June 17th, 2017
The question is not “Can you do x before month’s end?”.
The question is “Can you remove something that is less important than x?”
In an earlier project I had all my tasks on a wall so when someone wanted a task done they had to physically remove a note and instantly knew that another task would not be done (until something else was done or removed).
To put even more stress on the person, let’s call him Andersson, wanting to allot some of my time the notes/tasks had different owners. This meant that Andersson got a physical feeling that his/her work was more important than someone else’s.
“Do you think I can remove Svenssons note?”
“I don’t know. Ask him.”
This meant I didn’t have to switch task and search out Svensson and present someone else’s task and then come back to Andersson with a result.
Andersson understood his/her action had impact on two other people. Andersson’s problem was still in his/her hands.
My time spared. Svensson’s time spared.
Andersson didn’t have to wait for a decision from someone else.
All win.
July 18th, 2007
In my experience no task takes less than 15 minutes.
If the very work is 30 seconds the rest is still used for administration, coffe, bathroom, email, web, usenet, talk, phone, looking out the window, rereading, testing, adjusting table, moving screen, listening to song, youtube, blog, slashdot, stretching, scratching, looking at blue led, picking nails, cleaning keyboard, preparing for home going, preparing for next day, cleaning black board, moving picture in cubicle, watering plant, removing old plant, tripping over old cofee cup, looking at bird, wondering about the name of the slow disc drive for commodore 64 and humming a song that refuses to leave the brain.
This means that a maximum of 8 things are done each day.
July 17th, 2007
When choosing how to number priorities I usually use 3 levels:
1) Critical. These are show stoppers. Without these fixed, the whole system is a waste of money.
2) Workaround exists. The customer have to call you (the developer), they might have to buy new hardware or send a backup copy by airmail deluxe. But a workaround still exists.
3) Cosmetic. This is anything that the users can figure out the solution for by themselves.
These 3 levels are not enough so they have 3 priorities in turn. 1, 2 and 3.
All in all 9 levels.
It is so simple it seems to work.