Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Who Moved My Coal?

With all the parents of Thomas-crazed kids out there, don't you think there's a market for a management book based on the Island of Sodor archetypes and stories? (Recall "The Tao of Pooh.")

Example: In A Big Day for Thomas, Thomas gets his big chance to pull coaches rather than shunt freight cars after Henry gets sick. "Be quick now!" says Sir Topam Hat. "Don't be impatient, Thomas. We'll wait until everything is ready." says his Driver.

Thomas is faced with conflicting requirements from two different stakeholders. He is eager to please upper management and ignores the advice of his driver - the one who is clearly more in touch with the realities "in the field" - and sets off before the coaches are coupled. This results in a fiasco at the station and decreased customer satisfaction metrics.

1 comment:

Deirdre said...

Excellent!