p.110 "It seems as if you and your people have a method, a system enabling you to break free from common
practices."
"Thinking Processes that enable constructing and communicating common sense," I heard myself repeat
Jonah's words.
p.112 "The next step," I confidently say, "is to find a cause and effect relationship between at least two
of the undesirable effects that we listed." ... "I prefer to call UnDesirable Effects, UDEs, like cooties. Somehow
it describes them better."
p.122 "So, what is the problem? UDE number one should appear both at the top and the bottom.
It's in a loop where it feeds itself." I calmly say.
"But if something feeds itself," Brandon tries to digest the idea, "if there
is a loop, then the effects should become bigger and bigger."
p.125,127 "... As I already said, your system requires a change in the way [manufacturing] plants
are internally measured. It's not easy to get a consensus for such a change."
p.164 I add another objective, "Have an apparent, dominant, competitive edge."
p.171 "Yes, of course," Brandon says. "I have always claimed that dealing with symptoms is ineffective.
We should aim at the root causes."
"Not enough." I have to make sure they see how it really fits together. "Root causes are not enough
for me. We should try to correct a core problem, one that is responsible not just for one or two UDEs, but
for a whole gamut."
"I see," says Jim. "And you seem to have the perfect tool to do it. The Current Reality Tree.
You demonstrated to us that you can start with a list of seemingly unconnected UDEs and end up with a core problem. What a
demonstration. I'll never forget it."
p.172 "Right. So, you are going to take the UDEs of your markets, build a Current Reality Tree,
and through it identify a deep enough problem." Jim stops and gives me a questioning look.
I nod approval, and he continues, "Then you are going to see what changes you have to make, not to
the physical product, but to the offering as a whole, so that you are better addressing a deep problem of the market. This
is intriguing."
"Intriguing? It's ingenious," Brandon slaps the table with approval.
p.236 "Alex, will you please start to address the real obstacles..."
p.237 "... In my position I must deliver results, not excuses. Just results, nothing else counts."
p.237-38,240 What's the next step? The obvious. We all know that when the objective is ambitious
it stands to reason that the plan to achieve it will contain several intermediate objectives. Where are the intermediate
objectives coming from? The only reason for an intermediate objective is to overcome an obstacle that stands in the
way of reaching the desired end objective. There is no other reason.
Therefore for each obstacle on our list we have to figure out the corresponding intermediate
objective; the thing that if we achieve it the obstacle will be overcome... We have to figure out which intermediate
objectives we can achieve in parallel, which only sequentially.
p.271 I continue. "Choosing a goal is not so simple. We can't talk about a goal in isolation.
We have to work within some frame of limitations. It's futile to define a goal without defining the boundaries within which
we can attempt to reach it."
"A goal does not justify the means," Brandon agrees. "So what you're saying is that together with
defining a goal, we also have to determine the necessary conditions that we are not allowed to violate.."
p.274-276 "Do you agree that strategy is the direction we take to reach our goal?"
"Naturally," he agrees...
"I haven't finished telling you what I think should not be done. We shouldn't ever build
a strategy based on a market forecast... For decades we've tried to forecast sales. Did we ever succeed?
... I'd start with developing a decisive competitive edge... I'd... [c]oncentrate on small changes that eliminate
the negatives for the market... the competitors will catch up," I explain. "There is no absolute competitive edge,
it's just a window of opportunity, which will be closed."
"So what you're saying is that we must be always on the move," Jim concludes.
"Of course."
p.281-282 "..But with a correct strategy, I can prevent the market of my company from dropping to the extent
that there is not sufficient work for all my employees."
"How can you achieve this miracle?"
"Simple. By creating enough flexibility. One precaution is to make sure
that every employee is serving not just one segment of the market, but many segments. Do you agree that if I plan
my actions carefully it's possible? ... To accomplish flexibility of the work force, you have to segment your market and not
your work force... when a lucrative segment is up, the company shifts their focus away from some less lucrative segments.
They can do it because their resources are flexible..."
