{"id":124,"date":"2008-01-29T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2008-01-29T18:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kirkmahoney.com\/blog\/2008\/01\/create-two-process-improvement-opportunities\/"},"modified":"2008-10-26T12:07:32","modified_gmt":"2008-10-26T18:07:32","slug":"create-two-process-improvement-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kirkmahoney.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2008\/01\/create-two-process-improvement-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"“Create two process-improvement opportunities.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

I saw this in an email message about worthwhile monthly goals.<\/p>\n

Problem:<\/strong>
\nThis goal negates itself.<\/p>\n

Explanation:<\/strong>
\nThis monthly goal seems<\/em> to be written well.<\/p>\n

The goal has “Create” — a popular verb for goal setters because one can usually determine (“measure”) whether something has been created.<\/p>\n

The goal has “opportunities” — a very popular noun in the corporate world because businesses thrive on taking advantage of opportunities, wherever they may arise.<\/p>\n

And the goal refers to process improvement, and who couldn’t love process improvement, right?!<\/p>\n

Take a few moments to analyze the goal, though, and you find that it negates itself.<\/p>\n

What is a process-improvement opportunity<\/em>? It is an opportunity for process improvement<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What is an opportunity for process improvement<\/em>? It is a situation where something is running inefficiently. In other words, it is an inefficient process<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In other words, Create two inefficient processes.<\/em> is the actual meaning of this monthly goal.<\/p>\n

Ouch! Surely, this is the opposite of what was intended. A good business might want to identify<\/em> inefficient processes, or it might want to create<\/em> suggestions for process improvement, but a good business would not want to create inefficient processes.<\/p>\n

I believe that the writer got carried away with assembling popular corporate buzz-words into something that looked like a worthwhile goal but actually would be bad for business.<\/p>\n

Solutions:<\/strong>
\n“Identify two process-improvement opportunities.”
\n“Create two process-improvement suggestions.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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