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Subject:Re: Why'd that take so long? From:John Posada <john -at- tdandw -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 24 Jul 2002 17:07:25 -0700
Dick...this could backfire. At the end of the presentation, if I was
attending (not giving it), my first comment would be "You are the
professional. Part of being a professional is scheduling your work...why
HAVEN'T you developed this ability to schedule. Our job is not to schedule
it for you...that's your job..."
This is AFTER I was put in a VERY bad mood because you don't think I
understand a simple concept as a bottleneck. These are not newbies and
they've long grown out of wanting to attend a show and tell...these are
experienced people in their own right with their own ability to manage their
own bottlenecks.
IF he is a senior level writer, he should have developed the ability to
prioritize long ago....I don't know about you, but that's one of the basic
skills I include when someone asks me what's the difference between a writer
and a senior writer.
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
john -at- tdandw -dot- com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dick Margulis " <margulis -at- mail -dot- fiam -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: Why'd that take so long?
>
> Martin,
>
> Sometimes a graphic demonstration of a bottleneck helps.
>
> Obtain a funnel of suitable proportions. A cheap plastic or metal funnel
will do; or, if you are of a crafty nature, you can use a bottle cutting kit
on a gallon jug and make a funnel that LITERALLY includes a bottleneck.
>
> Collect a bag of stones that are of a size that will individually pass
through the funnel. This could be driveway gravel or some such, depending
where you live.
>
> Demonstrate for a gathering of your customers that you can slowly pour the
stones through the funnel and they will come out at the same rate you pour
them, but if you just dump them all in at the same time they get jammed up
in the neck.
>
> Do practice this at home a few times to be sure you've got the timing
down. The last thing you want to have happen is for all the stones to run
through the funnel at a high rate of speed. ;-)
>
> Once you have demonstrated the principle, make you case for setting up a
reasonable work schedule so that you can start pumping out a stream of
finished work at an acceptable pace.
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