Understand the culture of the new company (with which you are joining or negotiating) and its standards of what is reasonable.
James Nunan – Business person
What’s the best metaphor for defining the project structure and process for getting lean and agile work done? It may be an orchestra.
An orchestra does both process and project work. Let’s first look at the orchestra’s process work. An orchestra is a metaphor for process excellence. The orchestra is usually known for a critical body of musical work that it plays spectacularly and repetitively. This is the orchestra’s value-added process differentiator. The musical body of work is the orchestra’s unique selling proposition. For example, opera lovers will go to Milan for it’s great orchestra, opera singers, operatic acoustic venue, and Verdi’s body of work.
The orchestra is composed of different musical sections like woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. These musical sections can be compared to processes with different instruments like machines. This is very similar to any office or factory with its functional process teams and suppliers of key products. The goal of each musical section, whether it’s woodwinds, strings, or brass is to consistently blend with other musical sections. Each professional may add his or her interpretation to the music.
The orchestra is also a project. Each time the orchestra gets a new gig it works together on a specific composer’s music. Think of this as a special project. The orchestra is composed of project team members, each of whom is gifted, has a unique talent, and has a distinct way of delivering music to satisfied customers. Usually, each player is a superstar in his or her right. Each musician adds value and pleasure to the theater goer. Each orchestra musician is chosen because of unique abilities and talents. The musician must pass an audition based on talent and ability. Once chosen, the musician must rehearse and continue to build upon his or her abilities.
Work Lesson Earned: Hollywood movies or orchestras are a hybrid process and project work model. They consist of core process workers and project workers. Which work model works best for you?