me. In answer to Frank.
Unhappily, my experience is a bit different. Might be either a cultural thing (I am dealing mostly with French Canadian outfits). Might also be that what I am working on covers more ground than TOC only, my work consisting in moving whole organizations towards implementing project management as a core business process, which means breaking a lot of habits, including tackling multi-tasking, which is always a huge habit to break when upper management just do not want to get their priorities straight. I used to believe that rational approaches like TOC, balanced scorecards, etc. could easily be implemented, once explained, but it just does not happen that easily for me.

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