For operational excellence . . . know the difference between a task and a project.
My definition is that a project is:
Something that cannot be completed by one human in one work session.
This, of course, raises more questions than it answers:
- What does “completed” mean?
- What’s does “work session” mean?
- How many people can be included in the definition of “one person?”
Fortunately we are all knowledge workers (in the Peter Drucker sense) so we get to define those things for ourselves.
And THAT, right there, is what separates the professional from the amateur.
While trudging the happy road of Operational Excellence, we are refining our judgment, setting our standards, and then executing on them.
By far the most important aspect of Operational Excellence is developing good taste — and demanding performance accordingly.
This is an inside job. The SOPs, the training, the tools . . . these are trivial compared to the ethical standards you develop for yourself — and hold yourself to.