Resourcing: Bad Ideas That Sound Good

Originally Published MDDI January 2004

Product Development



Bill Evans and Lisa Scheinkopf

Originally Published MDDI January 2004

Product Development



Bill Evans and Lisa Scheinkopf

Unsuccessful efforts by company leaders to expedite development projects often grow out of four false certainties whose appeal is misguided.

1. Keeping everyone busy all the time is good. The appeal: They're working! The reality: They're tired, they're resentful, they're inefficient. Executives must switch from focusing on activity to focusing on output.
2. Having more resources than absolutely necessary is wasteful. The appeal: No money is spent on “idle” capacity. The reality: Living without insurance can be penny- wise and pound-foolish. Executives should concentrate on exposing available capacity, rather than on eliminating apparent waste.
3. Multitasking employees are productive resources. The appeal: One person does the work of three. The reality: One person working on three tasks at once is still one person, and is less able to concentrate on whichever job is at hand. Executives must create conditions for employees to work coherently rather than chaotically.
4. Any department's improvement is an improvement to the whole organization. The appeal: Strivers want the project to go well. The reality: Strivers want their contribution to look good. Executives need to keep all project participants focused on the success of the project as a whole.

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