Halper's Hints

Problem #1: You are too busy "fighting fires" to get anything else done. The same type of problem continues to occur in different areas. You don't see any real improvement in the way things are done.

Suggested Solution: Distinguish between things that are urgent (fighting fires), and things that are important (preventing fires). Preventing fires means improving the system. Set aside a small amount of time each day to work on the important items. Identify what is common among the repeated fires and put fixes in place to prevent their recurrence. Eliminating even one systemic problem will significantly reduce the amount of fire-fighting.

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Problem #2: Specifications, Change Orders and other documents contain many errors. The mistakes are not found even though the documents are reviewed and approved by several levels of management.

Suggested Solution: Change your procedures to reduce the number of approvers. Mistakes may get through the system when there are multiple reviewers because each person assumes someone else will catch any errors. Be sure each reviewer has a defined area of responsibility for approval. When many people are responsible for everything, no one is responsible for anything.