Day 5: Two Critical Paths


Day 5 is as critical as Day 4. It has been a long time since the fish died. Even though the corpse has been removed, the smell still lingers. The Fixer knows that if the odor doesn't disappear quickly, things will take a dramatic turn for the worse. It is time to get out the Lysol. So he divides his efforts between two tasks: continuing to resolve the problem and getting rid of the odor. The Fixer must balance the two tasks carefully.

If he neglects diligently continuing his problem-solving work, more fish may die. If he ignores the continuing bad odor, the owner might mistakenly interpret the ongoing stench as a lack of progress and jettison the Fixer's proposed solutiontossing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak.

If the Fixer can survive Day 5, things will get better. Both employees and customers will quickly forget about the problem, and he can finish resolving it without all the pressure. He will succeed by making steady, regular progress and ensuring that no new fish die on his watch. Until the problem is fully resolved, ongoing vigilance is critical.




The Software Development Edge(c) Essays on Managing Successful Projects
The Software Development Edge(c) Essays on Managing Successful Projects
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 269

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