Practice This

When you do your work, are you:

• Task oriented? Or…
• Result oriented? Or…
• Process oriented?

Why it is important? It is important since different orientations get you different results.

by ogimogi

As part of my quest to become more effective and efficient (read – competitive) I was reading a book by Masaaki Imai, Kaizen: The Key To Japan’s Competitive Success. Masaaki Imai shares in his book the difference between Process Orientation and Result Orientation:

"KAIZEN generates process-oriented thinking, since processes must be improved before we get improved results. Further, KAIZEN is people-oriented and is directed at people’s efforts. This contrasts sharply with the result-oriented thinking of most Western managers."

Process Orientation

Seems wrong to me comparing process orientation vs. task orientation vs. results orientation. The process consists of tasks that must be completed in order to achieve results. If there is no process chances there are tasks that might be redundant or unnecessary, if the process is overcomplicated then the results won’t be justified by the investment. If the process is wrong then no results will be achieved. The simplest way I found to achieve results is:

• Define how a good result looks like.
• Model the path to the result.
• Break the path into small tasks with its own results.
• Identify what needed to perform the tasks.
• Prioritize the tasks.
• Allocate the time for each task.
• Act. Now.
• Compare the time allocated to time invested.
• Adjust the allocated time.
• On track?

Got better idea?

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it. “ – Thomas A. Edison

Self Test

• Are you doing or achieving?
• Do you have a feeling of "if I only had a little more time…."?
• Do you practice Rituals For Results?