Reference no: EM133524271

Case Study: This passage early in the book resonated with me because it really adds perspective from the top and middle down. It helps give perspective on essential, floor level activities and how raw it is. People in production may look at management and leadership as out of touch and "uppity". This passage shows how management and leadership can look at ground-level employees as imperfect figures generating, at times, imperfect results. It portrays the people among the machines as "ordinary" at best. Business managers benefit from a ground-level experience that helps them appreciate the extraordinary results that can come from ordinary people and the machines they operate.

"Because of its extra capacity, we also know that Y will be faster in filling the demand than X," says Jonah.... (Goldratt & Cox, 2014, p. 206).
This passage was highlighted because it is one of many important conversations that management has regarding production needs. It speaks to the frequency and quality of communication needed to identify issues and justify certain actions. To plan properly, management must know their demand and inputs. Without knowing your capacity and other resources, it will be hard to meet demand or adapt to increased or even decreased demand. This conversation is important to teams working together to plan daily, weekly, monthly, and long-term activities accurately and effectively. Business management benefits from team members who understand factors that affect their performance and outcomes.

"Because they increase productivity," I say. "And what is productivity?" I think for a minute, try to remember. "According to the way the company is defining it," I tell him,.....(Goldratt & Cox, 2014, p. 31).
The notion of productivity and context was interesting and compelling. It shows how some people speak about productivity without really knowing how it is measured or the context in which it is applied. The following page 32 goes on to talk about productivity being the "act of bringing a company closer to its goal" (p. 32). This was a good way to define productivity for team members to see how improvement is measured and progress towards the goal. Business management requires team members to be on the same page about productivity standards, measurement, and outcomes.

QUESTIONS:

• Provide an insight you gained from the passages your colleague found compelling or from another example from the book.
• Ask a clarifying question about your colleague's analysis, either of the concept from the book or of their reflection on past experiences.